2023 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Utah St vs Georgia St
posted December 20
The Game
Yes, guy. It’s one of our favorite bowl games of the year. You’ve got cold weather. You’ve got blue turf. You’ve got a creepy mascot. Check. Check. Check.
Utah St (6-6) played in a lot of exciting games and none of them were crazier than the regular season finale that earned them a bowl game ticket. They took down New Mexico 44-41 (2-OT) in that event and now get to play in a postseason game close to home. Georgia St had a promising start to the season (6-2) but then the train took an expected detour to BARFVILLE as they lost their final four games in a row to end the regular season.
The Details
Utah St -2.5 Georgia St (59.5)
MEGALOCKS LINE – Utah St -4
“Vegas” Implied Projected Score: Utah St 31 Georgia St 28.5
Utah St offense vs Georgia St defense
The Aggies can move the football on the ground (#25 FBS) and thru the air (#42) and they put the EXPLOSIVE in EXPLOSIVENESS (#3 FBS plays of 40+ yards). 3rd string QB Levi Williams will get the call in this one but all he did vs New Mexico was throw for 198 yards (2 TD) and rush for 153 yards (3 TD). They’ve got a deep set of RBs that have combined for over 1,800 yards and 12 TDs and a dangerous WR group led by 1,000-yard man Jalen Royals (14 TD). Georgia St has one of the worst pass defenses in the country (#125 pass efficiency D) but they’ve been decent enough vs the run (#51). We expect them to make a few stops from time-to-time due to the Aggies’ inconsistency but in the end it’s gonna be tough to put a lid on the rushing ability of the QB and the various weaponry around him.
Georgia St offense vs Utah St defense
Yikes. The Panthers have done the majority of their work behind a productive rushing attack (#50 FBS) but they’ll be without their star RB Marcus Carroll who’s one of the most unheralded stars in college football (1,350 rush, 13 TD; 23 receptions). They’ll probably also be without their backup RB KZ Adams which doesn’t help. The HITS KEEP COMING when you consider that #1 WR Robert Lewis is also gone along with their best offensive lineman in Montavious Cunningham. Thankfully, the Utah St defense is close to PURE FILTH (#125 run D, #105 total D) but they’ve at least shown a few signs of life whilst defending the pass (#3 MW pass efficiency D, 57%). Georgia St will have some success just because Utah St’s defense is THAT bad but it’ll be hard to match Utah St score for score with so many key guys missing from the lineup.
Trends, Intangibles and More!
It’s a little too far out to predict the weather but we can be fairly certain that the mountainous conditions will be cold and nothing close to what a team from Atlanta is used to experiencing……Georgia St HC Shawn Elliott is 3-1 SU in bowl games with the Panthers….Utah St HC Blake Anderson is 3-5 SU in bowl games but recall that Utah St upset Oregon St in the 2021 LA JIMMY KIMMEL HOLLYWOOD CREEPS AND PEDOPHILES BOWL (W 24-13)……QB Levi Williams was the MVP of the POTATO BOWL back in 2021 when he played for Wyoming……That’s one spicy TRIVIA NUGGET.
Summary
We’ll roll with the team playing close to home and in conditions they’re used to seeing. We also trust Utah St more when it comes to SCORING the FOOTBALL.
Conclusion
Official pick – Utah St -2.5 -110 <sent 11:35am Dec 20>
‘Official play’ implies this pick is one of our favorites of the week (perceived value, match-up, coaching, trends, etc.). We’re currently playing these picks for the same amount as the leans but it’s up to you how you want to manage your bankroll. Please see the Week in Review posts for more detail.
‘Lean’ implies we are placing a wager on the game.
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Team totals – We list the implied number based on the point spread and total when our analysis is posted. If a team total ends up being an official play we will post a widely available number at the time of pick release.