Wyoming Cowboys football
The Wyoming Cowboys football program represents the University of Wyoming in college football. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and have won 15 conference titles. The head coach is Craig Bohl, who entered his first season in 2014.
The Cowboy football program has been among the most notable of "stepping stone" programs due to the success of its former coaches. Coaches such as Bowden Wyatt, Bob Devaney, Fred Akers, Pat Dye, Dennis Erickson and Joe Tiller were at Wyoming immediately prior to gaining notoriety at bigger football powerhouses.
History
Conference affiliations
- Independent
- Colorado Football Association
- Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
- Mountain States Conference
- Western Athletic Conference
- Mountain West Conference
Championships
Conference championships
Wyoming has won 14 conference championships, ten outright and four shared.† Co-champion
Division championships
Wyoming won the Western Athletic Conference's Pacific division championship in 1996 and lost in the league's championship game. Wyoming shared the Mountain West's Mountain division championship in 2016 and lost in the league's championship game.† Co-champion
Head coaches
Bowl games
The Cowboys have appeared in 16 bowl games and have a record of eight wins and eight losses. Their most recent bowl appearance came in their 38–17 win over Georgia State in the 2019 Arizona Bowl.Stadiums
was built in 1950 with an original capacity of 20,000 fans; the current capacity is 29,181 after the completion of 2009-2010 stadium upgrades.It is the highest Division I FBS football stadium in the nation; the elevation of its playing field exceeds above sea level. The playing surface was natural grass until 2005, when infilled artificial turf was installed.
Prior to War Memorial Stadium, the Cowboys played at Corbett Field, a small field located southeast of Half Acre Gym where the Business Building and the Student Union parking lot now sit. It was named for John J. Corbett, longtime all-sport coach and director of physical education at the school. The field was the first official stadium for the Cowboys; previously they had played on Prexy's Pasture, the main green of the school.
Rivalries
Colorado State
The Bronze Boot is awarded to the winner of the college football game between Wyoming and Colorado State, in nearby Fort Collins. The annual game has evolved into one of the most bitterly contested rivalries in college football. The teams have waged the "Border War" 100 times since the schools began playing in 1899, playing every year except 1901, 1902, 1906, 1907, 1918, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1943, 1944, and 1945. This is one of the oldest interstate rivalries west of the Mississippi River, and the oldest west of Lawrence, Kansas. The series is the oldest rivalry for both schools and the "Border War" has been played in three different centuries.Hawai'i
The Paniolo Trophy is awarded to the winner of the college football games played between Wyoming and Hawai'i. This rivalry started in 1979 when Hawai'i joined the WAC conference and was played annually until 1997, shortly before Wyoming joined the newly formed Mountain West Conference. Hawai'i joined the MWC as a football-only affiliate member in 2012, renewing the rivalry.Utah State
Bridger's Battle is the name for the college football games played between Wyoming and Utah State, the winner of which is awarded the trophy of the rivalry, a.50 caliber Rocky Mountain Hawken rifle. The rivalry started in 1903, and renewed as an annual game in 2013 when Utah State joined the Mountain West Conference.Significant series
Air Force
The United States Air Force Academy and Wyoming series dates back to 1957, the Falcons' first season. The level of hostility in the series has been on the rise ever since the infamous 2012 meeting simply referred to as “Howdy Doody.” That is when former Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen went on a post-game, profanity laced tirade directed at Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun after Christensen felt the Falcons faked an injury in 2012. That incident drew national attention and landed Christensen a one-game suspension and a $50,000 fine. Former Wyoming defensive end Mitch Donahue is never shy about his disdain for Air Force. “I hated them more than CSU,” Donahue said in January 2018. Donahue was part of the Cowboys 1988 squad when the visitors erased a 21-point Falcon lead in the fourth quarter to win a thriller, 48-45, on a last-second Sean Fleming field goal. Through the years the series has seen some really impactful games including the 1998 game that saw No. 23 Air Force top 25th-ranked Wyoming, 10-7, to claim the Western Athletic Conference title. Two years before that, Josh Wallwork led the Cowboys to a 22-19 win, handing the Falcons their first conference loss. Bart Miller, Wyoming’s offensive line coach, has been on both sides of this game. He coached the tight ends at Air Force in 2017. Air Force leads the Front Range Series 29–26–3.BYU
The BYU Cougars and Wyoming series began in the 1922 season. Wyoming and BYU have been conference opponents in the Skyline, Western Athletic and Mountain West Conferences. The two teams have played 78 previous times, which ranks as the third longest series for Wyoming versus any opponent. The only longer series for the Cowboys are the “Border War” series versus Colorado State, which stands at 109 meetings, and an 83-game series versus Utah. Through the years, the two teams have played some memorable games, including Wyoming’s first night game played on Sept. 1, 1988, when the Cowboys defeated the Cougars 24-14 on way to the 1988 Western Athletic Conference title. The most recent meeting between the two rivals came in the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. BYU pulled out a 24-21 win in that lone bowl meeting between the two teams. Wyoming and BYU announced a two-game, home-and-home series starting in 2022. The Cowboys will travel to Provo, Utah, on Sept. 24, 2022. Wyoming will host the Cougars on Sept. 28, 2024. BYU leads the series 45–30–3.Utah
The Utah Utes and Wyoming series dates back to 1904. The prior 83 meetings still rank this as the second-longest series for Wyoming. Only the “Border War” against Colorado State has had more games played as part of a single series. The Cowboys and Utes were conference foes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the Skyline Conference, the Western Athletic Conference and the Mountain West. The November 8, 1969 - Utah vs. Wyoming game was the first Utah football game featuring two ranked teams. The teams' last meeting was a 30-6 Utah win in 2010. Wyoming and Utah announced a home-and-home series with the first game played Sept. 19, 2020, in Laramie, and the second played Sept. 6, 2025, in Salt Lake City. Utah leads the series 51–31–1.Notable players
- Mike Dirks - tackle - part of one of college football's best defenses in 1966 and 1967. He was selected as an All-American and All-Western Athletic Conference performer. He co-captained Wyoming's 1967 WAC Championship football team that finished fifth in the nation. Led the Cowboys to a 10-1 record and berth in the 1968 Sugar Bowl. He was part of the Cowboys line that was the nation's best rushing defense for two consecutive seasons. No team in the nation has since allowed fewer rushing yards than the 1966 and 1967 Wyoming defenses. Dirks produced 71 tackles, 30 unassisted tackles, and 26 tackles for a loss. He was inducted into the Wyoming Cowboys Athletic Hall of Fame on October 29, 1993.
