The college football bowl season kicks off today with two games, including the Utah State Aggies and the Toledo Rockets facing off in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Earlier in the day, the first game of the season kicked off, the New Mexico Bowl featuring the Arizona Wildcats and the Nevada Wolfpack.
The Utah State Aggies are coming off of a season that was the best in school history and are ranked 18th in the nation. The team will try to avoid an upset from an offensively explosive Toledo team and to earn some redemption from last years bowl game, which also took place in Boise.
In 2011, the Aggies went 7-6, including 5-2 in the WAC and were invited to their first bowl game since the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl, which was also in Boise. Utah State held a lead late in the game, but lost 24-23 on a touchdown with 13 seconds to play.
"I feel like it's a good opportunity for us to go back to Boise," said receiver Matt Austin to the Associated Press. "It's going to be even better. We just need to win. That's our goal. It's a great bowl, we just didn't come out on top last year."
Austin had a career year this past season, setting new highs with 42 receptions and 652 yards. In the final game against Idaho, Austin had four catches for 41 yards in the 45-9 win. His best game of the season came in a 38-7 win over Texas State in which he had four catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.
This past season Utah State went 6-0 in the Western Athletic Conference and won the championship before moving to the Mountain West next year. The team has won 15 0f the past 18 games and their only two losses this season were 16-14 at Wisconsin and 6-3 at BYU.
"These kids have come so far," coach Gary Andersen said. "They put high expectations on themselves at the beginning of the year."
The Aggies have won six straight since losing at BYU and has one of the best defenses in the nation, ranking eighth in points with just 15.4 allowed per game. The team is scoring over 30 points per game and averages over 400 total yards.
"It's our chance to finish off the year right," senior linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu said.
Quarterback Chuckie Keaton has been stellar this year, throwing for 3,144 yards and 27 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. The sophomore is completing over 67 percent of his passes and is the 13th-rated passer in the FBS. Keaton has also rushed for 527 yards and seven touchdowns this year.
The team is rushing for 191 yards per game and has the conference's leading rusher in Kerwynn Williams. The senior has rushed for 1,277 yards and 17 touchdowns and has gained at least 100-yards in the past three games. In the final win against Idaho, he rushed for 110 yards and one touchdown along with four receptions and another score.
The Aggies have a tough defense, but will be tested by the Toledo Rockets offense, which is scoring over 30 points per game. The team was ranked as high as No. 23 this season before losing to Ball State on Nov. 6 and has a top 40-ranked offense.
"It's a good matchup -- they're talented," Rockets safety Jermaine Robinson said to the Associated Press. "They have a good running back and an athletic quarterback. Those two put together with their defense makes it a great challenge, but we're going to do what we have to do to win this game."
The Rockets are hoping to have back two key players dealing with injuries. Quarterback Terrance Owens missed the final game of the regular season with an ankle injury, while running back David Fluellen is hopeful to return after missing the 35-23 win over Akron on Nov. 20 with a sprained ankle.
Fluellen is ranked 12th in the nation in rushing with 1,460 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Owens set a career high with 2,677 yards passing. Senior Austin Dantin started in his place in the game against Akron and threw for 327 yards and five touchdowns
The Rockets opened the year with a 24-17 overtime loss to Arizona, but rebounded to win eight straight games, including a 29-23 over then-No. 21 Cincinnati. After losing two straight to Ball State and Northern Illinois, Toledo defeated Akron to finish the season.
Last year the Rockets went 9-4 and defeated Air Force in the Military Bowl. This season Toledo went 9-3 and finished second in the MAC West division with a 6-2 record.
According to the Associated Press, "The Rockets, however, have given up an average of 30.4 points over their last seven games and rank 108th in the FBS in total defense at 464.1 yards per game."
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