Wikipedia

1968 New Mexico Highlands Cowboys football team

The 1968 New Mexico Highlands Cowboys football team was an American football team that represented New Mexico Highlands University as an independent during the 1968 NAIA football season. In their second year under head coach John Levra, the Cowboys compiled a perfect 9–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 533 to 53.

1968 New Mexico Highlands Cowboys football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–0
Head coach
Seasons
← 1967
1969 →
1968 NAIA independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Doane   –   10 – 0 – 0
New Mexico Highlands   –   9 – 0 – 0
No. 15 Ferris State   –   7 – 0 – 1
No. 9 Cal Lutheran   –   9 – 1 – 0
No. 10 Emory and Henry   –   9 – 1 – 0
Indiana (PA)   –   9 – 1 – 0
No. 16 Austin   –   8 – 1 – 0
No. 11 Appalachian State   –   8 – 2 – 0
Boise State   –   8 – 2 – 0
No. 20 Carson–Newman   –   8 – 2 – 0
La Verne   –   7 – 2 – 0
Hillsdale   –   6 – 3 – 0
St. Mary of the Plains   –   6 – 4 – 0
Wheaton (IL)   –   5 – 4 – 0
Oklahoma Panhandle State   –   5 – 5 – 1
Eastern New Mexico   –   4 – 5 – 1
Simon Fraser   –   4 – 5 – 0
Southern Colorado State   –   4 – 6 – 0
Southwest State (MN)   –   3 – 5 – 0
Wofford   –   4 – 7 – 0
Georgetown (KY)   –   2 – 6 – 0
Azusa Pacific   –   2 – 7 – 0
Kentucky State   –   2 – 7 – 0
Iowa Wesleyan   –   1 – 7 – 1
Rankings from NAIA poll

The Cowboys set new school records with 533 points scored and 4,685 yards of total offense. They gained an average of 520.6 yards of total offense per game, consisting of 331.0 rushing yards and 189.6 passing yards. On defense, the Cowboys held opponents to an average of 191.2 yards per game, 84.2 yards rushing and 107.0 yards passing.[1]

Halfback Carl Garrett was selected as a first-team player on the 1968 Little All-America college football team. He tallied 1,373 rushing yards (8.3 yards per carry, 171.6 yards per game) in 1968 and scored 132 points. He received Little All-American honors each year from 1966 to 1968 and totaled 3,364 rushing yards.[2] Other key players included quarterback Grady Herold (broke school records with 22 touchdown passes and .642 completion percentage), fullback Benny Cortez (646 yards, 4.1 yards per carry), and George Taplin (broke school record with nine touchdown receptions and 540 receiving yards).[3][1]

At the end of the season, the NAIA placed New Mexico Highlands on probation until June 30, 1969. The NAIA took the action as a result of Highlands' cancelling four basketball games without giving sufficient notice. As a result, the football team was disqualified from competing in the NAIA playoffs despite being ranked No. 1.[3]

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
September 14Simon FraserLas Vegas, NMW 34–9[4]
September 21Southern UtahLas Vegas, NMW 85–0[5]
September 28Hiram ScottLas Vegas, NMW 72–0[6]
October 5at Adams StateAlamosa, COW 28–6[7]
October 12at Westminster (UT)Salt Lake City, UTW 49–0[8]
October 19Colorado Mines Las Vegas, NMW 85–14[9]
October 26Western New MexicoLas Vegas, NMW 62–7[10]
November 2at Western State (CO)Gunnison, COW 70–7[11]
November 9at Southern ColoradoPueblo, COW 48–10[12][13]
  •  Homecoming

Personnel edit

The following 36 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1968 New Mexico Highlands football team:[14]

  1. Carl Browning, sophomore, defensive end-center, Midland, TX
  2. Permon Chavious, senior, tackle, Columbia, SC
  3. Ben Cortez, senior, fullback, Kingsville, TX
  4. Andrew Crawford, junior, defensive end, Corpus Christi, TX
  5. Roy Culberson, junior, linebacker, El Paso, TX
  6. Jim Elam, senior, defensive back, Kingsville, TX
  7. McKinney Evans, sophomore, defensive back, Denton, TX
  8. Jim Fortner, junior, defensive back, Lovington, NM
  9. Carl Garrett, senior, halfback, Denton, TX
  10. Leonard Garrett, sophomore, tight end, Silsbee, TX
  11. Ron Gentry, senior, guard, Corpus Christi, TX
  12. Tom Gillespie, senior, flanker, Centerline, MI
  13. George Gomez, sophomore, defensive tackle, El Paso, TX
  14. David Graham, jnior, defensive tackle, Abilene, TX
  15. Fred Hernandez, senior, center, Corpus Christi, TX
  16. Grady Herold, senior, quarterback, Cercedes, TX
  17. Larry Herold, junior, fullback, Mercedes, TX
  18. John Keith, junior, linebacker-end, Rantoul, IL
  19. Larry Kell, junior, split end, Corpus Christi, TX
  20. Gary Killion, sophomore, linebacker, Weatherford, TX
  21. Pat Lindelow, sophomore, tackle, Kansas City, KS
  22. Harry Long, senior, guard, Richmond, KY
  23. George Parr, freshman, safety, El Paso, TX
  24. Steve Pruitt, sophomore, quarterback, Borger, TX
  25. Buddy Roberts, junior, punter, Harlingen, TX
  26. David Robledo, senior, defensive safety, Harlingen, TX
  27. Greg Roero, junior, defensive tackle, Opa Locka, FL
  28. Al Sheldon, junior, tackle, Corpus Christi, TX
  29. John Smith, junior, linebacker, Santa Fe, NM
  30. Ralph Szydlik, junior, halfback, Centerline, MI
  31. George Taplin, sophomore, flanker, Fort Worth, TX
  32. Al Tolentino, junior, safety, El Paso, TX
  33. Hayden White, sophomore, center, Port Neches, TX
  34. Floyd Worlow, freshman, tackle, Springtown, TX
  35. Ron L. Young, sophomore, guard-linebacker, Lubbock, TX
  36. Ron S. Young, senior, guard, Miami, FL

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Highlands Cowboys Broke 23 Records". The New Mexican. December 15, 1968. p. A15 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Highlands' Carl Garrett Selected All-Aerican". Albuquerque Journal. December 3, 1968. p. B2 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Probation eliminates Highlands from gridiron bowl". Las Vegas Optic. November 19, 1968. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Highlands Wins Opener". The New Mexican. September 15, 1968. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Highlands Blasts Southern Utah 85-0". The New Mexican. September 22, 1968. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "HU Beats Hiram Scott 72-0". The New Mexican. September 29, 1968. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "NM Highlands Cowboys Win Fourth Straight: Herold Tosses 4 TD Passes". The New Mexican. October 6, 1968. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Third shutout: Highlands Cowpokes show stature in 49-0 victory over Westminster". Las Vegas Optic. October 14, 1968. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Cowboys smash Mines 85-14". Las Vegas Optic. October 21, 1968. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Top Rated Cowboys Score In Every Period ... Highlands Swamps Western 62-7". Silver City Daily Press. October 28, 1968. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Highlands Wins Seventh Straight: Garrett Paces 70-7 Win With Five TDs". The New Mexican. November 3, 1968. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Highlands Undefeated For 2nd Straight Year: Cowboys End 1968 Season". The New Mexican. November 10, 1968. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "10-0 Deficit Didn't Worry Highlands University Pokes". The New Mexican. November 11, 1968. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "36 HU Footballers Awarded Football Letters for 1968". The New Mexican. December 15, 1968. p. A15 – via Newspapers.com.
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