FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL – Bronco Stadium – Boise, ID
Kickoff: Thursday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Colorado State -13.5, Total: 64.5

Idaho will be looking to win its first bowl game since 2009 when the team faces Colorado State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Thursday.

This game will be Idaho’s first bowl game since 2009, and it’s only fitting that it’ll be the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The Vandals come into this thing on a four-game winning streak, and they have covered in seven straight games as well. They’ll come out with a ton of energy on Thursday, as this is essentially a home game for them. The crowd should be wild too, as these fans might not see many games like this from the Vandals moving forward. They’re moving to the FCS, so bowl games are no longer going to be an option. Their opponent in this matchup is also hot, as the Rams have won seven straight ATS and are coming off a 32-point win as an 11.5-point underdog at San Diego State. Colorado State’s offense has been something else in recent weeks, as the Rams are averaging 47.4 PPG over the past five contests. One trend that favors the Vandals in this game is the fact that they are 6-0 ATS away from home in games versus teams with a completion percentage of 58% or better over the past two seasons. Colorado State, meanwhile, is a similarly impressive 7-0 ATS after a game where it committed one or fewer turnovers on the year. The Rams are also 9-1 ATS when playing on a turf field this season.

Colorado State has had one of the most potent offenses in the nation recently and QB Nick Stevens (1,491 yards, 14 TD, 3 INT) is huge reason for that. Over the past six games, Stevens has thrown for 14 touchdowns and only one interception. He has had a QBR of over 90 in four of his past five as well. Stevens is making all the right decisions for this Rams team, and he’ll need to be on his game on Thursday as well. This game should be high scoring, and Stevens must be the best quarterback on the field in order for Colorado State to essentially win a road game. WR Michael Gallup (70 rec, 1,164 yards, 11 TD), Stevens’ favorite receiver, will also need to be ready to go in this one. Gallup has been on a tear as of late, caching 34 passes for 594 yards and six touchdowns over the past four games. He also happens to have a score in seven straight games and nine of the past 10 as well. Gallup should find a couple of holes in this game, and it’s likely he’ll find the end zone at least once. Defensively, this team allowed only 27.8 PPG this season (t-70th in NCAAF). That’s not necessarily a great number, but holding Idaho to 27 or fewer in this game would likely result in a win.

The fact that the Vandals are in this game is truly impressive, as head coach Paul Petrino has completely turned around this Idaho program. In his first year with the Vandals, the team went 1-11 and now they’re knocking on the door of a nine-win season only three years later. Where this Idaho team thrives is on the defensive side of the field. The Vandals gave up only 17.0 PPG this season (22nd in NCAAF) and that is good news considering Colorado State is in Boise for this one. They need to find a way to slow down the Rams, and they have fortunately been stifling opposing offenses all year. As for the Idaho offense, QB Matt Linehan (2,803 yards, 15 TD, 10 INT) is going to need to have one of the best games of his career on Thursday. He’s coming off of a brilliant performance against Georgia State, throwing for three touchdowns and no picks in the win. If his confidence has carried over then it should be a special night for Idaho. If he can’t get it going then this will likely be a very lopsided loss for the Vandals.