1987 Idaho Vandals football
Big Sky champion
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record9–3 (7–1 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBill Diedrick (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorBarry Lamb (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumKibbie Dome
1987 Big Sky Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Idaho $^ 7 –1 –09 –3 –0
No. 10 Weber State ^ 7 –1 –010 –3 –0
Montana 5 –3 –06 –5 –0
Boise State 4 –4 –06 –5 –0
Nevada 4 –4 –05 –6 –0
Northern Arizona 4 –4 –07 –4 –0
Idaho State 3 –5 –03 –7 –1
Eastern Washington 2 –6 –04 –7 –0
Montana State 0 –8 –01 –10 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Poll

The 1987 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals, led by second-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 second conference title in three seasons, and made the I-AA playoffs for the third consecutive season. Led by redshirt sophomore quarterback John Friesz, Idaho finished the regular season at 9–2 and 7–1 in the Big Sky.

Notable games

Following a non-conference loss at home to Central Michigan,[1][2] and a road loss to struggling intrastate rival Idaho State,[3][4][5] Idaho won its final six games of the regular season. The Vandals defeated Nevada for only the second time in the ten meetings since the Wolf Pack joined the Big Sky in 1979,[6][7] and defeated rival Boise State for the sixth consecutive year, the sixth of twelve straight over the Broncos.

Division I-AA playoffs

For the third consecutive season, Idaho returned to the 16-team I-AA playoffs. The Vandals hosted conference foe Weber State, whom they had defeated in Utah four weeks earlier by three points. The Wildcats won the rematch 59–30, before a sparse crowd at the Kibbie Dome two days after Thanksgiving, ending the Vandals' season at 9–3.[8]

Notable players

The 1987 team included two future NFL players with lengthy pro careers: guard Mark Schlereth and redshirt sophomore John Friesz, a future collegiate hall of fame quarterback as a three-year starter (1987–89).

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 57:00 pmMankato State (D-II)*No. 20
W 31–17  7,600[9][10]
September 127:00 pmCentral Michigan (Div. I-A)*No. 20
  • Kibbie Dome
  • Moscow, Idaho
L 18–30  8,000[1][2]
September 197:00 pmat No. 6 (D-II) Portland State*
W 17–10  8,535[11][12]
September 267:00 pmat Northern Arizona
W 46–37  9,029[13][14]
October 36:30 pmat Idaho StateNo. 15
L 21–3010,764[3][4][5]
October 107:00 pmMontana
W 31–25  9,500[15][16][17][18]
October 171:00 pmNo. 11 Nevadadagger
  • Kibbie Dome
  • Moscow, Idaho
W 38–2815,100[6][7]
October 247:00 pmEastern WashingtonNo. 14
W 31–2411,500[19][20]
October 3112:00 pmat No. 7 Weber StateNo. 12
W 41–3813,486[21]
November 712:00 pmat Montana StateNo. 10
W 14–7  6,007
November 214:30 pmBoise StateNo. 5
W 40–3416,500
November 2812:30 pmNo. 10 Weber State*No. 5
L 30–59  4,900[8]
Source:[22]

Roster

1987 Idaho Vandals football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
FL 6 Eric Jorgensen Jr
SE John Jake
QB Steve Nolan Fr
QB 17 John Friesz So
RB Bruce Harris Fr
RB 20 Todd Hoiness Jr
RB Larry Leverett So
TE Craig Robinson Sr
TE Chris Slater Jr
OT 70 Greg Hale Jr
G 67 Todd Neu So
C Steve Unger So
G 60 Mark Schlereth Jr
OT 63 Troy Wright So
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
CB 1 Richard Carey Jr
FS 8 Ernest Sanders Sr
CB 29 Virgil Paulsen Sr
SS Dan McCanna Sr
LB 51 Jerry Medved Jr
LB Jim Medved Jr
LB Mark Matthews Fr
LB 31 Kevin Johnson Sr
DE Pete Wilkins Sr
DT Craig Dowdy Sr
DT Michael Bailey Jr
DE Kord Smith Sr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K Brian Decicio Jr
P John Pleas Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Bill Diedrick (OC)
  • Barry Lamb (DC)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt
Source:[17][23][24][25][26]

