Utah State announced earlier today where it will play its 17th all-time official bowl game. The Aggies will take on Washington State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, which will be held at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho on Dec. 22.
This will be the sixth time in program history that USU has participated in this event. The first time came in 1997 when it went by the Humanitarian Bowl moniker, though still played in Boise, with the other games taking place in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2024. Utah State has a 1-4 overall record in these games, with the only victory being in 2012 against Toledo.
Utah State’s history in the Potato Bowl
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 23, 2023 | Georgia State | Lost 45-22 |
| Dec. 22, 2015 | Akron | Lost 23-21 |
| Dec. 15, 2012 | Toledo | Won 41-15 |
| Dec. 17, 2011 | Ohio | Lost 24-23 |
| Dec. 29, 1997 | Cincinnati | Lost 35-19 |
USU head coach Bronco Mendenhall met with media via Zoom on Sunday afternoon to discuss the upcoming bowl. He cited the regionality of the matchup, with both Utah State and Washington State in relatively close proximity. Logan is a littler more than a four-hour drive from Boise with Pullman being five-and-a-half hours away by car.
“I’m really excited about the game. The regional flavor of the game, I think, is really good for not only Utah State, but also Washington State,” Mendenhall said. “And I like the timing of the game. I always like college football, especially prior to Christmas, so the kids can play, have a great experience, and then be home with their families. I love how close it is to Logan and for our fans to be able to get to the game without a giant disruption of their calendar.”
It’s been less than a year since Washington State and Utah State last played. The two sides met last season as part of the scheduling agreement between the Pac-12 and Mountain West that lasted for only the 2024 season. The Cougars won that game 49-28. Washington State leads the all-time series 3-2. Only two games have been played since 1961, with USU winning 26-23 in 2021 and the Cougars winning the aforementioned 2024 matchup.
All-Time Utah State vs Washington State football history
| Date | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 9, 2024 | Pullman, WA | Washington State won 49-28 |
| Sept. 4, 2021 | Pullman, WA | Utah State won 26-23 |
| Sept. 30, 1961 | Pullman, WA | Utah State won 34-14 |
| Sept. 23, 1950 | Logan, UT | Washington State won 46-6 |
| Sept. 17, 1949 | Pullman, WA | Washington State won 33-0 |
Mendenhall also faced WSU last year as head coach at New Mexico, pulling off a historic win for the Lobos. At the time of the game, the Cougars were ranked 19th in the AP Poll, making it the first win by New Mexico over a ranked opponent in 21 years.
This year, Washington State has a 6-6 overall record, just like Utah State. The Cougars won their final game of the regular season, defeating Oregon State at home 32-8, avenging a 10-7 loss when the two teams met earlier in the year in Corvallis. The Cougars have spent the season looking to create low-scoring games, averaging 21.6 points scored on offense to 20.2 points allowed on defense. They’ve held six of their opponents to 13 or fewer points this year, with only two scoring above 24 points (those being North Texas, who’s FBS-leading scoring offense put up 59, and Washington, the 23rd-ranked scoring offense which likewise scored 59).
Mendenhall noted that this kind of style puts this matchup in a similar plane to a few of the Aggies’ games against Mountain West opponents.
“That’s somewhere between Fresno [State] and New Mexico, of the teams we played this year, in terms of style of play,” Mendenhall said. “Neither one of those is perfect or accurate or all the way aligned, but somewhere in there leaning more toward Fresno would be what that might look like. However, the matchups can also allow more explosive plays and a different scoring potential.”
One storyline to pay at least some attention to is the fact that Washington State will be dealing with the aftermath of losing their head coach, Jimmy Rodgers. He is leaving Pullman to take the head coaching job at Iowa State after just a single season coaching the Cougars. Defensive Coordinator Jesse Bobbit has been named interim head coach. It’s a decision Mendenhall has history with, having opted to coach bowl games at both BYU and Virginia in 2015 and 2021 even when in both those season, he coached in the bowl having already been publicly announced as leaving.
“I made it clear to the teams that wanted me to leave that I would not leave unless I could remain with my team [through the bowl game],” Mendenhall said. “And that’s still really difficult. Your team knows you’re leaving. Really, my act, I was trying to express loyalty and finishing and being with them to the end. But there’s a sense of uncertainty for everyone. And it’s a challenge.
“Sometimes it’s a cleaner break if the head coach is gone. Sometimes, though, his assistants are allowed to remain to give that team its best chance for continuity until through the game and then they can go, whichever one (the departing head coach is) choosing. Other times some of the assistants go also. And so it could be kind of a skeleton type of staff.”
An important note Mendenhall added, though, is that he’s not really observed an impact on coaches leaving to the performance of a team in bowl games.
“Rarely have I seen that affect the team in a manner that’s noticeable. Sometimes they play almost in defiance of the departures and sometimes are more motivated,” Mendenhall said.”
Washington State is also an opponent made interesting by several connections. Not only are the Cougars set to become conference mates in the Pac-12, but their current president, Elizabeth Cantwell, is the former president at USU. Mendenhall was asked about his relationship with the former Aggie president, whose tenure overlapped Mendenhall’s time at USU by only 117 days.
“It was very short and the relationship didn’t have much depth or maturity to it because it wasn’t long enough,” Mendenhall said. “She was very transparent and open regarding the circumstances in which I was walking into here at Utah State.”
