1954 Idaho Vandals football team


The 1954 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1954 college football season. The Vandals were led by first-year head coach Skip Stahley and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. 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.
Idaho compiled a 4–5 overall record and were 1–2 in the PCC. After five losses to open, they won their last four games. Six of the nine games were shutouts, with three wins and three losses.
In the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, the 0–5 Vandals blanked the Cougars in Pullman on October 23 for Stahley's first victory as head coach. It was Idaho's first win in the series in 29 years; the next came ten years later in 1964.
The annual game with Montana was not played this year; outside of wartime years, it was the first break in the rivalry in forty years. Idaho was three games into an eight-game streak over the Grizzlies and retained the Little Brown Stein until 1960.
After the win in Pullman, Idaho defeated favored Utah in Salt Lake City, then shut out North Dakota in Moscow and BYU in Boise.

Schedule

All-conference

No Vandals were on the All-PCC team or the second team. Honorable mention were fullback Wilbur Gary and guard Burdette Hess.

NFL Draft

One senior from the 1954 Vandals was selected in the 1955 NFL Draft:
PlayerPositionRound Pick Franchise
Burdette HessG15th178San Francisco 49ers

One sophomore was selected in the 1957 NFL Draft:
PlayerPositionRound Pick Franchise
Dick FosterT11th129Washington Redskins

Four members of the freshman team were selected in the 1958 NFL Draft:
PlayerPositionRound Pick Franchise
Jerry KramerG4th39Green Bay Packers
Wayne WalkerC4th45Detroit Lions
Larry AldrichE11th127Pittsburgh Steelers
Wade PattersonE16th183Chicago Cardinals