The 1959 Utah Redskins football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Ray Nagel, the Redskins compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 3–2 against conference opponents, placing fourth in the Skyline. Home games were played on campus at Ute Stadium in Salt Lake City.
| 1959 Utah Redskins football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Skyline Conference |
| Record | 5–5 (3–2 Skyline) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Ute Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Wyoming $ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado State | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah State | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BYU | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denver | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montana | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Utah was led on the field by junior quarterback Terry Nofsinger and senior safetyand halfback Larry Wilson, a future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Conference members New Mexico and Montana were not played in 1960, and the Redskins defeated both in-state rivals: BYU by 12 points and Utah State by 14. For the first of two consecutive seasons, Utah did not face longtime rival Colorado; they first played in 1903 and had met every year except two (1909, 1918). The series resumed in 1961 and 1962, then went on hiatus until 2011, when both schools joined the Pac-12 Conference.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26 | at Oregon* | L 6–21 | 15,200 | [1] | |
| October 3 | at Washington* | L 6–51 | 27,560 | [2] | |
| October 9 | BYU | W 20–8 | |||
| October 16 | at Denver | W 26–12 | |||
| October 24 | Wyoming |
| L 7–21 | 24,739 | [3] |
| October 31 | Arizona* |
| W 54–6 | ||
| November 7 | vs. Idaho* | W 47–13 | 8,500 | [4] | |
| November 14 | Colorado State |
| L 17–21 | ||
| November 21 | Utah State |
| W 35–21 | 13,809 | |
| November 28 | at No. 20 UCLA* | L 6–21 | 19,600 | [5] | |
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NFL Draft
Utah had two players selected in the 1960 NFL Draft.[8]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL team |
| Larry Wilson | Defensive back | 7 | 74 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Tony Polychronis | Offensive tackle | 18 | 216 | New York Giants |
Larry Wilson played 13 seasons in the National Football League and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, his first year of eligibility.[9]