1915 Idaho football team

The 1915 Idaho football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1915 college football season. Idaho was led by first-year head coach Charles Rademacher and played as an independent; they joined the Pacific Coast Conference seven years later in 1922.[1][2] Idaho had two home games in Moscow on campus at MacLean Field, with none in Boise.

1915 Idaho football
Conference	Independent
1915 record	1–4–1
Head coach	Charles M. Rademacher (1st season)
Home stadium	MacLean Field

1915 Western college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
California			–					8	–	5	–	0
Washington			–					7	–	0	–	0
Washington State			–					7	–	0	–	0
Oregon			–					7	–	2	–	0
Hawaii			–					5	–	1	–	1
New Mexico A&M			–					5	–	2	–	0
Arizona			–					5	–	3	–	0
Oregon Agricultural			–					5	–	3	–	0
Montana Agricultural			–					4	–	2	–	1
New Mexico			–					3	–	1	–	0
Tempe Normal			–					3	–	2	–	0
University Farm			–					3	–	2	–	0
USC			–					3	–	4	–	0
Montana			–					2	–	2	–	2
Willamette			–					2	–	2	–	1
Idaho			–					1	–	4	–	1
Nevada			–					0	–	6	–	0

In the season opener, Idaho fell to Montana for the first time in the series' third meeting, losing 15–3 in Missoula.[3][4][5] Idaho dropped a second consecutive shutout to Washington State in the Battle of the Palouse, falling 0–41 at home.[6][7][8] Eight years later, the Vandals won the first of three consecutive, their only three-peat in the rivalry series.

Idaho opened the season with four losses, then won and tied a game for a 1–4–1 record. They scored just nine points all season, and the only touchdown was an interception return, which defeated Gonzaga.[9] Their only points on offense came on a drop-kick field goal in the first quarter of the opener at Montana.[3]

A fatality occurred at practice on October 6; a part-time player, Chauncey Lyman of Idaho Falls, was knocked unconscious after his head impacted a ball carrier's thigh. Lyman died about an hour later, and the cause of death was a [[Basilar skull fracture|basilar skull fracture]].[10][11][12][13]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
October 2	at Montana	Dornblaser Field Missoula, MT [3][4][5] (Little Brown Stein)	L 3–15
October 16	at Oregon	Kincaid Field Eugene, OR [14][15]	L 0–26
October 30	Washington State	MacLean Field Moscow, ID [6][7][8] (Battle of the Palouse)	L 0–41
November 6	at Oregon Agricultural	Bell Field Corvallis, OR [16][17]	L 0–40
November 13	at Gonzaga	Natatorium Park Spokane, WA [9][18] (Rivalry)	W 6–3
November 25	Whitman	MacLean Field Moscow, ID [19][20]	T 0–0

• The Little Brown Stein trophy for the Montana game debuted 23 years later in 1938
• One game was played on Thursday (against Whitman at Moscow on Thanksgiving)

References

1. "Conference to handle east-west games in future; Idaho admitted". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). December 11, 1921. p. 1, sports.
2. "Kelley quits as coach of Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). June 9, 1922. p. 14.
3. "Montana wins from Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 3, 1915. p. 1, part 3.
4. "Montana-Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 3, 1915. p. 5.
5. "Montana defeats Idaho; score 15-3". University Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). October 5, 1915. p. 1.
6. "WSC-Idaho football statistics annual contest on Saturday". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 29, 1915. p. 19.
7. "W.S.C.-Idaho game at Moscow today will attract many from Spokane". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 30, 1915. p. 14.
8. "WSC gets sweet revenge on Idaho, scoring its greatest victory, 41 to 0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 31, 1915. p. 1, part 3.
9. "Intercepted forward pass gives Idaho victory over Gonzaga". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 14, 1915. p. 1, part 3.
10. ""U" man killed playing football". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 7, 1915. p. 1.
11. "U. of Idaho student killed". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 7, 1915. p. 5.
12. "Death of player before faculty". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 7, 1915. p. 13.
13. "Death claims football player". University Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). October 12, 1915. p. 1.
14. "Two conference games in Northwest Saturday". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 15, 1915. p. 20.
15. Varnell, George M. (October 18, 1915). "Idaho men fail to show team class". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (game referee). p. 14.
16. "Two state titles may come to N.W." Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 6, 1915. p. 14.
17. "Idaho utterly crushed by O.A.C." Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 7, 1915. p. 1, part 3.
18. "Gonzaga eager for Idaho scalp". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 13, 1915. p. 13.
19. "Whitman-Idaho game, 0 to 0 tie". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 26, 1915. p. 9.
20. "Cellar teams in no-score contest". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 26, 1915. p. 19.

External links

• Gem of the Mountains: 1917 University of Idaho yearbook (spring 1916) – 1915 football season
• Go Mighty Vandals – 1915 football season
• Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1915 editions