Carolinablue Week 12

[carolinablue]

WEEK 12 PLAYS

BALL STATE -15.5 110 LOSS
TEXAS -13.5 115
TULSA -5 110
MTSU -2.5 120
LTU -12.5 110
ULL ML 130

------------//-------------

Week 11 Results

3-4 on the day as my North Texas call has to be one of my worst of the year. Ok, not as bad as my WSU team total last week but pretty darn close! Rice was a tough one to swallow since who would have expected them to give up 2 TDs in the 4th against that Army offense, and that tough loss kept me from a winning day, but hey it happens.

Anyway, seem to be alternating 3-4 and 4-3 type weeks the last month or so, so we'll see how things shake out in week 12. Plenty of profit still to be had, and congrats to those who made out big this week as it was a tough card.

Year to Date
49-40-1

Road Favs 23-15
Home Favs 13-11
Road Dogs 11-8
Home Dogs 1-0-1
Totals 1-6 (please ban me from the site if I ever play another total!)
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________

 

[carolinablue]

I know WSU is horrible on the road, but can ASU score enough to cover the 36.5 line (I assume WSU should be able to put up at least 10-14 on that defense)? Tempted to take WSU but fear that we see the old Rudy and ASU wins it something like 59-0.

 

[carolinablue]

Liked Okie State but missed the 16 that was out there. Don't like 17.5 so will be a no play for me.

Also liked Iowa but that line is now up to 14.5/15 so again a no play for me.

Like WMU up to 16.5 but want to go over a few more things before I make them a play.

Also have a Sunbelt play that I like, but hoping for a line move later this week.

 

[carolinablue]

Not liking a whole lot this week, so may just add 1 or 2 more and then shift my focus to college basketball since my favorite time of the year is upon us!

 

[carolinablue]

WKU NOTES

Troy, Ala. — The Western Kentucky University football team suffered its eighth loss of the 2008 season on with a 17-7 defeat at Troy on Saturday in front of 19,066 fans at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium.

The loss dropped the Hilltoppers to 2-8 on the season, while Troy improved to 6-3.
<SCRIPT language=Javascript type=text/javascript>if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']) document.write('<table style=\"float : right;\" border=\"0\"><tbody><tr><td align=\"center\" valign=\"bottom\">');if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']){ document.write(plpm['Mid-Story Ad']);} else { if(self['plurp'] && plurp['97']){} else {document.write('<scr'+'ipt language="Javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://cas.clickability.com/cas/cas.js?r='+Math.random()+'&p=97&c=6500&m=52&d=29411&pre=%3Ctable+style%3D%22float+%3A+right%3B%22+border%3D%220%22%3E%3Ctbody%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd+align%3D%22center%22+valign%3D%22bottom%22%3E&post=%3C%2Ftd%3E%3C%2Ftr%3E%3C%2Ftbody%3E%3C%2Ftable%3E"></scr'+'ipt>'); } }if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']) document.write('</td></tr></tbody></table>');</SCRIPT>"We knew going in we were going to be short-handed, but that’s why they call it a team and other guys had to step up," said Hilltopper head coach David Elson. "In the fourth quarter, we had a chance, but we just couldn’t get it done."

The Trojans struck quickly on the opening drive of the game, needing just 40 seconds and three plays to go 65 yards for the first score of the afternoon. The drive was capped off by a 58-yard touchdown pass from Levi Brown to Andrew Davis as Troy took a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the contest.

The Hilltopper defense limited the Trojans to just 48 yards the remainder of the quarter, and kept it a one-score game until the 7:21 mark of the second quarter when Brown connected with Gerald Tate on a 9-yard TD reception to cap off a nine-play, 63-yard drive to make it a 14-0 game at intermission.
WKU was limited to just 100 yards of offense in the opening half, with 59 of those yards coming on the ground.

With starting quarterback David Wolke sidelined with an injury, Brandon Smith led the Hilltoppers to their first score of the contest on the opening drive of the second half. WKU was backed up inside its own six to start the drive following a illegal block on the kickoff return. However, a facemask penalty got the Toppers out of the shadow of the endzone, and roughing the kicker penalty on fourth down later in the possession kept the drive alive. Smith was then able to cap off the 12-play, 94-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown rush — the first rushing TD of his career — to cut the deficit to 14-7.

