1988 Idaho Vandals football team

1988 Idaho Vandals football
Big Sky champion
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1 (Nov 22)
Record11–2 (7–1 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBill Diedrick (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorBarry Lamb (2nd season)
Home stadiumKibbie Dome
Seasons
← 1987
1989 →
1988 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Idaho $^ 7 1 0 11 2 0
No. 16 Montana ^ 6 2 0 8 4 0
No. 12 Boise State ^ 5 3 0 8 4 0
Nevada 4 4 0 7 4 0
Northern Arizona 4 4 0 6 5 0
Weber State 4 4 0 5 6 0
Montana State 4 4 0 4 7 0
Eastern Washington 2 6 0 2 8 0
Idaho State 0 8 0 0 11 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Poll

The 1988 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals, led by third-year head coach Keith Gilbertson, were members of the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.

The Vandals won their third conference title in four seasons, and made the I-AA playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Led by redshirt junior quarterback John Friesz, Idaho finished the regular season at 9–1 and 7–1 in the Big Sky.[1][2][3] The Vandals scheduled only ten regular season games for the first time since 1969;[4] Idaho played only ten regular season games again in 1995, their final year in the Big Sky.

The shortened regular season was beneficial in 1988, as the Vandals played three post-season games, falling on the road in the national semifinals in Gilbertson's final game as the Vandals' head coach. He left for an assistant's position in the Pac-10 in Seattle, as offensive line coach under head coach Don James at Washington.

  1. ^ Tatko, Mike (November 19, 1988). "Vandals, BSU play for Big Sky title". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  2. ^ Tatko, Mike (November 20, 1988). "Idaho victory twice as nice". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  3. ^ Meehan, Jim (November 21, 1988). "No. 1-ranked Vandals Sky-high". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1B.
  4. ^ Jacobson (March 29, 1988). "Wind chill doesn't ground Vandals". Idahonian. Moscow. p. 10A.