# 2016 Idaho Vandals football team

The 2016 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the Sun Belt Conference during the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Paul Petrino, the Vandals played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. A football-only member of the Sun Belt, Idaho finished the regular season at 8–4 (6–2 in Sun Belt, third).
The Vandals were invited to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise and defeated Colorado State 61–50 to finish at 9–4. It was the program's final bowl game as an FBS team and last winning season for six years.

## Preseason
### Sun Belt coaches poll

The Sun Belt coaches preseason prediction poll was released on July 21, 2016. The Vandals were predicted to finish eighth in the conference.
Sun Belt coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Appalachian State | 114 (5) |
| 2 | Arkansas State | 110 (5) |
| 3 | Georgia Southern | 98 (1) |
| 4 | Georgia State | 73 |
| 5 | Louisiana–Lafayette | 70 |
| 5 | Troy | 70 |
| 7 | South Alabama | 62 |
| 8 | Idaho | 48 |
| 9 | New Mexico State | 37 |
| 10 | Texas State | 30 |
| 11 | Louisiana–Monroe | 14 |

## Schedule

Idaho announced their 2016 football schedule on March 3, with five of the twelve games at home.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:00 pm | Montana State* | Kibbie DomeMoscow, ID | SWX | W 20–17 | 11,987 |
| September 10 | 2:00 pm | at No. 8 Washington* | Husky StadiumSeattle, WA | P12N | L 14–59 | 60,678 |
| September 17 | 11:00 am | at Washington State* | Martin StadiumPullman, WA (Battle of the Palouse) | P12N | L 6–56 | 28,477 |
| September 24 | 6:00 pm | at UNLV* | Sam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV | CI | W 33–30 $^{OT}$ | 17,229 |
| October 1 | 2:00 pm | Troy | Kibbie DomeMoscow, ID | ESPN3 | L 13–34 | 13,392 |
| October 8 | 4:00 pm | at Louisiana–Monroe | Malone StadiumMonroe, LA | ESPN3 | W 34–31 | 9,524 |
| October 15 | 2:00 pm | New Mexico State | Kibbie DomeMoscow, ID | SWX | W 55–23 | 10,278 |
| October 22 | 12:30 pm | at Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN3 | L 19–37 | 26,931 |
| November 5 | 2:00 pm | at Louisiana–Lafayette | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA | ESPN3 | W 23–13 | 21,367 |
| November 12 | 1:00 pm | at Texas State | Bobcat StadiumSan Marcos, TX | ESPN3 | W 47–14 | 15,314 |
| November 26 | 12:30 pm | South Alabama | Kibbie DomeMoscow, ID | ASN | W 38–31 | 9,049 |
| December 3 | 2:00 pm | Georgia State | Kibbie DomeMoscow, ID | ESPN3 | W 37–12 | 11,242 |
| December 22 | 4:00 pm | vs. Colorado State* | Albertsons StadiumBoise, ID (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) | ESPN | W 61–50 | 24,975 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to gameAll times are in Pacific time |||||||

## Game summaries
### Montana State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bobcats | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Vandals | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
at Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho
* Date: September 1
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 11,987
* Referee: Charles Lewis
* TV: SWX
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | MTST | IDHO |
| First downs | 19 | 15 |
| Total yards | 305 | 357 |
| Rushing yards | 110 | 229 |
| Passing yards | 195 | 128 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 36:14 | 23:46 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Montana State | Passing | Tyler Bruggman | 19/35, 191 yards, TD, INT |
| Montana State | Rushing | Chad Newell | 25 rushes, 105 yards, TD |
| Montana State | Receiving | Mitchell Herbert | 4 receptions, 62 yards |
| Idaho | Passing | Matt Linehan | 8/22, 128 yards, INT |
| Idaho | Rushing | Aaron Duckworth | 15 rushes, 112 yards, 2 TD |
| Idaho | Receiving | Deon Watson | 2 receptions, 67 yards |

