The 1931 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1931 college football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Leo Calland, and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus in Moscow at MacLean Field, with none in Boise this season.
| 1931 Idaho Vandals football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Pacific Coast Conference |
| Record | 3–4 (1–4 PCC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | MacLean Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 USC $ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon | 3 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington State | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon State | 1 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montana | 0 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Idaho compiled a 3–4 overall record and lost all but one of its five games in the PCC. The Vandals were led on the field by undersized sophomore quarterback Wee Willie Smith, then known as "Little Giant" Willis Smith of Boise.[1][2] Three years later in 1934, he was a backup in the NFL with the New York Giants in their championship season.[3]
In the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, the Vandals suffered a fourth straight loss, falling by one point at Rogers Field in Pullman on November 7.[4][5] Idaho's most recent win in the series was six years earlier in 1925 and the next was 23 years away in 1954.
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26 | Whitman* | W 32–7 | [6] | ||
| October 3 | at Oregon | L 0–9 | 10,000 | [7] | |
| October 10 | Montana |
| W 21–19 | [8] | |
| October 17 | at Washington | L 7–38 | 10,000 | [9] | |
| October 31 | Gonzaga* |
| W 7–6 | 5,000 | [1][10] |
| November 7 | at Washington State | L 8–9 | 10,000 | [11] | |
| November 14 | at California | L 0–18 | 15,000 | [12] | |
| |||||
All-conference
editNo Vandals were named to the All-Coast team; honorable mention were center Arthur Spaugy, guard Elmer Martin, and sophomore quarterback Willis Smith.[13][14]
References
edit- ^ a b "Idaho takes Bulldogs in hard-fought battle". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. November 2, 1931. p. 12.
- ^ "Prospects point to first close Cougar-Vandal battle for four long years". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. November 6, 1931. p. 25.
- ^ McLemore, Henry (December 7, 1934). "Hank interviews "Little Giant" Smith of Idaho". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. p. 12.
- ^ "Vandals nearly slough Cougars". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. November 8, 1931. p. 7.
- ^ "Vandals, Cougars give wild-eyed crowd thrill". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. November 9, 1931. p. 12.
- ^ "Whitman defeated by Idaho, 32 to 7". Statesman Journal. September 27, 1931. Retrieved June 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oregon barely defeats Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. October 4, 1931. p. 7.
- ^ "Vandals victors". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. October 11, 1931. p. 7.
- ^ "Washington wins from Idaho 38-7". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. October 18, 1931. p. 8.
- ^ "Idaho defeats Gonzaga 7 to 6". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. November 1, 1931. p. 9.
- ^ "Field goal in last two minutes of play gives Washington State 9–8 win over Idaho". The Los Angeles Times. November 8, 1931. Retrieved June 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Golden Bears defeat Idaho on home field". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. November 15, 1931. Retrieved June 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Five Trojans selected on first, three on second 1931 All-Pacific Coast eleven". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 3, 1931. p. 16.
- ^ Newland, Russell J. (December 4, 1931). "Schwegler only Northern player on All-Pacific Coast star team". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. p. 11.
External links
edit- Gem of the Mountains: 1932 University of Idaho yearbook – 1931 football season
- Go Mighty Vandals – 1931 football season
- Official game program: Idaho at Washington State – November 7, 1931
- Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1931 editions