1968 Sugar Bowl

{{short description|American college football game}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox college football game | name = | year_game_played = 1968 | game_name = Sugar Bowl | image = File:TulaneStadiumFront1.jpg | caption = Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted the Sugar Bowl. | subheader = 34th Sugar Bowl | football_season = 1967

| date_game_played = January 1 | stadium = Tulane Stadium | city = New Orleans, Louisiana | MVP = Glenn Smith (LSU RB) | odds = LSU by 7 <ref name=nybcrds>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=E8QbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pU8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7321%2C4113844 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=New Year's bowl crowds to total 325,000 |date=December 31, 1967 |page=2, part 4}}</ref> | referee = James M. Artley (SEC);<br>split crew: SEC, WAC) | attendance = 78,963 | us_network = NBC | us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games | us_announcers = Charlie Jones<br>Elmer Angsman }} 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.<ref name=wydrm>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qcpaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Cn8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5173%2C183822 |work=Victoria Advocate |location=Texas |agency=Associated Press |title=LSU rallies in Sugar Bowl to spoil Wyoming dream |date=January 2, 1968 |page=15}}</ref><ref name=tuwyosb>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=20QSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5784%2C208347 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=Tigers upset Wyoming |date=January 2, 1968 |page=2B}}</ref><ref name=dddp>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1tIbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LFEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7305%2C193575 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=LSU digs down deep pulls out gem in Sugar |date=January 2, 1968 |page=36}}</ref>

Entering the bowl season, Wyoming was the only undefeated team in the nation among major schools,<ref name=Bulletin>{{cite news|title=Wyoming gets bid; Cowboys' 10–0 year brings Sugar berth|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19671121&id=0uNYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2662,6541031|access-date=February 13, 2017|work=The Bulletin |location=Bend, Oregon |agency=UPI|date=November 21, 1967|page=10}}</ref> 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 {{convert|80|mi|spell=in}} from their campus.<ref name=nybcrds/>

==Teams== {{main|1967 NCAA University Division football season}}

===Wyoming=== {{main|1967 Wyoming Cowboys football team}}

===LSU=== {{main|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 {{convert|45|F}} 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 {{nowrap|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 {{nowrap|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 {{nowrap|20–13 win.<ref name=tuwyosb/><ref name=lrlles>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Jt4jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_ycEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7232%2C253032 |work=Milwaukee Journal |agency=press dispatches |title=LSU rallies in 2nd half to defeat Wyoming, 20-13 |date=January 2, 1968 |page=18 |access-date=December 8, 2018 |archive-date=January 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126143510/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Jt4jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_ycEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7232,253032 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} The last score occurred with more than four minutes remaining; quarterback {{nowrap|Paul Toscano}} advanced the Cowboys deep into LSU territory, but Wyoming flanker Gene Huey was tackled in-bounds on the five-yard line and {{nowrap|time ran out.<ref name=lrlles/>}}

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.<ref name=dddp/>

==Scoring== '''First quarter''' :''No scoring'' '''Second quarter''' *Wyo – Jim Kiick 1 run (Jerry DePoyster kick), 14:56 *Wyo – DePoyster 24 FG, 2:58 *Wyo – DePoyster 49 FG, 0:01 '''Third quarter''' *LSU – Glenn Smith 1 run (Roy Hurd kick), 2:10 '''Fourth quarter''' *LSU – Tommy Morel 8 pass from Nelson Stokley (Hurd kick), 11:39 *LSU – Morel 14 pass from Stokley (Hurd kick), 4:22

:{{small|Source:}}<ref name=tuwyosb/><ref name=lrlles/><ref name=dddp/>

==Statistics== :{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Statistics !! Wyoming !! {{spaces|3}} LSU {{spaces|3}} |- |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 |- |Penalties–yards||5–65||3–25 |} :{{small|Source:}}<ref name=tuwyosb/><ref name=dddp/><ref name=lrlles/>

==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== {{Reflist}}

Sugar Bowl Category:Sugar Bowl Category:LSU Tigers football bowl games Category:Wyoming Cowboys football bowl games Sugar Bowl Sugar Bowl