Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

The Teams: Ohio (9-4) vs. Utah State (7-5)

The Pre-Game Headline: Aggies find first postseason in 14 years as they battle the Bobcats in Boise.

Viewability factor: A-

Both teams have big play potential and exciting playmakers on offense. Don’t be surprised if Utah State brings a pretty large crowd from Logan. As for Ohio, it’s a difficult trip from Athens, Ohio after their Motor City metdown in the MAC championship. Don’t forget, this was the same bowl that hosted one of the best bowl games in recent years in 2009’s game which had Idaho converting a two-point conversion to beat Bowling Green 43-42. In the 14 year history of the bowl, 70 or more combined points have been scored in seven of those games. The WAC is 4-7 in their 11 appearances; the MAC is 1-1.


Ohio: The Bobcats have a few problems to overcome. Blowing a 20 point lead in the MAC championship is a lot to overcome. Their confidence is down, but it is possible to rise from the Ashes. The team that beat Frank Solich and company in this year’s MAC championship game (Northern Illinois) faced the same dilemma when they rolled into Boise last year and took Fresno behind the woodshed (40-17). Aside from shaken confidence, Ohio has moments where the offensive game plan just disappears. In their 4 losses this season, the Bobcats have scored a combined 15 points in the 4th quarter. If Ohio wants to win, they have to give QB Tyler Tettleton time to think. Tettleton is fantastic when he has time to see the whole field.  When under pressure, Tettleton’s inexperience shows. WR Lavon Brazil is the key to the offense, but Ohio needs a consistent game from RB Donte Harden who is unpredictable and gains most of his yards as a result of offenses keying on Tettleton and the pass.


Utah State: If you look at the numbers, both offensively and defensively, these two teams are almost identical.  Utah State has blown three late game leads in their 5 losses this season. The Aggies score points in bunches and have some major play-makers on the offense. The key to Utah State’s offense is RB Robert Turbin. Turbin has had seven 100-yard games, including over 200+ vs. Idaho, and 145 vs. Fresno. Utah State won’t throw a lot of long bombs; they live and die by the bubble screen. That is they did until the neck injury to frosh QB Chuckie Keaton. His replacement, Jr. QB Adam Kennedy, has given the Aggies more of a deep threat ,and in turn, Ohio coaches have even more film to study as they try to decide which QB will take the field in Boise.

Defense/Special teams: Defensively, both teams are led by experienced, hard-hitting linebackers. USU’s Bobby Wagner and Ohio’s Noah Keller are both highly underrated. USU is fearless in the pass rush with 23 sacks, and that is the best way to beat Tyler Tettleton. Make no mistake, Utah State HC Gary Andersen will be studying the MAC Championship tape against NIU very carefully and the pass rush will be early and often. If you look at the secondaries, Ohio clearly has the edge with Travis Carrie and the underrated star-in-the-making Xavier Hughes. But if Keeton lines up behind center, that may neutralize Ohio’s effectiveness in the defensive backfield a bit due to the monotonous screen-style.  USU’s Kerwyn Williams is the better return man, but Ohio gets the nod on punt returns with Brazill.

Bottom line: Be ready for a shootout. Boise is always a high scoring game, and there are no two teams more numerically similar than Ohio and USU. Unfortunately, USU’s experience on the blue turf (2008/2010), combined with Robert Turbin’s tough-nosed running will be the difference in this one. This should feel like a home game of sorts for the boys from Logan, and if Keaton gets the nod over Kennedy, look for the Aggies to pick away at the Ohio defense with multiple formations and, quite frankly, a lot more incentive to win than Ohio, who has a stigma of laying down in bowl games.

Final score: Utah State 38
                  Ohio 34

Post-game Headline: Turbin’s two td’s lift Aggies late in Boise Bowl win!