WAC
Boise State
| Fresno
State | Hawaii
| Idaho
| Louisiana Tech
Nevada
| New
Mexico St |
San Jose
State | Utah State
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How are the picks so far? SU 47-6 ATS
30-16
WAC Game of
the Week
Fresno
State (1-6) at
Boise State
(8-0) 8:00 PM EST ESPN2 Wednesday
November 1
Why to Watch: At the outset of the
season, similar to almost every other
year prior to 2006, this appeared to be
the WAC championship. Things have
changed a wee bit since. Well, at
least, Boise State held up its end of
the bargain. At 8-0, the Broncos have
taken control of the WAC championship
race, but it hasn’t been a total
cakewalk needing a full 60 minutes to
put away Idaho in the Kibbie Dome 42-26.
If Fresno State isn’t the biggest
disappointment in college football, it’s
a close second (thank you Colorado!)
losing six straight including a 38-6
blowout in Baton Rouge against LSU last
week. Although the season is all but
lost for the Bulldogs, nothing can ease
the pain of six straight losses more
than knocking off the undefeated Broncos
on their own Smurf Turf in front of a
national television audience. However,
to maintain momentum for a possible
Fiesta Bowl trip, the Broncos won’t be
caught looking past their main
conference rival, no matter what the
records are.
Why Fresno State Might Win: It’s
FSU’s last shot at glory this season.
The opportunity to get six wins to
become bowl eligible is minute, but
remotely possible needing five straight
wins. With the quarterback situation
changing hands midway through the
season, not much has remained consistent
within the Bulldog offense, except for
the offensive line and RB Dwayne
Wright. The Bulldog star struggled
against the stout LSU defense (42 yards
on 15 carries), but he’s capable of
carrying the offense with 25 to 30
carries running behind his quintet up
front. The Bulldogs can’t allow Boise
State to dominate time of possession,
but they’ll get some help from their 12th
defender Wright, so to speak, to keep
BSU’s potent offense off the field.
Why Boise State Might Win: No
WAC team (1984 BYU excluded) has had
more at stake over the last few games of
the season than Chris Petersen’s squad.
$14 million dollars, a trip to the
Fiesta Bowl and a top ten ranking are
all on the line each time the Broncos
take the field. The defense is the best
in the conference giving up only 311
yards per game ranking ninth in the
nation against the run yielding only 76
yards per game. Fresno State completely
shut down the running game in last
year’s contest, holding BSU to 104 yards
rushing (67 yards on one play), but this
year’s defense gave up nearly six yards
per carry to LSU’s running game. Expect
to see Ian Johnson about 25 times, if
for no other reason than to prove that
last year was a fluke.
Who to Watch: The one-on-one
contest between FSU DE Tyler Clutts and
Boise State tackle Ryan Clady won’t only
a fun battle to watch, it’s a vital
matchup. Throughout the year, Clady and
his offensive line have dominated at the
point of attack, most importantly on the
perimeter, allowing Johnson to run
downhill and pick his running lanes.
Clutts is more pass rusher than run
stopper, but this week, he’s got to hold
his own against Clady to force Johnson
to bounce his runs to secondary
support. If not? Remember what
happened to Oregon State? Enough said.
What Will Happen: The Bulldogs
haven’t fared well in Boise in past
years and this year will be no
different. Although the sense of
urgency will motivate them to play well
early, the Broncos’ running game will
put the Bulldog front seven on its heels
throughout the game. BSU quarterback
Jared Zabransky will then pick holes in
the FSU secondary on play action routes
for a couple TDs and 250+ yards passing
in a convincing Bronco win.
CFN Prediction: Boise State 48 …
Fresno State 17
... Line:
Boise State -26
Must See Rating: (5 skip the
birth of your first born - 1 Running
with Scissors) ...
2.5
Hawaii
(6-2) at Utah
State (1-7) 3:00
PM EST ESPN+ Saturday November 4
Why to Watch: How many teams in
the nation have scored 68 points in one
game this season? Okay, now how many
have done it twice in three weeks? One.
In what must qualify as one of the best
offensive ‘runs’ in quite some time, the
Warriors are putting on an offensive
clinic, week in and week out. After
torching Fresno State for 68 on the road
three weeks ago, the Warriors hit that
magic number again last weekend on the
Island as they pounded Idaho 68-10 and
are now averaging 54 points per outing
over the last four games. That’s not
good news for a Utah State team that
gave up 48 points in its last game…to
Louisiana Tech. The good news for the
Aggies is that Hawaii has to get on the
plane and travel to Utah, where Utah
State beat Fresno State the last time it
played at home. Déjà vu all over
again? Against Hawaii and its offense?
Well....
