BOISE, Idaho — Kerwynn Williams ran for 235 yards and three touchdowns and No. 18 Utah State won a bowl game for the first time in nearly 20 years, beating Toledo 41-15 on Saturday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The victory capped the best season in Utah State history. The Aggies finished 11-2, won the Western Athletic Conference title outright and had their first bowl victory since 1993.
Chuckie Keeton scored on a 62-yard run to put Utah State up 7-3, and Williams, the game’s MVP, sparked a 28-point fourth quarter for Utah State when he broke through the defense and raced 63 yards for a touchdown to put the Aggies up 20-9. Williams, who had 18 carries, followed that with TD runs of 5 and 25 yards. Keeton ran for 92 yards and was 21-of-31 passing for 229 yards.
Toledo (9-4) was able to move the ball and made five trips inside the red zone. But penalties and miscues forced the Rockets to settle for Jeremiah Detmer’s three field goals.
The Rockets’ only touchdown came when Bernard Reedy returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 87 yards. Reedy was the only big producer on a Toledo offense held to 315 total yards. Reedy had 51 yards rushing and caught six passes for 62 yards.
Toledo quarterback Austin Dantin, who started in place of the injured Terrence Owens, was 12 of 21 passing for 132 yards. Dantin threw an interception in the third quarter to end a promising scoring drive and was replaced by Owens in the fourth quarter.
Owens moved the Rockets on his first possession, but another red-zone opportunity was squelched when the Aggies snuffed Owens for no gain on a fourth-and-1 play from the 9.
Toledo played without two top players. Linebacker Dan Molls, the nation’s leading tackler, had a concussion on the opening kickoff and didn’t return. Minutes later, running back David Fluellen, the nation’s eighth-leading rusher, went down with an ankle injury.
The Aggies pulled away in the fourth quarter when Williams, held in check much of the game, broke off several long runs. After his 63-yard TD run, Williams broke through the line on the next Utah State possession, dashing 56 yards before being tackled at the 5. He scored one play later, then scored his final touchdown 1:30 later.
Utah State rolled up 582 yards on offense, including 353 yards on the ground.
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