Fansided

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 2015, Akron vs. Utah State, 23-21: Full highlights, final score and more

By Cody Williams

Dec 22, 2015; Boise, ID, USA; Akron Zips wide receiver A.J. Coney (11) runs through an arm tackle of Utah State Aggies safety Marwin Evans (24) during first half action in the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Bronco Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Boise, ID, USA; Akron Zips wide receiver A.J. Coney (11) runs through an arm tackle of Utah State Aggies safety Marwin Evans (24) during first half action in the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Bronco Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports /
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Akron’s dominant defense came up big to defeat Utah State in the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Tommy Bowden and the Akron Zips almost surely came into the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl just happy to be there. After all, Tuesday’s matchup with the Utah State Aggies would be just the second bowl appearance for the Zips in the history of the program and their first bowl appearance since 2005. Moreover, they would also be looking for their first win in a bowl game on Tuesday inside Albertson’s Stadium. However, Bowden had his team, who came in as the underdogs in this matchup, more than ready to play and it showed right from the opening kick.

The Zips struck first in this matchup as they pieced together a quick-strike drive on their second possession of the afternoon. Bowden drew up a bit of a trick play in which receiver Tyrell Goodman took the ball on a reverse and then threw a beautiful touchdown pass to quarterback Thomas Woodson as he trotted untouched into the end zone. Woodson would suffer an injury later in the first half, but the Zips defense took charge of the contest and continued to make plays all afternoon.

Though Utah State running back Devante Mays broke off some impressive runs and Kent Myers struck a couple of times through the air, the Akron defense was phenomenal in this matchup. They forced the Aggies into three turnovers, consistently pressured and limited the effectiveness of Myers and the Utah State offense, and made all of the plays necessary to keep their team in this game.

Utah State tried their hardest to make a late fourth-quarter run as they trailed 23-14 with just over eight minutes remaining, but Bowden and his team wouldn’t roll over and stood their ground. Ultimately, it was the Zips’ day for glory on the blue turf in Boise, ID as Akron came out victorious with their first ever bowl victory.

Three stars

The Akron defense as a whole gets a shoutout for this game as they were simply phenomenal in creating turnovers, largely stopping the run, and just having a big day. Specific mentioning of defensive tackle Rodney Coe is warranted for his fantastic fumble return where he was sprinting and breaking tackles with his 300-pound frame.

Thomas Woodson didn’t have the most impressive performance of all time, but he only made one real mistake (an interception), caught a touchdown pass, and fought through an injury to stay in the game and lead the Zips to victory.

Devante Mays was the bright spot for the Utah State offense as the running back took 12 carries for 124 yards on the afternoon, including a 61-yarder that led to one of the Aggies touchdowns.

Highlights

Odds

The Aggies were 7.5-point favorites in this game, which they failed to cover in the loss. The two teams also combined to hit the under on the 46.5-point O/U line.

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