Ohio head coach Frank Solich had quite a few nice things to say about Utah State and playing the Aggies. Here are the highlights of his press conference from Tuesday:

On having the opportunity to play in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
“We’re really anxious to get there. We have had two MAC schools that have played in Boise before us and they have come back with just great remarks about the bowl itself and the people that surround the bowl.”

On Utah State
“It’s going to be big challenge for us. Utah State is a very physical football team on both sides of the field and as I look at them they are a very complete football team.”

On Utah State’s running attack
“They run the ball as well as some of the best teams in the country. Their top running back averages 6.2 yards per carry and has over 1,400 yards. They can also score through the air, which a lot of good running teams can do by setting up the play action pass. In their last game against New Mexico State, three scores all came by passes despite the fact they are one of the top rushing teams in the country.”

On Utah State’s defense
“Defensively, they are big, they’re physical and they are the type of defense that if you’re not careful can really shut you down, especially in the run. In saying that, they have a great secondary, they play a lot of man coverage and they have the ability to play that and play it really well.

On Utah State’s special teams unit
Special teams wise they are a threat in the return game. They use a lot of tricks sometime in special teams, so you have to be prepared. It will be a challenge, but it’s one we’re looking forward to and hopefully we are counting on playing well.”

On the state of the Ohio University football program
“We are getting some things done here at Ohio that has not been done before, so as we look at it program-wise we have a chance to reach one of the goals that we set prior to the start of the season and that was to take a step forward by winning a bowl game. There is a lot of drive and energy that will be tied into trying to reach that goal.”

On rebounding for the loss in the Mid-American Conference Championship
“Coming off the loss to Northern Illinois was tough – there is no question about it, but good football teams are able to undertake the next game regardless of what happened in the previous game whether it was an exciting win at the end or a disheartening loss. We consider ourselves a good football team and a good football program. I would expect that we would be on top of our game against Utah State.”

On senior offensive lineman Joe Flading
“He has been outstanding in our program in every phase. Off the field, they don’t get any better than Joe. He always makes great decisions. He is very much a leader in how he carries himself not only on the field, but off the field. He has been a great football player for us and has given great effort. It is going to be a void for us to fill that spot because he has been so successful for us at tackle. The pro scouts that have come in have seen the type of ability he has to where he could move inside and possibly play center. He's that type of an athlete who isn't just geared into one spot. He never says a word - his actions speak for what he is all about and I think our players appreciate that. He's been a great guy to coach and we want him to finish it off the way he should be able to finish it off at Ohio.”

On Tyler Tettleton's ability to rebound against Utah State
"He does not let setbacks detour him, so he will bounce back. I thought he played well for most of the game. We are so proud of what he has accomplished on the year and obviously he is setting all sorts of records as a redshirt sophomore. We are pleased and proud of what he has been all about."

On what Utah State does best on the offensive side of the football
"The best thing they (Utah State) does is - play physical football. When you do play physical football that generally leads to an excellent running game and that's what they have. If you look at their top two backs, they over 2,000 yards rushing. Their line is big and physical. Their receivers do a great job of blocking on the outside. When you have receivers that are willing to block that really identifies your offense as being exceptional in the running game. That being said, you worry as much about the pass as you do the run because when you run so well like they do you can come off of it with play action passes. The fact that they are physical across the board would be a huge challenge for anyone."

Tony Jones