Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

The first of two bowl games today. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl features Kent State and Wyoming. The game will be played in Boise and air at 3:30 PM ET on ESPN.

Kent State finished the 2021 season with a 7-6 record after winning the MAC East and falling to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship. The Golden Flashes played two ranked teams this year in Texas A&m and Iowa and were blown out each time.

In conference play, they lost just two regular season games against Western Michigan and Central Michigan. Kent State should not be confused for a defensive team. Many of its games this season were shootouts. Quarterback Dustin Crum has nearly 3,000 passing yards, but the offense is at its best through the ground game. The team averages 5.3 yards per carry and has 35 rushing touchdowns this year. Crum has 633 rushing yards this year with 11 touchdowns while running backs Marquez Cooper and Xavier Williams have combined for nearly 1,900 yards and 14 touchdowns.

When the Golden Flashes go to the air, Dante Cephus is the player to watch.

Wyoming started the season 4-0 against mostly bad teams and struggled in conference play--winning just two of its eight Mountain West games. The Most impressive win form the Cowboys was probably a 50-43 win over MAC champion Northern Illinois in the second game of the season. They also upset eventual Mountain West champion Utah State.

Wyoming has struggled on offense this season, eclipsing 20 points in just three conference games. Having said that, this a pretty good opponent to be playing to fix that. Kent State's first game against Northern Illinois was eerily similar to Wyoming's meeting with the Huskies, and the Golden Flashes held just three teams under 30 points all year. That could mean monster games for running backs Xazavian Valladay and Titus Swen.

Whichever team's defense can make a big play probably wins this one. Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma, likely a day two NFL draft prospect come April, may end up being that guy.