It was the Cowboys' 92nd season and they competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Led by first-year head coach Paul Roach, the Cowboys compiled a 10-2 record (8-0 against conference opponents), finishing first in the WAC.
The team played their home games on campus at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming, and outscored their opponents 426 to 271.
As WAC Champions against Iowa in the Holiday Bowl, Wyoming lost by a point to finish at 10–3.
[1] When head coach Dennis Erickson left abruptly after just one season for Washington State in January 1987,[2][3][4][5][6] Roach selected himself as successor a few days later.