The Trojans responded, however, as they quickly moved the ball back down field before settling for a 34-yard Sam Glusman field goal to stretch the lead back out to 17-7 with 7:12 remaining in the third quarter.

Troy was able to move the ball inside the WKU 20 yard line on four consecutive drives late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, but a Ryan Beard interception in the endzone, two missed field goals, and a fumble recovery by Travis Watters kept it a 10-point game. However, the Topper offense was unable to take advantage as the 17-7 score stood at the final horn.

The Hilltoppers managed just 216 yards of total offense in the contest. Smith rushed for a career-high 43 yards, and also completed 10 of 22 passes for 56 yards. Jake Gaebler caught a game-high six balls for 27 yards, while Wenquel Graves led the Hilltoppers in receiving yards with 41.

Brown completed 30 of his 46 passes for 298 yards and a both Troy touchdowns, with Davis catching five of those balls for 101 yards. DuJuan Harris rushed 23 times for a game-best 101 yards for the Trojans.

Defensively, Mark Santoro finished with a career-best 11 tackles for WKU, while Boris Lee had seven stops to lead the Trojans.

WKU returns to Houchens Industries next Saturday to host Middle Tennessee at noon (CST) in the final home game of the season. The game will be televised regionally on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast.

 

[frankiegotti]

CB, i had rice as my largest play of the week so i feel your pain as I almost threw my tv over my balcony.....When does CBB start, I thought it was around thanksgiving, but if it's before then that would be more good news.

Thanks again.

 

[carolinablue]

CB, i had rice as my largest play of the week so i feel your pain as I almost threw my tv over my balcony.....When does CBB start, I thought it was around thanksgiving, but if it's before then that would be more good news.

Thanks again.

CBB tips off tomorrow afternoon at 4pm as Georgia Southern and Houston tip off out in Durham, with Duke vs Presbyterian in the nightcap. Lines are up now. Last I checked, they were Houston -7 and Duke -36.5.

 

[pags11]

GL this week CB...

 

[SportsNut]

GL CB.

Like ULL alot in your Sun belt.

 

[carolinablue]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]ULL Notes[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]LAFAYETTE- After a three game home stand Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns will venture east to Fort Lauderdale to face FAU in a crucial Sun Belt Conference game. The Cajuns are 4-0 in SBC play and are in search for their fifth SBC win of the season. The Cajuns have only won five SBC games once in team history; they achieved that mark in 2005. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Every game in the series has been won by the visiting team since the teams became conference opponents in 2005. In the last visit to Fort Lauderdale the Cajuns won 6-0 on Oct. 18, 2006.[/FONT]
<O</O
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cajuns have the opportunity to become bowl eligible this weekend as well. [/FONT]
<O</O
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cajuns offense is among the national leaders in rushing and total offense. In both categories the team ranks in the Top 10 nationally, third and eighth respectively. [/FONT]

 

[carolinablue]

Ricky Bustle (ULL) Press Conference Notes

Opening Comments-
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"Our offense had a couple of opportunities to score touchdowns early in the game, but we didn’t get it done. That proved to be costly. We didn’t adjust to things they did very quickly. We moved the ball better in the second half.[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
"We kept our defense on the field way too long. Every time our offense was out on the field they only stayed out there for two minutes at a time. We wanted to use the clock a lot better than we did. Knowing that they threw the ball a lot we wanted to keep the ball out of their offense’s hands as much as possible. They took a lot of shots down the field and their player made plays.
"Our kids played hard, but we just got out played.

"We found out Friday that Brad McGuire couldn’t play because of a hamstring injury. So it was tough to get a third guy ready to play. Mike Desormeaux is not 100% healthy, I wish he was but that is not the case. Sometimes he can’t move very well and then two minutes later the pain has passed and he can move better.

"The turnovers killed us and they will usually do that. After the onside kick we had a chance to get within a touchdown, but the turnover foiled that plan.
"We have flipped the page and will now focus on FAU, which has been playing really well the last three weeks. It will get tougher as we go, but for now the goal is still intact."

