With sophomore quarterbacks Jay Goodenbour and Mike McCurdy running the veer offense,[1][2][3] the Vandals were 2–9 overall (2–4 in Big Sky, fifth).[4][5] Projected starter Rocky Tuttle injured an ankle in the final scrimmage, had tendon surgery, and redshirted;[1][6] as a fifth-year senior in 1979, he started as a running back and receiver.
The final win was an unplayed forfeit by Idaho State for a scheduled night game in Moscow in November. Flying from Pocatello to the Palouse on the afternoon of the game to forego lodging, one of ISU's two chartered Convair 440 aircraft had carburetor problems soon after takeoff and had to land. It carried the defensive players; the other with the offense landed safely at the Moscow-Pullman airport two hours later.[7][8] After difficulties in arranging a viable makeup date, a forfeit win was awarded to the Vandals.[9][10] It was the conference finale for both,[11] and ISU finished winless in the Big Sky for the second time in three seasons.
This was the first season for the newly created Division I-AA,[12][13] which the Big Sky joined. In Division I for other sports, it was previously a Division II conference for football, except for Division I member Idaho, which moved down to I-AA this season. Idaho had maintained its upper division status in the NCAA by playing Division I non-conference opponents.
No Vandals were chosen for All-Big Sky first team, but seven were selected for the second team; the two picks on offense were tackle Kyle Riddell and center Larry Coombs. The five on the defense were linebacker Brian Rekofke, defensive linemen Mark McNeal and Steve Parker, and defensive backs Rick Linehan and Ron Jessie.[22][23]
NFL Draftedit
No Vandals were selected in the 1979 NFL Draft, which lasted twelve rounds (330 selections).
One Vandal junior was later selected in the 1980 NFL Draft,[24][25] also twelve rounds (333 selections).
Game program: Idaho at Washington State – September 16, 1978
January 01, 1970
1978, idaho, vandals, football, team, represented, university, idaho, conference, during, 1978, ncaa, division, football, season, head, coach, jerry, davitch, vandals, played, home, games, kibbie, dome, indoor, facility, campus, moscow, idaho, 1978, idaho, van. The 1978 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the Big Sky Conference during the 1978 NCAA Division I AA football season Led by new head coach Jerry Davitch the Vandals played home games at the Kibbie Dome an indoor facility on campus in Moscow Idaho 1978 Idaho Vandals footballConferenceBig Sky ConferenceRecord2 9 2 4 Big Sky Head coachJerry Davitch 1st season Offensive coordinatorBill Tripp 1st season Offensive schemeVeerDefensive coordinatorGreg McMackin 2nd season Base defense5 2Home stadiumKibbie DomeSeasons 19771979 1978 Big Sky Conference football standings vte Conf Overall Team W L T W L T No 7 Northern Arizona 6 0 0 8 2 0 No T 9 Montana State 4 2 0 8 2 0 Montana 4 2 0 5 6 0 Boise State 3 3 0 7 4 0 Weber State 2 4 0 4 7 0 Idaho 2 4 0 2 9 0 Idaho State 0 6 0 2 9 0 Conference championRankings from NCAA Division I AA AP Poll With sophomore quarterbacks Jay Goodenbour and Mike McCurdy running the veer offense 1 2 3 the Vandals were 2 9 overall 2 4 in Big Sky fifth 4 5 Projected starter Rocky Tuttle injured an ankle in the final scrimmage had tendon surgery and redshirted 1 6 as a fifth year senior in 1979 he started as a running back and receiver The final win was an unplayed forfeit by Idaho State for a scheduled night game in Moscow in November Flying from Pocatello to the Palouse on the afternoon of the game to forego lodging one of ISU s two chartered Convair 440 aircraft had carburetor problems soon after takeoff and had to land It carried the defensive players the other with the offense landed safely at the Moscow Pullman airport two hours later 7 8 After difficulties in arranging a viable makeup date a forfeit win was awarded to the Vandals 9 10 It was the conference finale for both 11 and ISU finished winless in the Big Sky for the second time in three seasons This was the first season for the newly created Division I AA 12 13 which the Big Sky joined In Division I for other sports it was previously a Division II conference for football except for Division I member Idaho which moved down to I AA this season Idaho had maintained its upper division status in the NCAA by playing Division I non conference opponents Hired in January Davitch was previously an assistant at the Air Force Academy for five seasons under longtime head coach Ben Martin preceded by four years as a high school head coach in Tucson Arizona 14 15 16 17 Season tickets for the five home games cost thirty two dollars 18 Contents 1 Schedule 2 Roster 3 All conference 4 NFL Draft 5 References 6 External linksSchedule editDateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSourceSeptember 97 00 pmat San Jose State Div I A Spartan StadiumSan Jose CAL 14 3110 011 September 161 00 pmat Washington State Div I A Martin StadiumPullman WA Battle of the Palouse L 0 2816 950 September 235 30 pmat Wichita State Div I A Cessna StadiumWichita KSL 6 2813 123 19 September 307 00 pmNo 9 Northern ArizonaKibbie DomeMoscow IDL 29 34 8 200 October 77 30 pmat UNLV Div I A Silver BowlLas Vegas NVL 14 5318 944 October 141 00 pmat MontanaDornblaser FieldMissoula MT Little Brown Stein W 34 