1977 Idaho Vandals football team

Coordinates: 46°43′34″N 117°01′05″W / 46.726°N 117.018°W / 46.726; -117.018

1977 Idaho Vandals football
Conference Big Sky Conference
1977 record 3–8 (2–4 Big Sky)
Head coach Ed Troxel (4th year)
Offensive coordinator John McMahon (2nd year)
Offensive scheme Veer [1]
Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin (1st year)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Kibbie Dome
1977 Big Sky football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Boise State $ 6 – 0 – 0     9 – 2 – 0
Northern Arizona ^ 5 – 1 – 0     9 – 3 – 0
Montana State 3 – 3 – 0     6 – 4 – 0
Weber State 2 – 4 – 0     4 – 6 – 0
Idaho State 2 – 4 – 0     3 – 8 – 0
Idaho 2 – 4 – 0     3 – 8 – 0
Montana 1 – 5 – 0     4 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – Division II playoff participant
  • Boise State concluded its regular season after the Div. II playoffs started; runner-up Northern Arizona was awarded playoff bid.

The 1977 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Vandals were led by fourth-year head coach Ed Troxel and were members of the Big Sky Conference,[1] then in Division II. They played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.

Season

With quarterbacks Craig Juntunen and Rocky Tuttle running the veer offense, the Vandals were 3–8 overall and 2–4 in the Big Sky in 1977.[2] Idaho did not play runner-up Northern Arizona, but the Big Sky designated a non-conference home game for each to count as a sixth conference game in the standings, with both opponents from the PCAA.[3] The Vandals lost to Pacific in September while NAU defeated Cal State Fullerton in October.

The Vandals suffered a tenth straight loss in the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State of the Pac-8, falling 45–17 at Martin Stadium in Pullman on November 12.[4][5]

Boise State

The season concluded with a 30-point home loss to Boise State two days after Thanksgiving. The young rivalry took a new step in the fourth quarter, when the Broncos were up 34–14 and in control. Having thrown the ball sparingly in building its twenty-point lead, second-year head coach Jim Criner went heavily to the passing game. Boise scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left, then staged a successful onside kick and made a field goal with seconds remaining.[2][6][7]

Boise State went undefeated in the Big Sky, but because of the late conclusion of their regular season, they had to decline a berth in the Division II playoffs, which started earlier that day. Conference runner-up Northern Arizona took their place and was shut out at home, 35–0.[7][8] In the previous season, underdog Idaho had won the rivalry game in the season opener before a record crowd in Boise in Criner's debut as head coach.[9][10] At the time, the Broncos were three-time defending conference champions, all under previous head coach Tony Knap.

Division I

This was the last season prior to the creation of Division I-AA,[11] which the Big Sky joined. Through 1977, the Big Sky was a Division II conference for football, except for Division I member Idaho, which moved down to I-AA in 1978. Idaho had maintained its upper division status in the NCAA by playing Division I non-conference opponents (and was ineligible for the Division II postseason).

Troxel fired

Five weeks after the season concluded, Troxel was asked for his resignation by new university president Richard Gibb on December 30.[12][13][14][15] An assistant under the preceding three head coaches and a former head coach of track and field,[16] he had been at UI for an over a decade.[17] Very successful at Borah High School in Boise (1958–66),[17] Troxel returned to the high school ranks in 1978 at Kennewick High School in the Tri-Cities of eastern Washington.[18] Troxel built the Lions into winners and coached through 1990; he died of cancer at age 75 in 2001.[19][20]

