Utah State to play Toledo Rockets in Potato Bowl
The Toledo football team will be bowling in Boise, Idaho, with the Aggies.
The Rockets, who finished 9-3 this season, have accepted the invitation to play in the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, as announced Saturday.
“I think the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will provide our student-athletes with an outstanding bowl experience, as well as the opportunity to play against a very tough Utah State team,” Toledo head coach Matt Campbell told bowl officials.
Toledo went 6-2 in the Mid-American Conference, finishing in a tie for second place in the West Division.
The MAC – home to the same Ohio team which beat Utah State in the Potato Bowl last season – has seven teams playing in bowl games this season, a conference record, but the Rockets should be a stiff challenge for the Aggies this season.
Campbell is in his first year with the Rockets, helping them slip into the Top-25 rankings Nov. 4 before losing to Northern Illinois and Kent State, who both played in the MAC title game.
All-WAC honors awarded
Aggie head coach Gary Andersen was awarded Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Monday, in addition to several Aggie players to earn All-WAC accolades.
“I’m honored to have that and humbled to be able to be the Coach of the Year,” Andersen said in a press conference Monday. “It’s far from about me. It’s about the young men in the program and the terrific job the assistant coaches have done all year long.”
Junior center Tyler Larsen, fellow-lineman Eric Schultz, sophomore quarterback Chuckie Keeton, senior running back Kerwynn Williams, defensive lineman Al Lapuaho, linebackers Jake Doughty and Kyler Fackrell and senior safety Will Davis were all named to the first team.
Senior wide receiver Matt Austin, offensive lineman Jamie Markosian, freshman defensive lineman Jordan Nielsen, linebacker Zack Vigil and defensive backs McKade Brady and Nevin Lawson were given second-team awards.
Many other Aggies were considered in the conversation, including senior wide receiver Chuck Jacobs, senior tight end Kellen Bartlett and junior defensive lineman Connor Williams.
“As a head football coach, you are never going to get all the young men that you think you should get,” Andersen said. “I think it is a tremendous opportunity for them to receive the award and I am happy for them.”
“I don’t think there is a head coach in the country that says, ‘Yep, we completely agree with the all-conference awards,’ because you are biased to your kids and you want them to get awards that you believe they should get,” he added.
Louisiana Tech quarterback Colby Cameron and running back Kenneth Dixon, and San Jose State’s Travis Johnson were named the WAC Offensive Player, Freshman, and Defensive Players of the year, respectively.
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @StuckiAggies