2016 Idaho Vandals football team

2016 Idaho Vandals football
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl champion
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, W 61–50 vs. Colorado State
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
Record	9–4 (6–2 Sun Belt)
Head coach	Paul Petrino (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Kris Cinkovich (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Mike Breske (2nd season)
Base defense	Multiple 3–4
Home stadium	Kibbie Dome
Seasons ←  2015 2017  →

2016 Sun Belt Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Appalachian State +		7	–	1					10	–	3
Arkansas State +		7	–	1					8	–	5
Troy		6	–	2					10	–	3
Idaho		6	–	2					9	–	4
Louisiana–Lafayette		5	–	3					6	–	7
Georgia Southern		4	–	4					5	–	7
Louisiana–Monroe		3	–	5					4	–	8
South Alabama		2	–	6					6	–	7
Georgia State		2	–	6					3	–	9
New Mexico State		2	–	6					3	–	9
Texas State		0	–	8					2	–	10
+ – Conference co-champions

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. ^[1]

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
	Troy
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. ^[2]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:00 pm	Montana State *	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID	SWX	W 20–17	11,987
September 10	2:00 pm	at No. 8 Washington *	Husky Stadium Seattle, WA	P12N	L 14–59	60,678
September 17	11:00 am	at Washington State *	Martin Stadium Pullman, WA ( Battle of the Palouse )	P12N	L 6–56	28,477
September 24	6:00 pm	at UNLV *	Sam Boyd Stadium Whitney, NV	CI	W 33–30 OT	17,229
October 1	2:00 pm	Troy	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID	ESPN3	L 13–34	13,392
October 8	4:00 pm	at Louisiana–Monroe	Malone Stadium Monroe, LA	ESPN3	W 34–31	9,524
October 15	2:00 pm	New Mexico State	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID	SWX	W 55–23	10,278
October 22	12:30 pm	at Appalachian State	Kidd Brewer Stadium Boone, NC	ESPN3	L 19–37	26,931
November 5	2:00 pm	at Louisiana–Lafayette	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN3	W 23–13	21,367
November 12	1:00 pm	at Texas State	Bobcat Stadium San Marcos, TX	ESPN3	W 47–14	15,314
November 26	12:30 pm	South Alabama	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID	ASN	W 38–31	9,049
December 3	2:00 pm	Georgia State	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID	ESPN3	W 37–12	11,242
December 22	4:00 pm	vs. Colorado State *	Albertsons Stadium Boise, ID ( Famous Idaho Potato Bowl )	ESPN	W 61–50	24,975
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game All times are in Pacific time

