1968 New Mexico Highlands Cowboys football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1968
| team = New Mexico Highlands Cowboys
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 9–0
| head_coach = John Levra
| hc_year = 2nd
| captain =
| stadium =
| champion =
}}
{{1968 NAIA independents football records}}
The 1968 New Mexico Highlands Cowboys football team was an American football team that represented New Mexico Highlands University as an independent during the 1968 NAIA football season. In their second year under head coach John Levra, the Cowboys compiled a perfect 9–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 533 to 53.
The Cowboys set new school records with 533 points scored and 4,685 yards of total offense. They gained an average of 520.6 yards of total offense per game, consisting of 331.0 rushing yards and 189.6 passing yards. On defense, the Cowboys held opponents to an average of 191.2 yards per game, 84.2 yards rushing and 107.0 yards passing.{{cite news|title=Highlands Cowboys Broke 23 Records|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=December 15, 1968|page=A15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-highlands-cowbo/142314507/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Halfback Carl Garrett was selected as a first-team player on the 1968 Little All-America college football team. He tallied 1,373 rushing yards (8.3 yards per carry, 171.6 yards per game) in 1968 and scored 132 points. He received Little All-American honors each year from 1966 to 1968 and totaled 3,364 rushing yards.{{cite news|title=Highlands' Carl Garrett Selected All-American|newspaper=Albuquerque Journal|date=December 3, 1968|page=B2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/albuquerque-journal-highlands-carl-garr/142312601/|via=Newspapers.com}} Other key players included quarterback Grady Herold (broke school records with 22 touchdown passes and .642 completion percentage), fullback Benny Cortez (646 yards, 4.1 yards per carry), and George Taplin (broke school record with nine touchdown receptions and 540 receiving yards).
At the end of the season, the NAIA placed New Mexico Highlands on probation until June 30, 1969. The NAIA took the action as a result of Highlands' cancelling four basketball games without giving sufficient notice. As a result, the football team was disqualified from competing in the NAIA playoffs despite being ranked No. 1.{{cite news|title=Probation eliminates Highlands from gridiron bowl|newspaper=Las Vegas Optic|date=November 19, 1968|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/las-vegas-optic-probation-eliminates-hig/142299099/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| source = y
|September 14||{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Simon Fraser Clan|title=Simon Fraser}}||Las Vegas, NM|W 34-9|{{cite news|title=Highlands Wins Opener|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=September 15, 1968|page=B1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-highlands-wins/142301232/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 21||{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Southern Utah Thunderbirds|title=Southern Utah}}||Las Vegas, NM|W 85-0|{{cite news|title=Highlands Blasts Southern Utah 85-0|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=September 22, 1968|page=B1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-highlands-blast/142300046/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 28||{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Hiram Scott Scotties|title=Hiram Scott}}||Las Vegas, NM|W 72-0|{{cite news|title=HU Beats Hiram Scott 72-0|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=September 29, 1968|page=B1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-hu-beats-hiram/142302803/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 5|at|{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Adams State Grizzlies|title=Adams State}}||Alamosa, CO|W 28-6|{{cite news|title=NM Highlands Cowboys Win Fourth Straight: Herold Tosses 4 TD Passes|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=October 6, 1968|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-nm-highlands-co/142305225/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 12|at|{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Westminster Griffins|title=Westminster (UT)}}||Salt Lake City, UT|W 49-0|{{cite news|title=Third shutout: Highlands Cowpokes show stature in 49-0 victory over Westminster|newspaper=Las Vegas Optic|date=October 14, 1968|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/las-vegas-optic-third-shutout-highlands/142305625/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 19||{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Colorado Mines Orediggers|title=Colorado Mines}}
|October 26||{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Western New Mexico Mustangs|title=Western New Mexico}}||Las Vegas, NM|W 62-7|{{cite news|title=Top Rated Cowboys Score In Every Period ... Highlands Swamps Western 62-7|newspaper=Silver City Daily Press|date=October 28, 1968|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/silver-city-daily-press-top-rated-cowboy/142306636/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 2|at|{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Western State Mountaineers|title=Western State (CO)}}||Gunnison, CO|W 70-7|{{cite news|title=Highlands Wins Seventh Straight: Garrett Paces 70-7 Win With Five TDs|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=November 3, 1968|page=B1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-highlands-wins/142304825/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 9|at|{{cfb link|year=1968|team=Southern Colorado Indians|title=Southern Colorado}}||Pueblo, CO|W 48-10|{{cite news|title=Highlands Undefeated For 2nd Straight Year: Cowboys End 1968 Season|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=November 10, 1968|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-highlands-undef/142297554/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=10-0 Deficit Didn't Worry Highlands University Pokes|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=November 11, 1968|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-10-0-deficit-di/142297036/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
Personnel
The following 36 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1968 New Mexico Highlands football team:{{cite news|title=36 HU Footballers Awarded Football Letters for 1968|newspaper=The New Mexican|date=December 15, 1968|page=A15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-36-hu-footballe/142313886/|via=Newspapers.com}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
- Carl Browning, sophomore, defensive end-center, Midland, TX
- Permon Chavious, senior, tackle, Columbia, SC
- Ben Cortez, senior, fullback, Kingsville, TX
- Andrew Crawford, junior, defensive end, Corpus Christi, TX
- Roy Culberson, junior, linebacker, El Paso, TX
- Jim Elam, senior, defensive back, Kingsville, TX
- McKinney Evans, sophomore, defensive back, Denton, TX
- Jim Fortner, junior, defensive back, Lovington, NM
- Carl Garrett, senior, halfback, Denton, TX
- Leonard Garrett, sophomore, tight end, Silsbee, TX
- Ron Gentry, senior, guard, Corpus Christi, TX
- Tom Gillespie, senior, flanker, Centerline, MI
- George Gomez, sophomore, defensive tackle, El Paso, TX
- David Graham, junior, defensive tackle, Abilene, TX
- Fred Hernandez, senior, center, Corpus Christi, TX
- Grady Herold, senior, quarterback, Cercedes, TX
- Larry Herold, junior, fullback, Mercedes, TX
- John Keith, junior, linebacker-end, Rantoul, IL
- Larry Kell, junior, split end, Corpus Christi, TX
- Gary Killion, sophomore, linebacker, Weatherford, TX
- Pat Lindelow, sophomore, tackle, Kansas City, KS
- Harry Long, senior, guard, Richmond, KY
- George Parr, freshman, safety, El Paso, TX
- Steve Pruitt, sophomore, quarterback, Borger, TX
- Buddy Roberts, junior, punter, Harlingen, TX
- David Robledo, senior, defensive safety, Harlingen, TX
- Greg Roero, junior, defensive tackle, Opa Locka, FL
- Al Sheldon, junior, tackle, Corpus Christi, TX
- John Smith, junior, linebacker, Santa Fe, NM
- Ralph Szydlik, junior, halfback, Centerline, MI
- George Taplin, sophomore, flanker, Fort Worth, TX
- Al Tolentino, junior, safety, El Paso, TX
- Hayden White, sophomore, center, Port Neches, TX
- Floyd Worlow, freshman, tackle, Springtown, TX
- Ron L. Young, sophomore, guard-linebacker, Lubbock, TX
- Ron S. Young, senior, guard, Miami, FL
{{Div col end}}