[/FONT]On FAU
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"They are similar to how they were last year at this point. Rusty Smith is a good quarterback and they have plenty of people for him to get the ball to. They still like to run the ball and use play action. We need to trust our reads and the plan that we have to stop them."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On FAU defense in conference play
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"They were a good defense last year and they have a lot of the same people back. They have played well the last three weeks."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On the inconsistent play of FAU this season
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"We are going to plan that the good team will show up for them. They have goals they want to reach as well."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On what the emphasis will be regarding the secondary
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"We are going put a lot of effort in to stopping the pass just like we did all last week. We just got beat last week and seemed a little too cautious."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On the loss occurring this week
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"I think it opened the eyes of our players and gives them extra motivation. We know we can perform better. If we had to have a game like that I am glad it was against UTEP. Hopefully it is behind us."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On the game being a reality check
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"We will take it that way. Our kids were still focused and played hard against UTEP. The game was not over when we got the onside kick. We are not perfect, but we will use the loss to help us get back to work and winning ball games."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On the team being banged up
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"Players will always be playing with injuries at this time of the year. We have a lot more people banged up than I would like, but that is the way it always goes."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On the possibility of using two quarterbacks against FAU
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"Right now there is a possibility of everything. That would have been the plan the other night; however the news on Friday spoiled that idea."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
On what you told the team Sunday
RB- "I told them to flip the page and worry about ourselves. I added that we need to get back to the basics. We know what got us here; we need to get back to that. We need to get back to doing the little things just like we have preached all season."

[/FONT]On practice Sunday
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"I think we have done a good job not hanging our heads. I have not seen a difference in our attitude win or lose, which is something great."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On being the frontrunner
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"The team realizes we control our own destiny. They know it will be tough, considering we play three tough teams the next three weeks. Everybody on the schedule has goals they want to complete as well; no team has given up on their season."[/FONT]
[FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]
[/FONT]On last year’s game against FAU
RB- [FONT=Myriad Pro,Myriad Pro]"It was an intense battle until the end. We scored with 50 seconds left but it got away from us. It will be a battle again this year."
[/FONT]

 

[carolinablue]

ULL vs FAU More Notes

FAU is 97th in the country against the run; ULL has the #3 rushing offense , so it might be a long day for the Owls if ULL can establish any sort of passing attack to open up the run

ULL has the 104th rushing defense, so if FAU can establish the run, ULL could be in trouble, as we all know that FAU can pass the ball (#37) but can they run it consistently (#69)

FAU is one of the worst punting teams in the country (bottom 5), while ULL is #28 in punt returns. Could prove crucial in the field position battle.

FAU has all sorts of problems getting penetration at the line, as they are in the bottom 5 in terms of TFL, Sacks, etc, so as long as ULL doesn't panic, Mike D should have time to find the open receivers.

FAU is in the bottom 5 in terms of turnover margin, but will ULL be able to get TDs once they get in the redzone, especially after turnovers, or will they have to settle for FG attempts?

No play for me as of yet, but SportsNut knows me too well, as this is definitely one of the games I have on my radar (strong lean to ULL at anything under 3).

Just waiting to find out the depth chart on the QB situation as that might come into play big time on Saturday depending on how well MD progresses throughout the week.

 

[Aztec4Life]

Card looks great, CB. With you on Texas and Tulsa...GL bud!

:cheers:

 

[carolinablue]

Still waiting to see if I can get a positive line move on the MAC and SunBelt plays that I have my eyes on. Will probably wait until tomorrow or Wednesday to see if I can hit the line at the low point.

 

[carolinablue]

The greek just took the Ball State game off the board....mmmm

 

[carolinablue]

IMPORTANT WMU INJURY NOTES

Where would Western Michigan University's football team be without tight end Branden Ledbetter? Without receiver Schneider Julien? Or minus cornerback Londen Fryar?

For at least this Saturday's game against Toledo, the Broncos may find out.
The aforementioned trio of seniors range from definitely out, to doubtful, to questionable for WMU's home finale and the final game at Waldo Stadium for 21 seniors.


<TABLE cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=7 width=200 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #dfe9c9 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 7px; BORDER-TOP: #dfe9c9 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 7px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; MARGIN: 12px; BORDER-LEFT: #dfe9c9 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 7px; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dfe9c9 1px solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f2f2f2" vAlign=top><CENTER>Toledo (2-7, 1-4 MAC) at WMU (8-2, 5-1)</CENTER>• When: 2 p.m. Saturday.
• Where: Waldo Stadium.
• TV: Fox Sports PLUS.
• Radio: WZUU-FM 92.5
• Online Final thoughts from WMU-Illinois at Graham Couch's WMU weblog.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Ledbetter suffered what's being called an "abdominal injury" while being hit in the second quarter of Saturday's 23-17 win over Illinois.