Personnel

2016 Idaho Vandals football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 Alfonso Onunwor Jr WR 2 David Ungerer  So TE 3 Deon Watson Sr QB 4 Mason Petrino Fr WR 6 Callen Hightower Sr WR 7 Jante Boston  Fr WR 8 Jacob Sannon  Jr QB 10 Matt Linehan Jr QB 12 A. J. Woodin So TE 13 Trent Cowan Sr WR 14 Brandon Luckett Fr QB 15 Gunnar Amos  Fr RB 21 Isaiah Saunders So RB 22 Doug Coman Jr RB 23 Aaron Duckworth Jr RB 24 Denzal Brantley  Fr WR 26 Reuben Mwehla Jr WR 27 Jordan Frysinger Sr RB 28 Dylan Thigpen Fr RB 30 Zach Bafus  Fr RB 36 Andrew Sibley Fr FB 38 Brady Strodtbeck Jr FB 45 Josh Herman Jr FB 47 Luke Hyde  Fr FB 49 Luke Johnson Fr OL 58 Austin Phillips So OL 59 Koa Wilkins Fr OL 60 D. J. Luby Fr OL 61 Steven Matlock Sr OL 63 Calvin White Sr OL 66 Conner Vrba Fr OL 67 Mason Woods Sr OL 69 Kato Fawkes GS OL 70 Zion Dixon  Fr OL 71 Brett Carter Fr OL 72 Patrick Johnson So OL 74 Noah Johnson Fr OL 75 Darius Peterson Sr OL 76 Jordan Rose Jr OL 77 Tanner Mauseth  Fr TE 80 Eric Lemke GS WR 81 Josh Ellingson  Fr WR 83 Elijah Sapico Fr WR 84 Micah Hamilton  Fr TE 85 Joseph Wysocki Fr WR 87 Cade Smith Fr WR 88 Michael Garner  Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class S 1 D. J. Olmstead Jr S 2 D. J. Hampton Sr LB 3 Kaden Elliss So CB 4 Jayshawn Jordan Sr DB 5 Llyod Hightower Fr CB 6 Kendrick Trotter GS Buck 7 Khalin Smith Sr CB 8 Armond Hawkins Jr S 10 Ty Graham Fr S 11 Russell Siavii Sr DL 13 Kevin Shelton Sr LB 14 Jaden Gardner Fr DL 15 Glen Antoine Sr LB 16 Tarik Littlejohn Fr DB 18 Kasheen Greene Jr DB 20 Dorian Clark Jr DB 21 Jordan Grabski Jr LB 22 Leonard Hazewood IV  Jr DB 23 Calvary Pugh So S 24 Alec Nordsieck Fr S 25 Desmond Banks Jr DB 29 Sedrick Thomas  Fr DB 31 Qendarrion Barnett Fr LB 32 Aaron Pue  Fr LB 33 Tony Lashley  So Buck 34 Jack Bamis  Fr S 35 Jack Tate Jr LB 39 Vaughn Daggs Fr LB 40 Mike Linehan  Fr LB 41 Dylan Beeler Fr LB 43 Charles Akanno Fr DL 44 Tueni Lupeamanu Sr LB 50 Ed Hall So DE 51 Wayne Eades II Fr LB 54 Mason Ulrich Fr DT 55 Rahsaan Crawford Fr DL 62 Colton Thrasher So DE 82 Will Schmidt Jr DL 90 Zach Cable Jr DL 91 Eric Hale  Fr DL 92 Mytreal Denson Fr DL 93 Arie Anderson Jr DE 96 Gavin Whitesitt  Fr DE 97 Aikeem Coleman Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K, P 5 Austin Rehkow Sr K 15 Cade Coffey Fr LS 37 Alex Boatman So K 52 Sam Fenlason Fr LS 95 Brett Ballard GS LS 98 Garrett Wideen  Fr	Head coach Paul Petrino Coordinators/assistant coaches Kris Cinkovich Associate head coach/Offensive coordinator/ Offensive line Mike Breske Defensive coordinator/Safeties Eric Brown Linebackers Kenny Holmes Defensive line Charley Molnar Quarterbacks Troy Purcell Inside linebackers Al Pupunu Tight ends Jason Shumaker Running backs/Recruiting coordinator/ Special teams coordinator Aric Williams Cornerbacks Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: December 26, 2023

Game summaries

Montana State

See also: 2016 Montana State Bobcats football team

Montana State Bobcats at Idaho Vandals – Game summary

Period	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

Game information

First quarter IDHO – Austin Rehkow 44-yard field goal, 13:38. Vandals 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 1:22. MTST – Justin Paige 12-yard pass from Tyler Bruggman (Devon Tandberg kick), 8:17. Bobcats 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:21. IDHO – Aaron Duckworth 43-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 7:38. Vandals 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 0:39. IDHO – Aaron Duckworth 1-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 4:04. Vandals 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:24. Second quarter IDHO – Austin Rehkow 34-yard field goal, 8:09. Vandals 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:58. MTST – Devon Tandberg 33-yard field goal, 1:40. Vandals 20–10. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:15. Third quarter MTST – Chad Newell 3-yard run (Devon Tandberg kick), 9:22. Vandals 20–17. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 5:38. Fourth quarter No scoring plays

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
	Rushing	Chad Newell	25 rushes, 105 yards, TD
	Receiving	Mitchell Herbert	4 receptions, 62 yards
Idaho	Passing	Matt Linehan	8/22, 128 yards, INT
	Rushing	Aaron Duckworth	15 rushes, 112 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Deon Watson	2 receptions, 67 yards

At No. 8 Washington

See also: 2016 Washington Huskies football team

Idaho Vandals at No. 8 Washington Huskies – Game summary

Period	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

Game information

First quarter WASH – Dante Pettis 21-yard pass from Jake Browning (Cameron Van Winkle kick), 14:44. Huskies 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 21 yards, 0:10. Second quarter WASH – Dante Pettis 7-yard pass from Jake Browning (Cameron Van Winkle kick), 12:09. Huskies 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 1:25. WASH – Chico McClatcher 30-yard pass from Jake Browning (Cameron Van Winkle kick), 7:37. Huskies 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:20. WASH – Myles Gaskin 7-yard run (Cameron Van Winkle kick), 3:25. Huskies 28–0. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:11. WASH – John Ross III 9-yard pass from Jake Browning (Cameron Van Winkle kick), 1:00. Huskies 35–0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 1:02. Third quarter WASH – John Ross III 8-yard pass from Jake Browning (Cameron Van Winkle kick), 12:05. Huskies 42–0. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:55. IDHO – Trent Cowan 20-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 4:44. Huskies 42–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:09. WASH – Quinten Pounds 26-yard pass from K. J. Carta-Samuels (Cameron Van Winkle kick), 2:13. Huskies 49–7. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:24. Fourth quarter IDHO – Gunnar Amos 6-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 10:41. Huskies 49–14. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 6:32. WASH – Cameron Van Winkle 34-yard field goal, 5:21. Huskies 52–14. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 5:11. WASH – Connor O'Brien 46-yard interception return (Cameron Van Winkle kick), 3:05. Huskies 59–14.

