1947 Idaho Vandals football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1947 Idaho Vandals football Pacific Coast Conference PCC 4–4 1–4 Dixie Howell 1st Neale Stadium The 1947 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1947 college football season. The Vandals were led by first-year head coach Dixie Howell,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BPo-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=YE0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6405%2C2490185 Tuscaloosa News Alabama Associated Press Howell signed by Idaho U. February 27, 1947 9 and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus in Moscow at Neale Stadium, with one game in Boise at Public School Field. The Vandals were 4–4 overall and 1–4 in conference play. Howell, age 34, had been the head coach at Arizona State before the war and was a finalist for the Idaho job six years earlier in 1941,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lbFaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_E8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3355%2C3231765 Prescott Evening Courier Arizona Associated Press Dixie Howell views Idaho March 14, 1941 5 which went to Francis Schmidt. He played with Don Hutson and Bear Bryant at Alabama, and was the passer and a consensus All-American on the undefeated 1934 team that won the Rose Bowl and the national title.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WhYfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GpwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4577,3539401 Tuscaloosa News Alabama New A-Day award will honor Howell April 20, 1971 6https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RSwdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SKUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5295,7298014 Tuscaloosa News Alabama Browning Al Howell wasn't just whistling 'Dixie' April 26, 1981 B1 Idaho was ranked at No. 119 (out of 500 college football teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1947.Michigan National Champion in Final Litkenhous Ratings Times Dr. E. E. Litkenhous December 18, 1947 47 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123152970/michigan-national-champion-in-final/ Newspapers.com Led on the field by 26-year-old passing halfback Billy (The Rifle) Williams,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kTBWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZOUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6989%2C5699304 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Record crowd Idaho tilt November 15, 1947 9 Idaho compiled a 4–4 overall record. The Vandals opened the season at home with a 27–7 win over the 1947 Puget Sound Loggers Puget Sound Loggers of Tacoma,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yJlfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1906%2C6277487 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Revitalized Vandals win opener over CPS, 27-7 September 21, 1947 8 then traveled to northern California and defeated Stanford 19–16,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z5lfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1585%2C6829682 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Honest, Mister, Idaho beat Stanford - 19 to 16! September 28, 1947 8 their only win in the series, after five defeats.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yo8RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6511%2C922061 Eugene Register-Guard United Press Idaho scores upset win over Stanford Indians September 28, 1947 22 After a 6–3–1 season the previous year, Stanford fielded one of its poorest teams in 1947 and went winless at 0–9. (They have met only once since, Stanford crushed Idaho 63–0 two years later in 1949.)https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DddRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yC8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1508%2C925124 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Stanford humbles Idaho, 63–0 Associated Press November 13, 1949 8 At the time, it was thought to be the first Idaho football win over a California school in the PCC, and 5,000 greeted the team at the Moscow train station on Monday morning; classes were canceled and the public schools were closed.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a-8-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=FE0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4319%2C7590270 Tuscaloosa News Alabama Associated Press Howell acclaimed hero for Idaho win September 30, 1947 6 It was actually the second win, as first-year member UCLA lost in Moscow in 1928.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cpRfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CzEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1617%2C4943740 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Tromple Bruins October 28, 1928 15https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ExFWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jOIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5929%2C4930962 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Idaho is victor over UCLA, 20-6 October 28, 1928 1, sports But it stands as the only road win and the most recent overall, as Idaho has not defeated any of the four California schools of the present-day Pac-12 in football since then, with winless all-time records against USC (0–9) and California (0–4). The next week, the undefeated Vandals suffered a nineteenth straight loss in the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, falling 7–0 at homecoming in Moscow.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fBg0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=X-UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6737%2C1671625 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Cougars claw Idaho Vandals 7-0 October 5, 1947 1-sportshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=k-5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qPUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3526%2C1458396 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Grid fans pack Moscow stadium October 4, 1947 1 With the excitement after the win at Stanford, the game at Neale Stadium drew an overflow attendance of 22,500, then a record gathering of any kind for the Palouse and the state of Idaho. The loss ran the winless streak against the Cougars to 21 games, a record of 0–20–1 since taking three straight from 1923 to 1925; the Vandals tied again in 1950 and finally broke the streak in 1954 in Pullman.