Carolinablue Week 4 Plays

carolinablue

carolinablue

College Football Guru
Lines are coming out at the greek as we speak. Many are .5 less than BM, so finally getting a break by having the greek. BYU is actually a full 2pts higher at the greek though, which is kinda strange.

PSU -28 110
LSU -1 120
UNC ML 115
Utah -6 120
Tulsa -9.5 110
SJSU +10.5 120
TROY +21.5 120
IDAHO +5.5 110

Some interesting opens at the greek as I got decent value playing everything here this week, which is kinda surprising to be honest.
 
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ND is at +9.5 at the greek, and I am close to adding that at 10 as that many points are hard to pass up in a game where you know Weis will force Hoyer to beat them, and not Ringer.

Going to play Idaho but just saw the line move to 5 at BM, so no reason to rush and take 4.5 at the greek.

Also like Zona but 1.5 at the greek even though it is pk at BM, so gonna wait until I can get a pk at 110 at the greek.

Like Indiana as that line was way off vs what I expected, but not sure if I wanna take a chance as I wouldn't be shocked if BSU won SU.

Wake is only 4 at the greek so the 5.5 I saw at BM doesn't look like it is coming my way.
 
The lines between BM and Greek seem to be very off in some cases, as much as a point or point and a half. Weird.
 
RJ Esq said:
The lines between BM and Greek seem to be very off in some cases, as much as a point or point and a half. Weird.
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Yeah, I have never seen it like this before. The weird thing is that there hasn't been much correction or movement since open either. LSU just went up to -2 and Utah to 7, but everything else hasn't moved a bit. Still don't understand why BYU is -28 at the greek, but sitting at -26 at BM. With a line that size, not sure why the difference, since you almost always see the greek mirror BM in most cases on lines like that.

SJSU just dropped to 9.5 from 10. Really surprised they opened at 10 with BM at 9.5.

Wake just moved from 4 to 4.5 at the greek, but that is still a full point lower than BM which has been sitting on 5.5.

UNC just moved to 1 110 from 1 105 which is what I got. Again, not sure why it opened at 105, but I will take it.
 
love UNC at first glance...... may look at an alt line in that one too to get some more value

wake looks solid too... 5dimes way behind both BM and greek so im stuck waiting

BOL this week
 
agree on penn st, took that now as it can only go up, temple off of a devastating loss.
 
If I'm playing Wake-FSU, I'm playing Wake. Wonder where the line heads. I'm thinking it goes toward 3.
 
RJ Esq said:
If I'm playing Wake-FSU, I'm playing Wake. Wonder where the line heads. I'm thinking it goes toward 3.
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I like Wake also, just didn't want to take +4 at the greek when I see +5.5 at BM. Not a huge difference in numbers obviously, but figure no need to rush if I can get an extra 1.5pts from a correction.
 
Wonder if I should just take ND now at 10 120 or should I hold out for even more points? 9.5 at greek, 9 at BM. Assuming greek will come down to 9 to align, but who knows. Curious to see the juice numbers at Pinny when their lines come out, so I can get a feel for which way the wind is blowing on some of these that are diff b/t greek and bm.
 
Looks like Wake, Temple, UCF, and others just got hit at BM as a number of dog lines just came down between .5 and 1pts in the last few mins.
 
Man, he who hesitates is lost, ND just dropped to 8.5 at BM and 9 at the greek haha. Won't hit it now, unless I can catch it back at 9.5 for a split second.
 
carolinablue said:
Looks like Wake, Temple, UCF, and others just got hit at BM as a number of dog lines just came down between .5 and 1pts in the last few mins.
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That's just BM adjusting the lines so not to be sooooo off and to get action. PSU was never going to get action at 28'.
 
Looks like that will be all for tonight. Any remaining plays will come from the following pool, depending on how the lines move overnight and into the week.

Idaho, Zona, Wake, ND, Indiana
 
Don't know if you caught my response in RJ's thread, but I said sorry for my comment coming off wrong. I appreciate everything you do for this site - you're a hard worker, was joking about being on crack anyway.

Will be on UNC and LSU with ya. :shake:
 
RambleOn said:
Don't know if you caught my response in RJ's thread, but I said sorry for my comment coming off wrong. I appreciate everything you do for this site - you're a hard worker, was joking about being on crack anyway.

