1998 Idaho Vandals football team

The 1998 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Vandals, led by fourth-year head coach Chris Tormey, were members of the Big West Conference and played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.

1998 Idaho Vandals football
Big West champion
Humanitarian Bowl champion
ConferenceBig West Conference
1998 record9–3 (4–1 Big West)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorPhil Earley (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJeff Mills (1st season)
Home stadiumKibbie Dome
1998 Big West Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Idaho $  4 –1     9 –3  
Nevada  3 –2     6 –5  
North Texas  3 –2     3 –8  
Boise State  2 –3     6 –5  
Utah State  2 –3     3 –8  
New Mexico State  1 –4     3 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion

In their third season back in Division I-A, the Vandals won their only Big West title in football and were invited to the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, in which they defeated the heavily favored Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles of Conference USA.[1][2][3][4][5] The Vandals were led by redshirt freshman quarterback John Welsh, in his fifth start; his first was at sixth-ranked LSU in late September.[6][7][8][9] The season surpassed all expectations of the team, one publication ranked Idaho last among all Division I-A teams before the start of the season.[10][11][12] Idaho began the season with very little experience at quarterback and two new coordinators, both promoted from within.[13][14] Sophomore Ed Dean was the opening day quarterback,[15][16][17][18] then junior college transfer Greg Robertson started six of the next eight games.[19] He re-injured his shoulder on Halloween,[20][21] and Welsh took over for the remainder of the season.[22]

In the rivalry game to end the regular season against Boise State, also at Bronco Stadium,[12] Idaho made a two-point conversion in overtime to win the conference title.[23] This was the fifteenth win over the Broncos in the last seventeen games dating back to 1982, but stands as the most recent; the Vandals then dropped a dozen straight to BSU through 2010, the last meeting in the series.

The Big West Conference discontinued football following the 2000 season; this remains Idaho's most recent conference title in football.

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 56:05 pmEastern Washington*
W 31–1410,495
September 126:00 pmat San Jose State*
W 17–1212,432
September 192:00 pmat Washington State*
L 16–2436,770
September 265:00 pmat No. 6 LSU*
L 20–5380,466
October 33:05 pmIdaho State*
W 52–315,103
October 1011:00 amat Arkansas State*
W 52–1412,674
October 1712:00 pmat Utah State
W 26–1414,206
October 243:05 pmNevada
L 23–5813,123
October 314:35 pmat North Texas
W 41–237,112
November 143:05 pmNew Mexico State
W 36–3214,435
November 2112:00 pmat Boise State
W 36–35 OT30,208
December 3012:00 pmvs. Southern Mississippi*
ESPN2W 42–3519,664

References
  1. Meehan, Jim (December 31, 1998). "Destiny smiles on Idaho: UI stuns Southern Miss". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C1.
  2. Johnson, David (December 31, 1998). "Vandals seize the moment". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1A.
  3. Sahlberg, Bert (December 31, 1998). "True Humanitarians". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  4. Pond, Alex (December 31, 1998). "Vandals victorious". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  5. "Idaho stuns S. Mississippi in Boise bowl". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. December 31, 1998. p. 2D.
  6. Sahlberg, Bert (September 26, 1998). "Vandals set up for sacrifice". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  7. "Vandals engulfed by LSU whirlwind". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. staff and wire reports. September 27, 1998. p. 1B.
  8. Pond, Alex (September 28, 1998). "Plenty of positives for UI". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  9. idaho.scout.com Archived 2012-05-27 at the Wayback Machine – '98 Bowl Champions Reunite For Spring Game – 2008-04-15 – accessed 2011-10-20
  10. "Sports Illustrated" – Vandalized 1999-01-09 – accessed 2011-10-20
  11. "Spokesman-Review" – Then & Now: John Welsh ready to fight fire 2008-04-22 – accessed 2011-10-20
  12. Sahlberg, Bert (November 21, 1998). "UI on verge of something big". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  13. "Mills to head up UI defense as Tormey realigns staff". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. December 31, 1997. p. C9.
  14. "Vandals shuttle football coaching staff for '98". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. March 13, 1998. p. C3.
  15. Grummert, Dale (September 5, 1998). "Vandals stuck on rewind". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  16. Pond, Alex (September 5, 1998). "Vandals out for revenge". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1D.
  17. Sahlberg, Bert (September 6, 1998). "Vandals defend their turf". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  18. Pond, Alex (September 8, 1998). "Tormey: 'It was a good start'". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1D.
  19. Meehan, Jim (October 31, 1998). "Idaho, North Texas looking to rebound". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C1.
  20. Sahlberg, Bert (November 1, 1998). "Looking good". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  21. Pond, Alex (November 2, 1998). "Idaho takes command". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  22. Sahlberg, Bert (November 14, 1998). "Vandals can't spare any emotion". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  23. Sahlberg, Bert (November 22, 1998). "Humanitarian approach". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  24. Sahlberg, Bert (September 12, 1998). "Which way will UI go?". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  25. Pond, Alex (September 12, 1998). "UI faces tough task in game at San Jose State". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1D.
  26. Sahlberg, Bert (September 13, 1998). "Strangely satisfying". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  27. Pond, Alex (September 14, 1998). "Vandals handle Spartans". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  28. Pond, Alex (September 18, 1998). "Rejoining a rivalry". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  29. Grummert, Dale (September 19, 1998). "Can Idaho hang with Cougars?". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  30. Strickland, Carter (September 20, 1998). "Taylor lifts struggling Cougars". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C1.
  31. Grummert (September 20, 1998). "Still Cougs' domain". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  32. Metcalfe, Ryan (September 21, 1998). "Cougars 24, Vandals 16". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  33. Meehan, Jim (October 3, 1998). "Vandals, ISU full of incentives". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C2.
  34. Sahlberg, Bert (October 4, 1998). "Thomas initiates runaway". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  35. Pond, Alex (October 5, 1998). "Baiting the Bengals". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  36. Sahlberg, Bert (October 10, 1998). "Vandals out to steal some momentum". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  37. Pond, Alex (October 12, 1998). "Vandals crush Indians". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  38. Meehan, Jim (October 17, 1998). "Vandals wary of Utah State". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C1.
  39. Sahlberg, Bert (October 18, 1998). "Tide turns Vandals' way". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  40. Pond, Alex (October 19, 1998). "Vandals something special". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  41. Meehan, Jim (October 24, 1998). "Vandals take on mystique-less Wolf Pack". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C1.
  42. Sahlberg, Bert (October 25, 1998). "Vandals flattened". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  43. Pond, Alex (October 26, 1998). "Pack mentality". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
  44. Meehan, Jim (November 14, 1998). "Idaho faces likely day of big gains". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C1.
  45. Sahlberg, Bert (November 15, 1998). "Classic farewell scene". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  46. Pond, Alex (November 16, 1998). "Zap! Pow!". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. p. 1C.
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