1953 Idaho Vandals football team explained

Year:	1953
Team:	Idaho Vandals
Sport:	football
Conference:	Pacific Coast Conference
Short Conf:	PCC
Record:	1–8
Conf Record:	0–3
Head Coach:	Raymond A. Curfman
Hc Year:	3rd
Stadium:	Neale Stadium

The 1953 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1953 college football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Raymond A. Curfman and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with two games in Boise at old Bronco Stadium at Boise Junior College.

Led on the field by quarterback George Eidam, Idaho compiled a record and were winless in their three PCC games.

The Vandals suffered another loss in the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State, falling, 30–13, at Neale Stadium on October 17.^{[1] [2]} It ran the winless streak against the Cougars to 27 games, a record of since taking three straight from 1923 to 1925; the Vandals broke the streak the next year in Pullman under new head coach Skip Stahley.^[3]

In the rivalry game with Montana at Missoula two weeks earlier, the Vandals ran their winning streak over the Grizzlies to three and retained the Little Brown Stein.^[4] Idaho scored twenty unanswered points to win 20–12,^[5] in their sole victory of the season.^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

Curfman made headlines in 1953 as his overmatched Vandals struggled in conference play in the PCC,^[10] and was under fire from alumni and boosters after a disappointing season.^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} Following his resignation in December,^{[11] [12] [13]} he was hired as the business manager for the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team in January 1954.^[14]

Coaching staff

• Chuck Gottfried, line
• Dixie B. White, backs
• Mack Flenniken, ends
• Clem Parberry, freshmen

All-conference

No Vandals were on the All-PCC team; fullback Flip Kleffner was named to the second team and center Mel Bertrand was honorable mention.^{[15] [16] [17]}

NFL Draft

One senior from the 1953 Vandals was selected in the 1954 NFL draft:^[18]

Player	Position	Round	Pick	Franchise
Mel Bertrand	C		349	Detroit Lions

One junior was selected in the 1955 NFL draft:^[19]

Player	Position	Round	Pick	Franchise
Burdette Hess	G		178	San Francisco 49ers

• Often incorrectly listed as a UI Vandal, tackle Norm Hayes (1954 draft,
  1. 217
  ) played at the College of Idaho in Caldwell.^[20]

External links

• Gem of the Mountains: 1954 University of Idaho yearbook – 1953 football season
• Go Mighty Vandals – 1953 football season
• Official game program: Idaho at Utah – September 26, 1953
• Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1953 editions

Notes and References

1. News: Muscle, manpower and ability beat Vandals . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington) . Boni . Bill . October 18, 1953 . 1, sports .
2. News: Berry paces Cougars to 30-13 victory of feisty Vandals . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . Associated Press . October 18, 1953 . 10.
3. News: Idaho thumps WSC, 10-0. Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington). Boni. Bill. October 24, 1954. 1, sports.
4. News: Clicking Vandal ground, air attack stops Montana 20-12 . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . Associated Press . October 4, 1953 . 8.
5. News: Vandals bump Montana 20-12 . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon) . United Press . Weston . Don . October 4, 1953 . 2D.
6. News: Idaho alumni ask Curfman be replaced at grid helm . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . November 21, 1953 . 8.
7. News: Replace Curfman is now demand of Idaho 'Lums . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington) . Associated Press . November 21, 1953 . 10.
8. News: Coaching job action awaits January meet . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . Associated Press . November 24, 1953 . 2.
9. News: Idaho regents meet in January; Babe Curfman's position unsettled. Spokane Daily Chronicle . (Washington) . November 23, 1953. 15.
10. News: Vandal gridders rated too 'pure' . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon) . Associated Press . October 20, 1953 . 3B .
11. News: Curfman and three aides resign posts at Idaho. Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). December 21, 1953. 21.
12. News: 'Circumstances' force Curfman's resignation . Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). December 22, 1953 . 12.
13. News: Idaho plans thorough search for coach; Curfman out . Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington . December 22, 1953 . 12.
14. News: Indians sign Curfman as business manager. Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). May . Danny . January 29, 1954 . 8.
15. News: Four Northern stars named on All-Coast . Spokane Daily Chronicle . (Washington) . Associated Press . November 23, 1953 . 14.
16. News: Stanford air line operators dominate All-Coast eleven . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington) . Associated Press . Myers . Bob . November 23, 1953 . 8.
17. News: Berry, Kleffner make second team All-Coast . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . Associated Press . November 23, 1953 . 6.
18. Web site: 1954 NFL Draft . Pro Football Reference . November 7, 2017 . November 23, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101123080221/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1954.htm . dead .
19. Web site: 1955 NFL Draft . Pro Football Reference . November 7, 2017 . November 22, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101122091201/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1955.htm . dead .
20. News: Football: All-Conference Awards . College of Idaho Athletics . November 14, 2017.