Will be on UNC and LSU with ya. :shake:
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Non issue, don't sweat it. Definitely missed the call on that one and about 20 others, so no big deal at all.
 
Plays for me from first look will be
PSU -27
Northwestern -11
Vandy +5
Wyoming +27.5
Arkansas +8.5
UNC -1
Iowa +1.5
Wake Forest +4.5
Michigan St -9
Toledo +7.5
Miss -33.5
Rice -31
TCU -24
Georgia -7
OSU -21.5
Tulane -5.5
 
Since you posted your leans, figured I would drop a one liner next to each...

Marlo Stanfield said:
Plays for me from first look will be
PSU -27 (already locked in at 28)
Northwestern -11 (no play, wanted 14.5 as I would have been on Ohio)
Vandy +5 (no play, as I have no idea on this one)
Wyoming +27.5 (actually like BYU but prefer to lay 28 with PSU instead)
Arkansas +8.5 (actually like Alabama but don't wanna chance it)
UNC -1 (already locked in pk 115)
Iowa +1.5 (toss up, no play for me, maybe Iowa if line was 3.5 or greater)
Wake Forest +4.5 (definitely like Wake, but not 100% sold on the play)
Michigan St -9 (actually like ND if 10, you can get MSU -8.5 right now)
Toledo +7.5 (wouldn't be surprised if they won SU, tough at home)
Miss -33.5 (actually like em too, but I have a bond with Buffalo haha)
Rice -31 (assume you mean Texas, kinda like, but not 31 pts like)
TCU -24 (same as above, except substitute 24 for 31)
Georgia -7 (now down to 6.5, also like Georgia, but not sold on it)
OSU -21.5 (actually was hoping for 24.5 as I like Troy, but no play now)
Tulane -5.5 (too many pts for me, was hoping for 3)
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I personally have no interest in making a play on USF this week, but if you like them, you can get them for only 27 at the greek right now, while BM has em at 28.5 Solid value as I don't think it stays under 28 for very long at the greek, but definitely don't see it going lower than the current 27.
 
Thanks Blue for the response, I am by no means an expert like many of you guys. But that was quick leans from everything I have read and seen through 3 weeks of the season.

I think the most interesting thing is the Toledo/Fresno line. Toledo is one of the toughest teams to play at home in the country, and they get Fresno off of one of the most emotional games in school history. Will probably bite on the ML here as well.

Just put in PSU, LSU, and bought down on OSU. I'm pretty sure OSU kills them, but wanted a flat 21.

Vandy intrigues me, because of there leadership at QB.

Rice is a team that can score, so them getting 5 possessions intrigues me as well. Want to see what the deal with Clement is though.

Arkie/bama game should be a battle.

TCU defense is one of the best in the country, and SMU quarterbacks have no idea what ball control is.

Tulane plays tough at home, only issue is possible letdown from ECU this past weekend.

Georgia, well since its 6.5 now I will bite...for some reason I just love the way the play the game.

Just locked in UNC -1....VT is joke in my opinion and GT should have won that game this weekend. Liked what I saw on Thursday night. Gotta like the home team....still ???? at VT all over the place.

BYU let down? Wyoming hasn't played up to par this hole season...maybe that happens here.

Who's going to stop Ringer for ND? Would have hoped Vegas overvalued ND from this past weekend, but they didnt 9 is a tight line...

Would have liked Northwester below 10, but thats not reality. Ohio has played 2 good games in a row, and get there 2nd big ten team in 3 weeks....alot of people will look at how well they played Ohio State in this one...if I can get 10, possibly a play.
 
Good response M.S., appreciate it.

Still a lot of variation going on with the lines b/t books, so depending on where you shop, you could get Tulane at 5 instead of 6, OSU at 20.5 instead of 21.5, TCU at 24 instead of 24.5, BYU at 26.5 instead of 28. Most of these may not seem like a big deal, but if you have funds in a couple books, definitely pays to make sure you check out the lines at each, b/c I haven't seen these full point differences like this in a while.
 
I do most of my betting at Dimes & Greek, I use SI for alot of dogs & totals as I can get a pt or 2 on many games, which is why I put in mostly Favs right now. SI won't have there lines up till probably Tuesday...

