The 1924 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho as a member of the Northwest Conference and the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1924 college football season. Led by third-year head coach Robert L. Mathews, the Vandals compiled an overall record of 5–2–1. Idaho had a record of 4–0–1 in Northwest Conference play, sharing the conference title with Gonzaga, and 4–2 against PCC opponents, tying for fourth place. The team played home games on campus, at MacLean Field in Moscow, Idaho.
The Vandals lost 3-0 to the eventual PCC champion, Stanford, at Multnomah Field in Portland, Oregon. Idaho defeated neighbor Washington State again in the Battle of the Palouse, the second of three consecutive wins over the Cougars in the rivalry. According to newspaper reports at the time, Idaho outplayed Stanford and Stanford was lucky to win. Idaho failed to score on 3 different possessions where they got the ball inside the Stanford 5 yard line, including one possession where they got the ball to the Stanford one foot line. If Idaho had won vs Stanford, then Idaho would have won the PCC championship and gone to the Rose Bowl vs Notre Dame, which may have permanently affected the trajectory of Idaho football to this very day. Instead, Idaho struggled for the remainder of its time in the PCC and struggled even more after a PCC rule in 1935 placed new restrictions on Idaho and Montana. Idaho was left out of the new conference when the PCC became the Pac-8 in the 1960s and eventually fell well behind Boise State in the 21st century. By 2016, Idaho was forced to downgrade to FCS after being kicked out of the Sun Belt and being unable to find another FBS conference.
The four PCC wins were the most ever for Idaho; their next best total was two, achieved six times, last in 1938.
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References
External links Gem of the Mountains: 1925 University of Idaho yearbook – 1924 football season Go Mighty Vandals – 1924 football season Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1924 editions