1973 Idaho Vandals football team

The 1973 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The Vandals were led by fourth-year head coach Don Robbins and were members of the Big Sky Conference, then in Division II. They played their home games at new Idaho Stadium, an unlit outdoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.

Season
With quarterbacks Rick Seefried, Dave Comstock, and Dennis Ballock running the veer offense, the Vandals were 4–7 overall and 3–2 in the Big Sky.

In the Battle of the Palouse, Idaho suffered a sixth straight loss to neighbor Washington State of the Pac-8, falling 51–24 at Martin Stadium in Pullman on September 29.

In their third game with new rival Boise State and first in Moscow, the Vandals fell at home 47–24 on September 15; this was the only outdoor meeting in Moscow in the series. The Broncos went on to win the first of three consecutive conference championships. Idaho did not schedule Northern Arizona until 1975 and both played only five games in conference.

At the conclusion of the season, Robbins' contract was not renewed. He was succeeded by Ed Troxel, a Vandal assistant coach since 1967 and also the head coach of the track team.

Division I
Through 1977, the Big Sky was a Division II conference for football, except for Division I member Idaho, which moved down to I-AA in 1978. Idaho maintained its upper division status in the NCAA by playing Division I non-conference opponents (and was ineligible for the Division II postseason).

Roster
Source:

All-conference
Four Vandals were selected to the Big Sky all-conference team: tight end Bill Kashetta, defensive tackle Lloyd Grimsrud, cornerback Randy Hall and safety Bucky Bruns. Three were named to the second team (honorable mention): running back Mark Fredback, wide receiver Tim Coles, and offensive tackle Bob Van Duyne.

NFL Draft
Two Vandal seniors were selected in the 1974 NFL Draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (442 selections).