He "won't be back" in time to play against the Rockets, WMU coach Bill Cubit said. Cubit added that he isn't sure if Ledbetter will be ready for the regular-season finale Nov. 25 at Ball State.

Julien, injured two plays earlier, has a bum shoulder that he believed "popped out" temporarily after he stiff-armed a defender. Cubit called Julien doubtful for Saturday, but added, "He thinks he's going to play."

Fryar, who played sparingly after hopping off the field with a toe injury, is questionable.
"You don't know how that's going to respond," Cubit said.

The Broncos also lost starting running back Brandon West late in the fourth quarter to what Cubit described as a mild ankle sprain.

"I'd be surprised if he's not playing," Cubit said of the junior running back.

The loss of Julien and Ledbetter -- who account for a combined 94 catches and 1,055 yards -- will force Robert Arnheim and Dervon Wallace, both redshirt freshmen, to see considerable reps. Each played relatively well against Illinois, with Arnheim catching four passes for 38 yards and a touchdown -- and fumbling once -- and Wallace nabbing one catch for 11 yards.

Cubit said junior receiver Caleb Clark and sophomore tight end Anthony Williams also have to "get themselves ready."

It does appear WMU will get some receiving help it didn't have against Illinois.
Sophomore Juan Nunez, who suffered a concussion against Eastern Michigan, is likely to return, giving the Broncos their best deep threat in the passing game.
"It's a good possibility," Cubit said of Nunez's return. "We've done all the tests. We're just making sure running around (during practice) doesn't hurt him."

 

[carolinablue]

TOLEDO NOTES

There is, as Mike O’Brien said yesterday, no good time to dismiss a coach.

But the University of Toledo’s athletic director joined a few of his brethren in beating the rush when it was announced this past Monday that the 2008 football season would be the last for Tom Amstutz at the Rockets’ helm.

These early exits may not signal a trend, but they are becoming more evident at the college level.

Clemson’s Tommy Bowden was literally shown the door just six games into the season on Oct. 13. Since then, four coaches have been relieved of their duties effective the end of the season — Washington’s Ty Willingham was axed on Oct. 27, Amstutz and Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer both took part in press conferences last Monday and Ron Prince of Kansas State was let go on Wednesday. In the latter cases, the coaches and their teams had at least three games remaining on the schedule.

Amstutz and the Rockets had four games, the first being Wednesday night’s 47-30 loss at Akron, during which the Rockets sleep-walked to a 21-0 first-quarter deficit.

“There is always the possibility of maybe losing some focus,” O’Brien admitted.

Well, yes, there is that. But he insists there are some benefits, too.

“How it’s handled depends on the institution and the situation,” O’Brien said. “You have to look at it case by case. For us, I thought the uncertainty about Tom’s future was getting to be a distraction for so many people. There’s a point where you need to create closure. So we made the decision, we let it be known, now we’ll finish the season and in that time frame begin the process of the search for a new coach.”

It is always a mystery how a team will react to a coaching change. When word of Earle Bruce’s fate at Ohio State became public late in the 1987 season, the Buckeyes rallied to his defense, donning those famous “EARLE” headbands and sending him out with a 23-20 upset victory at Michigan.

There were no “STUTZ” headbands evident at Akron, nor, at least at the start, was there any evidence the Rockets had much interest in playing.

“I saw a team that wasn’t all the way in synch at first,” Amstutz said yesterday.

Maybe that was understandable for a lot of reasons. The timing of the announcement, just two days before the game, was surely a factor.

UT has only 10 seniors on its roster, so more than the usual number of players are affected by the coach’s pending departure. And there are nine assistant coaches who, regardless of how hard they work to prepare the team, would not be human if they aren’t thinking about how they’re going to be feeding their families a year from now.

“We have a young team, young kids, and I’m close to a lot of our players,” Amstutz said. “It’s only natural that I’m a part of their lives and that my thing had to affect them.”

O’Brien can talk about ending distractions. But he also created some for those most directly involved. Ironically, it’s Amstutz’s job to get the Rockets through it.

“I’m talking to them individually and in small groups,” UT’s coach said. “I’m letting them know that I’m going to be fine, they’re going to be fine and they’ll have a good coach here next year. The players are resilient. They’ll understand and they’ll get used to it.”

