Nestled up in beautiful Boise, Idaho, comes the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl each December. The game currently has conference tie-ins with the MAC and Mountain West Conference and has been around since 1997.
Idaho Potato Bowl 2014, Air Force vs. Western Michigan: Date, time, location and more
Let’s get some potatoes, get cozy around the fireplace and watch football together.
What should we expect from the game? For one, a lot of scoring. The winning team has scored 40-plus points in six of the last seven years. Last season, San Diego State dropped 49 points on Buffalo in a convincing win. We should also expect there to be a lot of blue; the game is played on Boise State's Smurf Turf at Bronco Stadium, and that alone is reason to tune in. Here is everything you need to get ready for game day when the Air Force Falcons are slated to take on the Western Michigan Broncos, according to ESPN's Brett McMurphy.
Date and time, ET: Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014, 5:45 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Location: Boise, Idaho
Stadium: Bronco Stadium; 37,000
Last year’s score: San Diego State 49, Buffalo 24
Last year’s attendance: 21,951
Last year’s TV rating: 1.2
Last year’s payout for each school: $750,000
Team with the most all-time appearances: Boise State, 4
Team with the most all-time wins: Boise State, 3
Air Force (9-3, 5-3 Mountain West)
Troy Calhoun’s entire tenure at Air Force has been somewhat remarkable. Entering this season, he brought the Falcons to six bowls in seven years, despite having to deal with massive recruiting disadvantages compared to his Mountain West foes. However, this year might have been his most remarkable turnaround, as he went from going 2-10 in 2013 and missing his first bowl game of his Air Force career to 9-3 in 2014.
Service academies are known for their triple option attacks, but Air Force is a bit more balanced than Navy and Army, both of whom it beat this year. Quarterback Kale Pearson has 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions to go along with 646 rushing yards. The defense has also had some impressive performances in big wins against Boise State and Colorado State. While Air Force is somewhat unpredictable, it has proven an ability to win big games.
Last bowl game: 2012 Armed Forces Bowl vs. Rice, 33-14 loss
All-time bowl record: 10-12-1
Head coach’s bowl record: Troy Calhoun, 2-4
Western Michigan Broncos (8-4, 6-2 MAC)
Second-year Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck brought in the top recruiting class in the MAC in 2014, and it paid immediate dividends. After a 1-11 debut season, Fleck’s Broncos finished third in the MAC West with a successful year.
Western Michigan started the year 2-3 with losses to Purdue, Virginia Tech and Toledo. They then went on a five-game winning streak, including wins over Bowling Green and Central Michigan before losing to Northern Illinois in the regular season finale.
Last bowl game: 2011 Little Caesars Bowl, 37-32 loss to Purdue
All-time bowl record: 0-4
Head coach’s bowl record: P.J. Fleck, 0-0
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