### At No. 8 Washington

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 8 Huskies | 7 | 28 | 14 | 10 | 59 |
at Husky Stadium, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 10
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Clear, 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 60,678
* Referee: Terry Leyden
* TV announcers (P12N): J. B. Long, Glenn Parker, and Jill Savage
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | IDHO | WASH |
| First downs | 17 | 27 |
| Total yards | 322 | 482 |
| Rushing yards | 104 | 126 |
| Passing yards | 218 | 356 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 33:15 | 26:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Idaho | Passing | Matt Linehan | 19/29, 187 yards, TD |
| Idaho | Rushing | Mason Petrino | 9 rushes, 48 yards |
| Idaho | Receiving | Isaiah Saunders | 2 receptions, 54 yards |
| Washington | Passing | Jake Browning | 23/28, 294 yards, 5 TD |
| Washington | Rushing | Myles Gaskin | 12 rushes, 67 yards, TD |
| Washington | Receiving | Dante Pettis | 6 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TD |

### At Washington State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Cougars | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 | 56 |
at Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington
* Date: September 17
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. PDT
* Game weather: Overcast, 64 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 28,477
* Referee: Mark Duddy
* TV: P12N
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | IDHO | WSU |
| First downs | 15 | 26 |
| Total yards | 257 | 509 |
| Rushing yards | 78 | 228 |
| Passing yards | 179 | 281 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 30:40 | 29:20 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Idaho | Passing | Matt Linehan | 19/33, 172 yards |
| Idaho | Rushing | Aaron Duckworth | 13 rushes, 43 yards |
| Idaho | Receiving | Deon Watson | 5 receptions, 62 yards |
| Washington State | Passing | Luke Falk | 21/36, 226 yards, 3 TD |
| Washington State | Rushing | James Williams | 14 rushes, 126 yards, TD |
| Washington State | Receiving | Kyle Sweet | 4 receptions, 77 yards, TD |

### At UNLV

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Vandals | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 33 |
| Rebels | 0 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
at Sam Boyd Stadium, Whitney, Nevada
* Date: September 24
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Clear, 86 °F (30 °C)
* Game attendance: 17,229
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV announcers (CI): Tony Cordasco and Caleb Herring
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | IDHO | UNLV |
| First downs | 21 | 26 |
| Total yards | 378 | 539 |
| Rushing yards | 129 | 364 |
| Passing yards | 249 | 175 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 26:47 | 33:13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Idaho | Passing | Matt Linehan | 17/35, 249 yards, TD |
| Idaho | Rushing | Aaron Duckworth | 20 rushes, 90 yards, TD |
| Idaho | Receiving | Callen Hightower | 4 receptions, 67 yards, TD |
| UNLV | Passing | Johnny Stanton | 14/26, 175 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| UNLV | Rushing | Lexington Thomas | 19 rushes, 160 yards, 2 TD |
| UNLV | Receiving | Darren Woods Jr. | 4 receptions, 66 yards |

### Troy

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trojans | 14 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 34 |
| Vandals | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 13,392
* Referee: Kevin Stine
* TV: ESPN3
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | TROY | IDHO |
| First downs | 27 | 19 |
| Total yards | 530 | 255 |
| Rushing yards | 157 | 89 |
| Passing yards | 373 | 166 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 29:39 | 30:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Troy | Passing | Brandon Silvers | 31/42, 373 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Troy | Rushing | Jordan Chunn | 22 rushes, 137 yards, TD |
| Troy | Receiving | John Johnson | 7 receptions, 128 yards, TD |
| Idaho | Passing | Matt Linehan | 19/34, 166 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Idaho | Rushing | Aaron Duckworth | 15 rushes, 50 yards |
| Idaho | Receiving | Trent Cowan | 5 receptions, 58 yards, TD |

### At Louisiana–Monroe

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 16 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| Warhawks | 0 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Malone Stadium, Monroe, Louisiana
* Date: October 8
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. PDT/6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 9,524
* Referee: Jason McArthur
* TV: ESPN3
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | IDHO | ULM |
| First downs | 18 | 27 |
| Total yards | 414 | 523 |
| Rushing yards | 203 | 221 |
| Passing yards | 211 | 302 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 31:01 | 28:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Idaho | Passing | Matt Linehan | 21/38, 211 yards, TD |
| Idaho | Rushing | Aaron Duckworth | 16 rushes, 121 yards, TD |
| Idaho | Receiving | Jordan Frysinger | 4 receptions, 100 yards, TD |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Passing | Garrett Smith | 20/38, 302 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Rushing | Garrett Smith | 13 rushes, 88 yards, TD |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Receiving | Xavier Brown | 3 receptions, 96 yards, TD |

