1976 BYU Cougars football team

1976 BYU Cougars football
WAC co-champion
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Record9–3 (6–1 WAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDoug Scovil (1st season)
Offensive schemeWest Coast
Defensive coordinatorDick Felt (5th season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumCougar Stadium
1976 Western Athletic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
+ 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
  • + – 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.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11at Kansas State*
L 3–1327,100[1]
September 18Colorado 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 9Wyoming
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
L 29–3435,423[6]
October 10Southern Miss*
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 63–1923,029[7]
October 23Utah State*
W 45–1424,124[8]
October 30Arizona State
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 43–2129,854[9]
November 6UTEP
  • 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
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[14]

Game summaries

Kansas State

Colorado State

Team 1 234Total
Colorado State 0 873 18
• BYU 7 15317 42
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

Team 1 234Total
• BYU 13 307 23
Arizona 3 733 16
Scoring summary
Q1BYUTaylor 36 yard field goalBYU 3–0
Q1BYUTaylor 38 yard field goalBYU 6–0
Q1ARIZPistor 52 yard field goalBYU 6–3
Q1BYUBillick 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

Team 1 234Total
Arizona St 21 000 21
• BYU 17 7163 43
  • 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)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
BYU 7 13 14034
Utah 0 6 0612

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
Game highlights

Tangerine Bowl (vs Oklahoma State)

Personnel

1976 BYU Cougars football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB Todd Christensen
QB Gifford Nielsen RJr
WR 8 John VanDerWouden Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K Dave Taylor
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured
    • Redshirt

    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.
    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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