1985 Idaho Vandals football team

Notable games

The Vandals opened the season with a fifteen-point loss at Oregon State in Corvallis, whom they had defeated the year before in Moscow. After six straight losses to Nevada, Idaho recorded its first conference victory over the Wolf Pack, A key one-point road loss at Idaho State in late October prevented the Vandals from attaining an important first round bye in the I-AA playoffs.

Division I-AA playoffs

After a two-season absence, Idaho returned to the twelve-team I-AA playoffs, hosting independent Eastern Washington, whom they had defeated four weeks earlier by three touchdowns. The eleventh-ranked Eagles won the rematch, a back-and-forth contest before a sparse crowd at the Kibbie Dome, two days after Thanksgiving. (EWU joined the Big Sky in 1987, raising league membership to nine.)

For the following season in 1986, the I-AA playoffs expanded from 12 to 16 teams, which eliminated the bye week for the top four seeds.

Notable players

The 1985 team included two future NFL head coaches: quarterback Scott Linehan and offensive lineman Tom Cable. Future NFL players with lengthy pro careers included guard Mark Schlereth (redshirt freshman starting on defense this season) and true freshman John Friesz, a future collegiate hall of fame quarterback as a three-year starter (1987–89), but inactive in 1985 as a redshirt.

Coaches

This was the fourth and final season at Idaho for head coach Dennis Erickson and defensive coordinator John L. Smith. Offensive coordinator Keith Gilbertson returned to that position on a volunteer basis after three spring seasons in the USFL with the L.A. Express. Days after Erickson's early December departure for Wyoming, Gilbertson was promoted to head coach for 1986. Smith followed Erickson to Laramie and back to the Palouse at Washington State in 1987, then returned to the Vandals in January 1989. He succeeded Gilbertson, who left after three seasons for an assistant's position in Seattle, as offensive line coach under head coach Don James at Washington.

Schedule

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Roster

• Keith Gilbertson (OC)
• John L. Smith (DC) | access-date= :Source:

All-conference

Wide receiver Eric Yarber and junior linebacker Tom Hennessey were the offensive and defensive players of the year in the Big Sky, respectively, and were joined on the all-conference team by junior safety Mark Tidd (unanimous), senior tackle Mark Caldwell, and senior defensive tackle John Andrews.

Six Vandals, all on offense, were on the second team: quarterback Rick Sloan, tight end Scott Auker, wide receiver Brant Bengen, center Matt Watson, and guards Tom Cable and Joe Smiley. Honorable mention went to tackle Dave Thorsen and running back Todd Hoiness.

Yarber was named to the Kodak All-American team for Division I-AA.

References

References

1. Barrows, Bob. (September 29, 1985). "Idaho rallies back to trap Wolf Pack, 25-21". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
2. Boling, Dave. (October 19, 1985). "More broken bones today in Moscow?". Spokesman-Review.
3. Barrows, Bob. (October 25, 1985). "Idaho's Sloan not just a passing fancy". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
4. Boling, Dave. (November 14, 1985). "Poetic justice? Sloan takes over". Spokesman-Review.
5. Boling, Dave. (November 23, 1985). "Erickson: 'It's our biggest game ever'". Spokesman-Review.
6. Barrows, Bob. (November 24, 1985). "Idaho reigns as Big Sky Conference champs". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
7. Boling, Dave. (November 23, 1985). "Beginning could be the end in playoff rematch". Spokesman-Review.
8. [http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/wac/idaho/yearly_totals.php College Football Data Warehouse] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-03-03 – Idaho Vandals – yearly totals – accessed 2011-10-02)
9. Cawood, Neil. (September 8, 1985). "Beavers do Vandalizing this time". Eugene Register-Guard.
10. (November 26, 1985). "Idaho fifth in final I-AA poll". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
11. Katsilometes, George. (October 27, 1985). "'Hail Mary' helps Idaho State nip Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
12. Barrows, Bob. (November 30, 1985). "Idaho begins 'second season' today looking for a repeat". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
13. Barrows, Bob. (December 1, 1985). "Vandalized!: Late score helps Eastern turn Idaho upside down, 42-38". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
14. (December 1, 1985). "Idaho ousted in Division I-AA". Eugene Register-Guard.
15. Barrows, Bob. (December 2, 1985). "Vandals reflect on tough loss...and 'the play'". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
16. Boling, Dave. (December 5, 1985). "Erickson leaves Idaho with winning tradition". Spokane Chronicle.
17. Boling, Dave. (December 2, 1985). "Erickson leaves Idaho for Wyoming". Spokane Chronicle.
18. (December 3, 1985). "No surprises: Erickson's a Wyoming Cowboy". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
19. Barrows, Bob. (December 6, 1985). "Idaho tabs Gilbertson as new football coach". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
20. Boling, Dave. (December 6, 1985). "Idaho passes the football to Gilbertson". Spokane Chronicle.
21. Barrows, Bob. (December 7, 1985). "Gilbertson promises to keep Idaho in the air". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
22. Meehan, Jim. (January 3, 1989). "Smith: no newcomer to UI football". Idahonian.
23. (September 8, 1985). "OSU's Wilhelm-Bynum duo vandalizes Idaho". The Sunday Oregonian.
24. (September 15, 1985). "Idaho drills Mankato St.". The Times-News.
25. (September 22, 1985). "Idaho shows it can play defense, too". The Spokesman-Review.
26. (September 29, 1985). "Idaho tops Nevada–Reno". The Montana Standard.
27. (October 6, 1985). "Vandals trample PSU Vikes". The Daily Inter Lake.
28. (October 13, 1985). "Idaho De-Feets Weber, 31–28". The Salt Lake Tribune.
29. (October 20, 1985). "Vandals blank Grizzlies". The Montana Standard.
30. (October 27, 1985). "ISU upsets Idaho on late 76-yard TD throw 38–37". The Idaho Statesman.
31. (November 3, 1985). "Vandals keep playoff hopes, top Eagles 42–21". The Times-News.
32. (November 10, 1985). "Vandals pummel Bobcats 32–0". The Daily Inter Lake.
33. (November 24, 1985). "Vandals humiliate Broncos, 44–27". The Times-News.
34. (December 1, 1985). "EWU nips Idaho in I-AA playoffs". The Billings Gazette.
35. link. (2010-02-16 – Idaho 1985–89 – accessed 2010-05-14)
36. (September 21, 1985). "Starting line-ups". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
37. (September 28, 1985). "Starting line-ups". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
38. (October 19, 1985). "Starting line-ups". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
39. (October 26, 1985). "Starting line-ups". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
40. (November 23, 1985). "Starting line-ups". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
41. (December 5, 1985). "Conference honors Hennessey, Yarber". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
42. Boling, Dave. (November 21, 1985). "He's Idaho's Repo Man". Spokesman-Review.
43. (December 4, 1985). "Vandals' Yarber, Caldwell on Big Sky first team". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
44. (December 5, 1985). "Nevada-Reno dominates Big Sky defensive team". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
45. (December 5, 1985). "Kodak names Yarber, Ralph to A-A teams". Spokane Chronicle.