I need to get some money in Bookmaker. Thats the goal for the upcoming week.

Thing that pissed me off this week is I had Clemson -21, where as I could have had 18 if I was early. Thats 4 units I lost because I was late.
 
Marlo Stanfield said:
I do most of my betting at Dimes & Greek, I use SI for alot of dogs & totals as I can get a pt or 2 on many games, which is why I put in mostly Favs right now. SI won't have there lines up till probably Tuesday...

I need to get some money in Bookmaker. Thats the goal for the upcoming week.

Thing that pissed me off this week is I had Clemson -21, where as I could have had 18 if I was early. Thats 4 units I lost because I was late.
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Yeah, I hear what you are saying. I really only use the greek right now, so even though I am a proponent of having more than 1 book, I actually don't even follow my own advice, as the only thing I have in BM right now is my winnings from free plays starting with USC in week, as I am just letting that cash ride at this point, as it isn't near enough to play more than 1 or 2 plays a week really.

My full bankroll for the season is at the greek, so outside of a couple really hot lines I may snag at BM using the free play money, I am at the mercy of whatever the greek decides to post.

Once I satisfy my reload rollover (4x) at the greek, I am gonna do a book to book transfer into BM, so I will be sure and let you guys know if the process goes smoothly or not.
 
Penn State be wary. Coming off two dominating performances, in two games making them look better than they are. Beavers horrible run D, Syracuse worse than last year, I firmly believe Cuse has taken a solid step back, IMO. Akron game telling for me.

PSU @ Temple last year won 32-0, I watched the game it was closer than that. If you watched the game you know what I mean.

Fact is there is question how motivated PSU will be against an improved Owl team.

Penn State was alot better play last week, but still a good possiblity they roll again.
 
Can't argue with your card other than maybe tulsa.... care to elaborate on that game a little for the weak of heart ?
 
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ATXHorn said:
New to the board but here are my picks so far

KState -3.5
Baylor +14
Miami -3
Rutgers -4
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Welcome to the forum ATX, glad to have you on board, and looking forward to discussing cfb with you. Feel free to post your thoughts in my thread if you want and also feel free to jump in with discussion whether you agree or disagree, it's cool.
 
Here is an article about Tulsa's "grand opening" this weekend vs New Mexico. Just a heads up for those who didn't realize that Tulsa will be christening a renovated Chapman Stadium on Saturday.

A special day awaits the University of Tulsa athletics.

On Saturday, the first game will be played inside renovated Chapman Stadium. Fans that haven't seen the work in progress during the past nine months will be shocked when they enter the new stadium.

The team plans to wear throwback jerseys to celebrate the day, bridging different eras of Tulsa football.

Coach Todd Graham hopes the stadium, with its capacity of 30,000, will be a loud one. Tulsa averaged 24,538 fans last season, and that number will almost fill up the current Chapman.

Lost in all of the pageantry is the visiting New Mexico team. The Lobos are 1-2, but coming off an impressive 36-28 win over Arizona.

This will be Tulsa's first true test, and Graham expects a tough game. But he's learned a lot in the Hurricane's first two games.

One lesson is that his team has stayed focused and showed no panic, even when it trailed at halftime against the Blazers.

"We beat two teams (UAB and North Texas) that we should have beat," Graham said. "That tells me a lot about our team, that we're mature and can take care of business when we need to take care of business.

"On the same hand, we're going to play the best team that we've played so far in our home opener."

The Lobos' defense will test Tulsa's offense.

New Mexico was opportunistic in the Arizona win, forcing a season-high five turnovers which resulted in 19 points.

TU has grabbed five turnovers and hasn't given one up all season.

"Our goal is to be No. 1 in the country in taking care of the football and that's where we're at," Graham said. "We have 100 percent ball security. We were 103rd in the country last year and that's something we challenged our guys with."

That doesn't mean everything's been perfect.

TU has bobbled a punt and placed the ball in jeopardy at times.

"We're going to continue to harp on that," Graham said. "We have to win the turnover ratio."

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Also of note in Tulsa is that the new stadium had the playing surface replaced with field turf, which is a faster surface and should compliment the up tempo fast paced offense of the Golden Hurricane much more so than the previous playing surface.



