Contents

1998 Idaho Vandals football team

1998 Idaho Vandals football
Big West champion Humanitarian Bowl champion
Humanitarian Bowl, W 42–35 vs. Southern Miss
Conference	Big West Conference
Record	9–3 (4–1 Big West)
Head coach	Chris Tormey (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Phil Earley (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Jeff Mills (1st season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Kibbie Dome
Seasons ← 1997 1999 →

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.

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 BowlinBoise, in which they defeated the heavily favored Southern Mississippi Golden EaglesofConference 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[edit]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 5	6:05 pm	Eastern Washington (Div. I-AA)*	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID		W 31–14	10,495	[15][16][17][18]
September 12	6:00 pm	atSan Jose State*	Spartan Stadium San Jose, CA		W 17–12	12,432	[24][25][26][27]
September 19	2:00 pm	atWashington State*	Martin Stadium Pullman, WA (Battle of the Palouse)		L 16–24	36,770	[28][29][30][31][32]
September 26	5:00 pm	at No. 6LSU*	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA		L 20–53	80,466	[6][7][8]
October 3	3:05 pm	Idaho State (Div. I-AA)*	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID (rivalry)		W 52–3	15,103	[33][34][35]
October 10	11:00 am	atArkansas State*	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR		W 52–14	12,674	[36][37]
October 17	12:00 pm	atUtah State	Romney Stadium Logan, UT		W 26–14	14,206	[38][39][40]
October 24	3:05 pm	Nevada	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID		L 23–58	13,123	[41][42][43]
October 31	4:35 pm	atNorth Texas	Fouts Field Denton, TX		W 41–23	7,112	[19][20][21]
November 14	3:05 pm	New Mexico State	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID		W 36–32	14,435	[22][44][45][46]
November 21	12:00 pm	atBoise State	Bronco Stadium Boise, ID (rivalry)		W 36–35 OT	30,208	[12][23]
December 30	12:00 pm	vs. Southern Mississippi*	Bronco Stadium Boise, ID (Humanitarian Bowl)	ESPN2	W 42–35	19,664	[1][2][3][4][5]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game All times are in Pacific time

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Gem of the Mountains: 1999 University of Idaho yearbook – 1998 football season
• Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1998 editions