1980 Idaho Vandals football team
The 1980 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Jerry Davitch and were members of the Big Sky Conference. They played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.
With freshman quarterback Ken Hobart in the veer offense, the Vandals finished 6-5 in the regular season and 4-3 in the Big Sky to finish fourth. Idaho lost to rival Boise State for the fourth straight year. BSU won the Big Sky title in 1980 and competed in the four team Division I-AA playoffs; the Broncos won the finals over defending champion Eastern Kentucky.
It was the first winning season for the Vandals since 1976 and only the fourth winning record for the football program in over four decades.[1]
Notable players
Transfer walk-on quarterback Ken Hobart was a four-year starter. He quickly adjusted from an option quarterback in the veer under Davitch to a prolific passer under new head coach Dennis Erickson in 1982. He led the Vandals to a 9-4 record in 1982 and an 8-3 record in 1983 as a senior, when he was a Division I-AA All-American. Hobart played a season in the USFL with Jacksonville in 1984 and several in the CFL.
1980 season schedule
| Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
Attendance |
| Sep 13 |
at Pacific - (Div. I-A)* |
Pacific Memorial Stadium • Stockton, CA |
L 13-24 |
15,000 |
| Sep 20 |
Simon Fraser - (NAIA)* |
Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID |
W 56-16 |
11,500 |
| Sep 27 |
at Montana |
Dornblaser Field • Missoula, MT - (Little Brown Stein) |
W 42-0 |
8,535 |
| Oct 04 |
Portland State* |
Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID |
W 37-27 |
13,000 |
| Oct 11 |
at Boise State |
Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID - (BSU-UI rivalry) |
L 21-44 |
21,812 |
| Oct 18 |
Montana State |
Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID |
W 14-6 |
15,000 |
| Oct 25 |
at San Jose State - (Div. I-A)* |
Spartan Stadium • San Jose, CA |
L 10-32 |
7,263 |
| Nov 01 |
at Weber State |
Stewart Stadium • Ogden, UT |
W 31-6 |
11,000 |
| Nov 08 |
Idaho State |
Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID |
L 21-28 |
12,000 |
| Nov 15 |
Northern Arizona |
Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID |
W 14-7 |
10,000 |
| Nov 22 |
at Nevada-Reno |
Mackay Stadium • Reno, NV |
L 7-38 |
| *Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. |
References
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