SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 15, 2012
No. 20 Utah State 41, Toledo 15: Kerwynn Williams rushed for 235 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Aggies pulled away from the Rockets at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise for their first bowl victory since 1993.
Williamsกฏ 63-yard touchdown run with 6:57 remaining gave Utah State (11-2) a 20-9 lead and the senior added two more scores from 5 and 25 yards. Quarterback Chuckie Keeton registered 227 yards passing and 92 yards rushing, including a 62-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, as the Aggies won their seventh straight.
Utah State limited Toledo (9-4) to three points on three drives deep into Aggies territory in the second half. Kyler Fackrell intercepted Austin Dantin, the Rockets failed on fourth-and-1 at the 9-yard line and a Jeremiah Detmer 29-yard field goal pulled Toledo within 13-9 with 7:28 left in the game.
Toledoกฏs senior linebacker Dan Molls, the leading tackler in the nation, suffered a concussion on the opening kickoff and did not return. Rockets running back David Fluellen, eighth in the country in rushing, was also lost with an ankle injury late in the first quarter. Fluellen had 38 yards on seven carries.
The Rockets still hung around in the first half, getting a pair of 37-yard field goals by Detmer. Keetonกฏs touchdown run on an option play with 3:07 left in the first quarter and a Nick Diaz 27-yard field goal as time expired in the second gave Utah State a 10-6 halftime lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: QB Terrance Owens, who threw for 14 touchdowns before missing the last regular-season game with an ankle injury for Toledo, did not play until the fourth quarter and was 6-of-17 for 30 yards. กญ Utah State, which lost 24-23 to Ohio in last seasonกฏs Potato Bowl, improved to 2-6 in bowls. กญ Bernard Reedy had six receptions for 62 yards, rushed for 50 and scored on an 87-yard kickoff return for Toledo, which is 8-5 in bowl games.