1969 Idaho Vandals football team

1969 Idaho Vandals football
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record2–8 (1–3 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBobby Thompson (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorDon Robbins
Captains
  • Wayne Marquess
  • Tom Nelson
Home stadiumRogers Field
Seasons
← 1968
1970 →
1969 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Montana $ 4 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
Weber State 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Idaho State 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Idaho 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Montana State 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1969 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. The Vandals were led by second-year head coach Y C McNease and played in the Big Sky Conference. After two seasons in the College Division,[1] Idaho returned to the University Division this year.[2][3][4]

Due to soil erosion, the wooden grandstands at 32-year-old Neale Stadium in Moscow were deemed unsafe in early August.[5] Without a usable stadium on campus, they played their three home games at Rogers Field at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington.[6]

Despite playing their home games in Pullman, the Vandals did not play the Washington State Cougars in the Battle of the Palouse. Outside of war years, it was the first break in the rivalry since 1900. Washington State had to adjust its schedules to include all seven conference foes; the rivalry resumed in 1970 but was skipped again in 1971.

In their ninth meeting with Idaho State,[7] the Vandals incurred their first loss to the Bengals in the home opener in Pullman.[8] Without a game in Boise on the schedule (first time since 1946), the Vandals did not play in the state of Idaho this season; this occurred again thirty years later in 1999.

Idaho had four starting quarterbacks in 1969: Steve Olson was first-string, backed up by John Hathaway, both from Lewiston.[9] Hampered by back problems, Olson started the first four and Hathaway the next four, until a shoulder injury.[10] Mitch Lansdell started the ninth game but an ankle injury sidelined him late in the fourth quarter.[11][12] Fourth-string Pete Glindeman was slated to redshirt and had been lining up in practices as a defensive end. He relieved Lansdell and started the last game, a ten-point loss in which he completed 27 passes on 54 attempts for 371 yards, but threw seven interceptions.[13][14][15]

A day after the season ended, the south grandstand of idle Neale Stadium was burned in an apparent arson.[16][17] Less than five months later, a similar fire occurred at Rogers Field in April 1970.[18] Also a suspected arson,[19] it severely damaged the south grandstand and press box of the wooden venue.[20]

  1. ^ "Ostyn says Pacific cost major status". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 9, 1967. p. 15.
  2. ^ "Big league for Vandals". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). July 1, 1969. p. 37.
  3. ^ "Idaho is restored to major grid status". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). July 1, 1969. p. 10.
  4. ^ "NCAA ups 4 colleges". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 2, 1969. p. 22.
  5. ^ "Idaho stadium unsafe for use". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). August 6, 1969. p. 41.
  6. ^ "Neale Stadium condemned, WSU field used". Idaho Argonaut. (Moscow). (University of Idaho). September 9, 1969. p. 1.
  7. ^ Wilson, Mike (September 28, 1969). "Idaho will entertain Idaho State at Washington State U." Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 9.
  8. ^ Wilson, Mike (September 28, 1969). "Bengals end eight-game jinx, drop Vandals 47-42". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 15.
  9. ^ Wilson, Mike (November 15, 1969). "Idaho Vandals seek third victory at Colorado State". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 8.
  10. ^ "Weber State grabs lead, defeats Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 9, 1969. p. 10.
  11. ^ Wilson, Mike (November 16, 1969). "Colorado State tops Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 13.
  12. ^ Payne, Bob (November 16, 1969). "Quick strikes beat Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  13. ^ Wilson, Mike (November 23, 1969). "Utah State converts errors for 31-21 win over Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 12.
  14. ^ Payne, Bob (November 23, 1969). "Utags capitalize on Glindeman's errors". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  15. ^ "Idaho Vandals set three Big Sky team football marks". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 30, 1969. p. 18.
  16. ^ "Late night fire destroys portion of Neale Stadium on Idaho campus". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 24, 1969. p. 16.
  17. ^ "Neale Stadium burns". Idaho Argonaut. Moscow. (University of Idaho). November 25, 1969. p. 1.
  18. ^ "Fire rips grandstand during break". Daily Evergreen. Pullman, Washington. (Washington State University). April 15, 1970. p. 4.
  19. ^ "Fire at Rogers Field thought to be arson". Idaho Argonaut. (Moscow). (University of Idaho). April 7, 1970. p. 1.
  20. ^ "Fast blaze ruins Pullman stadium". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). April 6, 1970. p. 1, sports.