1982 Idaho Vandals football team

1982 Idaho Vandals football
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Ranking
APNo. 11
Record9–4 (5–2 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorKeith Gilbertson (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJohn L. Smith (1st season)
Captains
Home stadiumKibbie Dome
Seasons
← 1981
1983 →
1982 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 19 Montana $^ 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 6 – 0
No. 11 Idaho ^ 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 4 – 0
Montana State 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
No. 15 Boise State 4 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
Nevada 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Northern Arizona 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Weber State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Idaho State 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Poll

The 1982 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals, led by first-year head coach Dennis Erickson,[3] 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 junior quarterback Ken Hobart, the Vandals finished 8–3 in the regular season and 5–2 in the Big Sky in a three-way tie for first, and qualified for the post-season for the first time in school history. Idaho defeated rival Boise State for the first time in six years,[4][5] the first of twelve straight over the Broncos. The Vandals also defeated Idaho State, the defending conference and national champions; the consecutive intrastate games were both on the road.[6][7]

Idaho rebounded from the previous season, in which they were preseason favorites, but finished 3–8 overall and winless in conference play under fourth-year head coach Jerry Davitch. The 1981 team lost their final six games, finishing with a fifth consecutive loss to Boise State.

The Vandals won all six home games in 1982 and finished at 9–4 overall. The nine victories were the most in school history,[8] later surpassed only by the 1988 and 1993 teams, both of which won eleven games and reached the I-AA semifinals.[9]

  1. ^ "Merriman, Seman, Hobart Vandal captains". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). August 31, 1982. p. 3C.
  2. ^ "Idaho tabs captains, coach lauds players". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 1, 1982. p. 16.
  3. ^ Van Sickel, Charlie (March 27, 1982). "Idaho to head 'em off at pass". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. 12.
  4. ^ Ramsdell, Paul (October 30, 1982). "Vandals' destiny lies in outcome of BSU game". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 3B.
  5. ^ Ramsdell, Paul (October 31, 1982). "Vandals end drought with 24–17 win over BSU". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  6. ^ Ramsdell, Paul (November 6, 1982). "Vandals: Idaho championship can be theirs today". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 3B.
  7. ^ Ramsdell, Paul (November 7, 1982). "Idaho escapes with 20-17 win over Bengals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  8. ^ Ramsdell, Paul (December 12, 1982). "Dennis Erickson put Idaho on the road to success – and he plans more". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  9. ^ CFB Data Warehouse Archived 2010-02-16 at the Wayback Machine – Idaho – yearly totals