| 1981 Idaho Vandals football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| Record | 3–8 (0–7 Big Sky) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Bill Tripp (4th season) |
| Offensive scheme | Veer |
| Defensive coordinator | Leland Kendall (2nd season) |
| Home stadium | Kibbie Dome |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Idaho State $^ | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Boise State ^ | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montana | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nevada | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weber State | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Arizona | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montana State | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1981 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals, led by fourth-year head coach Jerry Davitch, were members of the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.
Led by sophomore quarterback Ken Hobart in the veer offense, the Vandals finished 3–8 in the regular season but were winless in the Big Sky. In the season finale, Idaho lost to rival Boise State for the fifth straight year, but it was the Broncos' last win over Idaho until 1994, as the Vandals won a dozen straight in the interim. In their third and final win in early October, running back Russell Davis set a school record with 345 rushing yards at Portland State.[1][2][3]
In August, Sports Illustrated had picked the Vandals as one of the top teams in Division I-AA,[4][5] with high expectations to improve on the previous year's 6–5 record.[6] But after a fifth straight loss and no wins in six conference games, Davitch was fired nine days before the final game against Boise State.[7] Several weeks later Dennis Erickson was hired and immediately turned the Vandal program around in 1982, reaching the quarterfinals of the 12-team Division I-AA playoffs.
In 1981, Idaho State and Boise State were the top two teams in the Big Sky and both advanced to the 8-team Division I-AA playoffs, won their first-round games, and hosted the semifinals. Boise State was stopped by Eastern Kentucky, whom Idaho State defeated the following week in Texas to win the national title.
- ^ "Davis rewrites record book in UI romp". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 4, 1981. p. 2C.
- ^ "Idaho rocks Portland State". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. October 4, 1981. p. 6B.
- ^ "UI's Davis tops nation's rushers". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 6, 1981. p. 2C.
- ^ Mike, DeInagro (August 31, 1981). "Small colleges". Sports Illustrated. p. 64.
- ^ "Sports Illustrated picks Vandals to win Big Sky". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). September 1, 1981. p. 3C.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (September 4, 1981). "Jerry Davitch's big secret: 'Ignorance keeps us going'". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 31.
- ^ Missildine, Harry; Blanchette, John (November 13, 1981). "UI fires Davitch". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 29.