1966 Idaho Vandals football team

The 1966 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Vandals were led by second-year head coach Steve Musseau and played a second season in the Big Sky Conference, but remained 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.

Led on the field by quarterbacks John Foruria and Steve Garman and senior fullback Ray McDonald, the Vandals were 4–6 overall and 3–1 in conference play. Idaho nearly won the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State for the third straight year, but lost 14–7 in the chilly mud at Neale Stadium after giving up two late touchdowns.^[1][2][3] It remains the last time the rivalry was played in the state of Idaho; the Vandals dropped fourteen straight to the Cougars until consecutive wins in 1999 and 2000.

McDonald rushed for 255 yards in the season finale against Weber State and led the NCAA for the season with 1,329 yards.^[4][5][6] He was the thirteenth overall selection in the 1967 NFL Draft, the highest-ever for a Vandal, taken by the Washington Redskins.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 17	1:30 pm	at Washington*	Husky Stadium Seattle	L 7–19	55,360	[7]
September 24	12:30 pm	at Montana State	Gatton Field Bozeman, Montana	L 10–24	9,500	[8]
October 1	1:30 pm	Pacific (CA)*	Neale Stadium Moscow, Idaho	W 28–7	12,500	[9]
October 8	12:30 pm	at Idaho State	Spud Bowl Pocatello, Idaho	W 27–20	7,000	[10]
October 15	1:30 pm	at Oregon State*	Parker Stadium Corvallis OR	L 7–14	16,141	[11][12]
October 22	1:30 pm	Washington State*	Neale Stadium Moscow, Idaho (Battle of the Palouse)	L 7–14	16,500	[1][2]
October 29	12:30 pm	vs. Oregon*	old Bronco Stadium Boise, Idaho	L 7–28	11,500	[13][14]
November 5	1:30 pm	at San Jose State*	Spartan Stadium San Jose, California	L 7–21	16,200	[15]
November 12	1:30 pm	Montana	Neale Stadium Moscow, Idaho (Little Brown Stein)	W 40–6	5,500	[16]
November 19	1:30 pm	Weber State	Neale Stadium Moscow, Idaho	W 42–12	4,800	[4][5][6]
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Pacific time

Source:^[17][18]

Fullback Ray McDonald was a unanimous selection to the all-conference team, joined by guard Steve Ulrich, center Bob Skuse, defensive end Tom Stephens, middle guard Dick Arndt, and linebacker Ron Porter.^[19][20] Second team (honorable mention) picks were guard Bob McCray, tackle Gary Fitzpatrick, tight end Tim Lavens, quarterback Steve Garman, defensive tackles John Daniel and Ray Miller, linebacker Jerry Ahlin, and defensive backs Byron Strickland and John Foruria.^[20]

McDonald was a second-team All-American (AP, UPI, NEA),^[21] and a first team selection by the Sporting News and Time.^[22][23]

Four Vandal seniors were selected in the 1967 NFL/AFL draft, the first common draft, which lasted 17 rounds (445 selections).

Three seniors were previously selected as future picks in the 1966 NFL draft, which lasted 20 rounds (305 selections).

• Gem of the Mountains: 1967 University of Idaho yearbook – 1966 football season
• Go Mighty Vandals – 1966 football season
• Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1966 editions