"My favorite part of this stadium is the field," TU coach Todd Graham said. "The surface is a fast surface. It's also one that I think is not abrasive at all."

Its new playing field features FieldTurf, which will help the Golden Hurricane this season. The artificial surface was changed for the first time in eight years.
 
How will Temple come out emotionally vs PSU after that heartbreaker last week vs Buffalo?

The loss was the second straight for the Owls on the game's final play. Temple (1-2) lost in overtime Sept. 6 at home to defending Big East champion Connecticut when Donald Brown scored on a 7-yard run.
"We're supposed to prevent the offense from catching the ball," said Temple sophomore defensive back Jaiquawn Jarrett, who along with Dominique Harris and Tommie Williams, failed to knock down the high, arching pass or prevent Roosevelt from making the catch. "It was a heartbreaker, but that play didn't change the game. It was many plays before that."

Three plays to be precise, and all in the seconds after senior quarterback Adam DiMichele had tossed his third touchdown pass of the game - an 11-yarder to Bruce Francis that erased a 24-21 deficit.
First, Jeff Wathne's kickoff (with a strong wind) sailed out of bounds near the 1 instead of going out of the end zone, giving Buffalo the football at the 40. A defensive holding call two plays later moved the football to the 50 and gave the Bulls a first down. Then Willy found Roosevelt over the middle for a 20-yard gain to keep Buffalo's hopes alive. "We didn't do our job," Temple coach Al Golden said. "They finished the game, we didn't. We knew what they were going to do [on the last play]. We practice this every day. There's no way to describe [the loss] and no way to rationalize it."
 
Temple running game continues to struggle

“The running game needs to be addressed,” Owls coach Al Golden said “We're trying to find the right combination there ... I don't think we've run very hard.”

Thus, Golden soon may give playing time to freshman Eric Reynolds, a Central Bucks South sensation who's currently fourth on the depth chart.
“He got some reps finally (this week in practice),” Golden said. “We'll see what he can do. We're looking for backs that want to run hard.”

Starter Marquise Liverpool has struggled in his transition from wide receiver, netting just 79 yards on 25 carries. Freshmen Joe Jones and Ahkeem Smith are the other backs listed ahead of Reynolds.

Note: Temple did gain 104 vs Buffalo, but they better find some answers quick if they are gonna even break 50 vs that PSU defense this weekend. If they can't establish a running game, this one is gonna get ugly real quick.
 
Utah Press Conference Notes

Quotes from Kyle Whittingham's Press Conference


Opening Statement:
A nice win up in Logan this weekend. I thought we played extremely well defensively for the third week in a row. Whenever you limit an opponent like that it is a good day for the defense. Paul Kruger was very effective for us. His four sacks ties the school record. I thought the offense was improved, but it is still not where it needs to be. They showed more consistency and scored points, but we still have things we need to clean up. On special teams we had a solid performance in three phases, but that was overshadowed by the punt return performance. We did not handle that well at all. It was the worst punt return performance since I have been here. This week priority No. 1 is finding out who the guy returning punts is going to be. We are back to square one and going to try out 3-4 different guys and hopefully we will settle on someone.
On the injury front, we lost backup linebacker Matt Martinez to a bicep injury. We are still evaluating him. Other than that we came out pretty clean.
Air Force is up next. It's a tough place to play. They are coming 3-0 and coming off a nice win at Houston. They are their usual selves offensively - they are second (nationally) in rushing offense, second in the league in scoring defense and in the top four in total defense. They are very good in most phases of the kicking game. We have our work cut out for us. It is an important game as it is every week, but the key will be our defense and play disciplined, assignment football. We gave up a few too many points last year, but it wasn't a bad defensive game. We were not nearly good enough on offense last year.
On who will be looked at for punt returns:
Aiona Key, David Reed and Terrell Cole are our three headliners. We will look at 2-to-3 other guys in addition to that. You simulate in practice as best you can in a game situation, putting them under pressure defensively. It is tough to figure out why we had that issue on Saturday with more than one guy. We have got to get it fixed. That will cost us down the road if we don't.
Brent Casteel was a stop-gap measure. We'd rather not go in that direction if we can get away with it.
On the challenges of facing Air Force:
It's typical Air Force - they're not going to throw the ball more than 10-12 times most weeks. You've got to play the run just about every snap. You have to be tuned in to the option, play the run most of the time and hold up against the throw. They've led the league in third down efficiency a number of times the past few years. They get themselves into manageable third down situations and play the run effectively.
It is important to take advantage of offensive opportunities in the red zone. Taking care of the ball and possession is important against Air Force. We did a great job with that Saturday night (against Utah State). The bottom line is to force them to play catch up. The option attack is not geared towards catching up to a big deficit.
Their coaches have done a great job. They have the same gritty, tough disciplined athlete as they've always had. New looks have helped the theme. Before you had very few looks that you had to deal with. Coach Calhoun has brought in more formations that we've got to adjust to and defend. It causes you to have different assignments.
Last time we were there Louie (Sakoda) won the game on a field goal. Ben Moa scored in 2003 (in triple overtime). There have been some great games in the series. They got us here last year. One thing about those guys is that they continue to come at you more than any other team. You are going to get their best shot for a full 60 minutes.
There are two schools of thought when you play Air Force. Some teams like to grind and methodically match them, keeping their defense on the field. Some teams play wide open and spread out and usually have a speed advantage. We are still formulating our plan. On the injuries at defensive tackle:
I think that is settled - we got very good production on Saturday. We moved Derrick Shelby inside, Sealver Siliga and Aaron Tonga played well and Greg Newman played the entire game. That combination is what we will stay with hopefully the rest of the year and we'll leave the defensive ends outside. Each week is a challenge.
 
