1996 Wyoming Cowboys football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1996

| team = Wyoming Cowboys

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Western Athletic Conference

| division = Pacific Division

| short_conf = WAC

| CoachRank = 22

| APRank = 22

| record = 10–2

| conf_record = 7–1

| head_coach = Joe Tiller

| hc_year = 6th

| off_coach = Larry Korpitz

| oc_year = 6th

| off_scheme =

| def_coach = Brock Spack

| dc_year = 2nd

| def_scheme =

| captain =

| stadium = War Memorial Stadium

| champion = WAC Pacific Division champion

| conf_champ = WAC Championship Game

| conf_champ_result = L 25–28 OT vs. BYU

}}

{{1996 Western Athletic Conference football standings}}

The 1996 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Cowboys' 100th season and they competed as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-17-sp-220-story.html |title=Wyoming Wins Its Division |date=November 17, 1996 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=December 11, 2013}} The team was led by head coach Joe Tiller, in his sixth year, and played their home games at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming. They finished with a record of ten wins and two losses (10–2, 7–1 WAC). Despite winning the Pacific Division and their double-digit victory total, the Cowboys were not invited to a postseason bowl game. Their season ended with a loss against BYU in the inaugural WAC Championship Game. The Cowboys offense scored 464 points while the defense allowed 284 points.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1996

| poll = AP

| timezone = Mountain

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = August 31

| time = 1:00 pm

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Idaho

| site_stadium = War Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Laramie, WY

| tv =

| score = 40–38

| attend = 17,279

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 7

| time = 5:00 pm

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Iowa State

| site_stadium = Cyclone Stadium

| site_cityst = Ames, IA

| tv = FSN

| score = 41–38

| overtime = OT

| attend = 44,511

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 14

| time = 1:00 pm

| w/l = w

| opponent = Hawaii

| site_stadium = War Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Laramie, WY

| tv =

| score = 66–0

| attend = 15,182

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 21

| time = 1:00 pm

| w/l = w

| opponent = Air Force

| site_stadium = War Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Laramie, WY

| tv =

| score = 22–19

| attend = 31,009

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 28

| time = 2:00 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = UNLV

| site_stadium = Sam Boyd Stadium

| site_cityst = Whitney, NV

| tv =

| score = 33–21

| attend = 12,564

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 5

| time = 2:30 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 25

| opponent = San Jose State

| site_stadium = Spartan Stadium

| site_cityst = San Jose, CA

| tv =

| score = 45–22

| attend = 8,756

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 12

| time = 1:00 pm

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| rank = 24

| opponent = Western Michigan

| site_stadium = War Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Laramie, WY

| tv =

| score = 42–28

| attend = 22,813

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 19

| time = 12:00 pm

| w/l = w

| rank = 23

| opponent = Fresno State

| site_stadium = War Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Laramie, WY

| tv =

| score = 42–21

| attend = 14,446

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 2

| time = 1:00 pm

| w/l = w

| rank = 17

| opponent = SMU

| site_stadium = War Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Laramie, WY

| tv =

| score = 59–17

| attend = 17,268

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 7

| time = 6:00 pm

| w/l = l

| away = y

| rank = 16

| opponent = San Diego State

| site_stadium = Jack Murphy Stadium

| site_cityst = San Diego, CA

| tv = ESPN

| score = 24–28

| attend = 38,679

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 16

| time = 8:00 pm

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 23

| opponent = Colorado State

| site_stadium = Hughes Stadium

| site_cityst = Fort Collins, CO

| gamename = Border War

| tv = ESPN2

| score = 25–24

| attend = 33,701

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = December 7

| time = 2:30 pm

| w/l = l

| neutral = y

| rank = 20

| opponent = BYU

| opprank = 6

| site_stadium = Sam Boyd Stadium

| site_cityst = Whitney, NV

| gamename = WAC Championship Game

| tv = ABC

| score = 25–28

| overtime = OT

| attend = 41,238

}}

}}

Roster

{{American football roster/Header

| year = 1996

| team = Wyoming Cowboys

| teamcolors = f

| offensive_players =

{{American football roster/Player|num=29|class=So|first=Josh|last=Amundson|pos=RB}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=70|class=Fr|first=Garrett|last=Anderson|pos=OT}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=28|class=Fr|first=Tim|last=Beasley|pos=RB}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=55|class=Jr|first=Rob|last=Bohlinger|pos=OT|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=23|class=Sr|first=Marcus|last=Harris|dab=Marcus Harris (wide receiver, born 1974)|pos=WR|link=y}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=53|class=Sr|first=Rob|last=Rathbun|pos=C}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=85|class=Fr|first=Jason|last=Ringenberg|pos=WR}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=64|class=Sr|first=Charlie|last=Ruff|pos=C}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=57|class=Fr|first=Kevin|last=Hughes|pos=C}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=41|class=Fr|first=Chris|last=Clache|pos=FB}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=1|class=Sr|first=David|last=Saraf|pos=WR}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=77|class=Sr|first=Steve|last=Scifres|pos=T}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=72|class=Fr|first=Nate|last=Selk|pos=OG}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=12|class=Sr|first=Len|last=Sexton|pos=RB}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=18|class=Fr|first=Kofi|last=Shuck|pos=WR}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=16|class=Fr|first=Alan|last=Jones|pos=WR}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=3|class=Jr|first=Jeremy|last=Silcox|pos=QB}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=91|class=Sr|first=Greg|last=Kuhn|pos=TE}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=43|class=Fr|first=Arlen|last=Smith|pos=RB}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=51|class=So|first=Jeff|last=Smith|pos=OG}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=66|class=So|first=Terry|last=Staggs|pos=OG}}

| defensive_players=

{{American football roster/Player|num=92|class=Sr|first=Pat|last=Larson|pos=DT}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=95|class=Jr|first=Michael|last=Graham|pos=DT}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=45|class=Jr|first=Brian|last=Lee|pos=SS}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=90|class=Jr|first=Jeff|last=Leonard|pos=DE}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=89|class=Sr|first=Brent|last=Leu|pos=DT}}

{{American football roster/Player|num=24|class=Sr|first=Waymon|last=Levingston|pos=CB}}

| special_teams_players=

}}

{{American football roster/Footer|roster_url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961225180022/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/sfc/wac/sfcj10ra.htm

| head_coach = *Joe Tiller

| asst_coach =

| accessdate=

}}

Awards and honors

  • Marcus Harris, Fred Biletnikoff Award{{cite web |url=http://www.biletnikoffaward.com/ba-winners |title= Past Winners – Biletnikoff Award |publisher=National College Football Awards Association |access-date=October 10, 2012}}

Team players in the NFL

The following were selected in the 1997 NFL draft.

class="wikitable" width="80%"
align="center" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Wyoming Cowboys|color=white}}"

| Player

PositionRoundOverallNFL team
align="center" bgcolor=""

| Steve Scifres

Guard383Dallas Cowboys
align="center" bgcolor=""

| Lee Vaughn

Defensive back6187Dallas Cowboys
align="center" bgcolor=""

| Marcus Harris

Wide receiver7232Detroit Lions
align="center" bgcolor=""

{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1997/draft.htm?redir |title=1997 NFL Draft |publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=October 10, 2012}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Wyoming Cowboys football navbox}}

Wyoming

Category:Wyoming Cowboys football seasons

Wyoming Cowboys football