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The 1971 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. Lled by second-year head coach Don Robbins, the Vandals played the final three of their five home games at the new Idaho Stadium, an outdoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.

The Vandals won their first outright conference title in 1971, which included an eight-game winning streak after opening with two losses. Idaho finished 8–3 in the regular season and 4–1 in the Big Sky. At the time, it was the best record in school history.

Notable games

A third consecutive season opened without a home field, as the new Idaho Stadium was not quite finished and there was no suitable venue available on the Palouse. After the wooden Neale Stadium (1937) was condemned in August 1969, the Vandals played their limited schedule of Palouse home games at the wooden Rogers Field at WSU in nearby Pullman in 1969 and 1970. The primary (south) grandstand of Rogers burned in April 1970, and was razed in 1971; in its footprint Martin Stadium was constructed and opened in September 1972.

The Vandals' season opener was a stunning 14–42 upset loss at Boise State in the first meeting between the two teams, creating an instant rivalry game. This was actually an Idaho "home game" moved south to Boise, because the new stadium in Moscow was behind schedule and not completed. Boise State had been a junior college program through 1967, moved up to NAIA in 1968 as an independent, and joined the NCAA "college division" (Division II) and Big Sky in 1970. Idaho had played a home game every season in Boise in the old wooden Bronco Stadium through 1968; this ended when Boise State joined the Big Sky.

The Colorado State game on September 25 was played at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane, The Vandals shut out the CSU Rams 10–0 to begin their eight-game winning streak; the Rams' star running back was Lawrence McCutcheon, who was selected for multiple Pro Bowls while with the Los Angeles Rams.

The new Idaho Stadium opened with a 40–3 Vandal victory over Idaho State on October 9. The unlit outdoor concrete stadium in Moscow replaced Neale Stadium in the same footprint and continued with a natural grass surface. It was the first game played on campus in nearly three years, the last was a win on November 2, 1968. Artificial turf, 3M Tartan Turf, was installed in 1972, and the facility was enclosed in 1975 to become the multi-purpose Kibbie Dome.

After four consecutive road victories, the Vandals finished the 1971 season at home with a 40–2 victory over Montana State to wrap up the Big Sky title, and a disappointing 13–42 non-conference loss to Utah State in the finale. Boise State finished at 10–2 with a postseason win, but its two losses were in league play and finished second in the Big Sky at 4–2.

Division I

Although a charter member of a conference whose other members were "college division" (Division II) for football, Idaho maintained its status as a "university division" (Division I) program with the NCAA by playing only "university division" opponents in its non-conference schedule. That is why runner-up Boise State went to the Camellia Bowl in 1971, and when the Division II playoffs arrived in 1973, the Vandals were again ineligible, as they were in Division I. (Idaho was a member of the conference primarily for basketball, in Division I.)

The Big Sky moved up to the new Division I-AA in 1978, and Idaho was forced to move down. In 18 seasons in I-AA, the Vandals reached the post-season playoffs 11 times, missing only once in the final 11 seasons of 1985–95.

Idaho returned to Division I-A in 1996 with a move to the Big West, and then to the WAC in 2005. (The Big West dropped football after 2000; Idaho was a "football only" member of the Sun Belt for four seasons, 2000–04.) The WAC dropped football after the 2012 season and Idaho athletics rejoined the Big Sky in 2013 for all sports except football, which was independent in 2013, rejoined the Sun Belt in 2014, and the Big Sky (FCS) in 2018.

Schedule

Roster

Source:

All-conference

Six Vandals were named to the all-Big Sky team, two on offense and four on defense: halfback Fred Riley, guard Andy Kupp, defensive end Rick Simmons, noseguard Steve Barker, and linebackers Ron Linehan and Rand Marquess. The second team also had six Idaho players, with four on offense and two on defense: fullback Frank Doctor, wide receiver Jack Goddard, tackle Larry Bosma, center Ken Muhlbeier, defensive tackle Bill Cady, and defensive back Kelly Courage.

Linehan's selection was his third consecutive, and he was also named the team's most valuable player. Three weeks after the season ended, he received a gunshot wound to his left side; he spent less than two days at Gritman hospital and was released. His younger brothers were also starters for the Vandals: Rick was the strong safety in the late 1970s and Scott was the quarterback in the mid-1980s.

NFL draft

Three Vandal seniors were selected in the 1972 NFL draft, which lasted 17 rounds (442 selections).

