2011 Predictions & Game Story
Week 8 - SJSU at Louisiana Tech
-
WAC Fearless Predictions &
Conference Page
- FREE EXPERT COLLEGE FOOTBALL SELECTIONS
- Get Tickets For This Game
Follow Us @CFBNews
Like Us
Facebook | E-mail Us
Oct. 29 at Louisiana Tech 38 … San Jose State 28
CFN Analysis: COMING
(AP) RUSTON, La. -- Colby Cameron threw two touchdowns in the second quarter to help Louisiana rally and beat San Jose State 38-28 on Saturday.
Colby, who finished with 237 yards on 17-of-27 passing, connected with Quinton Patton on a 90-yard bomb that gave Louisiana Tech (4-4, 3-1 Western Athletic Conference) a 17-14 lead midway through the second quarter. Cameron then connected with Patton again, this time from 2 yards out, to give the Bulldogs a 24-14 lead with 18 seconds to play in the second quarter.
Lennon Creer added a 1-yard touchdown run and Jay Dudley returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown to complete Louisiana Tech's 28-point outburst as the lead grew to 38-14. Creer paced the Bulldogs rushing attack with 112 yards on 31 carries.
Matt Faulkner led San Jose State (3-5, 2-2), throwing for 327 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-49 passing but was intercepted four times.
San Jose State (3-4) at Louisiana Tech (3-4) Oct. 29, 4:00
Here’s The Deal … Both of these teams have been much better this season than their records may indicate. Of Louisiana Tech’s four losses, only one came by more than six points, and the Bulldogs have won their last two, both on the road. San Jose State was blasted by Stanford to start the season but has played every team close since then, and the Spartans also enter this contest on a hot streak with wins in three of their past four games. Each team is 2-1 in WAC play, and with Boise State now in the Mountain West the Bulldogs and Spartans have their sights set on a conference championship. The winner of this game will emerge as the biggest contender for Nevada in the race for the conference crown.
Why San Jose State Might Win: The Spartans come in off a bye week, and with two weeks to rest and prepare they should be at the top of their game when they head to Ruston. SJSU did a great job in its last game defeating a Hawai’i team that is the only opponent to completely dominate Louisiana Tech so far this year. The Spartans have done a great job protecting the quarterback this season, allowing only 1.71 sacks per game, and this has allowed the passing game to really take off in the second year under head coach Mike MacIntyre. The Bulldog pass defense ranks 106th in the nation, so if SJSU can give QB Matt Faulkner time to throw then he should be able to pick apart the secondary and put points on the board.
Why Louisiana Tech Might Win: Louisiana Tech has two nice conference wins in a row over Idaho and Utah State, and the Bulldogs will be very confident hosting the Spartans for Homecoming. Louisiana Tech has beaten SJSU the last four meetings between the two, and the Bulldogs have nearly pulled off two big upsets this year over Mississippi State and Houston. Louisiana Tech has one of the best punters in the country in Ryan Allen who is averaging 45.6 yards per punt, so the Bulldogs should enjoy a solid advantage in field position throughout the afternoon. Lennon Creer has also done a very nice job running the ball this season, and expect him to get plenty of carries against the woeful Spartans, whose run defense ranks 89th in the country. SJSU also does not put any pressure on the quarterback and has very few tackles for loss this season, ranking among the nation’s worst in both categories, so the Bulldogs passing game should not have any trouble executing in this ball game.
What To Watch Out For: Louisiana Tech WR Quinton Patton & San Jose St. RB Brandon Rutley. Patton had an outstanding start to the season with five straight games over 80 yards receiving and at least five receptions. However, in the last two it seems like he has disappeared from the offense, only totaling 72 yards against Idaho and Utah State. The Bulldogs will need him to return to his early season form if they want to put pressure on the Spartans defense and keep them from stacking the box to stop Creer and the power running game.
Rutley has been the star of SJSU’s offense so far this season, and he has been one of the best runners in the nation over his past three games. He has six touchdowns on the season to go along with his 98 yards per game average and will need to keep the Bulldog defense honest so that Faulkner can go downfield again and again on the weak defensive backfield.
What Will Happen: Neither defense is playing that well this year, so expect a shootout to erupt in Ruston much like the 45-38 Bulldog win over the Spartans last season. Whichever defense forces the most mistakes will be the difference in the game, and Louisiana Tech is much better at forcing turnovers than SJSU so far this year. This game will go back and forth throughout the day, and the Bulldogs will be the last to score, clinching the all-important conference victory.
CFN Prediction: Louisiana Tech 41 … San Jose State 34
- Click For Latest Line From ATS:
Louisiana Tech -7.5 O/U: 51
- Get Tickets For This Game
- FREE EXPERT COLLEGE FOOTBALL SELECTIONS
|