Why the Idaho Vandals may be worth a look vs USU this weekend


MOSCOW, Idaho - There were just a couple words Robb Akey needed to describe Idaho's 51-28 non-conference loss to Western Michigan Saturday afternoon.


"Very disappointing," he said after the Vandals dropped to 1-2 with their conference opener at Utah State one week away. "I thought the first half we had a whale of a football game going. I liked the way that we started out the second half (by scoring after an onside kick to open the third quarter)."

Then the game that had been a toe-to-toe tussle turned one-sided in favor of Western Michigan. After Idaho tied the game at 14 with 12:39 left in the third, the Broncos scored on five of their next six possessions - which includes racking up 23 third-quarter points, to take control of the game. The Vandals tacked on a couple fourth-quarter scores but it was too little, too late.

The final stats didn't reflect an outcome as lopsided as the scoreboard did. Idaho had more first downs, more yards passing, more yards total offense. But, the Vandals also lost a fumble, had an interception and gave up a safety. Once the struggles began in the third quarter, it was difficult to quell the momentum that had shifted to favor WMU and left the Broncos with sterling field position.

"When something bad happens," Akey said, "we have to counter that with something good - and unfortunately that was the tale of the second half."
After the Vandals daring - and successful - onside kick to open the second half, they marched 53 yards to score on Deonte` Jackson's two-yard run. WMU scored on its next possession on an 80-yard drive was aided by a pass interference call that gave the Broncos a first down at the Idaho 27. Two plays later, they scored to go back up by a touchdown, 21-14.

Idaho turned the ball over when Dewey Hale fumbled on the kickoff return to give WMU the ball at the Vandal 17. The Broncos scored in six plays to stretch their lead to 28-14.

The youth and injuries in Idaho's offensive line showed on the next series when quarterback Nathan Enderle was sacked twice - the second resulteing in a WMU safety and a 30-14 lead with 6:34 left in the third.
T.J. Conley boomed a 62-yarder on the free kick but Schneider Julian responded with a 43-yard return and Idaho was whistled for a personal foul - one of nine penalties - to aid WMU's field position. The result was the Broncos started the next drive at the Idaho 39.

WMU wrapped with the 23-point period four plays later on 16-yard a Tim Hiller to Branden Ledbetter pass.
"We hurt ourselves today," cornerback Isaac Butts said. "We've got to know our assignments. We've got to know what we're doing. ... You eliminate those plays and I'd probably be up here with a smile instead of the look I've got right now."