- Adam Goldberg, NFL offensive tackle. He became only the third junior in University of Wyoming football history to be elected a team captain when he was voted a captain by his teammates in the spring of 2001. He was Honorable Mention All-America and two-time First-team All-Mountain West Conference. He started 44 of 45 career games.
- Jerry Hill - running back - was selected as Wyoming's Football Player of the Century during fan balloting in 1992. He was selected as an All-Skyline Conference running back in 1959 and 1960. In those two seasons, Hill was Wyoming's leading rusher. During his career, the Cowboys posted a 25-6 record. Hill was a member of the club that won the 1958 Sun Bowl. His career would finish with 1,374 rushing yards on 288 carries. He was inducted in the Wyoming Cowboys Athletic Hall of Fame on October 29, 1993.
- Jim Kiick - running back - Wyoming's leading rusher for each of his three seasons, 1965-67. He totalled 1,714 yards and ten touchdowns on 431 carries, and 561 yards and five touchdowns on 52 pass receptions. He was the first player ever to earn first-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors three times. Kiick was co-captain of the team as a senior. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1966 Sun Bowl victory over Florida State, rushing 25 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns, and catching four passes for 42 yards. He also played in the 1968 Sugar Bowl against LSU, rushing 19 times for 75 yards and a touchdown, and catching five passes for 48 yards. Kiick played in the 1968 Senior Bowl, and was selected to play in the 1968 College All-Star Game.
- Jay Novacek - tight end - was a two sport All-American at Wyoming, also excelling in track. He was the Wyoming record holder in the decathlon and pole vault. As a football player, he was selected to the Kodak All-American football team in 1984. The selection was attributed to setting an NCAA record for receiving yards per receptions by a tight end. Novacek finished his Cowboys career with 83 career receptions for 1,536 yards and 10 touchdowns as a tight end. He was inducted in the Wyoming Cowboys Athletic Hall of Fame on October 29, 1993. He was also inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame on July 19, 2009.
- Josh Allen - quarterback - a late recruit in 2015, Allen led the team to its first appearance in the Mountain-West Conference championship game in 2016 and two bowl games, receiving All-Mountain West honors. He finished his Wyoming career with 5,066 passing yards, 44 passing touchdowns, and 56 overall touchdowns, which rank in the top five for Wyoming Cowboys passing statistics. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2018, becoming the highest drafted player in Wyoming Cowboys history.
Honors and awards
- Mike Dirks, First Team All-Western Athletic Conference, 1967
- Mike Dirks, Football writers of America, Look Magazine, Newspaper Enterprise Association All-American, 1967
- Mike Dirks, Team Co-Captain on NCAA record setting defense
- Marcus Harris, Fred Biletnikoff Award
- Marcus Harris, inducted into the Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame on September 24, 2004.
- Jerry Hill, First Team All-Skyline Conference, 1959, 1960
- Jerry Hill, Selected Wyoming Football Player of the Century, 1992
- Jerry Hill, Honorable Mention All-American, 1959, 1960
- Jerry Hill, Admiral Emory S. Land Award Winner
- Jim Kiick, Tailback, Most Valuable Player, 1966 Sun Bowl
- Leonard Kucewski, Guard, Most Valuable Player, 1958 Sun Bowl
- Jay Novacek, First Team All-Western Athletic Conference & Football All-American, 1984
Future non-conference opponents
Controversy and documentary
In 1969, fourteen black team members wore black armbands to a practice, intending to protest the racism they had been victims of at their last game with an upcoming opponent, the Brigham Young Cougars. Coach Lloyd Eaton threw them off the team, "triggering an uproar that consumed the rest of the football season and much of everything else in the tiny college town of Laramie, Wyoming."In 2018, filmmaker Darius Monroe released a documentary short about the athletes: Black 14. The short "uses only archival footage to tell the story, mostly from local ABC and NBC affiliates in Wyoming, letting the principals – from the students, to the coach, to the school president and even the state’s governor – speak for themselves."