1915 Idaho football team

1915 Idaho football
ConferenceIndependent
Record1–4–1
Head coach
Home stadiumMacLean Field
Seasons
← 1914
1916 →
1915 Western college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Washington   –   7 – 0 – 0
Washington State   –   7 – 0 – 0
Hawaii   –   5 – 1 – 1
Oregon   –   7 – 2 – 0
New Mexico   –   3 – 1 – 0
New Mexico A&M   –   5 – 2 – 0
Montana A&M   –   4 – 2 – 1
Arizona   –   5 – 3 – 0
Oregon Agricultural   –   5 – 3 – 0
California   –   8 – 5 – 0
Tempe Normal   –   3 – 2 – 0
University Farm   –   3 – 2 – 0
Cheney Normal   –   1 – 1 – 0
Montana   –   2 – 2 – 2
Willamette   –   2 – 2 – 1
USC   –   3 – 4 – 0
Saint Mary's   –   3 – 7 – 0
Idaho   –   1 – 4 – 1
Nevada   –   0 – 6 – 0

The 1915 Idaho football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1915 college football season. Idaho was led by first-year head coach Charles Rademacher and played as an independent; they joined the Pacific Coast Conference seven years later in 1922.[1][2] Idaho had two home games in Moscow on campus at MacLean Field, with none in Boise.

In the season opener, Idaho fell to Montana for the first time in the series' third meeting, losing 15–3 in Missoula.[3][4][5] Idaho dropped a second consecutive shutout to Washington State in the Battle of the Palouse, falling 0–41 at home.[6][7][8] Eight years later, the Vandals won the first of three consecutive, their only three-peat in the rivalry series.

Idaho opened the season with four losses, then won and tied a game for a 1–4–1 record. They scored just nine points all season, and the only touchdown was an interception return, which defeated Gonzaga.[9] Their only points on offense came on a drop-kick field goal in the first quarter of the opener at Montana.[3]

A fatality occurred at practice on October 6; a part-time player, Chauncey Lyman of Idaho Falls, was knocked unconscious after his head impacted a ball carrier's thigh. Lyman died about an hour later, and the cause of death was a basilar skull fracture.[10][11][12][13]

  1. ^ "Conference to handle east-west games in future; Idaho admitted". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). December 11, 1921. p. 1, sports.
  2. ^ "Kelley quits as coach of Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). June 9, 1922. p. 14.
  3. ^ a b "Montana wins from Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 3, 1915. p. 1, part 3.
  4. ^ "Montana-Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 3, 1915. p. 5.
  5. ^ "Montana defeats Idaho; score 15-3". University Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). October 5, 1915. p. 1.
  6. ^ "WSC-Idaho football statistics annual contest on Saturday". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 29, 1915. p. 19.
  7. ^ "W.S.C.-Idaho game at Moscow today will attract many from Spokane". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 30, 1915. p. 14.
  8. ^ "WSC gets sweet revenge on Idaho, scoring its greatest victory, 41 to 0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 31, 1915. p. 1, part 3.
  9. ^ "Intercepted forward pass gives Idaho victory over Gonzaga". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 14, 1915. p. 1, part 3.
  10. ^ ""U" man killed playing football". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 7, 1915. p. 1.
  11. ^ "U. of Idaho student killed". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 7, 1915. p. 5.
  12. ^ "Death of player before faculty". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 7, 1915. p. 13.
  13. ^ "Death claims football player". University Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). October 12, 1915. p. 1.