One junior was selected in the following year's draft in 1973, also 17 rounds (442 selections).

Two sophomores were selected in the 1974 NFL draft, which lasted 17 rounds (442 selections).

References

1. "First two Vandal grid games shifted from Neale Stadium". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). July 10, 1971. p. 10.
2. "Idaho officials told stadium will be ready". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). August 27, 1971. p. 17.
3. Johnson, Bob (January 25, 1971). "Vandals coming home". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 17.
4. "Fast blaze ruins Pullman stadium". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). April 6, 1970. p. 1.
5. Missildine, Harry (October 1, 1972). "Utah beats Cougars 44-25". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
6. Brown, Brunce (October 2, 1972). "Mistakes sink Cougars". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 21.
7. ^ Bacharach, Sam A. (September 12, 1971). "Broncos kick Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 15.
8. ^ Payne, Bob (September 12, 1971). "Boise stuns Idaho". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 1, sports.
9. ^ "Idaho sets vet lineup for Boise". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. September 10, 1971. p. 20.
10. ^ Bacharach, Sam A. (September 11, 1971). "Vandals shift home to Boise for opening game against Broncos tonight". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 15.
11. Payne, Bob (September 9, 1971). "Boise State's quick rise amazes North Idahoans". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 28.
12. ^ Bacharach, Sam A. (September 25, 1971). "Idaho's third starting QB in 3 games to play Rams". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 12.
13. ^ Bacharach, Sam A. (September 26, 1971). "Vandals blank Colorado State 10-0 for first grid victory of season". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 17.
14. "Offensive threat". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (photo). September 24, 1971. p. 15.
15. ^ Payne, Bob (October 10, 1971). "Idaho likes home cookin'". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
16. "King football makes move". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). August 10, 1972. p. 24.
17. ^ Payne, Bob (November 9, 1971). "Those amazing, streaking Idaho Vandals: Did 'wild bunch' forget how to lose?". Spokesman Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 19.
18. ^ Ferguson, George (November 19, 1971). "Vandals, Aggies clash in Moscow". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. E2.
19. ^ Payne, Bob (November 21, 1971). "Aggies break off Idaho win streak". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
20. ^ Ferguson, George (November 22, 1971). "Great finish for Ags". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. D2.
21. "Great Idaho year has rough finish". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 22, 1971. p. 29.
22. "Ostyn says Pacific cost major status". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 9, 1967. p. 15.
23. "NCAA ups 4 colleges". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 2, 1969. p. 22.
24. "Boise St. trims Chico St., 32–28". Sunday Star-News. (Wilmington, North Carolina). UPI. December 12, 1971. p. 6C.
25. "Iowa State trims Idaho". The Kansas City Star. September 19, 1971. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
26. ^ "Game program: Montana - Idaho". University of Montana. (ScholarWorks). October 2, 1971. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
27. Paine, Bob (October 3, 1971). "Seefried, Vandal defense end Montana's supremacy". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
28. "Vandals nip UOP on boot". The Sacramento Bee. October 17, 1971. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
29. "Vandals spoil homecoming with shutout of Buffaloes". The Spokesman-Review. October 24, 1971. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
30. "Vandals gain sixth victory". The Spokesman-Review. October 31, 1971. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
31. "Idaho rocks MSU to set record, 40–2". The Billings Gazette. November 14, 1971. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
32. College Football Data Warehouse Archived 2010-02-16 at the Wayback Machine – Idaho 1970–74 – accessed 2010-05-15
33. "Bengals vs. Vandals: probable lineups". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 9, 1971. p. 12.
34. "Idaho lands six gridders on Big Sky all-star team". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 25, 1971. p. 31.
35. "Six Vandals are honored". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 25, 1971. p. 69.
36. "Vandals pick Ron Linehan as most valuable player". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). December 10, 1971. p. 19.
37. "Lewiston man in Moscow jail after shooting". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 12, 1971. p. 5.
38. "Steven E. Oetken arraigned on shooting charge". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). December 14, 1971. p. 5.
39. "Guilty plea entered". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). December 15, 1971. p. 14.

External links

• Gem of the Mountains: 1972 University of Idaho yearbook – Idaho State at Idaho – October 9, 1971
  • Montana State and Utah State home games
• Go Mighty Vandals – 1971 – The Wild Bunch
• Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1971 editions

• 1971 Big Sky Conference football season
• Idaho Vandals football seasons
• Big Sky Conference football champion seasons
• 1971 in sports in Idaho