12/20/14 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (Utah vs Colorado)

[Administrator]

Who do you like and why?

[TABLE="class: data, width: 100%"]
<tbody>[TR="class: time"]
[TD="colspan: 7"]3:30 PM EST[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team odd"]
[TD="class: name"]205 UTAH
[/TD]
[TD="class: line"]-4.5 [/TD]
[TD="class: line"]-4 / -4 -07 / -4 -05[/TD]
[TD="class: currentline"]-4 [/TD]
[TD="class: line"]-180[/TD]
[TD="class: halftime"][/TD]
[TD="class: score"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: team even"]
[TD="class: name"]206 COLORADO STATE[/TD]
[TD="class: line"]58.5u11[/TD]
[TD="class: line"]58.5u11 / 58[/TD]
[TD="class: currentline"]58.5[/TD]
[TD="class: line"]+159[/TD]
[TD="class: halftime"][/TD]
[TD="class: score"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: note"]
[TD="colspan: 7"]UTA-WR-Dres Anderson-OUT | TV: ABC. Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

 

[C-MAN]

Colly St has had a very good season but I like Utah's body of work better. Coach leaving and season a success win or lose for State.

 

[wiseplayer]

I'm sure CSU would like to avenge the meltdown they had to open up the Bowl season last year. That was ugly. Utah is a very good team who won at Stanford and were very competitive in the Pac 12.

 

[s--k]

What does Utah do best

Utah is the nation's leading sacking defense with 52 total and 4.33 per game. Naturally also strong at #6 nationally in tfl 100 total, 8.33 per gm.

They get 'em whether it is a mobile QB (4x at Mich, 10x at UCLA, 4x at Az St, vs Ore, 4x at Stan, 2x vs Arz), or drop back passers (7x Fresno, 3x Wash St, 5x Ore St, 2x USC).

CSU has one All MWC OL (Sambrailo) with multi-year starter Sr QB Grayson (MWC O POY) and has protected well (allowed 22 sacks according to CSU stats - 25 sacks according to cfbstats), however Utah St did record 8 sacks vs them (best sacking team in MWC). Rams didn't give up more than 2 in any other game. Same 5 OL have started the last 8 games except for 1 game at LG.

Utah also has very special teams. P, K and KR/PR all made 1st team PAC 12. Good net punt avg and punt ret avg, 3rd and 6th respectively in the nation.

What does Utah not do well

Offense. Dead last PAC 12 ypp 5.19, ypg 375. Pass ypg 2nd last. They run first #5 PAC 12 ypg rushing 176 (4.09 ypc).

What does CSU do best

CSU is the nation's 5th best 3rd down conv O 51%.

They are also #3 pass eff O and #2 ypa 9.5 on 34 att per gm (6 INT).

498 ypg good enough for 12th best total O nationally (318 vs Utah St was lowest by almost 100y their next lowest output).

What does CSU not do well

89th ypg run D (mid-pack MWC) - although did face two option teams.

Pass D numbers aren't good, but some games vs Nev, SJ St and Wyoming they gave up yards when up comfortably, each of those teams closed the margin late.

Their D is probably better than the numbers suggest.

Red Zone D not great, allow TDs 63% (79th nationally). Overall RZ D 94th.

 

[inZane]

Agree with c-man about the head coach loss. Also, Utah leads head to head series 55-22-2, they've won 10 out of their last 11 bowl games, and strength of schedule is Utah #26, CSU #102

 

[Schrute]

What does Utah do best

Utah is the nation's leading sacking defense with 52 total and 4.33 per game. Naturally also strong at #6 nationally in tfl 100 total, 8.33 per gm.

They get 'em whether it is a mobile QB (4x at Mich, 10x at UCLA, 4x at Az St, vs Ore, 4x at Stan, 2x vs Arz), or drop back passers (7x Fresno, 3x Wash St, 5x Ore St, 2x USC).

CSU has one All MWC OL (Sambrailo) with multi-year starter Sr QB Grayson (MWC O POY) and has protected well (allowed 22 sacks according to CSU stats - 25 sacks according to cfbstats), however Utah St did record 8 sacks vs them (best sacking team in MWC). Rams didn't give up more than 2 in any other game. Same 5 OL have started the last 8 games except for 1 game at LG.

Utah also has very special teams. P, K and KR/PR all made 1st team PAC 12. Good net punt avg and punt ret avg, 3rd and 6th respectively in the nation.

What does Utah not do well

Offense. Dead last PAC 12 ypp 5.19, ypg 375. Pass ypg 2nd last. They run first #5 PAC 12 ypg rushing 176 (4.09 ypc).

What does CSU do best

CSU is the nation's 5th best 3rd down conv O 51%.

They are also #3 pass eff O and #2 ypa 9.5 on 34 att per gm (6 INT).

498 ypg good enough for 12th best total O nationally (318 vs Utah St was lowest by almost 100y their next lowest output).

What does CSU not do well

89th ypg run D (mid-pack MWC) - although did face two option teams.

Pass D numbers aren't good, but some games vs Nev, SJ St and Wyoming they gave up yards when up comfortably, each of those teams closed the margin late.

Their D is probably better than the numbers suggest.

Red Zone D not great, allow TDs 63% (79th nationally). Overall RZ D 94th.

Good shit here. Appreciate it

 

[Schrute]

Notes:
Dave Baldwin in a tryout for the HC job after being OC under Jimmy Mac
Utah has been quite successful in bowl games recently and only concern would be not playing another Top 25 team this time around
Utah's defense is strong but I think their secondary is probably exploitable here and CSU has a strong passing game
Utah should be able to have plenty of success on the ground against CSU
CSU tends to play over games against shitty opponents and Under games against good opponents
Only 2 of Utahs last 10 games have gone over in general and against this number
Utah has lost the total yardage battle in 9 of the last 10 games

Lean to Under here
If I get any signals that Utah isn't motivated, might take a flyer on CSU ML but I doubt both that and the under hit

 

[bull]

Colorado St has been pretty good to me. I bet on them twice, and won both. B C and Nevada.
But I don't like them here for two, maybe three reasons. With their last game loss to AF following 9 straight wins, the bubble has burst and I subscribe to the theory that next game will be a downer. Coach takes new job and interim guy takes over. NO, it's not a deciding factor but when you look for something to go on in these games, coach leaves becomes a factor. Utah has tougher conference schedule and seems to have a bunch of more impressive wins than Colorado state's best - - at B C ?

 

[Two Utes]

Utah is up for the game from what I hear. No bowls two years running after upsetting GT in the Sun Bowl their first year in the PAC. Utah has lost 1 bowl game in their last 12 and that was a bad team that got beat up by BSU. Utah has sold their allotment of tickets and there should be a lot of red at Sam Boyd. IF Travis Wilson plays with confidence and executes I see Utah winning by 10. If bad Wilson shows up it will come down to a FG.

It's Utes or nothing for me and I agree with the thoughts on the under.

 

[wiseplayer]

I'm sure CSU would like to avenge the meltdown they had to open up the Bowl season last year. That was ugly. Utah is a very good team who won at Stanford and were very competitive in the Pac 12.

my apologies, CSU was on the right side of the meltdown vs Washington St. in the Bowl win last season.GL