A historic season for the Utah State football team will end in Bronco Stadium.
The No. 25 and WAC champion Aggies (10-2) beat the Idaho Vandals 45-9 on Saturday and accepted an invitation to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
They will face a MAC team at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15(ESPN). Utah State lost to Ohio in last year’s game.
Utah State won an outright conference title for the first time since 1936. It will be the first ranked team in Boise’s bowl since No. 19 Boston College beat Boise State in 2005.
The Aggies’ losses were by two points at Wisconsin and three points at BYU.
The MAC team likely will come from a group that includes Kent State (11-1), Northern Illinois (11-1), Toledo (9-3), Ball State (9-3) and Bowling Green (8-4). That team probably won’t be decided until Dec. 2 because Kent State and Northern Illinois, who play for the conference title Friday, are in contention for a BCS berth.
MISTAKES DOOM IDAHO
LOGAN, Utah — Jason Gesser knew he’d be asked about his future after Idaho lost its 11th game of the year.
“We are still recruiting,” the Vandals interim head coach said after Saturday’s loss. “We have a handful of guys concentrating on recruiting, mostly in the Northwest. And I will continue to do so until I’m told otherwise.’’
Gesser coached the final four games, all losses, though the Vandals (1-11, 1-5 WAC) put up a fight in losing 34-27 last week to Texas-San Antonio and again Saturday in Logan.
“We stuck around due to the run game before it got away from us,” Gesser said.
Running back Mike Bass had 78 yards rushing at halftime, as the Vandals held a 142-90 edge in total yards. But they trailed 21-6 because of three interceptions by quarterback Taylor Davis, who was making his first start of the season and only fourth of his career. Davis also fumbled before giving way to Logan Bushnell late.
“The game was kind of like the story of the season,” Gesser said. “We shot ourselves in the foot with turnovers.”
Lou Groza Award finalist Trey Farquhar kicked field goals of 38, 46 and 52 yards — his 11th career field goal of 50 yards or more — for the Vandals.
The Associated Press
