1987 Idaho Vandals football team
Encyclopedia
The 1987 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho
in the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals
, led by second-year head coach Keith Gilbertson
, were members of the Big Sky Conference
and played their home games at the Kibbie Dome
, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow
, Idaho
.
The Vandals won their second conference title in three seasons, and made the I-AA playoffs for the third consecutive season. Led by redshirt
sophomore quarterback John Friesz
, Idaho finished the regular season at 9-2 and 7-1 in the Big Sky.
two days after Thanksgiving, ending the Vandals' season at 9-3.
players with lengthy pro careers: guard
Mark Schlereth
(redshirt junior)
and redshirt sophomore John Friesz
, a future collegiate hall of fame
quarterback as a three-year starter (1987-89).
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
in the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals
Idaho Vandals football
The Idaho Vandals are a college football team that represents the University of Idaho. The Vandals currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I...
, led by second-year head coach Keith Gilbertson
Keith Gilbertson
Keith Gilbertson, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. He is currently a scout with the Cleveland Browns of the NFL...
, were members of the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
and played their home games at the Kibbie Dome
Kibbie Dome
The William H. Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center is a multi-purpose indoor athletic stadium in Moscow, Idaho, on the campus of the University of Idaho...
, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
.
The Vandals won their second conference title in three seasons, and made the I-AA playoffs for the third consecutive season. Led by redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
sophomore quarterback John Friesz
John Friesz
John Melvin "Deep" Friesz is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots....
, Idaho finished the regular season at 9-2 and 7-1 in the Big Sky.
Notable games
Following a non-conference loss at home to Central Michigan and a road loss to intrastate rival , Idaho won its final six games of the regular season. The Vandals defeated for only the second time in the ten meetings since the Wolf Pack joined the Big Sky in 1979. The Vandals defeated rival for the sixth consecutive year, the sixth of twelve straight over the Broncos.Division I-AA playoffs
For the third consecutive season, Idaho returned to the 16-team I-AA playoffs. The Vandals hosted conference foe , whom they had defeated in Utah four weeks earlier by three points. The Wildcats won the rematch 59-30, before a sparse crowd at the Kibbie DomeKibbie Dome
The William H. Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center is a multi-purpose indoor athletic stadium in Moscow, Idaho, on the campus of the University of Idaho...
two days after Thanksgiving, ending the Vandals' season at 9-3.
Notable players
The 1987 team included two future NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
players with lengthy pro careers: guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
Mark Schlereth
Mark Schlereth
Mark Frederick Schlereth is a former professional football player and current television sportscaster. Schlereth played guard in the NFL for 12 seasons with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN on NFL Live, Sportscenter, and other programs...
(redshirt junior)
and redshirt sophomore John Friesz
John Friesz
John Melvin "Deep" Friesz is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots....
, a future collegiate hall of fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
quarterback as a three-year starter (1987-89).
1987 season schedule
External links
- University of Idaho - official site
- Go Vandals.com - official athletics site