2016 was a remarkable season for the University of Idaho Vandals.
 
The reasons are many. They won their first bowl game since 2009 in a fashion much more convincing than the final 61-50 score over Colorado State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl would indicate. The game itself was recognized as one of the most entertaining of the bowl season and went down in the record books as the third-highest scoring in bowl history.
 
They had a Coach of the Year when Paul Petrino earned that distinction for the Sun Belt Conference and a league Newcomer of the Year with defensive tackle Aikeem Coleman's selection in a vote of the conference coaches. Petrino was a finalist for the AFCA's Comeback Coach of the Year after his remarkable turn-around of the Vandal program and Matt Linehan was the FIPB Most Valuable Player.
 
Austin Rehkow again was a first-team all-conference selection to become the first player in school history to earn first-team honors for four seasons after starting his career as the punter of choice – and Special Teams Player of the Year, in the 2013 balloting of independent teams. He also is the first Vandal selected to play in the East-West Shrine game since Nate Enderle and Shiloh Keo played in 2010.
 
The Vandals' exploits during the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl helped tight end Deon Watson (five catches for 140 yards) and tackle Jordan Rose earn mention on the Associated Press' all-bowl team (both were honorable mention). Their 61 points and 606 yards total offense along with quarterback Matt Linehan's efficiency rating (213.96) were the best of the post-season.
 
Running back Isaiah Saunders came into his own at the end of the season. In addition to 33 carries (fifth among bowl game) and 147 yards (10^th) in the FIPB, he averaged 112.6 yards over the last five games. In post-season play, he was one of six players to score three rushing touchdowns to tie for top honors among running backs and was tied for second with 18 points among all players.
 
When Linehan and Watson hooked up for a 74-yard pass, it would stand as the fourth longest of the post-season. Linehan's 12.29 yards per pass attempt was third and his 18.14 per completion was sixth. With his four passing touchdowns and one rushing score, Linehan tied for fourth in points responsible for with 30. To those rankings, he added tie for fourth in passing touchdowns (four), and seventh in passing yards (381) and total offense (385).
 
Watson's average per catch of 28 yards ranked 10^th and Jacob Sannon's first two receiving touchdowns of the season put him in a tie for seventh with most receiving touchdowns of the post-season.
 
Interceptions by Jayshawn Jordan and D.J. Hampton along with a fumble recovery by Kendrick Trotter enabled the Vandals to tie for second in turnover margin with their total of three.
 
For the season, Linehan led the Sun Belt Conference in total passing yards with 3,184 and was second in pass efficiency (136.7) and passing touchdowns (19); third in passing yards per game (244.90), completion percentage (.619), points responsible for (140), and yards per pass attempt (7.67), and fourth in passing yards per completion (12.39) and total offense (257.8). His 3,351 yards total offense are the best by a Vandal since Ryan Fien had 3,597 in 1996.
 
Rehkow wrapped up a stellar career as Idaho's punter and kicker with first-place Sun Belt rankings in field goals per game (2.00), scoring (9.2) and total points (120), with a second-place ranking in field goal percentage (.897).
 
Jordan led the Sun Belt in interceptions with six – the most by an Idaho player since Stanley Franks had nine in 2006.
 
Jordan Frysinger's big-play heroics earned him second in the Sun Belt in yards per reception at 17.88. Among his 26 catches were plays of 78, 71, 54 (one-handed in the FIPB) and 39 yards. Watson was sixth at 16.95.
 
In terms of scoring Buck Cowan was second in the league with six touchdown receptions and Saunders are fourth in the league with nine rushing scores.