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aWopAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SuYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=986%2C4301393 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Idaho thumps WSC, 10-0 Boni Bill October 24, 1954 1, sports The road victory over Stanford was Idaho's only win in the PCC in 1947, and struggled on offense with just thirteen points scored in their four losses. That included a humbling 21–0 shutout at home to Montana for the Little Brown Stein on a Friday afternoon in November;https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ijBWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZOUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4763%2C2835388 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Miller Bob Montana Grizzlies defeat Idaho's Vandals, 21-0, at Moscow November 8, 1947 10 the Grizzlies had also won with a shutout the previous year, 19–0 in Missoula.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XihmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eS8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1272%2C2664135 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Montana shoves Vandals into loop cellar November 3, 1946 10 The season finale the next week in Boise was an improvement, with a 13–6 upset of Utah in the rain at Public School Field to finish at 4–4.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sKwnAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YuUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4411%2C519475 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Idaho knocks Utah down, 13-6 November 16, 1947 1, sports It was the first Vandal football game in Boise in five years and had a record overflow crowd; Idaho improved its record in Boise games (southern homecoming) to 12–0–2 (they won the next three years, then only three of nine from 1951–59). Following the war and the single-win seasons of the previous two years, the 1947 team had the best record since 1938. Despite the improvement, it was Howell's best season at Idaho and a winning football season was still sixteen years away; the 1963 team went 5–4 under Dee Andros (with the final game canceled). In between, two seasons also had even .500 records: 1952 and 1957. Schedule Pacific September 20 2:00 pm w y 1947 Puget Sound Loggers Puget Sound Neale Stadium Moscow, ID 27–7   7,500 September 27 2:30 pm w y Stanford Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA 19–16 15,000 Vandals Come From Behind in 2nd Half The San Francisco Examiner Walter Gamage September 28, 1947 22 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28645961/vandals_come_from_behind_in_2nd_half/ Newspapers.com October 4 2:00 pm l y Washington State Neale Stadium Moscow, ID Battle of the Palouse 0–7 22,500 October 11 2:00 pm l y Oregon State Bell Field Corvallis, OR 6–33 10,000 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZbFeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1i8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2181%2C897320 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho OSC drops Vandals 33-6 October 12, 1947 8 October 18 w y Portland Neale Stadium Moscow, ID 20–14 6,000 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bLFeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1i8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1760%2C1445354 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Prayer pass gives Vandals 20-14 win over Portland October 19, 1947 8 November 1 2:00 pm l y Oregon Hayward Field Eugene, OR 7–34 8,300 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=648RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4559%2C4107718 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Love Bill Oregon grabs easy tilt from Vandals, 34-7 November 3, 1947 1 November 7, 1947 2:00 pm l Montana Neale Stadium Moscow, ID Little Brown Stein 0–21 5,000 November 15 w y y Utah Public School Field Boise, ID 13–6 8,000 All-conference No Vandals were named to the All-Coast team; halfback Billy Williams was named to the third team. Honorable mention were end Orville Barnes, tackle Will Overgaard, and guard Jack Dana.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bdpXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nfUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6904%2C3373204 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Associated Press Northwest grid players ignored on A.P. All-Coast November 25, 1947 17https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kbFeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1i8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3421%2C4383017 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press USC, Bears dominate AP All-Coast team November 25, 1947 8 NFL draft One senior from the 1947 Vandals was selected in the 1948 NFL draft:https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1948.htm Pro Football Reference 1948 NFL Draft November 12, 2017 Player Position Round   Pick   FranchiseEd Watkins5T 27th 248 Washington Redskins Two sophomores were selected in the 1950 NFL draft:https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1950.htm Pro Football Reference 1950 NFL Draft November 12, 2017 Player Position Round   Pick   FranchiseCarl KiilsgaardT 5th 61 Chicago CardinalsJerry DiehlHB 28th 360 2Pittsburgh Steelers2 References External links Gem of the Mountains: 1948 University of Idaho yearbook – 1947 football season Go Mighty Vandals – 1947 football season WSU Libraries: Game video (color) – Washington State at Idaho – October 4, 1947 Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1947 editions Idaho Category:Idaho Vandals football seasons Idaho Vandals football