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Gonzaga vs. Idaho

Gonzaga and Idaho first met in 1921 and have played 20 times; the series is tied 9–⁠9–⁠2. Over the last 10 meetings it’s even at 5–⁠5.

Gonzaga wins
9
Idaho wins
9
Ties
2
First meeting
1921
Longest streak
3 Idaho
Current streak
1 Idaho
Last 10 meetings
even at 5–⁠5
Most recent
1941

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1920s4–⁠2–⁠2
1930s4–⁠6
1940s1–⁠1
Average margin
9.9 points; 8 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Gonzaga
4–⁠4–⁠1 Gonzaga’s record at home
At Idaho
5–⁠5–⁠1 Idaho’s record at home
Shutouts
7

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. Gonzaga’s biggest win1940: Gonzaga 25, Idaho 0by 25 points
  2. Idaho’s biggest win1930: Idaho 26, Gonzaga 0by 26 points
  3. Upset1929: Gonzaga 20, Idaho 14Gonzaga had a 21% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset1925: Gonzaga 12, Idaho 3Gonzaga had a 29% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset1936: Idaho 18, Gonzaga 6Idaho had a 30% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsGonzagaSeriesIdaho
1922–⁠1924Gus Dorais1–⁠1–⁠1Robert L. Mathews

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Gonzaga’s side (Dorais 1–⁠1–⁠1 against Mathews). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Gonzaga and Idaho, 1921 on1300150017001925193019351940

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

From the newspapers

  • The Cottonwood chronicle. (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current's story of the 1921 game: NEWS AROUND. THE STATE Items of Interest From Various Sections Reproduced for Ben eft of Our Readers.

    1921 · Cottonwood chronicle. (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, Idaho, Nov 25, 1921

  • The The Nezperce herald's story of the 1923 game: Local News. Slab wood at the Prairie Lumber Co Ladies' fall annarel inst in at o. i

    1923 · The Nezperce herald, Nezperce, Idaho, Nov 8, 1923

  • The Douglas daily dispatch's story of the 1927 game: GoNzAGA. DEFEATS idaho

    1927 · Douglas daily dispatch, Nov 27, 1927

  • The Imperial Valley press's story of the 1931 game: BRUIN ELEVEN AND OREGON IN SURPRISE ROLES

    1931 · Imperial Valley press, California, Nov 2, 1931

  • The Imperial Valley press's story of the 1933 game: HOLIDAY GRID CANES UPSET COAST TEAMS

    1933 · Imperial Valley press, California, Dec 1, 1933

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

Photos

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited), and libraries and archives found through the Digital Public Library of America (each under its holder’s rights statement).

Every game

Oct 10, 1941Idaho 21, Gonzaga 7at Gonzaga
Oct 12, 1940Gonzaga 25, Idaho 0at Idaho
Oct 13, 1939Gonzaga 19, Idaho 0at Gonzaga
Oct 15, 1938Idaho 26, Gonzaga 12at Gonzaga
Nov 6, 1937Idaho 6, Gonzaga 0at Idaho
Oct 31, 1936Idaho 18, Gonzaga 6at Gonzaga
Oct 5, 1935Gonzaga 7, Idaho 6at Idaho
Oct 6, 1934Gonzaga 24, Idaho 20at Gonzaga
Nov 25, 1933Idaho 20, Gonzaga 12at Idaho
Oct 8, 1932Gonzaga 20, Idaho 7at Idaho
Oct 31, 1931Idaho 7, Gonzaga 6at Gonzaga
Nov 1, 1930Idaho 26, Gonzaga 0at Idaho
Nov 16, 1929Gonzaga 20, Idaho 14at Idaho
Oct 6, 1928Idaho 6, Gonzaga 6at Idaho
Nov 26, 1927Gonzaga 13, Idaho 0at Gonzaga
Oct 24, 1925Gonzaga 12, Idaho 3at Idaho
Oct 4, 1924Gonzaga 0, Idaho 0at Gonzaga
Nov 3, 1923Idaho 13, Gonzaga 0at Idaho
Nov 25, 1922Gonzaga 14, Idaho 7at Gonzaga
Nov 19, 1921Idaho 6, Gonzaga 0at Idaho

Every game is listed as played on the field.