In time to save a little face in what is now a 2-7 season? It will certainly test their mettle.

 

[carolinablue]

MTSU NOTES

While it had been 40 days since its last home game, it had also been the same amount of time since the MTSU football team had won a game.
And winning is important.

Duh. Talk about stating the obvious.

But hear this one out. For a variety of reasons, the most important aspect for any team is to know that how it is going about its business is eventually going to be rewarded with success.

Winning validates hard work and preparation and execution. Play poorly and win or play well and lose. Which do you prefer?

And that's why the 24-21 homecoming win Saturday night over Louisiana-Monroe at Floyd Stadium by the Blue Raiders was just what the doctor ordered for a team that had lost three games in a row and didn't play a home game in October.
That wasn't lost on MTSU coach Rick Stockstill after the game.

"After a while, (the players) are going to get tired of hearing me say, 'I'm proud of the way you play. I'm proud of your effort. You're a good football team and it just doesn't show,' '' Stockstill said.
"They are going to get tired of hearing that."

What the Blue Raiders won't get tired of is winning, especially at home, where they have won three in a row and rekindled the magic of the last two home wins — the eye-catching victory over Maryland and the wild finish on national television against Florida Atlantic.
"I have been telling you that you are a good team," Stockstill said he told his team after the win.

More to come
Just how good this year's model of Blue Raiders might be is still difficult to tell, even as we approach mid-November and the stretch drive that includes this coming Saturday at Western Kentucky, a home game the following Saturday against North Texas and the regular-season finale Dec. 3 at Louisiana-Lafayette.

There is still a distinct chance for a 6-6 record in the regular season. That would get the Blue Raiders bowl eligible for the second time in three seasons under Stockstill, who could have lost this team the past month during their nomadic existence.
But he didn't. And it showed Saturday night.

"We are playing with such great intensity and emotion," Stockstill said. "And then to come in (after the game) and for them to be able to celebrate and hug each in the locker room after the game."
"We needed it desperately."

 

[carolinablue]

WKU INJURY NOTES

On the Sunbelt conference call today, the WKU coach said that he hoped that QB Wolke would be able to play, but he is still currently listed as day to day after reaggravating his back injury this past weekend.

If the line jumps up from the current 3, then it would be safe to assume he has been downgraded. At this point, I am expecting WKU to use 2 QBs on Saturday as I just don't see Wolke being able to go the entire game.

MTSU is a strong lean for me as WKU just hasn't been able to put together an entire 4 quarters of football on the offensive side of the ball, and they have been fortunate to have some final scores that look halfway decent, but if you dig deeper you will see that they could have easily been blown out by both Troy and Ball State as both left about 20 pts on the field due to poor red zone execution against the Hilltoppers.

Gonna wait and see how the line moves as anything under 3 would probably be a play but right now I only see 3's everywhere, and I hate pushes too much to settle for 3.

Curious to see if the ML comes out around 130 or 135 as that might be worth the juice to take the points out of the equation as the Sunbelt might be the one conference where 1 and 2 pts seem to make a difference each week due to the parity involved.

 

[carolinablue]

The greek just took the Ball State game off the board....mmmm

They just put it back up...at Ball State -19 WOW!

 

[carolinablue]

LA TECH NOTES

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Louisiana Tech's defense delivered its first shutout in more than 10 years as the Bulldogs scored an impressive road win over San Jose State on Saturday night.

West Monroe product Terry Carter's 50-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter highlighted a dominating performance as Tech defeated San Jose State 21-0 at Spartan Stadium.

"It was an outstanding performance by the defense," Tech coach Derek Dooley said. "We knew coming in San Jose State has a phenomenal defense. We felt like the key was to not turn the ball over and play field position, try to make the plays when we could. Our defense really stepped up and created two big turnovers, one for a score, and our offense protected the football."

Tech (5-4, 3-2 WAC) won for the first time in five road games this season. The loss was only the fourth in the last 19 home games for San Jose State (6-4, 4-2), which entered the contest all alone in second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings.

The win also means the Bulldogs can become bowl eligible with a sixth win on Saturday against Utah State.

The Bulldogs defense owned the Spartans offense from the opening kickoff, holding San Jose State to only 148 total yards and six first downs. It was Tech's first shutout in 140 games dating back to a 20-0 win over Middle Tennessee in the 1996 season opener.

