1996 WAC Championship Game

The 1996 WAC Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 7, 1996, at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada. This was the 1st WAC Championship Game and determined the 1996 champion of the Western Athletic Conference. The game featured the BYU Cougars, champions of the Mountain division, and the Wyoming Cowboys, champions of the Pacific division. BYU would win the game 28–25 in overtime and secure the program's 19th and last-ever WAC championship.[1][2]

1996 WAC Championship Game
Inaugural WAC Championship Game
BYU Cougars Wyoming Cowboys
(12–1) (10–1)
28 25
Head coach: 
LaVell Edwards		 Head coach: 
Joe Tiller
APCoaches
66
APCoaches
2019
1234OT Total
BYU 3100123 28
Wyoming 0010150 25
DateDecember 7, 1996
Season1996
StadiumSam Boyd Stadium
LocationWhitney, Nevada
Attendance41,238
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
1996 Western Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Mountain Division
No. 5 BYU x$  8 –0   14 –1  
Utah  6 –2   8 –4  
Rice  6 –2   7 –4  
SMU  4 –4   5 –6  
New Mexico  3 –5   6 –5  
TCU  3 –5   4 –7  
Tulsa  2 –6   4 –7  
UTEP  0 –8   2 –9  
Pacific Division
No. 22 Wyoming x  7 –1   10 –2  
San Diego State  6 –2   8 –3  
Colorado State  6 –2   7 –5  
Air Force  5 –3   6 –5  
Fresno State  3 –5   4 –7  
San Jose State  3 –5   3 –9  
Hawaii  1 –7   2 –10  
UNLV  1 –8   1 –11  
Championship: BYU 28, Wyoming 25 OT
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

Teams

BYU
Main article: 1996 BYU Cougars football team

Wyoming
Main article: 1996 Wyoming Cowboys football team

Game summary
1996 WAC Championship Game
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
No. 6 BYU 3 10 012328
No. 20 Wyoming 0 0 1015025

at Sam Boyd Stadium • Whitney, Nevada

Game information
First quarter
  • (9:04) BYU – Ethan Pochman 30 yard field goal (Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 2:19; BYU 3–0)
Second quarter
  • (11:53) BYU – Brian McKenzie 11 yard run, Ethan Pochman kick (Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:56; BYU 10–0)
  • (0:55) BYU – Ethan Pochman 47 yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 5:21; BYU 13–0)
Third quarter
  • (12:53) WYO – Jay Jenkins 25 fumble return, Cory Wedel kick (Drive: 1 plays, 25 yards, 0:00; BYU 13–7)
  • (6:27) WYO – Cory Wedel 20 yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:34; BYU 13–10)
Fourth quarter
  • (13:28) WYO – David Saraf 7 yard pass from Josh Wallwork, Cory Wedel kick (Drive: 10 plays, 92 yards, 2:03; WYO 17–13)
  • (11:28) BYU – Chad Lewis 13 yard pass from Steve Sarkisian, Ethan Pochman kick (Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:18; BYU 20–17)
  • (9:24) WYO – David Saraf 14 yard pass from Josh Wallwork, Josh Wallwork–Todd Grosskopf pass (Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:04; WYO 25–20)
  • (1:56) BYU – Team Safety (Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 1:01; WYO 25–22)
  • (0:00) BYU – Ethan Pochman 20 yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 1:56; Tied 25–25)
Overtime
  • (0:00) BYU – Ethan Pochman 32 yard field goal (Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 0:00; BYU 28–25)

Statistics
Statistics BYU WYO
First downs1917
Plays–yards73–35463–367
Rushes–yards36–10429–85
Passing yards250282
Passing: comp–att–int26–37–016–34–3
Time of possession36:5823:02
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
BYU PassingSteve Sarkisian26–37, 250 yds, 1 TD
RushingBrian McKenzie17 car, 64 yds, 1 TD
ReceivingDustin Johnson7 rec, 69 yds
Wyoming PassingJosh Wallwork16–34, 282 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
RushingLen Sexton10 car, 38 yds
ReceivingMarcus Harris6 rec, 118 yds

References
  1. "CougarStats: BYU Football: BYU vs. Wyoming 1996 WAC Championship Game". cougarstats.com.
  2. "Wac Championship / No. 6 Brigham Young 28, No. 20 Wyoming 25 (Ot) - - Byu Awaits Alliance Call". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. December 8, 1996. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.


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