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
	Rushing	Mason Petrino	9 rushes, 48 yards
	Receiving	Isaiah Saunders	2 receptions, 54 yards
Washington	Passing	Jake Browning	23/28, 294 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Myles Gaskin	12 rushes, 67 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dante Pettis	6 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TD

At Washington State

See also: 2016 Washington State Cougars football team and Battle of the Palouse

Idaho Vandals at Washington State Cougars – Game summary

Period	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

Game information

First quarter IDHO – Austin Rehkow 42-yard field goal, 9:47. Vandals 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 3:40. WSU – James Williams 2-yard run (Erik Powell kick), 0:22. Cougars 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 3:07. Second quarter WSU – Marcellus Pippins 72-yard blocked kick return (Erik Powell kick), 7:35. Cougars 14–3. WSU – Gabe Marks 8-yard pass from Luke Falk (Erik Powell kick), 4:02. Cougars 21–3. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 1:36. Third quarter IDHO – Austin Rehkow 18-yard field goal, 8:47. Cougars 21–6. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:30. WSU – Gerard Wicks 2-yard run (Erik Powell kick), 2:50. Cougars 28–6. Drive: 14 plays, 90 yards, 5:49. Fourth quarter WSU – Robert Lewis 10-yard pass from Luke Falk (Erik Powell kick), 13:05. Cougars 35–6. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 3:36. WSU – Kyle Sweet 9-yard pass from Luke Falk (Erik Powell kick), 8:52. Cougars 42–6. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:18. WSU – Gerard Wicks 11-yard fumble return (Erik Powell kick), 8:43. Cougars 49–6. WSU – Alijah Lee 6-yard run (Erik Powell kick), 1:02. Cougars 56–6. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 1:09.

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
	Rushing	Aaron Duckworth	13 rushes, 43 yards
	Receiving	Deon Watson	5 receptions, 62 yards
Washington State	Passing	Luke Falk	21/36, 226 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	James Williams	14 rushes, 126 yards, TD
	Receiving	Kyle Sweet	4 receptions, 77 yards, TD

At UNLV

See also: 2016 UNLV Rebels football team

Idaho Vandals at UNLV Rebels – Game summary

Period	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

Game information

First quarter IDHO – Kaden Elliss 31-yard interception return (Austin Kehdow kick), 10:30. Vandals 7–0. Second quarter IDHO – Austin Rehkow 40-yard field goal, 11:48. Vandals 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:07. UNLV – Lexington Thomas 3-yard run (Evan Pantels kick), 9:04. Vandals 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:44. IDHO – Aaron Duckworth 4-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 4:58. Vandals 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:06. UNLV – Marc Philippi 4-yard pass from Johnny Stanton (Evan Pantels kick), 0:59. Vandals 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:48. Third quarter IDHO – Austin Rehkow 33-yard field goal, 11:45. Vandals 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:10. UNLV – Evan Pantels 32-yard field goal, 6:05. Vandals 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:36. Fourth quarter UNLV – Evan Pantels 24-yard field goal, 8:29. Tied 20–20. Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 6:31. IDHO – Matt Linehan 7-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 6:14. Vandals 27–20. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:09. UNLV – Lexington Thomas 55-yard run (Evan Pantels kick), 5:09. Tied 27–27. Drive: 3 plays, 83 yards, 1:01. Overtime UNLV – Evan Pantels 23-yard field goal. Rebels 30–27. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards. IDHO – Callen Hightower 11-yard pass from Matt Linehan. Vandals 33–30. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards.