All-conference

Six Vandals were named to the all-conference team: quarterback John Friesz, tackle Greg Hale, guard Todd Neu, defensive end Pete Wilkins, safety Ernest Sanders, and cornerback Virgil Paulsen. Second team selections were wide receiver Eric Jorgensen, tight end Craig Robinson, and punter John Pleas. Honorable mention were wide receiver/kick returner John Jake, running back Todd Hoiness, center Steve Unger, defensive linemen Kord Smith and Jim Routos, and placekicker Brian Decicio.[27][28][29][30]

Friesz, from Coeur d'Alene, was also named the Big Sky's outstanding offensive player.[31][32]

References

  1. 1 2 Pierce, Oliver (September 12, 1987). "UI must ground Chippewas' rush". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1D.
  2. 1 2 Pierce, Oliver (September 14, 1987). "CMU has too much for gutty Vandals". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1B.
  3. 1 2 Tatko, Mike (October 3, 1987). "Vandals problem: Getting excited for ISU". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  4. 1 2 Pierce, Oliver (October 3, 1987). "Idaho's life on top could get better by downing ISU". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1D.
  5. 1 2 Tatko, Mike (October 4, 1987). "ISU's bad luck ends with Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  6. 1 2 Pierce, Oliver (October 17, 1987). "Idaho: classic battle of run versus pass". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1D.
  7. 1 2 Pierce, Oliver (October 19, 1987). "UI, scoreoard both prove functional". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1B.
  8. 1 2 "Weber State 59, Idaho 30". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). November 29, 1987. p. 3B.
  9. ↑ Jacobson, Bryan (September 5, 1987). "Let the seasons begin". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1D.
  10. ↑ Pierce, Oliver (September 7, 1987). "Idaho land attack takes air out of Mavericks". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1B.
  11. ↑ Pierce, Oliver (September 19, 1987). "Strength vs. strength for UI, Portland State". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1D.
  12. ↑ "UI defense wins case with Vikings". Idahonian. (Moscow). September 21, 1987. p. 1B.
  13. ↑ Pierce, Oliver (September 26, 1987). "Idaho: Big Sky play draws tough opener". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1D.
  14. ↑ "Vandals axe Lumberjacks, 46-37". Idahonian. (Moscow). September 28, 1987. p. 1B.
  15. ↑ Tatko, Mike (October 10, 1987). "Cougars, Vandals at home after long absence". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  16. ↑ Tatko, Mike (October 11, 1987). "Idaho outruns Montana". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  17. 1 2 Spevak, Jeff (October 11, 1987). "Idaho's medical list grows as injuries plague team". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 8C.
  18. ↑ Pierce, Oliver (October 12, 1987). "UI rekindles Big Sky title hopes". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 7A.
  19. ↑ Pierce, Oliver (October 24, 1987). "Governor's Cup tilt". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1D.
  20. ↑ Pierce, Oliver (October 26, 1987). "Idaho can treat itself to crown". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 8A.
  21. ↑ Pierce, Oliver (October 31, 1987). "Big Sky chase". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1D.
  22. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Archived 2010-02-16 at the Wayback Machine – Idaho 1985–89 – accessed August 14, 2010
  23. ↑ "UI: Medved twins have big shoes to fill in the middle". Idahonian. (Moscow). September 1, 1987. p. 1C.
  24. ↑ "UI: Vandals should be strong at defensive end". Idahonian. (Moscow). September 2, 1987. p. 6A.
  25. ↑ "UI: Secondary is a strength". Idahonian. (Moscow). September 3, 1987. p. 1C.
  26. ↑ "Starting line-ups". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 3, 1987. p. 4B.
  27. ↑ "All-Big Sky teams". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 2, 1987. p. D3.
  28. ↑ "EWU's Stein makes All-Big Sky". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). staff and wire reports. December 2, 1987. p. D1.
  29. ↑ "Six Vandals on Big Sky first team". Idahonian. (Moscow). Associated Press. December 2, 1987. p. 10A.
  30. ↑ "Friesz, Buenzli top All=Big Sky teams". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). December 2, 1987. p. D2.
  31. ↑ "Idaho's Friesz best in Big Sky". Idahonian. (Moscow). Associated Press. December 4, 1987. p. 1B.
  32. ↑ "Friesz captures Big Sky MVP award". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 4, 1987. p. 33.
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