Why Hawaii Might Win: There’s a
point where the stats and numbers become
so overwhelmingly obscene that it’s hard
to comprehend how good this Hawaii
offense actually is. Quarterback Colt
Brennan completed 31 of 38 for 333 yards
and five touchdowns against Idaho (2,934
yards and 33 touchdowns on the season)
and didn’t even play a full game. Utah
State’s pass defense has improved
throughout the season, but the D is
still ranked 88th in the
nation against five touchdown
performance. But, for as good as the
offense was against Idaho, the defense
made a statement as well, shutting out
Idaho in the second half, yielding only
ten total points.
Why Utah State Might Win: The
insertion of freshman Riley Nelson into
the starting lineup at quarterback has
paid big dividends for the Aggies. He
did throw two picks against Louisiana
Tech, but he also threw for 249 yards
and two touchdowns against the Bulldog
defense. After spending much of the
season with the worst offense in the
nation, the Aggies have averaged 313
yards total offense per game since
Nelson took over in the win over Fresno
State. Although the Warriors gave up
only ten points to Idaho last week,
they’re giving up nearly 400 yards of
total offense per game. Nelson’s dual
threat abilities could keep Brennan and
his offense off the field.
Who to Watch: Utah State
receiver Kevin Robinson torched
Louisiana Tech for 141 yards receiving
on only six catches, two of which went
for touchdowns. The Aggies can’t win a
track meet with the sprinters on the
other side of the field, but Nelson has
a weapon that can stretch the Warrior
defense vertically. Robinson can put
downfield pressure on Hawaii safety
Leonard Peters and the Hawaii secondary,
especially against man coverage.
What Will Happen: The Aggies may
be able to put a couple of touchdowns on
the board, but there’s not a defense in
this conference that has a chance of
stopping Brennan and his offensive
circus. Keep an eye on Hawaii running
back Nate Ilaoa, who should have a solid
all-around game to take some pressure
off of Brennan and the passing game.
The high flyin’ Warriors keep it going
on the road.
CFN Prediction: Hawaii 52 … Utah
State 17 ...
Line: Hawaii -29
Must See Rating: (5 skip the
birth of your first born - 1 Running
with Scissors) ...
1.5
Nevada
(5-3) at Idaho
(4-5) 5:00 PM EST Saturday November 4
Why to Watch: Nevada has played
as well as any team in this league the
last six games of the season. Since
starting the season 0-2, Chris Ault’s
crew has won five of the last six and
was within three yards of knocking off
uber-powerful Hawaii in the only loss of
the stretch. Last weekend, the Wolf
Pack scored an impressive 48-21 victory
last week over Hal Mumme’s New Mexico
State Aggies, while Dennis Erickson’s
Vandals ran into the Hawaii buzzsaw on
the Island, losing 68-10. The last time
the Vandals were at home, they battled
Boise State into the fourth quarter
before succumbing late in the game
42-26. After two consecutive losses,
bowl hopes for Idaho are dwindling
fast. Nevada, on the other hand, is one
win away from bowl eligibility, but a
loss to Idaho could seriously damage any
bowl opportunities.
Why Nevada Might Win: No team has
handled the New Mexico State offense as
well as Nevada did last week. The Wolf
Pack allowed 295 total yards and held
NMSU quarterback Chase Holbrook to only
217 yards passing, but most importantly,
the Wolf Pack forced five turnovers
(three picks, two fumbles), giving the
football back to their diverse, “Pistol”
offense to take control of the clock and
the game. Nevada running back Robert
Hubbard took advantage of the extra
possessions to pile up 114 yards on 28
carries. Idaho has struggled stopping
the run, yielding 146 yards per game, so
Hubbard and Brandon Fragger could
combine to run the Vandals off the
field.
Why Idaho Might Win: With the
game taking place within the friendly
confines of the Kibbie Dome, the Vandals
will give themselves a chance to win the
game. Against Boise State, Idaho got
the champs on the ropes but couldn’t
deliver a knockout blow. Even in the
loss, the team proved it could play at
home. To pull off the win, Steven
Wichman has to pick apart the Wolf
Pack’s 68th ranked pass
defense, which he has shown throughout
the year that he can do when he’s
throwing on rhythm.
Who to Watch: The Nevada
quarterback situation has been unsettled
lately with starting QB Jeff Rowe
suffering from some nagging injuries.
Last week against New Mexico State, Rowe
returned, but threw two interceptions,
while backup Travis Moore, who led the
Wolf Pack to a huge win over San Jose
State, also threw a pick. Nick Graziano
also saw some playing time, completing
seven of nine passes along with one
touchdown. Rowe is clearly the starter,
but another couple of turnovers in the
passing game and he might be watching
the other two a little bit more than
last weekend.
