1968 Sugar Bowl
34th edition
Wyoming Cowboys LSU Tigers
(10–0) (6–3–1)
WAC SEC
13 20
Head coach: 
Lloyd Eaton		 Head coach: 
Charles McClendon
APCoaches
65
1234 Total
Wyoming 01300 13
LSU 00713 20
DateJanuary 1, 1968
Season1967
StadiumTulane Stadium
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana
MVPGlenn Smith (LSU RB)
FavoriteLSU by 7 [1]
RefereeJames M. Artley (SEC);
split crew: SEC, WAC)
Attendance78,963
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersCharlie Jones
Elmer Angsman
Sugar Bowl
 < 1967  1969 > 

The 1968 Sugar Bowl was the 34th edition of the college football bowl game, played at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 1. The unranked LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) rallied to top the undefeated and sixth-ranked Wyoming Cowboys of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), 20–13.[2][3][4]

Entering the bowl season, Wyoming was the only undefeated team in the nation among major schools,[5] but LSU was favored by a touchdown, largely because it had faced a tougher schedule than the Cowboys and virtual home field advantage, as the Tigers were playing just eighty miles (130 km) from their campus.[1]

Teams

Main article: 1967 NCAA University Division football season

Wyoming

Main article: 1967 Wyoming Cowboys football team

LSU

Main article: 1967 LSU Tigers football team

Game summary

The first game of a major bowl tripleheader (Rose, Orange) on NBC, it kicked off at 1 pm CST. Following morning rains, the game was played on soggy natural turf in clammy 45 °F (7 °C) temperatures.

After a scoreless first quarter, Wyoming drove eighty yards and scored on a one-yard sweep run from halfback Jim Kiick; Jerry DePoyster added field goals of 24 and 49 yards and the Cowboys led 13–0 at halftime.

In the third quarter, LSU running back Glenn Smith came off of the bench and scored on a one-yard touchdown run, making the score 13–7. In the fourth quarter, Tiger quarterback Nelson Stokley completed touchdown passes of eight and fourteen yards to end Tommy Morel as LSU rallied for a 20–13 win.[3][6] The last score occurred with more than four minutes remaining; quarterback Paul Toscano advanced the Cowboys deep into LSU territory, but Wyoming flanker Gene Huey was tackled in-bounds on the five-yard line and time ran out.[6]

Smith, a third-string sophomore from New Orleans' Holy Cross High School, entered the game late in the third quarter and was named the game's most valuable player.[4]

Scoring

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Source:[3][6][4]

Statistics

Statistics Wyoming     LSU    
First downs 20 12
Rushing yards 48–167 48–151
Passes 14–24–4 6–20–1
Passing yards 239 91
Total offense 72–406 68–242
Punts–average 4–49.0 9–37.1
Fumbles lost 1 0
Turnovers 5 1
Penalities–yards 5–65 3–25
Source:[3][4][6]

Aftermath

This was the only victory for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) this bowl season: Ole Miss lost the Sun Bowl, Alabama the Cotton, and Tennessee the Orange.

LSU's next major bowl appearance was three years later in the Orange Bowl. They did not return to the Sugar Bowl until 1985, and their next major bowl win was the 2002 Sugar Bowl.

This remains Wyoming's only New Year's Day bowl appearance.

References

  1. ^ a b "New Year's bowl crowds to total 325,000". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. December 31, 1967. p. 2, part 4.
  2. ^ "LSU rallies in Sugar Bowl to spoil Wyoming dream". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. January 2, 1968. p. 15.
  3. ^ a b c d "Tigers upset Wyoming". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1968. p. 2B.
  4. ^ a b c d "LSU digs down deep pulls out gem in Sugar". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1968. p. 36.
  5. ^ "Wyoming gets bid; Cowboys' 10–0 year brings Sugar berth". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. UPI. November 21, 1967. p. 10. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d "LSU rallies in 2nd half to defeat Wyoming, 20-13". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. January 2, 1968. p. 18. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
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