30 8 286 October 217 00 pmNo 1 Montana StateKibbie DomeMoscow IDL 21 57 9 000 October 282 00 pmWeber State nbsp Kibbie DomeMoscow IDL 6 5113 500 November 412 30 pmat Boise StateBronco StadiumBoise ID rivalry L 10 4820 235 November 117 00 pmIdaho StateKibbie DomeMoscow ID rivalry W 1 0Forfeit 7 8 9 10 11 November 187 00 pmFresno State Div I A Kibbie DomeMoscow IDL 28 41 5 600 Non conference game nbsp HomecomingRankings from AP poll Div I AA top ten onlyAll times are in Pacific timeRoster edit1978 Idaho Vandals football team roster Players Coaches Offense Pos Name Class FL 1 Jett Taylor Jr SE 7 Jack Klein So QB 10 Jay Goodenbour So QB 11 Mike McCurdy So QB 12 Rocky Tuttle nbsp nbsp Sr SE 18 Kirk Allen Sr RB 25 Robert Brooks Sr RB 30 Tim Lappano nbsp nbsp Sr RB 32 Glen White So RB 33 Terry Idler Fr RB 35 Glenn Ford So RB 40 Randy Davenport So LG 58 Dan Cozzetto Sr RG 61 Dick Wilkin Sr RT 68 Bryan Zimmermann Sr C 69 Larry Coombs Jr OL 69 Kyle Riddell Jr OL 77 Tom Randel Sr TE 84 Rick Mayfield Sr TE 82 Al Swenson Fr FL TE 88 Mike Hagadone nbsp nbsp Sr Defense Pos Name Class DB 3 Russell Davis Fr FS 4 Ron Powell So CB 20 Ron Jessie Jr SS 24 Rick Linehan Sr CB 35 Mike Keough So DE 42 Brian Rekofke Sr LB 43 Larry Barker So LB 51 Chris Eads Jr LB 52 Bob Cafferty Sr LB 53 Kelly Grimes Jr DT 71 Mark McNeal Jr NG 75 Monty Elder So DT 78 Steve Parker Jr LB 83 Phil Vance Jr DE 84 Jay Hayes Fr DE 80 Lloyd Williamson Fr Special teams Pos Name Class P 2 Dion Jergo Fr PK 5 Jeff Wellmann Fr P 6 Pete O Brien Fr Head coach Jerry Davitch 1st year Coordinators assistant coaches Bill Tripp OC Greg McMackin DC Fred Manuel DB Legend C Team captain S Suspended I Ineligible nbsp Injured nbsp Redshirt Source 20 21 All conference editNo Vandals were chosen for All Big Sky first team but seven were selected for the second team the two picks on offense were tackle Kyle Riddell and center Larry Coombs The five on the defense were linebacker Brian Rekofke defensive linemen Mark McNeal and Steve Parker and defensive backs Rick Linehan and Ron Jessie 22 23 NFL Draft editNo Vandals were selected in the 1979 NFL Draft which lasted twelve rounds 330 selections One Vandal junior was later selected in the 1980 NFL Draft 24 25 also twelve rounds 333 selections Player Position Round Overall Franchise Mark McNeal DE 6th 153 Seattle SeahawksReferences edit a b Goodenbour s one guy not worried Spokesman Review Spokane Washington September 6 1978 p 21 Stewart Chuck September 11 1978 Future arrives fast for young Vandal QB Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington p 21 McCurdy snares quarterback job Spokesman Review Spokane Washington September 26 1978 p 17 Barrows Bob November 20 1978 Idaho football Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho p 1B Payne Bob November 26 1978 Vandals kiss this sort of season goodbye Spokesman Review Spokane Washington p C5 Vandals QB looking fine Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington September 6 1978 p 22 a b Barrows Bob November 12 1978 No Vandal game ISU can t make it Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho p 1B a b One platoon arrived one did not sorry Spokesman Review Spokane Washington November 12 1978 p C2 a b Bengals forfeit to Idaho Spokesman Review Spokane Washington November 14 1978 p 15 a b Drosendahl Glenn November 12 1978 Vandals claim a forfeit Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho p 1B a b Barrows Bob November 11 1978 Vandals Idaho State try to salvage something Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho p 3B Big schools win battle St Petersburg Independent Florida Associated Press January 13 1978 p 5C Underwood John January 23 1978 The NCAA splits its decision Sports Illustrated Retrieved August 22 2023 UI names grid boss Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington January 10 1978 p 18 Emerson Paul January 11 1978 Davitch named UI coach Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho p B1 Missildine Harry January 11 1978 Davitch new Idaho football coach Spokesman Review Spokane Washington p 15 Vandal cagers investigated Spokesman Review Spokane Washington Associated Press January 12 1978 p 25 UI season ticket holders have time Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho July 7 1978 p 3B WSU trounces Idaho 28 6 The Wichita Eagle September 24 1978 Retrieved February 26 2021 via Newspapers com Rosters Spokesman Review Spokane Washington September 16 1978 p 21 Payne Bob November 17 1978 Vandals to end frustrating season Spokesman Review Spokane Washington p 35 All Big Sky offense Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press November 21 1978 p 3B Big Sky Defensive teams named Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press November 24 1978 p 3B NFL Draft Two Palouse players go in early rounds Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho April 30 1980 p 1B Patera We got the best Spokesman Review Spokane Washington Associated Press April 30 1980 p C2 External links editGem of the Mountains 1979 University of Idaho yearbook 1978 football season Idaho Argonaut student newspaper 1978 editions Game program Idaho at Washington State September 16 1978 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1978 Idaho Vandals football team amp oldid 1183151091, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