Daniel Porter paced the Bulldogs on the offense with his third 100-yard rushing performance of the season totaling 102 yards rushing on 18 carries and 27 yards receiving. Patrick Jackson pitched in with 84 yards rushing on 16 carries with one touchdown to go along with one catch for 15 yards.

Defensively Tech was led by D'Anthony Smith who finished the night with seven tackles, one sack and two tackles for a loss. Senior Weldon Brown recorded his third interception of the season.

Louisiana Tech appeared to strike on the opening kickoff as Phillip Livas returned the kick 96 yards for a touchdown but the score was negated by a holding call against the Bulldogs. Tech would register two first downs on the drive before having to punt the football away.

"I told them before the game a punt is a good play," Dooley said. "Don't get discouraged, and don't get frustrated, because we're playing such a good defensive football team. Fortunately, we made the plays we needed to make to win the game."
Tech had two punt returns for touchdowns called back but overcame the frustration.

Livas struck again on the final play of the first quarter as he fielded a punt and returned it 80 yards for a TD. However, once again, it was called back due to an illegal block against the Bulldogs. Tech recorded one first down before a sack forced a punt.

"I was really upset because I knew it would be hard to score," Dooley said. "We did a great job on both of those returns and I guess one guy screwed it up for us, and of course it kills your field position. I was proud of the team. They never got discouraged. I was the only one that was upset. They just kept playing."

On the first play following Brown's interception, Patrick Jackson scored on a 21-yard run up the middle, with the final eight yards coming on a scrum with numerous Bulldogs and Spartans piling on the senior who kept moving forward into the end zone. The touchdown was the 30th of Jackson's career, tying him with Ryan Moats for fourth place all-time. Brad Oestriecher's extra point made the score 7-0.Carter's pick-six gave Tech a 14-0 lead in the first half.

Tech's defense held San Jose State to only 52 total yards in the first half, including only 11 yards passing. San Jose State had their first scoring threat of the night in the fourth quarter as backup quarterback Kyle Reed hit David Richmond on a 62-yard pass down the sideline before Carter tripped him up at the LA Tech seven-yard line.

After two rushing plays lost nine yards, Reed hit Richmond in the hands on a post pattern but Richmond dropped it setting up a fourth down play. On fourth down and goal, Reed was pressured by Tech linebacker Brannon Jackson and threw the ball away as the Bulldogs took over.

Tech's offense then recorded its best drive of the night, marching 84 yards on five plays, capped by Ross Jenkins 35-yard TD pass to tight end Dustin Mitchell, making the score 21-0 with 10 minutes to play which would be the final score.

"You look at San Jose's wins and they've created a lot of points on negative yardage and sacks and interceptions for touchdowns so it was more important for us to punt the ball then to give up some bigplays on the other side," Dooley said. "We stuck to the game plan and even when we went through a couple of ruts the key when you play that is the defense has to play well, and they did. We told the defense going in thishow we're going to play it and this is how we're going to win."

Louisiana Tech will return to action Saturday at Joe Aillet Stadium at 1:30 p.m. in Ruston when they take on conference for Utah State.

"It becomes a survival game down the stretch," Dooley said. "We've survived two in a row and hopefully we can keep it up. We're still in the hunt and that's all you can ask for in November."

 

[scraps@midnight]

great catch on the cards #. not sure what happened with the big jump there, would you still endorse it at 20? likely on ull too. appreciate the brief discussion last week, stayed off the game based allot on it. nice card so far...gl

 

[pags11]

Dooley has his boys playing very well...

 

[carolinablue]

Headed out of town so don't feel like waiting on lines to go my way. Feel comfortable with LTU 12.5 and MTSU 2.5 (hook) so gonna lock em in now as I haven't had much luck this week with line moves anyway. Weird season to say the least, but at least cbb is upon us now.

ADDED LTU -12.5 and MTSU -2.5.

Ball State = Loss (had 15.5 so missed a push by a half, it happens)

 

[carolinablue]

Why LTU this weekend?

For me it is all about who will control the line of scrimmage and who still has something to play for as we enter the home stretch of this season. La Tech has the number 27 rushing offense and they are facing a Utah State team that is ranked number 91 against the rush this season. Neither team has been able to move the ball through the air consistently this year, so I think this one will be won in the trenches and that is where La Tech has a huge edge over USU. The key for the Bulldogs will be to keep the USU QB in the pocket, forcing him to win the game with his arm vs his legs. USU gives up a ton of sacks (ranked 109 in sacks allowed), so I expect La Tech to force the Aggies into mistakes leading to the short field and hopefully points for the Bulldogs.

