1979 Idaho Vandals football team

The 1979 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Vandals were led by second-year head coach Jerry Davitch and were members of the Big Sky Conference. They played their home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.

1979 Idaho Vandals football
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record4–7 (2–5 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBill Tripp (2nd season)
Offensive schemeVeer
Defensive coordinatorTim Hundley (1st season)
Base defense5–2
Home stadiumKibbie Dome
1979 Big Sky Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Boise State * 7 –0 –010 –1 –0
No. 9 Montana State $ 6 –1 –06 –4 –0
No. 5 Nevada ^ 5 –2 –08 –4 –0
No. T–10 Northern Arizona 3 –4 –07 –4 –0
Weber State 3 –4 –03 –8 –0
Idaho 2 –5 –04 –7 –0
Montana 2 –5 –03 –7 –0
Idaho State 0 –7 –00 –11 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
  • * – Boise State was ineligible for conference title
         or I-AA playoffs.
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA AP Poll

With quarterbacks Jay Goodenbour and Rob Petrillo running the veer offense,[1] the Vandals were 4–7 overall and 2–5 in the Big Sky. They won four of five in mid-season, but dropped their final four games.[2] Idaho lost to rival Boise State for the third straight year; the Broncos went undefeated in conference play but were on probation for a scouting violation and not eligible for the title or the I-AA playoffs.[3]

Notable players

Junior running back Glen White was the Vandals' leading rusher in 1979,[4] the best season by a UI running back in the 1970s. He missed the opener at Fresno,[5] but gained 889 yards and averaged 5.0 yards per carry in the final ten games;[2] in the game at Idaho State, he rushed for 163 yards on 19 carries.[5][6] A military brat, White graduated from Kaiserslautern American High School in West Germany in 1977. All-Europe for two seasons,[7][8] he had not been recruited by college football programs; a high school coach was a former Vandal and alerted UI head coach Ed Troxel.[4]

While in off-season training in February 1980, White felt weakness and underwent medical testing in Moscow and Seattle.[9] Diagnosed with aplastic anemia, he battled it for several months until his death from complications on August 9 at an Oklahoma City hospital, near his parents' home at Fort Sill.[10][11][12] White, age 22, was posthumously designated an honorary team captain for all eleven games in 1980,[13] and his Vandal teammates wore his number 32 on the left side of their helmets in tribute.[14][15]

Future NFL linebacker Sam Merriman of Tucson, Arizona,[16][17] was a standout on defense in 1979 as a true freshman.[2]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 87:30 p.m.at Fresno State (Div. I-A)*
L 10–3011,418[18][19]
September 157:00 p.m.at Northern Arizona
L 18–2913,056[20]
September 227:30 p.m.Pacific (CA) (Div. I-A)*
W 17–1310,500[21]
September 297:30 p.m.Puget Sound (D-II)*
  • Kibbie Dome
  • Moscow, ID
W 34–10[22][23]
October 67:00 p.m.at Idaho State
W 28–23  8,175[6]
October 137:30 p.m.Boise State
L 17–4115,500[24]
October 201:30 p.m.Montanadagger
W 20–1714,200[25]
October 2712:30 p.m.at No. 9 Montana State
L 20–28  7,127[26]
November 31:30 p.m.Nevada
  • Kibbie Dome
  • Moscow, ID
L 26–38  5,500[27][28]
November 1012:30 p.m.at Weber State
L 7–12  2,323[29][30]
November 171:30 p.m.No. 8 (D-II) South Dakota State*
  • Kibbie Dome
  • Moscow, ID
L 13–27  6,000[31][32]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Pacific time

Roster
1979 Idaho Vandals football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB 10 Jay Goodenbour Jr
QB Rob Petrillo So
RB 3 Russell Davis So
RB, WR 12 Rocky Tuttle (C) Sr
RB 30 Tim Lappano Sr
RB 32 Glen White Jr
RB 33 Terry Idler Injured  So
RB 40 Randy Davenport Jr
TE Al Swenson Fr
TE 85 Dan Meyer Sr
WR, TE 88 Mike Hagadone Sr
WR 7 Jack Klein So
WR John Palumbo Jr
LT 74 Bruce Fery So
LT Royal Hart Jr
LG Dave Monico Jr
C 69 Larry Coombs Sr
RG John Girnt Jr
RT 70 Kyle Riddell Sr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DE 43 Larry Barker Jr
DT 78 Steve Parker Sr
NG Steve Nelson So
NG 75 Monty Elder Jr
DT 71 Mark McNeal (C) Sr
DE Jay Hayes So
LB 50 Mike Hasfurther Sr
LB Marty Marshall Sr
LB 51 Chris Eads Sr
LB 52 Sam Merriman Fr
LB 83 Phil Vance Sr
LB 90 Lloyd Williamson Fr
CB 34 Mike Keough Jr
FS 22 Ray McCanna Jr
SS 25 Kelly Miller So
SS Marc Watts
SS Rick Brown Jr
CB Carlton McBride Jr
CB 20 Ron Jessie Sr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P 2 Dion Jergo So
P Chris Brockman Jr
PK Mike Browne Sr
PK 6 Pete O'Brien So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Bill Tripp (OC)
  • Tim Hundley (DC)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt
Source:[18][27][29][31][33][34][35][36]

