1976 Wyoming Cowboys football team
The 1976 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. In their second and final season under head coach Fred Akers, the Cowboys were members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and played their home games on campus at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.
| 1976 Wyoming Cowboys football | |
|---|---|
WAC co-champion | |
Fiesta Bowl, L 7–41 vs. Oklahoma | |
| Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| 1976 record | 8–4 (6–1 WAC) |
| Head coach | Fred Akers (2nd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Leon Fuller (2nd season) |
| Home stadium | War Memorial Stadium |
| 1976 Western Athletic Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BYU + | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wyoming + | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado State | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UTEP | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 11 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wyoming compiled an 8–4 record, tied for the WAC championship (6–1), lost to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, and outscored their opponents 278 to 250.[1][2] The team's statistical leaders included Don Clayton with 409 passing yards, Robbie Wright with 718 rushing yards, Walter Howard with 305 receiving yards, and Dan Christopulos with 53 points scored.[3]
It was Wyoming's first winning season since 1969 and first bowl appearance since the Sugar Bowl in January 1968. Akers soon departed for the University of Texas and the Cowboys' next winning season was in 1980; the next bowl appearance was in December 1987.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 11 | South Dakota* |
| W 48–7 | ||
| September 18 | at Michigan State* |
| L 10–21 | ||
| September 25 | Utah State* |
| W 20–3 | ||
| October 2 | Arizona State |
| W 13–10 | ||
| October 9 | at BYU |
| W 34–29 | ||
| October 16 | New Mexico |
| W 24–23 | ||
| October 23 | Utah |
| W 45–22 | ||
| October 30 | at Colorado State | L 16–19 | |||
| November 6 | at Arizona |
| W 26–24 | ||
| November 13 | at UTEP |
| W 14–10 | ||
| November 20 | at Air Force* | L 21–41 | |||
| December 25 | vs. No. 8 Oklahoma* |
| L 7–41 | ||
| |||||
References
- "1976 Wyoming Cowboys Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "2018 Wyoming Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Wyoming. 2018. p. 213. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- "1976 Wyoming Cowboys Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 12, 2018.