The loss overshadowed some noteworthy individual efforts. Jackson tallied another 100-plus game with 110 yards on 21 carries. Enderle, who found a favorite target in Eddie Williams, was 25-of-39 for 334 yards. Williams had the best outing of his career with nine grabs for 161 yards and Shiloh Keo pounded his way to 10 solo stops and an assist for an 11-tackle afternoon. Linebacker Andrew Blevins, who started in place of injured JoJo Dickson, had eight stops.
 
Keep in mind that USU Coach Brent Guy is 6-32, the worst winning percentage in school history, and USU has lost 12 of the last 13 at home.

Idaho is definitely on the short list this week, as they have greater than 50/50 chance of winning SU, so why not take the 4.5 and run with it?

Don't think this line will move much this week, so no reason for me to lock it in early IMO, but may be an under the radar game for you guys to check out if you don't mind holding your nose while you hit that submit button haha.
 
Some reasons why the LSU line is what it is...


LSU lost all three of its appearances this decade at Auburn and failed to reach the SEC championship in each of those years.

LSU will be without one of its best defensive players — linebacker Darry Beckwith, who injured his left knee against North Texas. Beckwith is expected to miss about three or four weeks.

Jacob Cutrera will replace him in the starting lineup. Cutrera, a junior, made two starts a season ago when Beckwith was out with an injury.
"Jacob Cutrera is a veteran guy," Miles said. "We have no real issue about Jacob being able to step in and communicate. He has earned the respect of the team. We will miss Darry until he gets back. There is no substitute for great experience."

LSU will attempt to end its losing streak at Auburn with a pair of Tigers quarterbacks who have never played in a college football game on the road. Sophomore Andrew Hatch will start once again with redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee seeing action off the bench.
In LSU's first two games, Hatch has thrown for 202 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Lee has comparable numbers, passing for 200 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

"I am pleased with the development of both quarterbacks," Miles said. "They were not perfect against North Texas. But, the mistakes they made can be corrected. For the quarterbacks, efficiency is the whole issue."
Miles does not believe that either quarterback will be shaken in his first road appearance.

"There has been a number of games every bit as important that these guys have played," Miles said. "It may have been junior high school or high school. They can always equate some big game in the past with the style of environment they are going into."

Miles feels his offense's challenge will be to move the ball against an Auburn defense that has allowed just 13 points in three games and shut out Mississippi State's offense in a 3-2 victory last Saturday.
"What has been Auburn's strength is defense," Miles said. "It is again. Auburn's defense is very physical. They are fast to the ball. They have a quality scheme. We'll need to be balanced on offense. Our football team is best when we can do both, run and pass.

"When we line up against that defense, that's where our challenge is going to be. We're going to have to match up our big guys up front with them. We'll be tested very significantly."
 
From the "I have way too much time on my hands" file...

MOSCOW -- It appears that the Vandals cheerleading squad may have garnered more complaints from some fans about their perceived scantily clad uniforms than the football team did in Idaho's 70-0 defeat at Arizona a few weeks ago.

M_IMAGE.11beb4b9125.93.88.fa.d0.818d4b96.jpg
University of Idaho
Say goodbye... at least to these uniforms. Idaho cheerleaders will get new outifts that cover up a little more.


Heck, the Idaho athletic department may blow its own budget at this pace.
There were enough complaints from Vandal fans about the uniforms that the cheerleading squad abandoned the two-piece outfits.
Ironically the team won its home opener 42-27 against Idaho State when those outfits debuted.
Donned with more threads last weekend, a second set of uniforms - black shirts and shorts - were worn by the cheerleaders.
Oh, by the way, the football team lost that game in Moscow, 51-28 to Western Michigan.
Despite the less revealing attire; however, the all-black motif lacked panache.
So, in keeping with what has almost been a weekly tradition, yes, the cheerleaders are expected to get new uniforms in time for the Vandals away game on Saturday at Utah State.
 
More on the top under the radar matchup of the week - Idaho vs USU

Two days later, the frayed nerves had settled down and the tone was calmer as the Utah State Aggies sought to analyze their disastrous 58-10 loss to Utah on Saturday night at Romney Stadium.
But there is no denying the frustration amongst players and coaches immediately following the debacle against the Utes.

Aggie receiver Otis Nelson said USU failed to compete. Coach Brent Guy called the loss one of the most embarrassing of his tenure and proclaimed his team to be at "ground zero."

