1954 Idaho Vandals football team

American college football season

1954 Idaho Vandals football

Conference| Pacific Coast Conference
Record| 4–5 (1–2 PCC)
Head coach|

* Skip Stahley (1st season)

Offensive scheme| T formation[1][2]
Captain| Burdette Hess
Home stadium| Neale Stadium

Seasons

<- 1953

1955 ->

1954 Pacific Coast Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 2 UCLA $  | 6  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 0  | - | 0
No. 17 USC ^  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 4  | - | 0
Oregon | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 0
California | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Washington State | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Stanford | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Idaho | 1  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 5  | - | 0
Washington | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 8  | - | 0
Oregon State | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 8  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ – Selected as Rose Bowl representative
UCLA won rivalry game over USC,
but no-repeat rule was in effect

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1954 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1954 college football season. The Vandals were led by first-year head coach Skip Stahley and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Three home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with another in Boise at old Bronco Stadium at Boise Junior College.

Idaho compiled a 4–5 overall record and were 1–2 in the PCC. After five losses to open, they won their last four games. Six of the nine games were shutouts, with three wins and three losses. The four-game winning streak was the program's longest in decades.[3]

In the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, the 0–5 Vandals blanked the Cougars 10–0 in Pullman on October 23 for Stahley's first victory as head coach.[4] It was Idaho's first win in the series in 29 years;[5] the next came ten years later in 1964.[6]

The annual game with Montana was not played this year; outside of wartime years (without teams), it was the first break in the rivalry in forty years. Idaho was three games into an eight-game streak over the Grizzlies and retained the Little Brown Stein until 1960.

After the win in Pullman, Idaho defeated favored Utah in Salt Lake City,[7][8] then shut out North Dakota in Moscow and BYU in Boise.[9][10]

A former head coach at Toledo and an assistant at Washington and in the NFL with the Cardinals, Stahley was hired in February,[11][12][13] at an annual salary of $9,000.[14] He remained as Idaho's head coach for eight seasons, then continued as athletic director for three more years.[15]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Time| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|
|

September 18| 2:00 pm| Oregon|

* Neale Stadium
* Moscow, ID

| L 0–41| 7,000| [16]
September 25| 1:30 pm| at Oregon State|

* Parker Stadium
* Corvallis, OR

| L 0–13| 9,000| [17]
October 2| 2:00 pm| San Jose State*|

* Neale Stadium
* Moscow, ID

| L 7–38| 10,000| [18][19]
October 9| 8:00 pm| at Pacific (CA)*|

* Pacific Memorial Stadium
* Stockton, CA

| L 0–13| 9,500| [20]
October 16| 7:00 pm| at Arizona*|

* Arizona Stadium
* Tucson, AZ

| L 13–25| 17,000| [21][22]
October 23| 2:00 pm| at Washington State|

* Rogers Field
* Pullman, WA (Battle of the Palouse)

| W 10–0| 12,000| [4][5]
October 30| 1:00 pm| at Utah*|

* Ute Stadium
* Salt Lake City, UT

| W 14–13| 14,065| [8]
November 13| 1:30 pm| North Dakota*|

* Neale Stadium
* Moscow, ID

| W 45–0| 6,000| [9][23]
November 20| 1:00 pm| vs. Brigham Young*|

* old Bronco Stadium
* Boise, ID

| W 7–0| 10,000| [3][10]

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* All times are in Pacific time

## Roster

[edit]

[24][25][26]

## Coaching staff

[edit]

* Earl Klapstein, line
* Jay Pattee, backs
* Gene Stauber, ends
* Clem Parberry, freshmen

## All-conference

[edit]

No Vandals were on the All-PCC team or the second team. Honorable mention were fullback Wilbur Gary and guard Burdette Hess.[27][28]

## NFL Draft

[edit]

One senior from the 1954 Vandals was selected in the 1955 NFL draft:[29]

Player | Position | Round |  Pick | Franchise

|
|
|
|

Burdette Hess | G | 15th | 178 | San Francisco 49ers

One sophomore was selected in the 1957 NFL draft:[30]

