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.

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 AP Coaches 6 6 AP Coaches 20 19
1 2 3 4 OT Total BYU 3 10 0 12 3 28 Wyoming 0 0 10 15 0 25
Date	December 7, 1996
Season	1996
Stadium	Sam Boyd Stadium
Location	Whitney, Nevada
Attendance	41,238
United States TV coverage
Network	ABC

1996 Western Athletic Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
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	3	4	OT	Total
No. 6 BYU	3	10	0	12	3	28
No. 20 Wyoming	0	0	10	15	0	25

at Sam Boyd Stadium • Whitney, Nevada

• Date: December 7, 1996
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
• TV: ABC
• WAC game summary

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 downs	19	17
Plays–yards	73–354	63–367
Rushes–yards	36–104	29–85
Passing yards	250	282
Passing: comp–att–int	26–37–0	16–34–3
Time of possession	36:58	23:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
BYU	Passing	Steve Sarkisian	26–37, 250 yds, 1 TD
	Rushing	Brian McKenzie	17 car, 64 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Dustin Johnson	7 rec, 69 yds
Wyoming	Passing	Josh Wallwork	16–34, 282 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Len Sexton	10 car, 38 yds
	Receiving	Marcus Harris	6 rec, 118 yds