BOISE, Idaho – The University of Akron (7-5) of the Mid-American Conference and Utah State University (6-6) of the Mountain West Conference have accepted invitations to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 22 at 1:30 p.m. MST. The game will take place at Albertsons Stadium on the campus of Boise State University and will be aired by ESPN and ESPN Radio. This is the 11th post-season appearance for Utah State, as well as the third Famous Idaho Potato Bowl appearance in the past five seasons. Akron will play in its second FBS bowl game, while playing in the Boise-based bowl game for the first time.
Akron brings a 7-5 record, including a 5-3 MAC record to the bowl game.The Zips feature a nationally third-ranked rushing defense (89.8 yards/game), as well as sitting at 16th in time of possession (32:42), 17th in total defense (328.5 yards/game) and tied for 18th in turnover margin (0.67 avg.). Additionally, senior linebacker Jatavis Brown holds multiple national rankings, including a tie for ninth in sacks per game (.88), 14th in tackles for loss (1.5/game), 34th in forced fumbles (.25/game) and 36th in total tackles (9.0/game). Brown’s efforts this season helped him earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and first team honors. Jerome Lane holds the team’s highest individual national ranking, sitting in fourth for yards per reception (21.43), while also ranking 28th in receiving touchdowns (8). Junior defensive back Deandre Scott ranks fifth in the country in total interceptions (6), as well as eighth in interceptions per game (.5) and 20th in passes defended (1.3). Overall Akron owns 19 top-40 rankings in different categories and landed five Zips on MAC all-conference teams this season.
Utah State enters the bowl game with a 6-6 record, including a 5-3 MW record. The Aggies will be playing in their fifth consecutive bowl game – a school record – and hold a three-game win streak in postseason matchups. USU ranks 14th nationally in passing defense (180.4 yards/game) and kickoff returns (25.48 yards/game), while also holding top-40 rankings in 16 different categories. Senior linebacker Kyler Fackrell leads the nation in fumbles recovered (5), while junior linebacker Nick Vigil is tied for fifth in the nation in total tackles (11.7 tackles/game). Senior nose guard David Moala ties for seventh in the nation in blocked kicks (2), while senior wide receiver Hunter Sharp ties for 10th in kickoffs returned for a touchdown (1). Fackrell and Vigil were named MW First Team honorees, Sharp earned a second team nod and Moala led nine Aggies in earning honorable mention accolades this season.
In its 19th season, the nation’s longest-running outdoor cold-weather bowl welcomes a MW and MAC match-up for the third time after the MW became affiliated with the bowl during the 2013 season. The MAC has been a Famous Idaho Potato Bowl affiliate since the 2009 bowl season.
“We are really excited about this year’s matchup between Utah State and Akron,” said Kevin McDonald, Executive Director, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. “It will be great to have Utah State return to the bowl since they have a fantastic regional fan base and always bring excitement to Boise. We are also thrilled to host Akron for the first time and look forward to their big defensive play on the field.”
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is one of 13 owned and operated postseason bowl games by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.
Tickets for the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $20 to $90. A limited number of suites, club seats and loge boxes are available by contacting the Boise State Athletic Ticket Office at (208) 426-4737.
Additionally, fans can purchase tickets to the inaugural FitOne Family Field Day, a pre-game event hosted in partnership with St. Luke’s. The family-oriented event caters to all ages and will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Caven-Williams Sports Complex. FitOne Family Field Day will feature a variety of “NFL Combine”-type events, hosted lunch and souvenirs for all attendees. The FitOne Family Field Day $24 ticket price includes a ticket to the Bowl game, lunch, participant awards and event souvenirs.
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl has a long history of giving back to Idaho charities, as well as the communities of those teams that participate. In addition to the distribution of donated tickets to select groups, this year’s Bowl activities will provide food donations to a number of food banks and charities, as well as team-specified charities within their local area.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; 13 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 250-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Boca Raton, Boise, Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth,Albuquerque, St. Petersburg and Las Vegas, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.
Collegiate Football
AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl (Houston); Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); Marmot Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Orlando Kickoff (Florida); Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)
Collegiate Basketball
AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan); DIRECTV Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic Presented by Corona (New York City);Jimmy V Women’s Classic Presented by Corona (Storrs, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off(Brooklyn, N.Y.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan) and State Farm Champions Classic(Chicago)
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Source: Idaho Potato Commission