All-conference

Tackle Kyle Riddell, center Larry Coombs, defensive tackle Mark McNeal, and placekicker Pete O'Brien were named to the all-conference team.[37][38] Second team selections were safety Ray McCanna and linebacker Sam Merriman, a true freshman.[38]

NFL Draft

One Vandal senior was selected in the 1980 NFL Draft,[39][40] which lasted twelve rounds (333 selections).

PlayerPositionRoundOverallFranchise
Mark McNealDE6th153Seattle Seahawks

References
  1. Killen, John (September 4, 1979). "Pulls no punches". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  2. "Peaks and valleys". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 22, 1979. p. 1B.
  3. Killen, John (October 13, 1979). "Idaho: possibility looms for a winning season". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  4. Killen, John (November 14, 1979). "Prodigal son: Glen White came back to Idaho and everybody's happy he did". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  5. Stewart, Chuck (October 12, 1979). "White leads Vandals against Boise State". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 25.
  6. Emerson, Paul (October 6, 1979). "Vandals stop ISU for 3rd straight win". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1D.
  7. "All-Europe". High School Football Europe. 1975. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  8. "All-Europe". High School Football Europe. 1976. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  9. "Idaho back stricken". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). February 21, 1980. p. 23.
  10. "UI running back dies". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). August 10, 1980. p. 2B.
  11. "UI grid star dies of anemia". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 11, 1980. p. 17.
  12. "White's memory lives on". Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). (University of Idaho). August 26, 1980. p. 23.
  13. "Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). September 18, 1980. p. 4C.
  14. "White memory spurs Vandals to big victory". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 18, 1980. p. 30.
  15. "'96 Vandals will sport new look". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). April 28, 1996. p. 6B.
  16. "Sam Merriman". NFL.com. (historical players). Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  17. "Sam Merriman". Database Football. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  18. Killen, John (September 8, 1979). "Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1C.
  19. Killen, John (September 9, 1979). "Vandals: Fresno St. delivers 30-10 loss". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1D.
  20. Killen, John (September 16, 1979). "Lumberjacks fell Vandals in wild one, 29-18". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1D.
  21. Killen, John (September 23, 1979). "Idaho nips Pacific". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1D.
  22. Killen, John (September 30, 1979). "Vandals drown Puget Sound". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1D.
  23. Stewart, Chuck (October 1, 1979). "Vandals erupt late to 'win for Lappano'". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 17.
  24. Killen, John (October 14, 1979). "End of a Vandal winning streak". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1D.
  25. Emerson, Paul (October 21, 1979). "Winners by a foot". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 5D.
  26. Emerson, Paul (October 28, 1979). "Bad day at Bozeman". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 2D.
  27. Killen, John (November 3, 1979). "Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  28. Emerson, Paul (November 4, 1979). "High rollers". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 8D.
  29. "Vandals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 10, 1979. p. 3C.
  30. "Cornered cats can kill". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 11, 1979. p. 4D.
  31. Killen, John (November 17, 1979). "In the Dome". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  32. Barrows, Bob (November 18, 1979). "Hard-hitting Jackrabbits". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 4D.
  33. Killen, John (September 4, 1979). "Pulls no punches". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  34. Stewart, Chuck (September 5, 1979). "Vandal boss stresses 'love'". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 15.
  35. "Probable starters". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). September 8, 1979. p. 4C.
  36. "Probable starters". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). September 22, 1979. p. 3C.
  37. "3 Vandals honored". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 5, 1979. p. 30.
  38. "2 Vandals on stars". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). December 7, 1979. p. 28.
  39. "NFL Draft: Two Palouse players go in early rounds". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). April 30, 1980. p. 1B.
  40. "Patera: We got the best". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 30, 1980. p. C2.
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