On Monday, however, Guy was clearly more composed than he was two days before, and his comments reflected as much.
"I give a lot of credit to Utah," Guy said. "They came in prepared. At that point in the season, it could've been easy for them to have a let down against us. They went on the road and played well."

Even so, the cries around the program and amongst the Aggies fan base are getting a louder. Heading into Saturday's Western Athletic Conference opener against Idaho, USU is 0-3 with none of the games being close. Oregon scored 66 points and rolled up almost 700 yards of offense on Utah State. UNLV, a team the Aggies thought they had legitimate chance to beat, handled USU. But the loss to the Utes was the most galling of all of them.

Nothing, however, speaks louder than empty seats. And with an announced attendance of 19,061 at Romney Stadium, there were more than 6,000 empty seats to be had, which is a message that the state no longer views the game between USU and Utah as much of a rivalry. And that at least some Aggie fans may have already abandoned their team.
Given all that, the date with Idaho is shaping up as an absolute must-win game. A loss here, and fan support may plummet even more so than it has already. A loss against the Vandals, and Guy's job may be in jeopardy sooner than most thought.

Inside the Aggies program the panic button isn't being hit - not yet. USU knew that the first three opponents on the schedule posed huge challenges.
And with UNLV's win on the road over nationally ranked Arizona State, it appears that the Rebels are better than first thought.

The key for Guy is how his team performs in Western Athletic conference play. There may not be much that can be done against the Utahs, Oregons, BYUs, Boise States or Fresno States of the world. But there are winnable games left on the schedule. And at this point, progress for the Aggies has to start with Idaho.

"We're going to have to start off and play well the entire four quarters against Idaho, which we did not do the other night," Guy said. "Physically, we're going to have to go out and play four quarters, both running and throwing the football."

This is something the Aggies have yet to do this season. Utah State has either played well on offense or on defense, but never both in the same game. As ugly as the score was against the Utes, the USU defense was solid in parts. But they were on the field for so long that they eventually tired out.

The offense can take some blame for that, as they have gone three-and-out on their first drives for three consecutive games. That's a major reason that Guy, on Monday, named Diondre Borel his starting quarterback for Saturday's game.

Sean Setzer, the senior quarterback who started the first three games of the season, is the better passer of the two. But Borel is the better runner and playmaker. And at this point, Guy needs all the playmakers he can get.

"We're going to put Diondre out there and see if he can get something started," Guy said. "He's our best runner, so hopefully he can help the running game as a whole."
 