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
	Rushing	Aaron Duckworth	20 rushes, 90 yards, TD
	Receiving	Callen Hightower	4 receptions, 67 yards, TD
UNLV	Passing	Johnny Stanton	14/26, 175 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Lexington Thomas	19 rushes, 160 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Darren Woods Jr.	4 receptions, 66 yards

Troy

See also: 2016 Troy Trojans football team

Troy Trojans at Idaho Vandals – Game summary

Period	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

Game information

First quarter IDHO – Austin Rehkow 21-yard field goal, 8:49. Vandals 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 6:11. IDHO – Austin Rehkow 42-yard field goal, 6:20. Vandals 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, -4 yards, 2:01. TROY – Tevaris McCormick 36-yard pass from Brandon Silvers (Ryan Kay kick), 5:27. Trojans 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 0:53. TROY – Emanuel Thompson 14-yard pass from Brandon Silvers (Ryan Kay kick), 0:20. Trojans 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:11. Second quarter TROY – Jordan Chunn 12-yard run (Ryan Kay kick), 3:39. Trojans 21–6. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 3:56. Third quarter TROY – John Johnson 60-yard pass from Brandon Silvers (Ryan Kay kick), 14:46. Trojans 28–6. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:14. TROY – Ryan Kay 25-yard field goal, 7:43. Trojans 31–6. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 4:32. TROY – Ryan Kay 31-yard field goal, 3:45. Trojans 34–6. Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, 1:28. Fourth quarter IDHO – Trent Cowan 22-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 14:09. Trojans 34–13. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:36.

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
	Rushing	Jordan Chunn	22 rushes, 137 yards, TD
	Receiving	John Johnson	7 receptions, 128 yards, TD
Idaho	Passing	Matt Linehan	19/34, 166 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Aaron Duckworth	15 rushes, 50 yards
	Receiving	Trent Cowan	5 receptions, 58 yards, TD

At Louisiana–Monroe

See also: 2016 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football team

Idaho Vandals at Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks – Game summary

Period	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

Game information

First quarter IDHO – Austin Rehkow 28-yard field goal, 9:01. Vandals 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 64 yards, 5:59. IDHO – Austin Rehkow 34-yard field goal, 6:56. Vandals 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:03. IDHO – Austin Rehkow 32-yard field goal, 2:36. Vandals 9–0. Drive: 9 plays, 20 yards, 3:33. IDHO – Kendrick Trotter 19-yard blocked punt return (Austin Rehkow kick), 1:18. Vandals 16–0. Second quarter ULM – Ben Luckett 31-yard run (Craig Ford kick), 13:31. Vandals 16–7. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 2:47. IDHO – Aaron Duckworth 2-yard run (Matt Linehan pass to David Ungerer), 10:59. Vandals 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 2:32. ULM – Garrett Smith 6-yard run (Craig Ford kick), 7:42. Vandals 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:17. ULM – Xavier Brown 44-yard pass from Garrett Smith (Craig Ford kick), 1:25. Vandals 24–21. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 2:45. Third quarter ULM – Craig Ford 31-yard field goal, 6:40. Tied 24–24. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:34. IDHO – Jordan Frysinger 71-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 5:46. Vandals 31–24. Drive: 2 plays, 69 yards, 0:54. Fourth quarter ULM – Ajalen Holley 30-yard pass from Garrett Smith (Craig Ford kick), 2:28. Tied 31–31. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:52. IDHO – Austin Rehkow 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Vandals 34–31. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:28.

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
	Rushing	Aaron Duckworth	16 rushes, 121 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jordan Frysinger	4 receptions, 100 yards, TD
Louisiana–Monroe	Passing	Garrett Smith	20/38, 302 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Garrett Smith	13 rushes, 88 yards, TD
	Receiving	Xavier Brown	3 receptions, 96 yards, TD

New Mexico State

See also: 2016 New Mexico State Aggies football team

New Mexico State Aggies at Idaho Vandals – Game summary

Period	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

Game information

First quarter NMSU – Izaiah Lottie 68-yard pass from Tyler Rogers (kick failed), 10:06. Aggies 6–0. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:47. IDHO – Deon Watson 9-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 4:56. Vandals 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:10. NMSU – Clayton Granch 10-yard pass from Tyler Rogers (Parker Davidson kick), 2:43. Aggies 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:13. Second quarter IDHO – Denzal Brantley 4-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 14:55. Vandals 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 2:44. IDHO – Austin Rehkow 33-yard field goal, 10:37. Vandals 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 2:43. IDHO – Alfonso Onunwor 7-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 4:30. Vandals 24–13. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:06. IDHO – Austin Rehkow 37-yard field goal, 1:08. Vandals 27–13. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 1:18. NMSU – Parker Davidson 35-yard field goal, 0:00. Vandals 27–16. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 1:08. Third quarter IDHO – Aaron Duckworth 19-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 10:36. Vandals 34–16. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 2:21. IDHO – Jordan Frysinger 78-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 8:02. Vandals 41–16. Drive: 1 play, 78 yards, 0:11. IDHO – Isaiah Saunders 1-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 1:08. Vandals 48–16. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:37. Fourth quarter IDHO – Matt Linehan 10-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 12:19. Vandals 55–16. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:34. NMSU – Jaleel Scott 45-yard pass from Nick Jeanty (Parker Davidson kick), 1:12. Vandals 55–23. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 1:31.

