BOISE, ID – DECEMBER 23: The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl mascot, Spuddy Buddy, performs for the crowd during the first half of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Northern Illinois Huskies at Albertsons Stadium on December 23, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
It was an overtime thriller for the Northern Illinois Huskies on Monday afternoon as they knocked off the Fresno State Bulldogs in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
As is tradition, the Huskies were able to give head coach Thomas Hammock a “French fry bath,” and proceeded to use the side dish as starchy, impromptu confetti in the middle of the blue field:
THE FRIES ARE FLYING 🍟#GoHuskies | #TheHardWay pic.twitter.com/4UgYOaom2t
— NIU Athletics (@NIUAthletics) December 23, 2024
The game marks only the second time in Northern Illinois history that they’ve won bowl games in back-to-back seasons, capping off a campaign that also saw them go into South Bend to deliver Notre Dame’s lone loss of the season.
After Fresno State’s Dylan Lynch missed a game-winning field goal at the horn, the Huskies pulled out a series of trick plays to win the game. Tight end Grayson Barnes hit quarterback Josh Holst for a three-yard touchdown pass to tie things up, and then wide receiver Dane Pardridge caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver George Dimopoulous to give the Huskies the lead.
Jordan Hansen then hammered Fresno State quarterback Joshua Wood on fourth down to ice the game for the Huskies.
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