Top Sportsbooks
Easy Credit Card Deposits at Bet Online! |
West Virginia vs. Auburn Saturday Night ESPN
9/19/09
The West Virginia Mountaineers have been solid this season. They are a
perfect 2-0, with a victory over East Carolina. Things aren’t going to get
easier though. They have to face the Auburn Tigers, a team that is also perfect
after their first two games. The Mountaineers won last year’s meeting by a score
of 34-17. Needless to say, Auburn will be out for revenge. This game will be
broadcast nationally on ESPN2 at 7:45 on Saturday. This is one game you won’t
want to miss!
The Auburn offense is clicking very well, as they won 49-24 last week over
Mississippi State. RBs Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb stole the show. Both of
them rushed for over 100 yards with each picking up a TD along the way. QB Chris
Todd played a good game, throwing for 186 yards. WR Darvin Adams was his best
weapon, picking up 116 yards on 5 catches. The Tigers picked up 589 total yards,
390 of which came on the ground. Auburn scored early and often and put
Mississippi State out of the game very quickly. Doing the same to the
Mountaineers could demoralize them and help get the victory.
Many fans were skeptical when Gene Chizik arrived to coach the Tigers, but he
has done a good job so far. This will be the first real test for his team.
Antonio Coleman will wreak havoc at DE. He is among the best pass rushers in the
entire NCAA. The defense looks tough on the whole, with play makers like LB Josh
Bynes and CB Walter McFadden. RBs Ben Tate and Mario Fannin can make things
happen on the offensive side of things. They have an improved offensive line
blocking for them. The passing game is also strong. I’m a bit worried about
depth at many positions. If there are any injuries this team could be in big
trouble. The kicking game has had trouble, so that could put pressure on the
offense to go after the TD.
Some fans in West Virginia had questions about Jarrett Browns ability to replace
Pat White at QB. All questions were removed when he threw for 334 yards and 4
TDs in last week’s victory over the East Carolina Pirates. That game was
supposed to be close, but the Mountaineers ended up taking the event by a score
of 35-20. RB Noel Devine is among the best players at West Virginia, and picked
up 80 yards and a TD. He had a long run of 30 yards. WR Jock Sanders played
well, picking up 99 yards from 9 catches. WR Bradley Starks was also formidable,
making 5 catches for 76 yards, with a long catch of 55 yards.
The defense played well in this game, but I’d like to see the offense turn the
ball over less. They also need to cut down on penalties. They turned the ball
over 4 times last week, and were penalized 11 times for 109 yards. Those are
unnecessary mistakes that will cost them wins down the road. Brown and Devine
are key parts to the offense, and if they both play bad then the chances of West
Virginia winning will go down. Their success could depend on an offensive line
that has held up well thus far, but is contending with the loss of All American
Ryan Stanchek. The Mountaineers struggled on the road last year, losing to East
Carolina and Pittsburgh. They will have to prove they can handle traveling in
this game.
Not the easiest game to handicap with both teams having beat up on lesser
opponents, both at home, so far. Auburn has probably looked a little better than
WVA with this offense finally clicking. Auburn has a chance to settle 6 scores
from a year ago, a 5-7 season, and the first chance at revenge comes Saturday
against the Mountaineers. We'll lay the 7 here with the Tigers.
Don't forget to check out the Bettorsworld award winning consensus report. If you're looking for picks on all the games from a variety of sources there's no better place to turn. Picks from 75+ of the top Sports Handicapping services in the Nation. Get all the Locks, all the Games of the year and every play that comes down the pike from handicappers that crush the books year after year. Details Here
FREE NFL AND COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS VIA OUR NEWSLETTER THIS FOOTBALL SEASON INCLUDING THE FAMOUS KEY RELEASES!!