History between Texas and Wyoming highlighted by Fred Akers’ influence
Texas and Wyoming will square off for the sixth time in history when they play on Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. But there’s a lot more to the matchup than just the five games played between the teams, all of them won by the Longhorns.
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The teams will battle for the first time since 2012 in Austin, with four of the five all-time meetings taking place in DKR. That 2012 game produced a 37-17 victory for the Longhorns; Texas has averaged 32.6 points per game against the Cowboys in the past games.
One of the most memorable games in the series was played in Laramie, Wyo. early in 2009 in a season that ended with the Longhorns playing in the BCS National Championship game. Colt McCoy overcame a shaky first half in which he fumbled and was intercepted and after Texas had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown.
The Longhorns prevailed 41-10, scoring the final 35 points in the game after they adjusted to the 7,200 feet of altitude and the cool and blustery conditions.
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The 2009 game was the first time the programs had met in 31 years and was also memorable for a tribute at halftime for Fred Akers, the former Texas coach who got his start as a head coach in a two-year stint for Wyoming in 1975 and 1976. In the 1976 season, the Cowboys went 8-4, won the Western Athletic Conference and earned a Fiesta Bowl berth despite starting eight freshmen.
Akers was then hired to replace the retiring Darrell Royal in 1977. He went 86-31-2 over his highly successful, 10-year run on the 40 Acres that featured perfect regular seasons in 1977 and 1983 – both of those ended with losses in the Cotton Bowl to Notre Dame and Georgia, respectively.
Texas and Wyoming also paid tribute to Akers at the 2012 game. Akers passed away in 2020 at the age of 82.
The teams also played in 1974 (a 34-7 Texas win), 1978 (17-3) and 2010 (34-7).
Wyoming has played in bowl games the last seven seasons, including last season’s Arizona Bowl.
The Longhorns are 14-1 all-time against current programs from the Mountain West Conference.