### New Mexico State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aggies | 13 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
| Vandals | 7 | 20 | 21 | 7 | 55 |
at Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho
* Date: October 15
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 10,278
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV: SWX
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | NMSU | IDHO |
| First downs | 17 | 34 |
| Total yards | 428 | 651 |
| Rushing yards | 62 | 169 |
| Passing yards | 366 | 482 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 21:03 | 38:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| New Mexico State | Passing | Tyler Rogers | 19/29, 302 yards, 2 TD |
| New Mexico State | Rushing | Larry Rose III | 11 rushes, 32 yards |
| New Mexico State | Receiving | Tyrian Taylor | 4 receptions, 110 yards |
| Idaho | Passing | Matt Linehan | 29/36, 476 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Idaho | Rushing | Isaiah Saunders | 12 rushes, 59 yards, TD |
| Idaho | Receiving | Deon Watson | 6 receptions, 129 yards,td |

### At Appalachian State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 0 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| Mountaineers | 10 | 0 | 13 | 14 | 37 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. PDT/3:30 EDT
* Game weather: Fair, 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 26,931
* Referee: Jason Autrey
* TV: ESPN3
* Box score, Recap
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Idaho | Passing |
| Idaho | Rushing |
| Idaho | Receiving |
| Appalachian State | Passing |
| Appalachian State | Rushing |
| Appalachian State | Receiving |

### At Louisiana–Lafayette

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Cajun Field, Lafayette, Louisiana
* Date: November 5
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. PDT/4:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 81 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 21,367
* Referee: Kevin Stine
* TV: ESPN3
* Box score, Recap
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Idaho | Passing |
| Idaho | Rushing |
| Idaho | Receiving |
| Louisiana–Lafayette | Passing |
| Louisiana–Lafayette | Rushing |
| Louisiana–Lafayette | Receiving |

### At Texas State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 14 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 47 |
| Bobcats | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Bobcat Stadium, San Marcos, Texas
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST/3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 15,314
* Referee: Jason Autrey
* TV: ESPN3
* Box score, Recap
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Idaho | Passing |
| Idaho | Rushing |
| Idaho | Receiving |
| Texas State | Passing |
| Texas State | Rushing |
| Texas State | Receiving |

### South Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| Vandals | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. PST
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 9,049
* Referee: Jason McArthur
* TV: ASN
* Box score, Recap
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| South Alabama | Passing |
| South Alabama | Rushing |
| South Alabama | Receiving |
| Idaho | Passing |
| Idaho | Rushing |
| Idaho | Receiving |

### Georgia State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Vandals | 14 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 37 |
at Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho
* Date: December 3
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 11,242
* Referee: Jason Autry
* TV: ESPN3
* Box score, Recap
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Georgia State | Passing |
| Georgia State | Rushing |
| Georgia State | Receiving |
| Idaho | Passing |
| Idaho | Rushing |
| Idaho | Receiving |

### Vs. Colorado State (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 0 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 61 |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 7 | 36 | 50 |
at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
* Date: December 22
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. PST/5:00 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 22 °F (−6 °C)
* Game attendance: 24,975
* Referee: Tracy Jones
* TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Neal, Matt Stinchcomb, and Olivia Harlan
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | IDHO | CSU |
| First downs | 30 | 25 |
| Total yards | 606 | 600 |
| Rushing yards | 225 | 155 |
| Passing yards | 381 | 445 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 36:05 | 23:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Idaho | Passing | Matt Linehan | 21/31, 381 yards, 4 TD |
| Idaho | Rushing | Isaiah Saunders | 33 rushes, 147 yards, 3 TD |
| Idaho | Receiving | Deon Watson | 5 receptions, 140 yards, TD |
| Colorado State | Passing | Nick Stevens | 21/36, 445 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT |
| Colorado State | Rushing | Dalyn Dawkins | 16 rushes, 118 yards, TD |
| Colorado State | Receiving | Bisi Johnson | 7 receptions, 265 yards, 2 TD |
After a scoreless first quarter, the Vandals would jump out to a 41–14 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Both offenses would go off in the final quarter, scoring a combined 56 points for a final score of 61–50 in favor of Idaho, breaking the record for the most points scored in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, with the previous record being set in 2009, which also featured the Vandals. The two teams scored a combined 84 points in the second half, breaking the bowl record for most points scored in a half, with the previous record being 76 in the first half of the 2015 Independence Bowl. Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan would be named the game's MVP; Linehan finished the game throwing for 381 yards and 4 touchdowns and had one rushing touchdown.