1970 Wyoming Cowboys football team

The 1970 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Lloyd Eaton, they were members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and played their home games on campus at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.

1970 Wyoming Cowboys football
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Record1–9 (1–6 WAC)
Head coach
CaptainTom Gorman, Dale Pernula
Home stadiumWar Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1969
1971 →
1970 Western Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Arizona State $ 7 0 0 11 0 0
New Mexico 5 1 0 7 3 0
Utah 4 2 0 6 4 0
UTEP 4 3 0 6 4 0
Arizona 2 4 0 4 6 0
Colorado State 1 3 0 4 7 0
BYU 1 6 0 3 8 0
Wyoming 1 6 0 1 9 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The Cowboys complied a record of 1-9 (1-6 against conference opponents), finished eighth in the WAC, and Eaton was reassigned to assistant athletic director.[1] The controversial previous season had concluded with four consecutive losses, all on the road.

A week before the season opener, starting quarterback Ed Synakowski drowned in a boating accident while fishing with his brother on Lake Hattie, just southwest of Laramie.[2][3][4]

Wyoming entered this year with 22 consecutive home wins, which started with the opener of the 1965 season,[5] but the Cowboys lost all five games in Laramie in 1970.

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 19Air Force*L 17–4124,541[6]
September 26Utah State*
  • War Memorial Stadium
  • Laramie, WY (rivalry)
L 29–4221,177[7]
October 3No. 18 Arizona State
  • War Memorial Stadium
  • Laramie, WY
L 3–5217,170[8]
October 10at Colorado StateW 16–624,430[9]
October 17Utah
  • War Memorial Stadium
  • Laramie, WY
L 16–205,518[10]
October 24New Mexico
  • War Memorial Stadium
  • Laramie, WY
L 7–1716,589[11]
October 31at BYUL 3–2322,551[12]
November 7at UTEPL 7–4210,053[13]
November 14at Houston*L 0–2826,987[14]
November 21at ArizonaL 12–3831,882[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[16]

NFL Draft

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One Cowboy was selected in the 1971 NFL draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (442 selections).[17]

Player Position Round Overall NFL team
Bob Jacobs Placekicker 7 170 Cleveland Browns

Defensive end Tony McGee, a Cowboy in 1969, was selected in the third round and played in the NFL for 14 seasons.

References

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  1. ^ "No regrets says Eaton, 13 years after 'crash'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. May 14, 1982. p. 17.
  2. ^ "Cowboy QB loses life in capsizing". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 13, 1970. p. 5, sports.
  3. ^ "Wyoming students mourn Q-back death". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. September 14, 1970. p. B6.
  4. ^ "Wyoming quarterback drowns in boating accident". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 14, 1970. p. 2B.
  5. ^ "Passes lead Falcons past Wyoming '11'". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 20, 1970. p. 7B.
  6. ^ "Falcons beat Pokes, 41–17". Casper Star-Tribune. September 20, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Aggies fight back to top 'Pokes, 42–29". The Billings Gazette. September 27, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "'Spaghetti Joe' sets table as Ariz. State routs Wyoming 52–3". The Courier-Journal. October 4, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Cowboy defense stymies Rams, 16–6". Fort Collins Coloradoan. October 11, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Redskins edge Cowboys in thriller". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. October 18, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Scarber stars as Lobos win". The Odessa American. October 25, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "BYU scores first victory over Wyoming since 1962". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. November 1, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "El Paso, 42–7". Independent Press-Telegram. November 8, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Houston wallops Wyoming, 28–0". San Antonio Express/News. November 15, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Arizona routs Wyoming". Fort Collins Coloradoan. November 22, 1970. Retrieved September 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "1970 NCAA Football Statistics (Wyoming)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  17. ^ "1971 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
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