Idaho Potato Bowl 2016: Idaho vs. Colorado State TV Schedule, Time and Odds
Though the 2016 Idaho Potato Bowl between the Idaho Vandals and Colorado State Rams looks like the most lopsided game of bowl season, it also contains one of the best stories.
Idaho (8-4), dropping to FCS status in 2018, just secured its first winning season since 2009 and second over the past 17 years to make it to a bowl game for the third time in program history.
It's up to a red-hot Colorado State (7-5) team to spoil the feel-good story by taking care of business and setting the tone for future seasons. Riding a superb offense, the Rams want to make a statement while proving they should have been in a bigger bowl.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Given the storylines and chance at a competitive game driven by emotion, this isn't one to miss. Here's everything to know.
Idaho Potato Bowl 2016
Date: Thursday, Dec. 22
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Albertsons Stadium, Boise Idaho
Watch: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 65
Spread: Colorado State (-13.5)
Team Injury Reports
| Jordan Grabski | DB | Ques Thurs |
| Dorian Clark | DB | Ques Thurs |
| Marvin Kinsey | RB | Out for season |
| Kiel Robinson | LB | Ques Thurs |
| Josh Lovingood | DL | Prob Thurs |
| Colin Hill | QB | Out for season |
| Xavier Williams | WR | Out indefinitely |
| Rashaad Boddie | RB | Out indefinitely |
| Adam Prentice | FB | Out for season |
| Christian Colon | DL | Out indefinitely |
| Deonte Clyburn | LB | Out for season |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Trumping Expectations
Given some of the numbers mentioned above and a dismissal from the Sun Belt Conference, most didn't expect the Vandals to put up much of a fight this year.
Wrong. In a testament to the effort put in by head coach Paul Petrino, Idaho won six of its last seven games, including four in a row.
The Vandals got it done in a variety of ways, too. Over the four-game streak, the defense allowed more than 14 points in a game once. Quarterback Matt Linehan continued his strong season and now has 2,803 yards and 15 touchdowns. The combo of Aaron Duckworth (619 yards, 4 touchdowns, 4.5 yards-per-carry average) and Isaiah Saunders (584, 6, 4.6) in the backfield continued to pound away at opposing defenses.
"That's one reason I'm so proud of our players," Petrino said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "They've been kicked out of a conference and told they were going to change divisions. They never worried about that. They worried about playing one game at a time."
The stout defense and ball-control offense will have one of its biggest tests of the year against a potent Rams attack, though the chance to make a statement paired with the other obvious motivating factors means fans shouldn't count out the Vandals.
Climbing the Ladder
The Rams have improved markedly over the course of the season.
One wouldn't have expected such a rise after the first game of the season, a 44-7 whipping at the hands of Colorado. Fast-forward to the final game of the year, an almost silly 63-31 beatdown of the Mountain West champion San Diego State Aztecs.
Colorado State's offense simply came alive over the last few weeks of the season, helping the team win four out of five, the wins coming by margins of 42-23, 37-0, 49-31 and 63-31.
Quarterback Nick Stevens lead the way, completing 65.5 percent of his passes with 1,491 yards and 14 touchdowns to three interceptions. His favorite target, Michael Gallup, caught 70 passes for 1,164 yards and 11 touchdowns.
As for the ground game, well, it is easier to list the dominance in table format:
| Dalyn Dawkins | 145 | 801 | 5.5 | 61 (TD) |
| Izzy Matthews | 143 | 705 | 4.9 | 41 |
| Marvin Kinsey Jr. | 93 | 546 | 5.9 | 75 (TD) |
| Detrich Clark | 34 | 244 | 7.2 | 35 (TD) |
Las Vegas strongly favors the Colorado State offense over the Idaho defense here in what looks like a strong battle of wills. Whether the Rams can keep riding the current improvements is a topic open for discussion.
At the least, the Rams can lean on the fact the program has made four bowls in a row and touts an experience factor in big games. Armed with such knowledge, the Rams will understand how dangerous it is to overlook an opponent like the Vandals.
Prediction
As one can probably guess, it makes little sense to disagree with oddsmakers here.
While it's a great feel-good story to see Idaho play strong football before sweeping changes, keep in mind the Vandals have done so against lesser competition than what the Rams encountered all year.
To be fair, the Vandals defense will put on a stronger performance than most would expect here. But the offense won't do much against Colorado State, especially as the Rams control the pace of the game with their lengthy stable of runners.
Expect this one to start slow before the Rams pull away in the second half.
Prediction: Colorado State 34, Idaho 24
Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
