1966 Wyoming Cowboys football team

The 1966 Wyoming Cowboys football team was an American football team that represented the University of Wyoming as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. In their fifth year under head coach Lloyd Eaton, the Cowboys compiled a 10–1 record (5-0 against conference opponents), won the first of three consecutive WAC titles, outscored opponents by a total of 355 to 89, and had the nation's best rushing defense.^[1]

1966 Wyoming Cowboys football
WAC champion Sun Bowl champion
Sun Bowl, W 28–20 vs. Florida State
Conference	Western Athletic Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 15
Record	10–1 (5–0 WAC)
Head coach	Lloyd Eaton (5th season)
Captain	Rick Egloff, Tom Frazier
Home stadium	War Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1965 1967 →

1966 Western Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Wyoming $	5	–	0	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
BYU	3	–	2	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Arizona State	3	–	2	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Utah	3	–	2	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Arizona	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
New Mexico	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion

Led on offense by senior quarterback Rick Egloff and junior running back Jim Kiick, Wyoming defeated Florida State 24–16 in the Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas.^[2][3][4] Defensive tackle Ron Billingsley was a first round pick in the 1967 NFL/AFL Draft, the fourteenth overall selection.

The team played its home games on campus at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 17	at Air Force*		Falcon Stadium Colorado Springs, CO		W 13–0	27,852	[5]
September 24	Arizona State		War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY		W 23–6	19,251	[6]
October 1	Arizona		War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY		W 36–6	13,283	[7]
October 8	Utah		War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY		W 40–7	17,588	[8]
October 15	New Mexico		War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY		W 37–7	12,467	[9]
October 22	Utah State*		War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY (rivalry)		W 35–10	18,253	[10]
October 29	at Colorado State*	No. 10	Colorado Field Fort Collins, CO (rivalry)		L 10–12	15,000	[11]
November 5	at Wichita State*		Veterans Field Wichita, KS		W 55–0	9,173	[12]
November 12	at Texas Western*		Sun Bowl El Paso, TX		W 31–7	29,174	[13]
November 19	at BYU		Cougar Stadium Provo, UT		W 47–14	37,651	[14]
December 24	vs. Florida State*		Sun Bowl El Paso, TX (Sun Bowl)	NBC	W 28–20	24,381	[15]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[16]

NFL/AFL Draft

Four Cowboys were selected in the 1967 NFL/AFL Draft, the first common draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (445 selections).^[17]

Player	Position	Round	Overall	Franchise
Ron Billingsley	Defensive tackle	1	14	San Diego Chargers
Rick Egloff	Quarterback	6	155	Oakland Raiders
Don Klacking	Running back	8	203	Philadelphia Eagles
Mike Davenport	Running back	17	428	Pittsburgh Steelers

• List of Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL draft

References

1. "University of Wyoming Official Athletic Site - Traditions". Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
2. "Cowboys ride herd over Seminoles". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 25, 1966. p. 1B.
3. "Wyoming forgets TV to win, 28-20". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 25, 1966. p. 8, part 2.
4. "Wyoming wins Duel in Sun". Milwaukee Journal. wire services. December 25, 1966. p. 2, sports.
5. "Pokes whitewash Falcons". The Billings Gazette. September 18, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Wyoming bumbs Arizona State". Rapid City Journal. September 25, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Wyoming's Egloff leads lopsided win over Arizona". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. October 2, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "'Pokes stomp Utah, 40–7". The Arizona Republic. October 9, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Wyoming beats Lobos; Clinches WAC grid tie". The Arizona Daily Star. October 16, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Cowboys wallop Utah State 35–10". Fort Collins Coloradoan. October 23, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Rams shock Wyoming '11'". The Sunday Oregonian. October 30, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Wyoming lambasts Shockers". Albuquerque Journal. November 6, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Cowboys nab 31–7 win over Texas Western". The Salt Lake Tribune. November 13, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Wyoming's rout brings WAC title". The Spokesman-Review. November 20, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Florida State gets a 'kick' out of Wyoming". The Orlando Sentinel. December 25, 1966. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "1966 NCAA Football Statistics (Wyoming)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
17. "1967 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 9, 2013.