BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Tyler Tettleton scored on a 1-yard keeper with 13 seconds left to give Ohio its first bowl victory, 24-23 over Utah State on Saturday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
After the Aggies failed to run out the clock in the final minutes, Tettleton and the Bobcats’ offense took over at their own 39 with one timeout and 2:02 left.
Tettleton was 3 of 4 on the final drive, and his biggest completion was a 14-yarder on fourth down to LaVon Brazill that gave the Bobcats a first down inside the 1 with 37 seconds left.
Tettleton was stuffed on his first try to score. On the next play, he rolled right and outran two defenders to cap the comeback and give the Bobcats their first 10-win season since 1968.
Tettleton was 19 of 26 for 220 yards and he rushed 16 times for another 31 yards.
For Utah State, the loss was a heartbreaker.
The Aggies dominated the first half and extended their lead to 23-10 in the third quarter behind a bruising rushing attack that rolled up 345 yards.
Michael Smith rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, including a 63-yard scoring run early in the third quarter that put Utah State up 16-10. Smith scored later in the third on an 11-yard run up the middle, giving the Aggies a 13-point lead.
Robert Turbin added for 101 yards on 20 carries, and Kerwynn Williams had 69 yards on nine carries.
But Utah State, which finished second in the Western Athletic Conference and was making its first bowl appearance since 1997, failed to close the deal.
After Smith’s second touchdown, Tettleton started the rally by marching the Bobcats quickly down the field, capping the drive with a 44-yard TD pass to Brazill, who jumped high over a defender and fell just beyond the goal line to make it 23-17.
The Aggies had a chance to run out the clock when they took possession at their own 7 with 4:23 to go. But Ohio’s defense stopped the Aggies on three straight plays to force a punt.
On the winning drive, Tettleton scrambled for 14 yards and completed passes of 19, 7 and 14 yards to Brazill. The last reception was initially ruled a touchdown, but a review concluded he was down before the end zone, giving Ohio a first down inside the 1.
Brazill led the Bobcats with eight catches for 108 yards and the Ohio offense had 345 total yards.