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LOGAN -- Utah State football will face Ohio University from the Mid-American Conference in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 3:30 p.m. (MT) at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho, announced Sunday afternoon by the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Both USU and Ohio ended the regular-season with five-game win streaks, with the Aggies' winning their fifth-straight game with a thrilling 24-21 win at New Mexico State on Saturday. Ohio had its five-game win streak halted with a heartbreaking 23-20 loss to Northern Illinois Saturday in the MAC Championship game in Detriot, leading 20-0 at halftime before NIU rallied and won with a field goal as time expired.
The Bobcats are 9-4 overall, winning the MAC East Division title. Ohio is led by senior quarterback Tyler Tettleton, who broke 12 Bobcat single-season records this year and ranks 20th nationally with 26 touchdown passes. This will be the Bobcats' third-straight bowl appearance. Ohio opened the season with a 44-24 win at New Mexico State on Sept. 3, the lone common opponent between the Aggies and Bobcats.
USU will bring the nation's sixth-ranked rushing attack into the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, led by junior running back Robert Turbin, who is 10th in FBS in rushing (118.0 ypg) and tied for fifth in scoring (11.5 ppg).
"I have tremendous respect for Coach Frank Solich as a head coach and his program. Ohio is a quality opponent that has been to three-consecutive bowl games. They are very well-coached, and we will be facing a big, fast, physical football team," USU head coach Gary Andersen said. We are excited to prepare to face a very high- caliber team in Ohio in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl."
Utah State's last bowl appearance was in 1997 against Cincinnati in the same venue, the formerly-named Humanitarian Bowl. Overall, this will be Utah State's seventh bowl appearance in the program's history. USU has been to six bowls, as the Aggies played in the 1946 Raisin Bowl, the 1947 Grape Bowl, the 1960 Sun Bowl, the 1961 Gotham Bowl, the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl and the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl.
"We're delighted that Ohio and Utah State will be the match-up in our Bowl," said Kevin McDonald, Executive Director, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. "Both teams have well-coached, resurgent programs with powerful offenses so the fans are sure to see a competitive and entertaining game on the blue turf in Boise."
This will be only the second all-time meeting between Utah State and Ohio, with the teams playing each other on Sept. 17, 1994, at Athens, Ohio, and USU winning, 5-0.
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is the second game of the entire bowl calendar and the only one in its timeslot. The Bowl will be telecast nationally on ESPN and broadcast on ESPN Radio. Five of the previous seven games have been decided on the last drive, with an average score of 38-25 over the past 14 Bowls.
For more Aggie Football Famous Idaho Potato Bowl ticket information, fans can contact the USU Ticket Office at 1- 888-USTATE-1 (1-888-878-2831) or 435-797-0305, in person at the USU Ticket Office inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Doug Hoffman is the assistant athletic director for Utah State University.
