The 1965 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the

1965 NCAA University Division football season During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the major college football teams in the University Division, later known as Division I-A. The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) ...

. were led by first-year head coach Steve Musseau and played in the Big Sky Conference for the first time; they played the previous six seasons as an independent in the NCAA University Division. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with one home game in Boise at old Bronco Stadium at

Boise Junior College Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...

. Musseau was previously the defensive coach and was promoted after the February departure of Dee Andros for Oregon State.

Season

Led on the field by quarterback John Foruria and fullback Ray McDonald, both juniors, the Vandals were overall and in conference play. Idaho won the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State for the second straight year, this time by a score of 17–13 at

Rogers Field Rogers Field is a public airport bordering the southwest of the town of Chester, serving Plumas County, California, United States. It has two runways (only one of which is still opened and maintained, however) and is mostly used for general av ...

in It was the first time Idaho logged consecutive wins over the Cougars in

forty years 40 (forty) is the natural number following 39 and preceding 41. Though the word is related to "four" (4), the spelling "forty" replaced "fourty" in the course of the 17th century and is now the standard form. In mathematics *Forty is a com ...

. The Vandals lost close games to the other three Northwest teams of the AAWU (Pac-8). The other two quarterbacks were Jerry Ahlin and Joe Rodriguez, who both started games in 1965.

Schedule

Roster

All-conference

Seven Vandals were selected to the all-conference team: fullback Ray McDonald, guard Dave Triplett, center

Steve Buratto Steve Buratto (born c. 1943) is a Canadian football coach and former offensive lineman. He is the offensive coordinator for the UBC Thunderbirds football team. He is also a former head coach in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stamp ...

, defensive end Tom Stephens, defensive tackle Dick Arndt, linebacker

Jerry Campbell Gerald "Soupy" Campbell (July 14, 1944 – August 9, 2017) was a professional football player, a linebacker in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders (1966–1968) and the Ottawa Rough Riders (1968–1975). Early years Born in B ...

, and defensive back On the second team were tackle Joe Dobson, guard Steve Ulrich, running back Tim Lavens, defensive end Ray Miller, middle guard John Boisen, linebacker LaVerle Pratt, and defensive back Jerry Ahlin. Honorable mention were defensive tackle John Daniel, defensive back Byron Strickland, tight end John Whitney, wide receivers Joe Chapman and Rich Toney, and tackle Gary Fitzpatrick. McDonald was a second-team AP

NFL Draft

Four Vandals were selected in the

1966 NFL Draft The 1966 National Football League draft was held at the Summit Hotel in New York City on Saturday, November 27, 1965. The expansion Atlanta Falcons were awarded the first pick in each round as well as the final pick in each of the first five rou ...

, which lasted twenty rounds (305 selections). * The first three were futures picks and played in the

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

season for Idaho.
Four Vandal juniors were selected in the

1967 NFL/AFL Draft The 1967 National Football League draft was conducted March 14–15, 1967, at the Gotham Hotel in New York City. It was the first common draft with the AFL, part of the AFL–NFL merger agreement of June 1966. This draft was delayed as new guid ...

, the first common draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (445 selections). * List of Idaho Vandals in the NFL Draft

References

External links

''Gem of the Mountains:'' 1966 University of Idaho yearbook
– 1965 football season
Go Mighty Vandals
– 1965 football season

– student newspaper – 1965 editions {{Big Sky Conference football champions Idaho Idaho Vandals football seasons Big Sky Conference football champion seasons Idaho Vandals football