If LTU can hold on to the football, establish the run, and turn USU into a one dimensional team, I don't see how this one doesn't end up a 42-17 ballgame or something to that effect. Now of course, those are big ifs, but with a shot at bowl eligibility, I expect LTU to come out fired up in this one, as this is a big statement game for them. Best of luck this weekend guys.

 

[Aztec4Life]

Dang CB...I can't believe Tulsa has dropped even more. I know that Houston has played better as of late, but WTF? Tulsa has one bad game, losing by 7 at Arky (who's still an SEC team), and they're a meager 4.5 favorite at Houston???

This year's Cougars aren't as good as last year's team, and Tulsa is even better than they were last year. Tulsa destroyed Houston last season, 56-7...I just don't get this line...and yet it continues to drop...from 6, all the way down to 4.5...

:4_12_12:

 

[O-State]

I'm starting to think Tulsa deserves a look.

HOuston is wildly inconsistent. Marshall made this offense stuggle at this times. And then the UAB game of course 1st half compared to 2nd half.

---If it's good HOuston I don't want to touch it. But on consistency factor of the offenses alone it deserves a look. I think Tulsa's offense is better anyway.

 

[carolinablue]

great catch on the cards #. not sure what happened with the big jump there, would you still endorse it at 20? likely on ull too. appreciate the brief discussion last week, stayed off the game based allot on it. nice card so far...gl

Kinda sucked that I got it at 15.5 though as it made for a bigger tease with the game ending on 15 haha. Miami played good enough to cover so not much I can say as BSU had plenty of chances to blow them out, but Miami also had plenty of chances as well to make it even closer, so not like I got screwed out of a win or anything. Best of luck this weekend.

 

[carolinablue]

Dang CB...I can't believe Tulsa has dropped even more. I know that Houston has played better as of late, but WTF? Tulsa has one bad game, losing by 7 at Arky (who's still an SEC team), and they're a meager 4.5 favorite at Houston???

This year's Cougars aren't as good as last year's team, and Tulsa is even better than they were last year. Tulsa destroyed Houston last season, 56-7...I just don't get this line...and yet it continues to drop...from 6, all the way down to 4.5...

:4_12_12:

Yeah, I sucked this week at getting good lines, guess I was due, since I have been on the right side of the moves more often than not most of the year. I view this as a redemption game for Tulsa as they have been written off by everyone and their brother after that Arkansas performance, so I look for them to make a statement in this game.

 

[carolinablue]

ADDED ULL ML at the greek.

Recap of Saturday's Week 12 Card below...

Texas -13.5 (bad line)
Tulsa -5 (bad line)
MTSU -2.5
La Tech -12.5
ULL ML

Hopefully the 4 road favs and 2 sunbelt specials will bring me a big weekend as I am tired of treading water these past few weeks. Best of luck guys!

 

[bull]

Cb - Mostly dog player here as you may know by now. Still I find myself very much liking your LT pick, and we both share interest and opinions about the Sunbelt. MTSU was already in my sights and I have liked betting on Ulala this year.Being basically lazy, I might just follow you on Tulsa and Texas. Here's to a big Saturday 4 u. (and me )
bull

 

[carolinablue]

Cb - Mostly dog player here as you may know by now. Still I find myself very much liking your LT pick, and we both share interest and opinions about the Sunbelt. MTSU was already in my sights and I have liked betting on Ulala this year.Being basically lazy, I might just follow you on Tulsa and Texas. Here's to a big Saturday 4 u. (and me )
bull

Always enjoy reading your thoughts, even though we have different ways of doing things. Definitely no such thing as a one size fits all way of bringing home the profit, so my strategy of winning consistently with favs doesn't cause me to shun you dog players in the least, b/c you obviously know your stuff as well. Every weekend a ton of dogs cover and a ton of favs cover, just a matter of finding the right plays, whether they be favs or dogs as there is no right or wrong in it, if you are bringing home the profit. Thanks for the words, and let's go for the clean sweep since it has been a while since I have used those words outside of the context of cbb anyway, haha.