1937 Idaho Vandals football team

The 1937 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1937 college football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Ted Bank,[1] and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus in Moscow at the new Neale Stadium, with one in Boise at Public School Field.[2][3]

1937 Idaho Vandals football
Conference	Pacific Coast Conference
1937 record	4–3–1 (2–2 PCC)
Head coach	Ted Bank (3rd season)
Assistant coaches	Bob Tessier Glenn Jacoby Forrest Twogood Al Paddock (freshmen)
Home stadium	Neale Stadium

1937 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2 California $	6	–	0	–	1			10	–	0	–	1
Stanford	4	–	2	–	1			4	–	3	–	2
Washington	4	–	2	–	2			7	–	2	–	2
Washington State	3	–	3	–	2			3	–	3	–	3
Idaho	2	–	2	–	0			4	–	3	–	1
Oregon State	2	–	3	–	3			3	–	3	–	3
USC	2	–	3	–	2			4	–	4	–	2
Oregon	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
UCLA	1	–	5	–	1			2	–	6	–	1
Montana	0	–	1	–	0			7	–	1	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Season

Led on the field by passing halfback Hal Roise, Idaho compiled a 4–3–1 overall record and were 2–2 in the PCC. The recently completed Neale Stadium hosted an upset homecoming win over favored Oregon State,[4][5][6][7] the first of four straight wins to open the venue.

In the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, the Vandals suffered a tenth straight loss, falling 13–0 in the rain in Pullman on October 2.[8][9][10] Idaho's most recent win in the series was a dozen years earlier in 1925 and the next was seventeen years away, in 1954.

The Vandals finished the season with a pair of 6–0 shutout victories over Gonzaga in Spokane,[11][12][13] and Montana in Moscow.[14] It was the only loss of the year for the Grizzlies and their only conference game scheduled.[15] The team recorded four shutouts and yielded only 53 points in eight games, but tallied only 35 and went scoreless three times.

The winning season was the first for Idaho football in a decade and it was followed up with a better record in 1938. Future coaches among the Vandal players included Tony Knap, Lyle Smith, and Steve Belko.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 25	Oregon State	Neale Stadium Moscow, ID [4][5][6][7]	W 7–6	7,000
October 2	at Washington State	Rogers Field Pullman, WA [8][9][10] (Battle of the Palouse)	L 0–13	8,000
October 9	at Utah*	Ute Stadium Salt Lake City, UT [16][17]	W 9–7
October 16	Utah State*	Public School Field Boise, ID [2][3]	T 0–0
October 22	at Saint Mary's (CA)*	Kezar Stadium San Francisco, CA [18][19]	L 0–6	12,000
October 30	at Washington	Husky Stadium Seattle, WA [20]	L 7–21	14,105
November 13	at Gonzaga*	Gonzaga Stadium Spokane, WA [11][12][13]	W 6–0
November 20	Montana	Neale Stadium Moscow, ID [14][15] (Little Brown Stein)	W 6–0	6,000
*Non-conference game Homecoming

• The Little Brown Stein trophy for the Montana game debuted the next year in 1938
• One game was played on Friday (St. Mary's at San Francisco)[18][19]

All-conference

No Vandals were named to the All-Coast team; honorable mention were end Tony Knap, tackle George Thiessen, and guard Walter Musial.[21]

References

1. "Pair of giants dwarf Idaho Vandals' coach". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (photo). October 24, 1937. p. 4, sports.
2. "Wet field greets Idaho, Aggies at Boise". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Associated Press. October 16, 1937. p. 1, sports.
3. "Vandals tie Utah Staters". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 17, 1937. p. 11.
4. "Idaho - OSC even in first". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). September 25, 1937. p. 1.
5. "Idaho beats OSC". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 26, 1937. p. 16.
6. "New stadium at Idaho dedicated with victory". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (photo). September 27, 1937. p. 10.
7. "Idaho victory and tie game mark opening of grid year". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). September 27, 1937. p. 14.
8. "Vandals bow to Cougars 13 to 0". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 3, 1937. p. 11.
9. "Washington State upsets Idaho 13-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 3, 1937. p. 16.
10. "Chronicle cameraman snaps choice actions shots at annual W.S.C.-Idaho classic at Pullman". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 4, 1937. p. 14.
11. "University of Idaho dumps Gonzaga 6-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 14, 1937. p. 6.
12. "Vandals lead Irish". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 13, 1937. p. 1.
13. "Weary Gonzaga grid team faces three tough games". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 15, 1937. p. 14.
14. "Unbeaten Montana loses to Vandals". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 21, 1937. p. 6.
15. Jones, Paul E. (November 21, 1937). "Idaho triumphs over Montana 6-0 in brilliant 1937 gridiron finale". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 12.
16. "Vandals defeat Utah 9-7". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 10, 1937. p. 10.
17. "Vandals nose out Utahans, 9 to 7". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 10, 1937. p. 7.
18. "Gaels defeat Vandals 6 to 0". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 23, 1937. p. 11.
19. "St. Mary's defeats Idaho, but Vandals display unlooked-for power". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 23, 1937. p. 18.
20. Gorrie, Frank (October 31, 1937). "Cruver shines as Huskies win 21-7". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 6.
21. "A.P. 1937 All-Pacific Coast team". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 2, 1937. p. 14.

External links

• Gem of the Mountains: 1938 University of Idaho yearbook – 1937 football season
• Go Mighty Vandals – 1937 football season
• Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1937 editions