Player | Position | Round |  Pick | Franchise

|
|
|
|

Dick Foster | T | 11th | 129 | Washington Redskins

Four members of the freshman team were selected in the 1958 NFL draft:[31][32]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Boni, Bill (September 18, 1954). "'New' Vandals face Oregon in opener". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 8.
2. ^ Emerine, Steve (September 17, 1954). "Stahley's "new look" shown Saturday". Idaho Argonaut. (Moscow). (University of Idaho). p. 6.
3. ^ a b "Stahley is satisfied with Vandals' season". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Idaho). November 22, 1954. p. 17.
4. ^ a b Boni, Bill (October 24, 1954). "Idaho thumps WSC, 10 to 0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
5. ^ a b ""Win made us ball club", says Skip Stahley". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 25, 1954. p. 17.
6. ^ Missildine, Harry (October 25, 1964). "'Thunder Ray' leads Idaho's charge". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 1-sports.
7. ^ Boni, Bill (October 30, 1954). "Utah 2-TD favorite but Vandals laugh". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 10.
8. ^ a b Boni, Bill (October 31, 1954). "Vandals win again; nip Utah". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
9. ^ a b Boni, Bill (November 14, 1954). "Vandals trounce Dakotans easily". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
10. ^ a b "Lawr's TD wins for Idaho over BYU". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 21, 1954. p. 1, sports.
11. ^ "Stahley chosen Idaho grid pilot". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). February 2, 1954. p. 10.
12. ^ "Skip Stahley named Idaho grid mentor". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). Associated Press. February 12, 1954. p. 6.
13. ^ "Stahley seeking three assistants; new Idaho coach to get free hand". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). February 12, 1954. p. 10.
14. ^ "O.K. Stahley's $9,000 salary". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). Associated Press. February 23, 1954. p. 8.
15. ^ "Stahley quits Idaho post for job at Portland State". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 21, 1964. p. 10.
16. ^ Strite, Dick (September 19, 1954). "Webfoots wallop Idaho 41-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.
17. ^ Cornacchia, Pete (September 26, 1954). "Beavers bound Vandals 13-0 in PCC opener". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
18. ^ Boni, Bill (October 3, 1954). "San Jose Spartans cuff Vandals, 38-7". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
19. ^ "San Jose State rips Idaho Vandals, 38-7". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 3, 1954. p. 2C.
20. ^ "Pacific shuts out Idaho 10-0". Lodi New-Sentinel. (California). October 11, 1954. p. 8.
21. ^ "Arizona stops Vandal attack; takes 35-13 win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 17, 1954. p. 1, sports.
22. ^ "Idaho loses to Wildcats". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. October 17, 1954. p. 2C.
23. ^ "Beware of Brigham Young team, Stahley warns winning Vandals". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 15, 1954. p. 16.
24. ^ "W.S.C. vs. U. of Idaho". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 22, 1954. p. 15.
25. ^ "Cougars vs. Vandals". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 23, 1954. p. 9.
26. ^ "18 return for Vandal grid drills". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). March 18, 1955. p. 18.
27. ^ "UCLA dominates AP All Coast teams". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 1, 1954. p. 33.
28. ^ "Shaw, Larson named to All-Coast; WSC's Washington on second team". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 2, 1954. p. 22.
29. ^ "1955 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on November 22, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
30. ^ "1957 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
31. ^ "1958 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
32. ^ "Freshman football: 1954 season". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1955. p. 203.

## External links

[edit]

* Gem of the Mountains: 1955 University of Idaho yearbook – 1954 football season
* Go Mighty Vandals – 1954 football season
* Official game program: Idaho at Washington State – October 23, 1954
* Official game program: Idaho at Utah – October 30, 1954
* Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1954 editions

* v
* t
* e

Idaho Vandals football

Venues|

* MacLean Field (1914–1936)
* Neale Stadium (1937–1968)
* Rogers Field (1969–1970)
* Joe Albi Stadium (1971)
* Kibbie Dome (1971–present)
* Martin Stadium (1999–2001)

Bowls and rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Boise State
* Gonzaga (defunct)
* Idaho State
* Montana: Little Brown Stein
* Washington State: Battle of the Palouse

Culture and lore|

* History
* Joe Vandal
* Go, Vandals, Go
* The Sound of Idaho

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Starting quarterbacks

Seasons|

* 1894
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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number