The 2021 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho as in the Big Sky Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Paul Petrino, the Vandals were 4–7 (3–5 in Big Sky, ninth), and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.
Previous season
The Vandals finished the 2020–21 season 2–4 to finish in a tie for fifth place.
Preseason
Polls
On July 26, 2021, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Vandals were predicted to finish eighth in the Big Sky by both the coaches and media.[1]
Coaches poll
Predicted finish
|
Team
|
Votes (1st place)
|
1
|
Weber State
|
(7)
|
2
|
Montana
|
(3)
|
3
|
Eastern Washington
|
(2)
|
4
|
Montana State
|
(1)
|
5
|
Sacramento State
|
(1)
|
6
|
UC Davis
|
|
7
|
Northern Arizona
|
|
8
|
Idaho
|
|
9
|
Idaho State
|
|
10
|
Portland State
|
|
11
|
Southern Utah
|
|
12
|
Cal Poly
|
|
13
|
Northern Colorado
|
|
Media poll
Predicted finish
|
Team
|
Votes (1st place)
|
1
|
Weber State
|
(14)
|
2
|
Montana
|
(4)
|
3
|
Eastern Washington
|
(3)
|
4
|
Montana State
|
(3)
|
5
|
Sacramento State
|
|
6
|
UC Davis
|
|
7
|
Northern Arizona
|
|
8
|
Idaho
|
|
9
|
Idaho State
|
|
10
|
Portland State
|
|
11
|
Southern Utah
|
|
12
|
Northern Colorado
|
|
13
|
Cal Poly
|
|
Preseason All–Big Sky team
The Vandals had two players selected to the preseason all-Big Sky team.
Offense
Logan Kendall – FB
|
Defense
Tre Walker – MLB
|
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|
September 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Simon Fraser* | | SWX/ESPN+ | W 68–0 | 5,214 |
September 11 | 4:30 p.m. | at Indiana* | | BTN | L 14–56 | 47,417 |
September 18 | 12:30 p.m. | at Oregon State* | | P12N | L 0–42 | 26,797 |
October 2 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 8 UC Davis | | ESPN+ | L 20–27 | 11,622 |
October 9 | 2:00 p.m. | Portland State | | SWX/ESPN+ | W 42–35 | 7,034 |
October 16 | 11:30 a.m. | at No. 2 Eastern Washington | | RTNW | L 21–71 | 5,380 |
October 23 | 4:30 p.m. | No. 11 Montana | | SWX/ESPN+ | L 14–34 | 6,059 |
October 30 | 1:00 p.m. | Northern Arizona | | SWX/ESPN+ | L 31–38 | 3,000 |
November 6 | 1:00 p.m. | Southern Utah | | ESPN+ | W 42–24 | 6,082 |
November 13 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 3 Montana State | | SWX/ESPN+ | L 13–20 | 19,447 |
November 20 | 12:00 p.m. | at Idaho State | | ESPN+ | W 14–0 | |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Pacific time
|
- Source:[2]
Game summaries
Simon Fraser
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Clan
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
Vandals
|
21
|
19
|
21
|
7 |
68 |
at Indiana
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Vandals
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
0 |
14 |
Hoosiers
|
21
|
14
|
7
|
14 |
56 |
at Oregon State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Vandals
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
Beavers
|
14
|
14
|
14
|
0 |
42 |
at No. 8 UC Davis
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Vandals
|
6
|
7
|
7
|
0 |
20 |
No. 8 Aggies
|
3
|
10
|
0
|
14 |
27 |
Portland State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Vikings
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
21 |
35 |
Vandals
|
21
|
14
|
0
|
7 |
42 |
at No. 2 Eastern Washington
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Vandals
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
7 |
21 |
No. 2 Eagles
|
29
|
14
|
14
|
14 |
71 |
No. 11 Montana
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 11 Grizzlies
|
7
|
13
|
7
|
7 |
34 |
Vandals
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
7 |
14 |
Northern Arizona
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Lumberjacks
|
14
|
3
|
14
|
7 |
38 |
Vandals
|
7
|
14
|
0
|
10 |
31 |
Southern Utah
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Thunderbirds
|
7
|
3
|
7
|
7 |
24 |
Vandals
|
14
|
14
|
7
|
7 |
42 |
at No. 3 Montana State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Vandals
|
0
|
10
|
3
|
0 |
13 |
No. 3 Bobcats
|
7
|
6
|
0
|
7 |
20 |
at Idaho State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Vandals
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
14 |
Bengals
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
References
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Venues | |
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Bowls and rivalries | |
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Culture and lore | |
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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