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
	Rushing	Larry Rose III	11 rushes, 32 yards
	Receiving	Tyrian Taylor	4 receptions, 110 yards
Idaho	Passing	Matt Linehan	29/36, 476 yards, 4 TD, INT
	Rushing	Isaiah Saunders	12 rushes, 59 yards, TD
	Receiving	Deon Watson	6 receptions, 129 yards,td

At Appalachian State

See also: 2016 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team

Idaho Vandals at Appalachian State Mountaineers – Game summary

Period	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	IDHO	APP
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Idaho	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Appalachian State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At Louisiana–Lafayette

See also: 2016 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team

Idaho Vandals at Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns – Game summary

Period	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	IDHO	ULL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Idaho	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Louisiana–Lafayette	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At Texas State

See also: 2016 Texas State Bobcats football team

Idaho Vandals at Texas State Bobcats – Game summary

Period	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	IDHO	TXST
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Idaho	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Texas State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

South Alabama

See also: 2016 South Alabama Jaguars football team

South Alabama Jaguars at Idaho Vandals – Game summary

Period	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	USA	IDHO
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Alabama	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Idaho	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Georgia State

See also: 2016 Georgia State Panthers football team

Georgia State Panthers at Idaho Vandals – Game summary

Period	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	GAST	IDHO
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Idaho	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Vs. Colorado State (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)

See also: 2016 Colorado State Rams football team and 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Idaho Vandals vs. Colorado State Rams (Famous Idaho Bowl) – Game summary

Period	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

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter CSU – Bisi Johnson 52-yard pass from Nick Stevens (Wyatt Bryan kick), 14:35. Rams 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 1:28. IDHO – Isaiah Saunders 2-yard run (kick failed), 12:03. Rams 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:32. IDHO – Isaiah Saunders 26-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 9:59. Vandals 13–7. Drive: 3 plays, 62 yards, 0:56. IDHO – Jacob Sannon 6-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 0:24. Vandals 20–7. Drive: 18 plays, 85 yards, 6:44. Third quarter IDHO – Matt Linehan 7-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 11:12. Vandals 27–7. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:48. IDHO – Deon Watson 74-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 8:13. Vandals 34–7. Drive: 1 play, 79 yards, 0:18. IDHO – Jacob Shannon 16-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 3:16. Vandals 41–7. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 0:53. CSU – Michael Gallup 12-yard pass from Nick Stevens (Wyatt Bryan kick), 1:43. Vandals 41–14. Drive: 5 plays, 91 yards, 1:33. Fourth quarter IDHO – Aaron Duckworth 5-yard run (Austin Rehkow kick), 12:56. Vandals 48–14. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:47. CSU – Bisi Johnson 73-yard pass from Nick Stevens (Wyatt Bryan kick), 12:21. Vandals 48–21. Drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, 0:35. IDHO – Jordan Frysinger 54-yard pass from Matt Linehan (Austin Rehkow kick), 9:27. Vandals 55–21. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 2:54. CSU – Michael Gallup 60-yard pass from Nick Stevens (Wyatt Bryan kick), 9:06. Vandals 55–28. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:21. IDHO – Isaiah Saunders 12-yard run (kick failed), 7:40. Vandals 61–28. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 1:26. CSU – Michael Gallup 3-yard pass from Nick Stevens (Wyatt Bryan kick), 5:29. Vandals 61–35. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 2:11. CSU – Dalyn Dawkins 22-yard run (Wyatt Bryan kick), 1:07. Vandals 61–42. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:09. CSU – Izzy Matthews 1-yard run (Nick Stevens pass to Bisi Johnson), 0:29. Vandals 61–50. Drive: 3 plays, 54 yards, 0:38.

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
	Rushing	Isaiah Saunders	33 rushes, 147 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Deon Watson	5 receptions, 140 yards, TD
Colorado State	Passing	Nick Stevens	21/36, 445 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Dalyn Dawkins	16 rushes, 118 yards, TD
	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. ^[3] 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. ^[3] 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. ^[4]

References

1. "Mountaineers Picked to Win League Title in 2016". Sun Belt Conference. July 21, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
2. "2016 Idaho Vandals Football Schedule". FBSSchedules. March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
3. "Idaho outscores Colorado State in Potato Bowl". USA Today . Retrieved December 26, 2023.
4. Katz, Michael (December 22, 2016). "Idaho football makes loud, clear statement in 61–50 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl victory". Idaho Statesman . Retrieved April 18, 2021.