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Boise, Idaho • On a cold, overcast, mostly dreary Tuesday afternoon, Utah State's football season ended appropriately at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Akron's Robert Stein, the most valuable player, kicked three field goals and the Zips won their second bowl game since 1987 by beating the Aggies, 23-21.

For Utah State, the loss was the fifth in its last seven games — following a 52-26 victory over Boise State gave Aggie Nation hope for a special year.

Instead, USU collapsed.

The Aggies' only two victories after Oct. 16 came against two-win Wyoming and Nevada, which squandered a 20-point lead.

Utah State finished 6-7 — its first losing season since 2010.

"Congratulations to Akron," Aggie coach Matt Wells. "… They are a tough team. Hard-fought ballgame all the way down to the wire. Proud of our guys, the way they battled."

Missed opportunities, especially in the second quarter, ended up killing Utah State's chance for a fourth consecutive bowl win. The Aggies managed only one touchdown from four trips inside the Akron 30.

"You just can't get all the way down in the red zone and do what we did," Wells said. "That's the bottom line. … You have to run the ball down there and maybe we got away from it a little bit too quick."

Said senior receiver Brandon Swindall: "It hurts. The red zone is what we harp on in our offensive meeting rooms and not being able to execute really hurts."

Mistake No. 1?

Looking for the tying touchdown with 12:53 left in the first half, quarterback Chuckie Keeton was intercepted at the Zips' 6-yard line.

On the next possession — one play after officials ruled Swindall did not maintain possession long enough on an apparent touchdown pass — the Aggies botched the snap on a 35-yard field goal attempt.

Akron countered with a field goal after a drive that was kept alive when Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell jumped offside. The penalty negated what would have been cornerback Jalen Davis' second interception of the game.

Trailing 10-0, however, Utah State got the jump-start it needed when Devante Mays ran 61 yards to the Akron 10. One play later, Kent Myers threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Swindall with 1:32 remaining in the half.

Utah State got the ball back but fumbled again and, on the final play, Stein nailed a field goal to give the Zips a 13-7 lead.

"We could have lit up the scoreboard a little more," Wells said. "We should have lit up the scoreboard a little more."

Utah State opened the third quarter with an impressive 64-yard drive. Myers hit Hunter Sharp with a 19-yard pass to give the Aggies a 14-13 lead.

USU's defense followed with a stop and the Aggies appeared close to seizing control. But a march to midfield ended on Andrew Rodriguez' fumble, which the Zips turned into Donnell Alexander's 2-yard run for the go-ahead touchdown.

Midway through the fourth quarter Akron held the ball for 6:38 and clinched the win on Stein's 46-yard field goal.

Referring to Akron, Wells said, "That is a good team. They are very solid. They didn't give us anything. I could say we gave them some things, but they created it. So my hats off to them."

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Storylines

R Akron's Robert Stein kicks three field goals.

• The Aggies turn the ball over three times and fumble the snap on a field goal attempt.