2023 Idaho Vandals football team
2023 Idaho Vandals football | |
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Conference | Big Sky |
Ranking | |
STATS | No. 8 |
FCS Coaches | No. T–4 |
Record | 9–4 (6–2 Big Sky) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Luke Schleusner (2nd season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread option |
Defensive coordinator | Rob Aurich (2nd season) |
Base defense | 3–4 |
Home stadium | Kibbie Dome |
Seasons |
| Conf | Overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 Montana $^ | 7 | – | 1 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 8 Idaho ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 9 Montana State ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Arizona | 5 | – | 3 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 24 UC Davis | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 13 Sacramento State ^ | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portland State | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weber State | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Washington | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Idaho State | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cal Poly | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Colorado | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2023 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Jason Eck, the Vandals were 8–3 (6–2 in Big Sky, 2nd) in the regular season, and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.
Seeded fourth in the 24-team FCS playoffs, Idaho received a bye in the first round and hosted two games, but fell in the quarterfinals to Albany to finish at 9–4 (.692).
Preseason
Polls
On July 23, 2023, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Vandals were predicted to finish fifth in the Big Sky by the coaches and second by the media.[1]
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Montana State | 120 (10) |
2 | UC Davis | 96 (1) |
3 | Sacramento State | 94 (1) |
4 | Weber State | 91 |
5 | Idaho | 89 |
6 | Montana | 84 |
7 | Eastern Washington | 52 |
8 | Portland State | 45 |
9 | Northern Arizona | 44 |
10 | Northern Colorado | 37 |
11 | Cal Poly | 25 |
12 | Idaho State | 15 |
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
---|---|---|
1 | Montana State | 447 (26) |
2 | Idaho | 410 (8) |
3 | Montana | 359 (2) |
4 | Sacramento State | 334 (3) |
5 | UC Davis | 330 |
6 | Weber State | 320 |
7 | Eastern Washington | 216 |
8 | Northern Arizona | 178 |
9 | Portland State | 167 |
10 | Northern Colorado | 109 |
11 | Cal Poly | 103 |
12 | Idaho State | 69 |
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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August 31 | 5:00 pm | at Lamar* | No. 8 | ESPN+ | W 42–17 | 5,321 | |
September 9 | 4:00 p.m. | at Nevada* | No. 7 | KNSN-TV | W 33–6 | 19,852 | |
September 16 | 1:00 p.m. | at California* | No. 5 | P12N | L 17–31 | 36,810 | |
September 23 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 4 Sacramento State | No. 7 | ESPN+ | W 36–27 | 9,433 | |
September 30 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Eastern Washington | No. 4 | ESPN+ | W 44–36 | 8,347 | |
October 7 | 5:00 p.m. | at Cal Poly | No. 3 | ESPN+ | W 42–14 | 6,028 | |
October 14 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 16 Montana![]() | No. 3 |
| ESPN2 | L 21–23 | 14,218 |
October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 2 Montana State | No. 9 |
| ESPN+ | W 24–21 | 13,073 |
November 4 | 12:00 p.m. | at Northern Colorado | No. 3 | ESPN+ | W 27–13 | 3,608 | |
November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | at Weber State | No. 4 | ESPN+ | L 29–31 | 8,741 | |
November 18 | 4:00 p.m. | Idaho State | No. 6 |
| ESPN+ | W 63–21 | 9,854 |
December 2 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 14 Southern Illinois* | No. 4 |
| ESPN2 | W 20–17 OT | 9,224 |
December 9 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 9 Albany* | No. 4 |
| ESPN+ | L 22–30 | 9,372 |
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[2]
Game summaries
at Lamar
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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No. 8 Vandals | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
at Provost Umphrey Stadium • Beaumont, TX
- Date: August 31, 2023
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 97 °F (36 °C) • Wind: E 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
- Game attendance: 5,321
- Referee: Craig Hesler
- TV: ESPN+
Game information | ||
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at Nevada
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 7 Vandals | 14 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 33 |
Wolf Pack | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Mackay Stadium • Reno, NV
- Date: September 9, 2023
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 19,852
- TV: KNSN-TV
at California
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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No. 5 Vandals | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Golden Bears | 0 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
at California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA
- Date: September 16, 2023
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 36,810
- TV: Pac-12 Network
Game information | ||
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vs No. 4 Sacramento State
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 4 Hornets | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
No. 7 Vandals | 3 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 36 |
at Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID
- Date: September 23, 2023
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Sunny, Indoors
- Game attendance: 9,433
- Referee: Jake Iverson
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Play-by-Play: Dennis Patchin • Analysis: Ryan Phillips
Game information | ||
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at No. 19 Eastern Washington
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 4 Vandals | 7 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 44 |
No. 19 Eagles | 7 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 36 |
at Roos Field • Cheney, WA
- Date: September 30, 2023
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 8,347
- TV: ESPN+
at Cal Poly
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 3 Vandals | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
Mustangs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Mustang Memorial Field • San Luis Obispo, CA
- Date: October 7, 2023
- Game time: 5:00 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 6,028
- TV: ESPN+
vs No. 16 Montana
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 16 Grizzlies | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
No. 3 Vandals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID
- Date: October 14, 2023
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 14,218
- TV: ESPN2
vs No. 2 Montana State
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 2 Bobcats | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
No. 9 Vandals | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID
- Date: October 28, 2023
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 13,073
- TV: ESPN+
at Northern Colorado
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 3 Vandals | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
at Nottingham Field • Greeley, CO
- Date: November 4, 2023
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. MDT
- Game attendance: 3,608
- TV: ESPN+
at Weber State
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 4 Vandals | 3 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 29 |
Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
at Stewart Stadium • Ogden, UT
- Date: November 11, 2023
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 8,741
- TV: ESPN+
vs Idaho State
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengals | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
No. 6 Vandals | 28 | 28 | 0 | 7 | 63 |
at Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID
- Date: November 18, 2023
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 9,854
- TV: ESPN+
Rankings
Week | ||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
STATS FCS | 8 | 7 | 5 (1) | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 | |
Coaches | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 4 |