1976 BYU Cougars football team

Last updated

1976 BYU Cougars football
WAC co-champion
Conference Western Athletic Conference
Record9–3 (6–1 WAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Doug Scovil (1st season)
Offensive scheme West Coast
Defensive coordinator Dick Felt (5th season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Cougar Stadium
Seasons
←  1975
1977  →
1976 Western Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
BYU + 6 –1 –09 –3 –0
Wyoming + 6 –1 –08 –4 –0
Arizona State 4 –3 –04 –7 –0
Utah 3 –3 –03 –8 –0
Arizona 3 –4 –05 –6 –0
New Mexico 3 –4 –04 –7 –0
Colorado State 2 –4 –06 –5 –0
UTEP 0 –7 –01 –11 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1976 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. The Cougars were led by fifth-year head coach LaVell Edwards and played their home games at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. The team competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, winning a share of the conference title with Wyoming with a conference record of 6–1. BYU was invited to the 1976 Tangerine Bowl, where they lost to Oklahoma State.

Contents

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11at Kansas State *
L 3–1327,100 [1]
September 18 Colorado State
W 42–1833,013 [2]
September 25at Arizona
W 23–1631,000 [3]
October 2at San Diego State *
W 8–041,786 [4] [5]
October 9 Wyoming Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
L 29–3435,423 [6]
October 10 Southern Miss *
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 63–1923,029 [7]
October 23 Utah State *
W 45–1424,124 [8]
October 30 Arizona State
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 43–2129,854 [9]
November 6 UTEP
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 40–2724,644 [10]
November 13at New Mexico
W 21–818,038 [11]
November 20at Utah
W 34–1230,503 [12]
December 18vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State *
L 21–4937,812 [13]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[14]

Game summaries

Kansas State

Colorado State

1234Total
Colorado State087318
•BYU71531742
Scoring summary
1BYUJeff Nilsson 9-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Taylor kick)BYU 7-0
2CSUDavis 5-yard run (Graham run)Colorado St 8-7
2BYUJohn VanDerWouden 35-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Gifford Nielsen to Chronister pass)BYU 15-8
2BYUJohn VanDerWouden 26-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Taylor kick)BYU 22-8
3CSUHarris 1-yard run (Drake kick)BYU 22-15
3BYUTaylor 38-yard field goalBYU 25-15
4CSUDrake 42-yard field goalBYU 25-18
4BYUJohn VanDerWouden 13-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Taylor kick)BYU 32-18
4BYUTaylor 21-yard field goalBYU 35-18
4BYUJohn VanDerWouden 12-yard pass from Terry McEwen (Taylor kick)BYU 42-18

Gifford Nielsen completed 13 of 32 passes for 174 yards before leaving late in the final quarter while John VanDerWouden set a single-game conference record with four touchdown receptions. LaVell Edwards beat Colorado State for the first time since taking over BYU in 1972. [15]

At Arizona

1234Total
• BYU1330723
Arizona373316
Scoring summary
Q1BYUTaylor 36 yard field goalBYU 3–0
Q1BYUTaylor 38 yard field goalBYU 6–0
Q1ARIZPistor 52 yard field goalBYU 6–3
Q1BYU Billick 20 yard pass from Nielsen (Taylor kick)BYU 13–3
Q2ARIZNash 31 yard pass from Krohn (Pistor kick)BYU 13–10
Q2BYUTaylor 39 yard field goalBYU 16–10
Q3ARIZPistor 20 yard field goalBYU 16–13
Q4ARIZPistor 39 yard field goalTie 16–16
Q4BYUHarris 43 yard pass from Nielsen (Taylor kick)BYU 23–16

[16]

At San Diego State

Wyoming

Southern Mississippi

Utah State

Arizona State

1234Total
Arizona St2100021
•BYU17716343
  • Date: October 30
  • Location: Cougar Stadium • Provo, Utah
Scoring summary
1BYUVanDerWouden 3-yard run (Taylor kick)BYU 7-0
1ASUMucker 80-yard pass from Sproul (Kush kick)Tie 7-7
1BYUTaylor 21-yard field goalBYU 10-7
1ASUMucker 43-yard pass from Sproul (Kush kick)Arizona St 14-10
1BYUHarris 35-yard pass from Nielsen (Taylor kick)BYU 17-14
1ASUSproul 1-yard run (Kush kick)Arizona St 21-17
2BYULowry 2-yard run (Taylor kick)BYU 24-21
3BYUChronister 81-yard pass from Nielsen (Taylor kick)BYU 31-21
3BYUTaylor 40-yard field goalBYU 34-21
3BYUChristensen 2-yard run (pass failed)BYU 40-21
4BYUTaylor 44-yard field goalBYU 43-21

[17]

UTEP

At New Mexico

At Utah

BYU Cougars (8–2) at Utah Utes (3–6)
Quarter1234Total
BYU 71314034
Utah 060612

at Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah

  • Date: November 20, 1976
  • Game weather: Clear, 56 °F (13 °C)
  • Game attendance: 30,503
  • Box Score
Game information
External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Game highlights

Tangerine Bowl (vs Oklahoma State)

Personnel

1976 BYU Cougars football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
RB Todd Christensen
QB Gifford Nielsen RJr
WR 8John VanDerWoudenJr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K Dave Taylor
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injury icon 2.svg Injured
    • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

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References

  1. ↑ "KU, K-Staate impressive in home debuts". The Salina Journal. September 12, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "BYU stomps CSU, 42–18". Albuquerque Journal. September 19, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Last-second TD pass beats Wildcats, 23–16". The Arizona Daily Star. September 26, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Steve Wilson (October 3, 1976). "Cougars Stun Aztecs, 8-0, In Rugged Defensive Clash". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. p. 2D. Retrieved January 17, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. ↑ "Aztecs blanked by Cougars". Daily Times-Advocate. October 3, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Cowboys withstand Cougar charge". The Daily Herald. October 10, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "BYU crushes Eagles in 63–19 romp". The Salt Lake Tribune. October 17, 1976. Retrieved March 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "BYU ace gets 5 TD passes in 45–14 win". The Sunday Oregonian. October 24, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Cougars dump ASU". The Idaho Statesman. October 31, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Cougars top Miners". Casper Star-Tribune. November 7, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Brigham Young tops UNM 21–8". Hobbs Daily News-Sun. November 14, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "BYU finishes 9–2". Rapid City Journal. November 21, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Cowboys blast BYU 49–21". St. Petersburg Times. December 19, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "1976 Brigham Young Cougars Schedule and Results".
  15. ↑ "BYU's passing attack dumps Colorado State." Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Sept 19.
  16. ↑ CougarStats.com. Retrieved 2016-Sep-16.
  17. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Oct 31.


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