1955 Idaho Vandals football team
The 1955 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1955 college football season. The Vandals were led by second-year head coach Skip Stahley and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with one home game in Boise at old Bronco Stadium at Boise Junior College.
1955 Idaho Vandals football | |
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Conference | Pacific Coast Conference |
1955 record | 2–7 (0–4 PCC) |
Head coach | Skip Stahley (2nd season) |
Assistant coaches |
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Home stadium | Neale Stadium |
1955 Pacific Coast Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 UCLA $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oregon State | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 16 Stanford | 3 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oregon | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington | 4 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 13 USC | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
California | 1 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington State | 1 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 7 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Idaho | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Idaho compiled a 2–7 overall record and lost all four games in the PCC. After seven losses to open, including three straight shutouts, they won their last two games.
The Vandals lost the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, blanked 0–9 at home on October 15.[1][2] Idaho won the previous year in Pullman, the first win over the Cougars since 1925; the next came in 1964. In the rivalry game with Montana, Idaho ran its winning streak over the Grizzlies to four and retained the Little Brown Stein.[3][4]
Notable players
This Vandal team had two sophomores who went on to extended careers in professional football.
Jerry Kramer of Sandpoint played eleven seasons at right guard with the Green Bay Packers and won five NFL titles (and the first two Super Bowls) under head coach Vince Lombardi. He was an All-Pro five times and was the lead blocker on the famous Packers sweep. Kramer made the NFL's all-decade team for the 1960s and was the last member of the NFL's 50th anniversary team to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, at age 82 in 2018.
Wayne Walker of Boise played fifteen seasons with the Detroit Lions as an outside linebacker and was named All-Pro three times. Both were selected in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL Draft; Kramer was 39th overall and Walker 45th, and both were periodic placekickers as pros. (As Vandals, Kramer was the kicker and Walker was the long snapper.)
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
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September 17 | at Washington | L 7–14 | 25,561 | ||
September 24 | vs. Utah* | L 13–20 | |||
October 1 | 7:00 pm | at Arizona* | L 14–47 | 20,000 | |
October 8 | 1:30 pm | Pacific (CA)* | L 0–20 | 9,500 | |
October 15 | 2:00 pm | Washington State |
| L 0–9 | 15,000 |
October 29 | 1:30 pm | at Oregon | L 0–25 | 9,500 | |
November 5 | 1:30 pm | at Oregon State |
| L 14–33 | 9,000 |
November 11 | at Brigham Young* | W 49–6 | |||
November 19 | 1:30 pm | Montana* |
| W 31–0 | 1,500 |
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- One game was played on Friday (BYU at Provo, afternoon)
All-conference
No Vandals were on the All-PCC team or the second team. Honorable mention were fullback Wilbur Gary and sophomore center Wayne Walker.[15][16]
NFL Draft
No Vandals were selected in the 1956 NFL Draft.
One junior from the 1955 Vandals was selected in the 1957 NFL Draft:[17]
Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
Dick Foster | T | 11th | 129 | Washington Redskins |
Five sophomores were selected in the 1958 NFL Draft:[18][19]
Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
Jerry Kramer | G | 4th | 39 | Green Bay Packers |
Wayne Walker | C | 4th | 45 | Detroit Lions |
Larry Aldrich | E | 11th | 127 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Wade Patterson | E | 16th | 183 | Chicago Cardinals |
Alvin Johnson | T | 18th | 216 | Cleveland Browns |
References
- "Cougars beat Idaho 10-0 in bruising Palouse battle". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 16, 1955. p. 10.
- Boni, Bill (October 16, 1955). "Sarno sparks Cougars to 9-0 win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
- Peterson, Fred (November 20, 1955). "Gary gallops; UI wins, 31-0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
- "Vandals blank Montana; keep series trophy". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 21, 1955. p. 22.
- Boni, Bill (September 18, 1955). "Huskies stop courageous Vandals, 14 to 7". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
- "Vandals dumped by Redskins, 20-13". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 25, 1955. p. 1, sports.
- "Arizona unveils new passing star in beating Idaho 47-14". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 2, 1955. p. 8.
- "COP Tigers crush Idaho, 20-0". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 9, 1955. p. 11.
- Boni, Bill (October 9, 1955). "Rough, tough Tigers humble Idaho, 20-0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 2, sports.
- Strite, Dick (October 30, 1955). "Oregon wins 4th; Vandals blanked, 25-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
- "Ducks scamper on wet turf to hand Idaho 25-0 defeat". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 30, 1955. p. 8.
- "Idaho's Vandals swamped 33-14 by late Beaver scores". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 6, 1955. p. 1B.
- "UI wins first tilt, 49 to 6". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 12, 1955. p. 10.
- "Idaho wins first by wide edge; senior end suffers knee injury". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 12, 1955. p. 8.
- "PCC coaches pick football all-star team". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 6, 1955. p. 24.
- "Coaches name PCC all-stars; all like Arnett". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 7, 1955. p. 24.
- "1957 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- "1958 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- "Idaho roster". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 15, 1955. p. 8.
External links
- Gem of the Mountains: 1956 University of Idaho yearbook – 1955 football season
- Go Mighty Vandals – 1955 football season
- Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1955 editions