1959 Washington State Cougars football team
American college football season
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The 1959 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University as an independent during the 1959 college football season.[1] In their fourth season under head coach Jim Sutherland, the Cougars compiled a 6–4 record and outscored their opponents 177 to 121.[2][3]
- Jim Sutherland (4th season)
Memorial Stadium (Spokane)
| 1959 Washington State Cougars football | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 6–4 |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Rogers Field Memorial Stadium (Spokane) |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon | – | 8 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington State | – | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pacific (CA) | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Air Force | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Jose State | – | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon State | – | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho | – | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The team's statistical leaders included Mel Melin with 526 passing yards, Keith Lincoln with 670 rushing yards, and Gail Cogdill with 531 receiving yards.[4] The Cougars had only three home games this season: the season opener in Spokane (at night) and two on campus in Pullman.
This was the first season after the disbandment of the Pacific Coast Conference,[1] and the first as "Washington State University."[5][6] After three years as an independent, WSU became the sixth member of the AAWU in 1962.[7]
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 19 | 8:00 p.m. | California | L 6–20 | 24,850 | [8][9] | |
| September 26 | at San Jose State | W 30–6 | 15,500 | [10] | ||
| October 3 | 1:30 p.m. | at Oregon | L 6–14 | 16,800 | [11][12][13] | |
| October 10 | at Pacific (CA) | W 20–12 | 15,500 | [14] | ||
| October 17 | at Stanford | W 36–19 | 28,500 | [15] | ||
| October 24 | 2:00 p.m. | Idaho | W 27–5 | 19,200 | [16][17] | |
| October 31 | at Oregon State | W 14–0 | 17,601 | [18][19] | ||
| November 14 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 14 Oregon |
| L 6–7 | 15,500 | [20][21][22][23] |
| November 21 | at No. 14 Washington | L 0–20 | 56,000 | [24][25] | ||
| November 26 | at Houston | W 32–18 | 6,000 | [26] | ||
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NFL draft
Two Cougars were selected in the 1960 NFL draft, which was 20 rounds and 240 selections.
| Player | Position | Round | Overall | Franchise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gail Cogdill | End | 6 | 63 | Detroit Lions |
| Don Ellersick | Back | 6 | 66 | Los Angeles Rams |
