1953 Idaho Vandals football team

1953 Idaho Vandals football
ConferencePacific Coast Conference
Record1–8 (0–3 PCC)
Head coach
Home stadiumNeale Stadium
Seasons
← 1952
1954 →
1953 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 UCLA $ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. 19 Stanford 5 – 1 – 1 6 – 3 – 1
USC 4 – 2 – 1 6 – 3 – 1
California 2 – 2 – 2 4 – 4 – 2
Washington State 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Oregon State 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Washington 2 – 4 – 1 3 – 6 – 1
Oregon 2 – 5 – 1 4 – 5 – 1
Idaho 0 – 3 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1953 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1953 college football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Raymond A. Curfman and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with two games in Boise at old Bronco Stadium at Boise Junior College.

Led on the field by quarterback George Eidam, Idaho compiled a 1–8 record and were winless in their three PCC games.

The Vandals suffered another loss in the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, falling, 30–13, at Neale Stadium on October 17.[1][2] It ran the winless streak against the Cougars to 27 games, a record of 0–25–2 since taking three straight from 1923 to 1925; the Vandals broke the streak the next year in Pullman under new head coach Skip Stahley.[3]

In the rivalry game with Montana at Missoula two weeks earlier, the Vandals ran their winning streak over the Grizzlies to three and retained the Little Brown Stein.[4] Idaho scored twenty unanswered points to win 20–12,[5] in their sole victory of the season.[6][7][8][9]

Curfman made headlines in 1953 as his overmatched Vandals struggled in conference play in the PCC,[10] and was under fire from alumni and boosters after a disappointing season.[6][7][8][9] Following his resignation in December,[11][12][13] he was hired as the business manager for the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team in January 1954.[14]

  1. ^ Boni, Bill (October 18, 1953). "Muscle, manpower and ability beat Vandals". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  2. ^ "Berry paces Cougars to 30-13 victory of feisty Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 18, 1953. p. 10.
  3. ^ Boni, Bill (October 24, 1954). "Idaho thumps WSC, 10-0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  4. ^ "Clicking Vandal ground, air attack stops Montana 20-12". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 4, 1953. p. 8.
  5. ^ Weston, Don (October 4, 1953). "Vandals bump Montana 20-12". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. p. 2D.
  6. ^ a b "Idaho alumni ask Curfman be replaced at grid helm". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 21, 1953. p. 8.
  7. ^ a b "Replace Curfman is now demand of Idaho 'Lums". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 21, 1953. p. 10.
  8. ^ a b "Coaching job action awaits January meet". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 24, 1953. p. 2.
  9. ^ a b "Idaho regents meet in January; Babe Curfman's position unsettled". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 23, 1953. p. 15.
  10. ^ "Vandal gridders rated too 'pure'". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 20, 1953. p. 3B.
  11. ^ "Curfman and three aides resign posts at Idaho". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). December 21, 1953. p. 21.
  12. ^ "'Circumstances' force Curfman's resignation". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). December 22, 1953. p. 12.
  13. ^ "Idaho plans thorough search for coach; Curfman out". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. December 22, 1953. p. 12.
  14. ^ May, Danny (January 29, 1954). "Indians sign Curfman as business manager". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 8.