:Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football

{{Infobox college football team

| TeamName = Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football

| Image = Hardin–Simmons Cowboys wordmark.svg

| ImageSize = 250

| CurrentSeason =

| FirstYear = {{Start date and age|1897}}{{efn|The school did not field a football team from 1964 to 1989. It was relaunched in {{Start date and age|1990}}.}}

| HeadCoach = Jesse Burleson

| HeadCoachYear = 15th

| HCWins = 107

| HCLosses = 34

| HCTies =

| OtherStaff =

| Stadium = Shelton Stadium

| StadCapacity =

| StadSurface =

| Location = Abilene, Texas

| NCAAdivision = III

| Conference = ASC

| BowlWins = 5

| BowlLosses = 2

| BowlTies = 1

| PlayoffApps = 13

| Playoffs = 4–13

| NatlTitles =

| ConfTitles = 12

| DivTitles =

| AllAmericans =

| WebsiteName =

| WebsiteURL =

}}

The Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football team represents Hardin–Simmons University in the sport of college football.{{cite web|title=Football|publisher=Hardin-Simmons University|access-date=January 31, 2019|url=http://hsuathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/index}}

Hardin–Simmons began competing in intercollegiate football in 1897.{{cite web|title=2007 Cowboy Football Media Guide|publisher=Hardin-Simmons University|access-date=January 31, 2019|page=69|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hsim/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/fbmg.pdf|archive-date=January 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128135955/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hsim/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/fbmg.pdf|url-status=dead}} The program rose to prominence under Frank Kimbrough who compiled a 47–8–3 record ({{Winning percentage|47|8|3}}) as head coach from 1935 to 1940. Kimbrough's teams played in the 1936 and 1937 Sun Bowls, and his undefeated and untied 1940 team was ranked No. 17 in the final AP Poll.

From 1941 to 1961, the team competed as a member of the Border Conference.{{cite web|title=Hardin-Simmons Cowboys School History|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=January 31, 2019|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/hardin-simmons/}} During this time, the Cowboys won three conference championships: 1942 (shared with Texas Tech) and 1946 under head coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Warren B. Woodson, and 1958 under head coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Sammy Baugh.{{cite web|title=Conference Championships: Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|access-date=January 31, 2019|url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/conference_champs/champions.php?conid=24|archive-date=February 13, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213163201/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/conference_champs/champions.php?conid=24|url-status=dead}} During the period of its membership in the Border Conference, the team appeared in seven bowl games, including a record three bowl games (Grape, Shrine, and Camellia Bowls) for the 1948 team.{{cite news|title=Hardin-Simmons made bowl season history in '48|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|date=December 26, 2008|access-date=January 31, 2010|url=http://www.chron.com/sports/college-football/article/Hardin-Simmons-made-bowl-season-history-in-48-1617904.php}}

From 1960 to 1963, the football program compiled a record of 3–35–1 and was outscored by a total of 999 to 313. In January 1964, the university trustees ordered the elimination of the university football program. The chairman of the board said the move was necessitated by "financial difficulties and losses" in the athletic program.{{cite news|title=H-SU Drops Grid Sport|newspaper=The Abilene Reporter-News|date=January 10, 1964|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27838936/hsu_drops_grid_sport/|via=Newspapers.com}}

The school did not field a football team from 1964 to 1989. The football program returned in 1990, but the school now competes at the NCAA Division III level. Jimmie Keeling was the head coach for 21 years from 1990 to 2010, winning 11 American Southwest Conference championships and compiling a record of 172–53 ({{Winning percentage|172|53|0}}). Jesse Burleson has been the head coach since 2011.{{cite news|title=Year-By-Year Record|publisher=Hardin-Simmons University|access-date=January 31, 2019|url=https://www.hsuathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/Year-By-Year_Record}}

Postseason appearances

=Bowl games=

The Hardin–Simmons Cowboys have played in 8 NCAA-sanctioned bowl games with a record of 5–2–1.{{dead link|date=April 2017}}

class="wikitable" style="width:95%;"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=Hardin–Simmons Cowboys\|Season\|Date\|Bowl\|W/L\|Opponent\|PF\|PA\|Coach\|Notes}}
align=center \| 1935	January 1, 1936	Sun Bowl	T	New Mexico A&M	14	14	Frank Kimbrough	notes
align=center \| 1936	January 1, 1937	Sun Bowl	W	Texas Western	34	6	Frank Kimbrough	notes
align=center \| 1942	January 1, 1943	Sun Bowl	L	Second Air Force	7	13	Clark Jarnagin	notes
align=center \| 1946	January 4, 1947	Alamo Bowl	W	Denver	20	0	Warren B. Woodson	notes
align=center \| 1947	January 1, 1948	Harbor Bowl	W	San Diego State	53	0	Warren B. Woodson
align=center \| 1948	December 11, 1948	Grape Bowl{{dagger}}	T	Pacific (CA)	35	35	Warren B. Woodson
align=center \| 1948	December 18, 1948	Shrine Bowl	W	Ouachita Baptist	41	12	Warren B. Woodson
align=center \| 1948	December 30, 1948	Camellia Bowl	W	Wichita State	49	12	Warren B. Woodson
align=center \| 1958	December 31, 1958	Sun Bowl	L	Wyoming	7	14	Sammy Baugh	notes
{{CollegeSecondaryHeader\|team=Hardin–Simmons Cowboys\|Total	{{nowrap\|9 games}}\|{{nowrap\|5–2–2}}	260\|106\|

}

{{dagger}} The Grape Bowl is listed in NCAA records, but was not an NCAA-sanctioned bowl game.{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/bowls.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-01-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510220255/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/Bowls.pdf |archive-date=2017-05-10 }}