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 defense3–4
Home stadiumCougar Stadium
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.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11at Kansas State*
L 3–1327,100
September 18Colorado State
W 42–1833,013
September 25at Arizona
W 23–1631,000
October 2at San Diego State
W 8–041,786
October 9Wyomingdagger
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
L 29–3435,423
October 10Southern Miss*
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 63–1923,029[1]
October 23Utah State*
W 45–1424,074
October 30Arizona State
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 43–2129,854
November 6UTEP
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 40–2724,644
November 13at New Mexico
W 21–818,038
November 20at Utah
W 34–1230,503
December 18vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State*
L 21–4937,812
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[2][3]

Personnel

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

    Game summaries

    Kansas State

    Colorado State

    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.[4]

    At Arizona

    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

    [5]

    At San Diego State

    Wyoming

    Southern Mississippi

    Utah State

    Arizona State

    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

    [6]

    UTEP

    At New Mexico

    At Utah

    BYU Cougars (8–2) at Utah Utes (3–6)
    Period 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
    video icon Game highlights

    Tangerine Bowl (vs Oklahoma State)

    References

    1. ↑ "BYU crushes Eagles in 63–19 romp". The Salt Lake Tribune. October 17, 1976. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
    2. ↑ CougarStats.com Archived 2011-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
    3. ↑ "1976 Brigham Young Cougars Schedule and Results".
    4. ↑ "BYU's passing attack dumps Colorado State." Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Sept 19.
    5. ↑ CougarStats.com. Retrieved 2016-Sep-16.
    6. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Oct 31.


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