<TABLE id=ilt cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH class=stathead align=left colSpan=5>ESPN.com's Bottom 10</TH><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD class=colhead> </TD><TD class=colhead>RANK</TD><TD class=colhead>TEAM</TD><TD class=colhead>RECORD</TD><TD class=colhead>COMMENT</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
183.gif
</TD><TD width="8%">1. </TD><TD width="25%">Syracuse </TD><TD width="8%">0-3 </TD><TD width="44%">"No Country For Old Men": Or Orange ones. "There are no clean getaways" is the movie tagline. That's certainly proving to be true in the Greg Robinson era. </TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
21.gif
</TD><TD width="8%">2. </TD><TD width="25%">San Diego State </TD><TD width="8%">0-3 </TD><TD width="44%">"The Big Lebowski": The tagline is "They figured he was a lazy, time-wasting slacker. They were right." OK, The Dudes from SDSU definitely aren't slackers, but waiting for a win could be a waste of time. </TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
apples_50.jpg
</TD><TD width="8%">3. </TD><TD width="25%">Road Apples </TD><TD width="8%">0-6 </TD><TD width="44%">"O Brother, Where Art Thou?": On the other side of the state. "They have a plan, but not a clue" is the tagline. The 2008 road is littered with the evidence of losses by Apple State siblings Washington State and Washington. </TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
2229.gif
</TD><TD width="8%">4. </TD><TD width="25%">FIU </TD><TD width="8%">0-2 </TD><TD width="44%">"The Hudsucker Proxy": The Panthers' season feels like "A comedy of invention" -- especially for an offense that ranks No. 119. As Norville would say, FIU's offense is, "You know, for kids." </TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
ncf_a_cactus_55.jpg
</TD><TD width="8%">5. </TD><TD width="25%">State of Arizona
</TD><TD width="8%">0-2 </TD><TD width="44%">"Raising Arizona": Razing Arizona works better after a pair of Saturday upsets shocked the Wildcats and Sun Devils. Maybe the ideas about the Cats being back and Sun Devils being national players were "a comedy beyond belief." </TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
328.gif
</TD><TD width="8%">6. </TD><TD width="25%">Utah State </TD><TD width="8%">0-3 </TD><TD width="44%">"Barton Fink": "Between heaven and hell there's always Hollywood!" Or Logan! Stopping teams has been hell on the Aggies, who rank No. 119 in scoring defense. </TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
249.gif
</TD><TD width="8%">7. </TD><TD width="25%">North Texas </TD><TD width="8%">0-3 </TD><TD width="44%">"Intolerable Cruelty": "A romantic comedy with bite." Is the honeymoon over in Denton? The Mean Green are 2-13 since Todd Dodge arrived. </TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
5.gif
</TD><TD width="8%">8. </TD><TD width="25%">UAB <TD width="8%">0-3 </TD><TD width="44%">"Paris, je t'aime": "Stories of Love. From the City of Love." If the Bottom 10 sent a script to the Coen brothers, we would substitute Birmingham for Paris. The Bottom 10 loves the Blazers. </TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
258.gif
</TD><TD width="8%">9. </TD><TD width="25%">Virginia </TD><TD width="8%">1-2 </TD><TD width="44%">"Burn After Reading": Doesn't seem right that the "intelligence is relative" tagline could work with an academic institution like Virginia. But the Bottom 10 deals only with events on the field. </TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD width="15%">
70.gif
</TD><TD width="8%">10. </TD><TD width="25%">Idaho </TD><TD width="8%">1-2 </TD><TD width="44%">"Blood Simple": It's simple. The Bottom 10 has the Vandals in its blood. "Breaking up is hard," so the Bottom 10 is pleased to be reunited with Idaho after a week's separation. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 
Team Stats from last year's Idaho vs USU game

Note: Idaho pretty much dominated the stat sheet in this one but they had 4 turnovers which ended up being their downfall. With that said, they still had a chance to win at the end as they had the ball and were driving in the last 2 mins of the game before turning the ball over on downs.

<TABLE class=data cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2><TBODY><TR class=datahead><TD></TD><TD>Utah State</TD><TD>Idaho</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Score</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>19</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>First downs</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>24</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>3rd Down Efficiency</TD><TD>3-for-12
25% </TD><TD>7-for-16
44% </TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>4th Down Efficiency</TD><TD>2-for-2
100% </TD><TD>3-for-4
75% </TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Total Yards </TD><TD>272</TD><TD>428</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD colSpan=3>Rushing</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Rushes-Net Yards</TD><TD>44-154</TD><TD>52-237</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Average Per Rush</TD><TD>3.5</TD><TD>4.6</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD colSpan=3>Passing</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Comp-Att</TD><TD>11-15</TD><TD>14-27</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Passing Yards</TD><TD>118</TD><TD>191</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Average Per Pass Play</TD><TD>7.9</TD><TD>7.1</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Penalties-Yards</TD><TD>6-60</TD><TD>7-75</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Fumbles-Lost</TD><TD>0-0</TD><TD>1-1</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Interceptions Thrown </TD><TD>0</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR class=datarow><TD>Time of Possession</TD><TD>27:38</TD><TD>32:22</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 
In case you haven't noticed, I am leaning pretty heavily towards Idaho as one of my under the radar plays in week 4. Just letting the line go up and up as it has gone from 4.5 to 5.5 so far, so hoping for 6 or more, as I honestly think Idaho can win this one SU, but not gonna chance it for only +190.
 
Tulane hasn't been greater than a 6 point fav since back in 2004.

Currently they are favored by 6/6.5 vs ULM and the line continues to rise. Find that interesting considering they are coming off a close loss vs an ECU team that was in a classic sandwich spot as they had just upset highly ranked WVU and they had in state rival NCSU on the horizon. Not really surprising that Tulane was able to hang tough considering the spot (and no, I didn't play them of course haha).
 
Toledo is 35-6 at the Glass Bowl since coach Tom Amstutz took over in 2001, including three wins in as many tries against ranked teams.
 
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