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Two gutsy performances in the
national playoffs captured the hearts
of fans and skeptics alike as the
campus was hit with an acute case of
NCAA playoff fever
It was a typical late
November afternoon in
Moscow. The ground was
spotted with snow and a chilly
breeze blew from the north.
But there was something
unusual in the air on the campus.
Playoff fever had hit and
overtaken the students and
community in epidemic proportions
as the Vandals
prepared for their re-match
with Montana in the first round
of the NCAA Division I-AA
football playoffs.
And what an opening-round
Frustration.
From the onset of the Eastern Kentucky
game, it wa,r. apparant that
Idaho was ln for a long night as they
fell behind 24-7. But the Vandals
didn't give up and almost upended
the top-ranked Colonels. Running
back Kerry Hlcky, who caught aix
passes in the game. watches EKU
drive for a touchdown ln the first
half. (photo by G. Lande rs)
game it was. The Vandals,
behind a wave of emotional
performances both offensively
and defensively, treated
their frenzied home crowd to
a 21-7 thumping of the rival
Grizzlies. It was a satisfying
win for the Vandals and
avenged their early-season
loss to Montana.
"They played their rear ends
off and I'm prouder than hell
of them," said coach Erickson
following the game.
It was a hard-hitting,
physically played contest and
the much-maligned Vandal
defense rose to the occasion to
tum in their best performance
of the season.
"They (Montana) said we
weren't physical and we got
mad," said senior outside
linebacker Lloyd Williamson.
"We went after them."
And while the defense was
making believers out of skeptics,
the potent Vandal offense,
led by Kenny Hobart's
230 yards passing, wore down
the Grizzly defense. Idaho
rallied from a 7-6 halftime
deficit to score two third
quarter touchdowns.
The big victory propelled
the Vandals to the second
round of the playoffs and sent
them to Richmond, Kentucky
to meet top-ranked,
undefeated Eastern Kentucky.
The highly-regarded Colonels
entered the game as favorites
and sported a 29-game winning
streak at home.
From the opening kickoff it
looked as if the Vandals would
be blown out. Eastern Kentucky
jumped out to a commanding
24-3 lead in the second
quarter and held a 24-10
margin at the half.
But the Vandals didn't give
up. Two third quarter
touchdowns brought Idaho to
within seven points as they
trailed only 31-24 entering the
final quarter.
EKU came right back to
score another touchdown with
just over nine minutes remaining
to grab a 38-24 lead. The
game, however, was far from
over.
After switching possessions
back and forth, the Colonels
had the ball and a fourth down
with only 2% minutes remaining.
But a blocked punt and a
32-yard touchdown return by
The call that ended it all.
Head coach Dennis Erickson furioU&­
ly disputes a call in the closing
minutes of Idaho's 38-30 loss to
Eastern Kentucky in the national
playoffs. The play, ruled an interception
by the referee, snuffed
out a last-minute drive by the Vandals
and ended their dream for a na·
tiona! championship. (photo by G.
Landers)
Todd Fryhover brought Idaho
right back into the game. The
extra point failed and the Vandals
trailed only 38-30.
A tough defensive stand
forced EKU to punt and Idaho
found themselves 80 yards
from a touchdown with just
1:29 left to play.
Quickly Hobart led the Vandals
down the field with crisp,
sharp passes and, with only 31
seconds showing on the
scoreboard clock, Idaho was
just 21 yards from a
touchdown and a chance for
an attempt at a two-point conversion
to force a tie game and
an overtime.
But it was not to be for Idaho
as Hobart's next pass was offtarget
and apparently intercepted
by an EKU
defender. The play, which
happened right in front of
Idaho's bench, sparked a
furious uproar from the Vandals,
who claimed the ball hit
the ground. Later films were to
verify Idaho 1 s complaint and
show that the ball had not been
intercepted.
It's terrible for a guy (the
referee) to take these kids'
chance away from them in the
playoffs," said Erickson. I hate
to see it end on something like
that. I don't want to take away
from them (EKU). They are a
damn good football team. I
thought the officiating was
good until the end.
Despite the disappointing
end to the Cinderella season,
Idaho proved itself in 1982.
Picked to finish in seventh
place in the conference and
often the butt of jokes and
criticism, the Vandals worked
their way to respectability and
national attention. And the
laughing stopped.
Clint Kendrick 0
National Playoffs 185