Schedule

Date Time Opponent Site Result Attendance
Sep 10 5:30 pm at Rice* Rice Stadium • Houston, TX [21] L 10–31   14,000
Sep 17 8:00 pm Pacific Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID [22] L 21–31   12,000
Sep 24 10:00 pm at Hawaii* Aloha Stadium • Honolulu, HI [23] L 26–45   25,463
Oct 08 8:00 pm Idaho State Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID [24] L 14–34   11,500
Oct 15 1:30 pm Montanadagger Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID [25] - (Little Brown Stein) W 31–20   15,200
Oct 22 12:30 pm at Montana State Reno H. Sales Stadium • Bozeman, MT [26] W 17–6   8,750
Oct 29 12:30 pm at Weber State Wildcat Stadium • Ogden, UT [27] L 27–30   3,000
Nov 05 7:30 pm Nevada-Las Vegas* Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID [28] L 21–35   7,400
Nov 12 1:00 pm at Washington State* Martin Stadium • Pullman, WA[4][5] - (Battle of the Palouse) L 17–45   18,500
Nov 19 6:00 pm at New Mexico State* Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM [29] W 47–44   6,438
Nov 26 7:30 pm Boise State Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID[2][6][7] - (BSU-UI rivalry) L 14–44   12,000
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Pacific Time.

References

  1. 1 2 "Troxel claims defense key at Idaho". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washinton). Associated Press. September 7, 1977. p. 42.
  2. 1 2 3 "Vandals finish 3-8". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 28, 1977. p. 15.
  3. 1 2 "Vandals in home debut tonight". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). September 17, 1977. p. 9.
  4. 1 2 Missildine, Harry (November 13, 1977). "Cougars bury Idaho 45-17". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  5. 1 2 "Cougars get winning year with victory". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. November 13, 1977. p. 6C.
  6. 1 2 Payne, Bob (November 28, 1977). "Boise State burns Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 17.
  7. 1 2 3 Vaughan, Sue (November 28, 1977). "Idaho, Troxel in bitter loss". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 16.
  8. ↑ "NAU out in NCAA playoffs". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 28, 1977. p. 15.
  9. ↑ "Idaho team underdog against Boise squad". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). September 10, 1976. p. 23.
  10. ↑ Payne, Bob (September 12, 1976). "Vandals win opener". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  11. ↑ "Big schools win battle". St. Petersburg Independent. (Florida). Associated Press. January 13, 1978. p. 5C.
  12. ↑ Killen, John (January 1, 1978). "Troxel resigns Idaho football post". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  13. ↑ "Belknap seeking Troxel's replacement by Jan. 15". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). January 2, 1978. p. 16.
  14. ↑ Vaughan, Sue (January 2, 1978). "Vandals seeking air-minded man". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 24.
  15. ↑ "Troxel bitter over Idaho job loss". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). UPI. January 5, 1978. p. 7.
  16. ↑ "Aides for Troxel next Idaho task". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). December 20, 1973. p. 28.
  17. 1 2 "Vandals name Ed Troxel as defensive line coach". Spokesman-Review. (Spokesman, Washington). January 24, 1967. p. 12.
  18. ↑ Emerson, Paul (October 26, 1978). "Football's fun again for Ed Troxel". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  19. ↑ "Former UI football coach Troxel dies". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). wire reports. January 25, 2001. p. 2B.
  20. ↑ "Idaho football coaching legend Troxel dies at 75". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. January 25, 2001. p. 2B.
  21. ↑ Payne, Bob (September 11, 1977). "Owls rap Vandals in opener". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  22. ↑ English, Sue (September 19, 1977). "Idaho falls to Pacific". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 27.
  23. ↑ "Leaky Vandals yield again; Hawaii rolls to 46-25 win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 26, 1977. p. 15.
  24. ↑ Payne, Bob (October 9, 1977). "Idaho State stuns Vandals 34-14". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  25. ↑ "Vandals get first win". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 17, 1977. p. 17.
  26. ↑ "Idaho 'D' does job on MSU". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 23, 1977. p. D1.
  27. ↑ Payne, Bob (October 30, 1977). "Idaho's comeback foiled; Weber ekes 30-27 triumph". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  28. ↑ Payne, Bob (November 6, 1977). "Rebels roll over Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D3.
  29. ↑ "Idaho bursts, then hangs on". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 20, 1977. p. D3.

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