Six Aggie 2007 foes get into bowl games

Six of the Utah State football team’s 12 opponents from 2007 will be playing bowl games.

Headlining those six teams is one the Aggies came surprisingly close to beating Oct. 6-the Hawaii Warriors of the Western Athletic Conference.

The Warriors qualified for the Bowl Championship Series and will play the Georgia Bulldogs Jan. 1 at 6:30 p.m. on FOX. The Warriors are the second team from the WAC to make the BCS in as many years. The Boise State Broncos made the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl last season and beat the Oklahoma Sooners.

In the Oct. 6 meeting between the Aggies and the Warriors, Utah State held a three-point lead twice in the first half before falling, 52-37.

To qualify for the BCS, the Warriors-whose schedule strength had been one of the lowest in Division I-A for most the season-had to overcome a 21-point deficit at home against the Washington Huskies on Saturday. Hawaii won, 35-28, to cap a 12-0 season.

“It was awesome,” Warriors head coach June Jones said of being in the Sugar Bowl. “The first time in the BCS had a lot to do with that. But at the same time, there have been a lot of people who have been waiting for this for a long time. I certainly wanted to reap the enjoyment of it.”

Jones said his team will be taking some time off for the next two weeks before beginning practice again Dec. 13.

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL – Oklahoma vs. West Virginia

The Aggies met up with the Oklahoma Sooners-then the No. 3 team in the nation-Sept. 15, losing 54-3.

The Sooners finished this season 11-2 and beat No. 1 Missouri last week, 38-17.

The Fiesta Bowl is Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. on FOX.

SHERATON HAWAII BOWL – Boise St. vs. East Carolina

The Broncos came to Romney Stadium as the No. 20 team in the country Nov. 10 and rolled right through USU, 52-0. It was Boise State’s first road shutout in 31 years.

The Broncos finished 10-2, losing only to Hawaii and Washington.

The game is Dec. 23 in Hawaii at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

ROADY’S HUMANITARIAN BOWL – Fresno St. vs. Georgia Tech

Utah State traveled to Fresno Nov. 3, losing 38-27.

Fresno State finished 8-4. The game with Georgia Tech is Dec. 31 in Boise, Idaho, at noon on ESPN2.

NEW MEXICO BOWL – Nevada @ New Mexico

The Wolf Pack barely escaped Romney Stadium with a 31-28 win Oct. 20.

The Aggies held a 21-14 lead at halftime after Kevin Robinson took a punt 70 yards for a touchdown.

The Wolf Pack finished 6-6, good enough for fourth in the WAC.

The game is Dec. 22 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNHD.

POINSETTIA BOWL – Utah vs. Navy

The Utes took out the Aggies, 34-18, on a snowy Sept. 29 afternoon at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Aggies held a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

The Utes finished 8-4 for a third-place finish in the Mountain West Conference.

The game is Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. on ESPNHD.

-samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usu.edu