BYU To Wear ‘Gifford Nielsen’ Uniform Combination Against Houston
Oct 12, 2020, 8:50 AM | Updated: 8:55 am
BYU quarterback Gifford Nielsen hands off the ball to Todd Christensen on Oct. 29, 1977 at BYU. (Copyright: BYU Photo/Mark Philbrick)
(Copyright: BYU Photo/Mark Philbrick)
PROVO, Utah – BYU football will wear a uniform combination against Houston that honors Gifford Nielsen, a Cougar legend who played his pro career in the city of Houston.
BYU Uniform Combination against Houston
The BYU Equipment staff unveiled the Cougars uniform they will wear on Friday night in Clutch City. White jersey with royal blue numbers, royal blue pants, and white stripes with a gray facemask on the helmet. A tribute to the Gifford Nielsen era in the mid-1970s.
🚨The GIFFORD NIELSEN look is BACK & heading to HOUSTON!!🚨@BYUfootball @BYUFBRecruiting @BYUSportsNation @byuROC pic.twitter.com/dI3rbjkrkO
— BYU Equipment (@byuequipment) October 12, 2020
Nielsen played quarterback at BYU from 1973-1977 and was an All-American quarterback during the 1976 season. After his time at BYU was cut short due to a season-ending knee injury against Oregon State in 1977, Nielsen played in the NFL with the Houston Oilers.
BYU wore gray facemasks on its helmet from the mid-1950s to 1976. In 1976 and 1977, BYU started wearing a royal blue face mask against Utah on its helmet.
Last season, during its game against Washington, BYU celebrated the 150th anniversary of college football by wearing the jerseys they’ll be wearing Friday night in Houston. Instead of an Oval Y helmet, the Cougars wore a helmet that featured a block Y and sported the gray facemask.
This is the first time since a trip to San Diego State last year that BYU is wearing the white jersey with royal blue numbers and royal blue pant combination.
Elder S. Gifford Nielsen is now a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒘? 🎓🏈
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Gifford Nielsen – Quarterback – 1973-77 pic.twitter.com/L3LfnqBx8c— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) July 13, 2020
2020 BYU Football Uniform Schedule
at Navy (Win, 55-3) – All-white with royal blue numbers and stripes
Troy (Win, 48-7) – All-royal blue
LA Tech (Win, 45-14) – Traditional royal blue jersey, white pants with royal blue stripes
UTSA (Win, 27-20) – Navy blue jersey, white pants with navy blue stripes
at Houston – White jersey with royal blue numbers, royal blue pants, gray facemask
No. 14 BYU at Houston
Date: Friday, October 16th, 2020
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (MT)
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM, KSL NewsRadio app)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
