Idaho Potato Bowl 2015: Akron vs. Utah State TV Schedule, Time and Odds
The first meeting between the Akron Zips and Utah State Aggies takes place at the 2015 Idaho Potato Bowl Tuesday and offers a shot at history for both programs in what is sure to be a defensive encounter.
Akron coach Terry Bowden has the Zips in a bowl game for the first time in a decade on the heels of an elite defense loaded with star power. A win Tuesday would be the program's first bowl win as an FBS team.
There's not as much history on the line for the Aggies and coach Matt Wells, but a trying season littered with quarterback changes and adversity washes away in the limelight of a third appearance in this bowl over the last five years.
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Here's a look at everything to know when the two defensive forces collide.
Game Details
When: Tuesday, December 22, at 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Television: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 47
Spread: Utah State (-6.5)
Team Injury Reports
| D.J. Jones | RB | Ques Tues |
| Kent Myers | QB | Prob Tues |
| Travis Seefeldt | NT | Out indefinitely |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Chasing History
It didn't look good for Bowden's team out of the gates.
The Zips started 2-3, which bled into 3-5 before they hit on a four-game streak to earn their first bowl bid since 2005. Now it's history-making time, so long as the defense can continue to play at a high level and the running game compensates for a passing game sure to struggle.
Sophomore quarterback Thomas Woodson hasn't had a bad season by any means, throwing 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. It's a tall task, though, to ask him to post gaudy numbers against a defense allowing just 180.4 passing yards per game.
The good news? Utah State might not be doing much in the way of scoring against the Akron defense and Woodson's legs, in tandem with lead back Conor Hundley, has quite enough power to control the game. The season numbers, along with a few others, suggest as much:
| Conor Hundley | 188 | 883 | 4.7 | 10 |
| Thomas Woodson | 119 | 544 | 4.6 | 3 |
| Donnell Alexander | 98 | 476 | 4.9 | 2 |
| Van Edwards Jr. | 14 | 60 | 4.3 | 0 |
Akron makes enough headway on the ground to thwart Utah State's dual-quarterback approach and control the game, something Aggies linebacker Kyler Fackrell made sure to touch on before the contest, according to ESPN.com.
"Conor Hundley is bigger and is a thick player," Fackrell said. ... "They do have a lot of size for those short-yardage situations, and they do pass well enough to keep you honest. With the draws and everything they do, the running game is absolutely a threat."
If the approach works, the Zips will make the long trip home with a first bowl win in hand.
Waking up the Ground Game
Wells' team doesn't dislike passing the ball, per se, but the Aggies lost starter Chuckie Keeton to a knee injury early in the season and only just got him back for the final two contests.
Given the fact backup Kent Myers threw for 1,470 yards with 14 touchdowns to three interceptions in his place, Keeton figures to share the duties and look to confuse the Zips Tuesday.
It might be the only way the Aggies can move the ball against MAC Defensive Player of the Year Jatavis Brown and a defense ranked third in the nation against the run, allowing just 89.9 yards per game.
As Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune noted, the Aggies have already danced with two of the nation's top six teams against the rush to mediocre results in a pair of losses.
"We need to find a way to run the ball," Keeton said, according to Luhm. "In the wins we've had, we've been able to move the ball on the ground a tremendous amount. That's something we need to focus on."
Keeton and Myers can run the ball well enough, but the onus of production figures to fall on lead back Devante Mays, who averages 5.5 yards per carry with 842 yards and nine scores this year.
Call it a worthy test for a team capping off another season with a bowl game. If the Aggies cannot make room on the ground, they could suffer one of the biggest upsets of bowl season.
Prediction
Las Vegas likes the Aggies here by a rather large amount, and it's hard to argue.
Akron's had an incredible season, but the Aggies are 9-2 against the MAC for a reason. Even if the ground game stalls, the Aggies should be able to take to the air with standout wide receiver Hunter Sharp, who has 746 yards and eight scores this year.
Thanks to a stingy defense led by the impressive Brown, look for the Zips to keep this one closer than most would expect.
A dual-quarterback approach and a strong defense of their own, not to mention the experience of national games such as this, though, will help the Aggies reel in the win late.
Prediction: Aggies 24, Zips 20
Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.
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