| 1968 Washington State Cougars football | |
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| Conference | Pacific-8 Conference |
| Record | 3–6–1 (1–3–1 Pac-8) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Rogers Field, Joe Albi Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 USC $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Oregon State | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington State | 1 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington | 1 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1968 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-8 Conference (Pac-8) during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. In their first season under head coach Jim Sweeney, the Cougars compiled a 3–6–1 record (1–3–1 in Pac-8, seventh), and outscored their opponents 189 to 188.[1][2] The final two games were shutout victories.
The team's statistical leaders included Jerry Henderson with 1,586 passing yards, Richard Lee Smith with 326 rushing yards, and Johnny Davis with 421 receiving yards.[3]
The Cougars won a second straight Apple Cup from rival Washington, shutting out the Huskies 24–0 in Spokane.[4] This was the last time that this rivalry game was played on natural grass.[5] WSU played only five conference games, missing California and USC. Of the Cougars' five home games, three were played in Spokane.
Sweeney was hired in early January; he was previously the head coach for five seasons at Montana State in Bozeman.[6][7][8] He retained alumnus Laurie Niemi on the staff, but Niemi died from cancer at age 42 in February.[9][10][11]
- ^ "1968 Washington State Cougars Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "2016 Media Guide" (PDF). WSUCougars.com. Washington State Cougars Athletics. p. 76. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "1968 Washington State Cougars Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Brown, Bruce (November 25, 1968). "Cougars plan talent hunt after stunning Husky foe". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 29.
- ^ "Good weather but soft field seen for test". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 22, 1968. p. 19.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (January 6, 1968). "New WSU coach Sweeney faces task with optimism". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 10.
- ^ "Omen indicates fortune of Cougars may brighten". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). January 6, 1968. p. 13.
- ^ "Sweeney new head football coach at Washington State University". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). January 6, 1968. p. 9.
- ^ "Laurie Niemi dies of cancer at 42". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). February 20, 1968. p. 16.
- ^ "Cancer claims Niemi; ex-Cougar dies at 42". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). February 20, 1968. p. 16.
- ^ "Ex-football star dies of cancer". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). February 20, 1968. p. 1.