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BYU vs. Florida State
Betting Line: Florida State -9.5
9/18/10
Saturday football fans everywhere will have the pleasure of watching the
Brigham Young University Cougars take on the Florida State Seminoles on ESPNU.
Both teams are entering the game on a loss. The Seminoles were crushed on the
road by Oklahoma. The Cougars were handily defeated by Air Force. Both will be
seeking to get back on track. This will be a huge home game for HC Jimbo Fisher
and the Seminoles. He still has to assert himself as a quality coach after
succeeding Bowden. BYU has to prove they can win without star RB Harvey Unga who
was dismissed from the team. Something has to give. Revenge will be on the minds
of the Cougars were wiped at home by the Seminoles 54-28 last year. Let's take a
look at some factor that will help you determine the team that will come out on
top!
The Seminoles finished 2009 with a 7-6 record. They were 0-5 ATS as a home
favorite and 3-3 overall. History shows that they have never been very tough ATS
as a home favorite. This matters because they favored by 9.5 points to take this
game. The Cougars were 5-0 on the road last year including a big win over
Oklahoma on neutral territory. Will the Seminoles come into this game cocky
since they crushed the Cougars last year? Or will they have a chip on their
shoulder after last weeks defeat ata the hands of the Sooners?
Florida State QB Christian Ponder played poorly against Oklahoma. He will be the
first person to tell you that. The Heisman candidate (or former now), connected
on a mere 11 of 28 passes for 113 yards, and 2 INTs. His team was routed 47-17
by the Sooners. The offense caught a strong defense and completely crumbled.
Coming back strong this week starts and ends with Ponder. He is a physically
gifted QB and has played like a star in the past. He can do it again. The FSU
offense could benefit from getting more carries to their RBs who averaged 5.3
YPC against the Sooners.
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BYU got off to a fast start scoring 14 points in the first quarter against Air
Force, but ultimately the defense cost them. They allowed a massive 409 yards on
the ground. You can't do that and hope to win football games. The defensive line
and linebackers are inexperienced. Christian Ponder could have a big game if he
is able to exploit that. Seniors CB Brian Logan and FS Andrew Rich will be huge
for BYU. They combined for 7 INTs last year. They will have to be ball hawks
this week for the Cougars to have a chance at the win.
The BYU offense is in tango. Freshman QB Jake Heaps has been playing, but the
reigns were handed to Riley Nelson last week. The junior had little impact on
the game. The same can be said for his freshman counterpart. The abscense of all
time leading rusher Harvey Unga is killing this team. They are getting good
production from JJ Di Luigi, but he is no Unga. The only bright part of the
Cougars offense is an experienced and strong offensive line. If the skill
players can get their act together this offense has a chance of waking up.
However, if the talent isn't there it just isn't there.
This game pits a team with a high octane offense against a suspect defense, and
a flat out bad offense against an equally bad offense. Will the Cougars come out
strong after losing to this team badly last year? They are road warriors and
Bronco Mendenhall is a skilled coach. We can't say the same of Jimbo Fisher just
yet. BYU +9.5 - Shop for the best line and watch the board. We'd prefer +10
here, naturally. You can monitor the line moves using our
odds feed.