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Logan • Utah State won't be going far for its fifth straight bowl appearance.
The Aggies will play Akron of the Mid-American Conference in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise on Dec. 22, it was announced Sunday afternoon.
Utah State finished 6-6 overall and 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference this season. The Zips ended up 7-5 overall and 5-3.
"We gladly accept the invitation to represent Utah State University and the Mountain West Conference," Utah State coach Matt Wells said in a statement. "This bowl game is a great reward for our team and its accomplishments this year and solidifies the strength and consistency of this program."
Utah State will play in its school-record fifth consecutive bowl game. They Aggies are 3-1 in the previous four, including a 21-6 victory over UTEP in last year's New Mexico Bowl, which allowed them to finish a 10-4 record.
This trip to the Potato Bowl will be Utah State's third since 2011. Four years ago, the Aggies lost to Ohio, 24-23. In 2012, they defeated Toledo, 41-15.
"We are thrilled to represent the Mountain West Conference," athletic director John Hartwell said. "Utah State has a great history and relationship with both the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and the city of Boise and the proximity of the bowl will give our loyal fans a great opportunity to [see] the Aggies play."
Utah State's season has been a roller coaster.
The Aggies opened with a come-from-behind 12-9 victory over eventual Big Sky Conference champion Southern Utah. Consecutive losses to Utah (24-14) and Washington (31-17) of the Pac 12 followed before the Aggies seemed to turn things around. They won three straight Mountain West Conference games over Colorado State (33-18), Fresno State (56-14) and — shockingly — nationally ranked Boise State (52-26).
Utah State forced eight turnovers in the win over the Broncos, which improved its Mountain West record at the time to 3-0 and put the Aggies on the inside track for hosting the league championship game.
USU failed to maintain its momentum, however,
After beating Boise, the Aggies were routed by eventual league champion San Diego State at Qualcomm Stadium, 48-14.
Starting with the Aztecs, Utah State lost four of its last six games, including last-minute defeats at New Mexico (14-13) and Air Force (35-28) that ended their conference title hopes.
In their regular-season finale against BYU, the Aggies jumped to a 21-10 lead before falling, 51-28. The loss snapped a 14-game home winning streak at Maverik Stadium.
Akron will be making its second bowl appearance in school history and the first since 2005, when the Zips dropped a 38-31 decision to Memphis in the Motor City Bowl.
Akron started 3-5 this season, including losses to Oklahoma (41-3) and Pitt (24-7). But the Zips enter the Potato Bowl on a four-game winning streak after victories over UMass (17-13), Miami, Ohio (37-28), Buffalo (42-21) and rival Kent State (20-0).
Akron's coach is Terry Bowden, who was at Auburn from 1993-98. His father, Bobby, turned Florida State into one of the elite powers in college football in the 1980s and 1990s. The Zips feature linebacker Jatavis Brown, who was the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
"We are excited to prepare for a quality Akron team that had an outstanding season," Wells said. "Our staff has great respect for … Terry Bowden and the Zips team — with the success they had this season."
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Storylines
P Utah State plays Akron in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Dec. 22 in Boise.
• The Aggies make their fifth straight bowl appearance. They are 3-1 in the last four.
• Akron plays in the Mid-American Conference. The Zips were 7-5 overall and 5-3 in league.