1976 BYU Cougars football team

{{{year}}} [[{{{team}}} football]]

1976 Western Athletic Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
BYU +	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.

Schedule

September 11at Kansas State*

• KSU Stadium
• Manhattan, KS

L 3–13 27,100 September 18Colorado State

• Cougar Stadium
• Provo, UT

W 42–18 33,013 September 25at Arizona

• Arizona Stadium
• Tucson, AZ

W 23–16 31,000 October 2at San Diego State

• Jack Murphy Stadium
• San Diego, CA

W 8–0 41,786 October 9Wyoming

• Cougar Stadium
• Provo, UT

L 29–34 35,423 October 10Southern Mississippi*

• Cougar Stadium
• Provo, UT

W 63–19 23,029 October 23Utah State*

• Cougar Stadium
• Provo, UT (Old Wagon Wheel)

W 45–14 24,074 October 30Arizona State

• Cougar Stadium
• Provo, UT

W 43–21 29,854 November 6UTEP

• Cougar Stadium
• Provo, UT

W 40–27 24,644 November 13at New Mexico

• University Stadium
• Albuquerque, NM

W 21–8 18,038 November 20at Utah

• Rice Stadium
• Salt Lake City, UT (Holy War)

W 34–12 30,503 December 18vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State*

• Citrus Bowl
• Orlando, FL (Tangerine Bowl)

L 21–49 37,812

Game notes

Colorado State

1 2 3 4 Total Colorado State 0 8 7 3 18 • BYU 7 15 3 17 42 Date: September 18 Location: Cougar Stadium, Provo, UT Game attendance: 33,013

Scoring summary 1 BYU Jeff Nilsson 9-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Taylor kick) BYU 7-0 2 CSU Davis 5-yard run (Graham run) Colorado St 8-7 2 BYU John VanDerWouden 35-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Gifford Nielsen to Chronister pass) BYU 15-8 2 BYU John VanDerWouden 26-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Taylor kick) BYU 22-8 3 CSU Harris 1-yard run (Drake kick) BYU 22-15 3 BYU Taylor 38-yard field goal BYU 25-15 4 CSU Drake 42-yard field goal BYU 25-18 4 BYU John VanDerWouden 13-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Taylor kick) BYU 32-18 4 BYU Taylor 21-yard field goal BYU 35-18 4 BYU John 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.

Arizona

1 2 3 4 Total • BYU 13 3 0 7 23 Arizona 3 7 3 3 16 Date: September 25 Location: Arizona Stadium

Scoring summary Q1 BYU Taylor 36 yard field goal BYU 3–0 Q1 BYU Taylor 38 yard field goal BYU 6–0 Q1 ARIZ Pistor 52 yard field goal BYU 6–3 Q1 BYU Billick 20 yard pass from Nielsen (Taylor kick) BYU 13–3 Q2 ARIZ Nash 31 yard pass from Krohn (Pistor kick) BYU 13–10 Q2 BYU Taylor 39 yard field goal BYU 16–10 Q3 ARIZ Pistor 20 yard field goal BYU 16–13 Q4 ARIZ Pistor 39 yard field goal Tie 16–16 Q4 BYU Harris 43 yard pass from Nielsen (Taylor kick) BYU 23–16

Arizona State

1 2 3 4 Total Arizona St 21 0 0 0 21 • BYU 17 7 16 3 43 Date: October 30 Location: Cougar Stadium • Provo, Utah

Scoring summary 1 BYU VanDerWouden 3-yard run (Taylor kick) BYU 7-0 1 ASU Mucker 80-yard pass from Sproul (Kush kick) Tie 7-7 1 BYU Taylor 21-yard field goal BYU 10-7 1 ASU Mucker 43-yard pass from Sproul (Kush kick) Arizona St 14-10 1 BYU Harris 35-yard pass from Nielsen (Taylor kick) BYU 17-14 1 ASU Sproul 1-yard run (Kush kick) Arizona St 21-17 2 BYU Lowry 2-yard run (Taylor kick) BYU 24-21 3 BYU Chronister 81-yard pass from Nielsen (Taylor kick) BYU 31-21 3 BYU Taylor 40-yard field goal BYU 34-21 3 BYU Christensen 2-yard run (pass failed) BYU 40-21 4 BYU Taylor 44-yard field goal BYU 43-21