With quarterbacks Craig Juntunen and Rocky Tuttle running the veer offense, the Vandals were 3–8 overall and 2–4 in the Big Sky in 1977.[2][3] Idaho did not play runner-up Northern Arizona, but the Big Sky designated a non-conference home game for each to count as a sixth conference game in the standings, with both opponents from the PCAA.[4][5] The Vandals lost to Pacific in September while NAU defeated Cal State Fullerton in October.
The season concluded with a 30-point home loss to Boise State, held two days after Thanksgiving. The young rivalry took a new step in the fourth quarter, when the Broncos were up 34–14 and in control. Having thrown the ball sparingly in building its twenty-point lead, second-year head coach Jim Criner went heavily to the passing game. Boise scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left, then staged a successful onside kick and made a field goal with seconds remaining.[2][8][9][10]
Boise State went undefeated in the Big Sky, but because of the late conclusion of their regular season, they had to decline a berth in the Division II playoffs, which started earlier that day.[11] Conference runner-up Northern Arizona took their place and was shut out at home, 35–0.[9][12] In the previous season, underdog Idaho had won the rivalry game in the season opener before a record crowd in Boise in Criner's debut as head coach.[13][14] At the time, the Broncos were three-time defending conference champions, all under previous head coach Tony Knap. Idaho had agreed to move that 1976 game from November 27 up to September 11, so that BSU could participate in the D-II playoffs, but the Broncos ended at 2–5 in the Big Sky (fifth) and 5–5–1 overall.
Division I
This was the last season prior to the creation of Division I-AA,[15] which the Big Sky joined. 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 had maintained its upper division status in the NCAA by playing Division I non-conference opponents (and was ineligible for the Division II postseason). (Idaho was involuntarily dropped to the College Division in 1967,[16] then returned to the University Division in 1969.)[17]
Troxel fired
Five weeks after the season concluded, Troxel was asked for his resignation by new university president Richard Gibb on December 30.[18][19][20][21] An assistant under the preceding three head coaches and a former head coach of track and field,[22] he had been at UI for an over a decade.[3][23] Very successful at Borah High School in Boise(1958–66),[23] Troxel returned to the high school ranks in 1978 at Kennewick High School, in the Tri-Cities of easternWashington,[24] and built the Lions into winners; he coached through 1990, and died of cancer at age 75in 2001.[25][26]
Defensive tackle Tim Sanford and punter Ralph Lowe were named to the Big Sky all-conference team; Lowe was named to the second team as a placekicker. Also on the second team were tackle Larry Coombs, center Joe Kramer, running back Robert Taylor, linebacker Chris Tormey, defensive end Joe Pellegrini, and defensive back Brian Charles.[39][40]
