The football program returned after missing the previous two seasons, due to World War II manpower shortages.
Composed mostly of freshmen,[2] Idaho met two nearby teams twice, Washington State and the Farragut Naval Training Station,[3][4] their sole non-conference opponent.
The losing streak in the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State reached seventeen games, falling 12–43 in the opener at Moscow,[2] and 0–21 in Pullman four weeks later.
[6] In the rivalry game with Montana, Idaho won 46–0 in Moscow to retain the Little Brown Stein;[7] it was the third of six straight shutouts in the series, with each side winning three.
[4] Alumnus Brown ran the downsized UI athletic department during the war and coached the basketball team for four seasons (1942–46).