2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Odds
Written by Jack Jones - Google +
The Ohio Bobcats take on the Utah State Aggies in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Saturday, December 17th. The Bobcats will be representing the Mid American Conference, while the Aggies come out of the Western Athletic Conference. These teams haven’t met since 1994 where Utah State was victorious by an unlikely final of 5-0. This game will be nationally televised on ESPN at 5:30 EST Saturday night.
Odds makers in Las Vegas have installed a line of Utah State -3 over Ohio with a total set of 57.5 points.
Ohio
The Bobcats put together yet another winning season under head coach Frank Solich. Ohio (9-4, 6-2 MAC) won the MAC East division, which earned them a trip to the conference championship. They would lose to Northern Illinois in heartbreaking fashion by a final of 23-20. After taking a 20-0 lead into halftime, the Bobcats allowed 23 unanswered points to the Huskies after intermission. NIU won the title with a 33-yard field goal on the last play of the game.
Ohio still doesn’t have a bowl win to their name. The Bobcats are 0-5 all-time in bowl games, including a 21-48 loss to Troy in the New Orleans Bowl last season. After making just two bowl appearances before Solich got here, the Bobcats will now be playing in the postseason for the fourth time in five years. He has certainly turned around this program. They should be motivated for their first bowl win, but it will be tough to overcome their emotional loss to NIU last time out.
The Bobcats rank 23rd in the country in total offense (453.5 yards/game) and 40th in total defense (354.9 yards/game). They have a balanced attack offensively, averaging 203.5 yards on the ground and 250.0 yards through the air. Quarterback Tyler Tettleton is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the land. He is completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,060 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while also rushing for 598 yards and nine scores. Donte Harden leads the team with 939 rushing yards and two scores. LaVon Brazil is their go-to receiver with 64 receptions for 1,063 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Utah State
The Aggies started slow this season, suffering several heartbreaking losses in the early going. Utah State (7-5, 5-2 WAC) would rebound towards the end of the season. They lost five of their first seven games, all by 10 points or less. Those five losses came by a combined 25 points, or an average of 5.0 points/game. That includes a 42-38 loss at then-No. 23 Auburn in their opener after blowing a 10-point lead with just over two minutes to play. The Aggies would get redemption down the stretch, winning five straight games to close out the season, all by 7 points or less.
Like Ohio, the Aggies have only been to five bowl games in the history of their program. Utah State will be making their first bowl appearance since 1997, which resulted in a 35-19 loss to Cincinnati in the Humanitarian Bowl. They are 1-4 all-time in bowl games, with their last win coming in the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl. They beat Ball State by a final of 42-33 that year. This team comes in with a lot of momentum, and like most of their games this season, I expect this one to go right down to the wire.
Utah State ranks 19th in the FBS in total offense (458.7 yards/game) and 48th in total defense (368.0 yards/game). Their strength is a rushing attack that ranks 6th in the country at 277.5 yards/game. Running back Robert Turbin has had a monster year, rushing for 1,426 yards and 19 touchdowns. Chuckie Keeton has done an excellent job of managing the offense. He is completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,175 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Keeton’s favorite target is Matt Austin, who has 34 receptions for 465 yards and six scores on the year.
Betting Trends
The Aggies are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 conference games, but 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.
The Bobcats are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games as an underdog, and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
Projected Score: Utah State 30 – Ohio 27
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