Colorado

Ward tweaked his helmets by adding black two-inch NCAA-style player identifying numerals to each side of the silver headgear. The addition of Oklahoma State to the conference made it the Big Eight and with the Boyd Dowler-led offense humming along, the Buffaloes led the nation in rushing with a per game average of 322.4 yards and were second in total offense, putting up 415.2 per game with their hybrid T-Formation and Single Wing offense. As a quarterback, Dowler had the unusual distinction of also leading the squad in receiving and HB Eddie Dove put up an impressive seven yards per carry average although his forte was defense. Having All Big Eight tackle John Wooten to run behind was an obvious advantage and HB Bob Stransky took advantage of it, ranking second in the nation in rushing and making All American before moving on to the Colts and AFL Broncos. Fans wanted more than the 6-3-1 record but after two consecutive heart-breaking losses, 14-13 to Oklahoma and 9-6 to Missouri, a lot of the team's emotion was spent. The 6-4 finish of '58 left many fans unhappy, in part because of the obvious talent of Boyd Dowler who at 6'5" and 220-pounds, could do everything. He moved on to the Packers where he began as a defensive end/wide receiver but settled in to become one of Lombardi's key offensive players at wideout from 1959 through '69. He made a one-season comeback for the Redskins in '71 and finished an excellent career as a clutch player. Eddie Dove was again effective and was a key member of the defensive backfield for the Forty-Niners from '57 to '63 where he finished his last few games with the Giants. Tackle John Wooten was again a road-grader, and All American, and became one of Paul Brown's cogs in the Browns' offensive lines of the sixties. Guard Bob Salerno was a fine adjunct to Wooten. At the end of the season, Ward was fired after eleven years of service, in part due to upset losses to in-state rivals Colorado A&M (State) and Air Force, his abrasive manner, and the belief by some influential boosters that a more modern approach to the game was needed. Ward moved into a full-time position in the physical education department and the search was on for a new head coach.