What Will Happen: It won’t
matter who’s playing quarterback for the
Wolf Pack with Hubbard and the Nevada
running game running roughshod over the
104th ranked Idaho defense.
Nevada will control the ball and the
clock forcing Idaho into catch-up mode
early in the game.
CFN Prediction: Nevada 38 … Idaho
17 ...
Line: Nevada -3.5
Must See Rating: (5 skip the
birth of your first born - 1 Running
with Scissors) ...
2
Louisiana
Tech (2-6) at
North Texas
(2-6) 7:00 PM EST Saturday November 4
Why to Watch: It’s unusual for a
non-conference game to take place in
November, but the Bulldogs travel west
across the border to Denton. When these
two met last season, Tech dominated the
offensively challenged Mean Green 40-14,
but neither team seems capable of
dominating the other this year. Both
teams are coming off of a loss – North
Texas lost a 14-6 defensive struggle to
Troy, while Louisiana Tech was throttled
by San Jose State 48-10. A bowl game
isn’t on either team’s December
itinerary, but a win helps soothe the
pain of a sub-.500 season.
Why Louisiana Tech Might Win:
Throughout the season, the Bulldogs
have faced some of the nation’s most
explosive offenses – Texas A&M, Clemson
and Boise State (and Hawaii’s on deck).
Suffice to say, North Texas’s offense is
on the opposite end of the spectrum.
The Mean Green has the worst offense in
the nation, averaging just over 206
yards per game, even with star RB
Jamario Thomas in the backfield. North
Texas’s paltry offense is a welcome
respite for the Bulldog defense, a unit
that is…
Why North Texas Might Win: …the
worst in the nation in total defense.
The Bulldogs have been shredded on the
ground by all comers this season. The
defense is ranked second to last in the
nation against the run, yielding 244
yards per game. Thomas hasn’t had near
as many opportunities this year, even in
Sun Belt conference play, to find seams
in the defense and pile up yards as he
did two years ago as a true freshman.
If he can get loose against the
Bulldogs, as San Jose State’s Yonus
Davis did last weekend (199 yards
rushing), the rotating Mean Green
quarterbacks will have less to do. And,
that’s good news…for many different
reasons.
Who to Watch: The Bulldog
running backs, Daniel Porter, William
Griffin and Patrick Jackson, combined
for 41 yards of rushing against San Jose
State, forcing the Bulldog defense to
stay on the field for over 35 minutes of
game action. That sub par performance
came one week after Porter ran through,
around and over Utah State’s defense, to
the tune of nearly 200 yards on the
ground. North Texas is ranked only 89th
in the nation against the run, so Porter
and company must take advantage of
facing a less-than average run defense.
What Will Happen: Neither team will
light up the scoreboard, but if the
Bulldogs running backs move the chains
early in the game, QB Zac Champion will
be able to use his speedy wide receivers
to get behind the Mean Green secondary
for a quick six, or two.
CFN Prediction: Louisiana Tech 28
… North Texas 10
... Line:
North Texas -3
Must See Rating: (5 skip the
birth of your first born - 1 Running
with Scissors) ...
1.5
San Jose
State (5-2) at
New Mexico State
(2-6) 8:00 PM EST Saturday Nov. 4
Why to Watch: One team has
designs on a bowl game – which would be
the program’s first since 1990, while
the other has one of the most explosive
offenses in the conference. The
Spartans got back on the winning track
with a decisive 48-10 win over Louisiana
Tech, one week after being throttled by
Nevada on the road 23-7. New Mexico
State, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly
as fortunate last weekend losing its
fourth WAC game in a row to streaking
Nevada 48-21. Dick Tomey’s surprising
Spartans must win to keep pace with
Boise State and Hawaii, especially with
games against the two WAC powers in
consecutive weeks after this game in Las
Cruces.
Why San Jose State Might Win: If
you were to name the top ten rushing
attacks in the nation, would you ever
think that San Jose State would be in
that elite group? Well, think again.
Behind quicksilver running back Yonus
Davis, the Spartans are averaging 208
yards per game and are ranked tenth in
the nation in rushing. Davis lit up
Louisiana Tech for 199 yards on only 13
carries and two touchdowns, while that
wasn’t even half of the total the
Spartans registered against the Bulldogs
(476 yards total). The Aggies haven’t
been roughed up quite that way this
season, but the Spartan runners will
come at them in waves, starting with the
WAC Offensive Player of the Week, Davis,
making life extremely difficult for the
New Mexico State defense.
Why New Mexico State Might Win:
The Aggies won’t let the Spartans run
and hide. With Mumme’s Air Raid
offense, they can stay in the game, no
matter how many points the Spartans put
up on the board. If it turns into a
track meet, that might be the best news
for the Aggie offense. However, it’s
the Aggie defense that must turn the
tide of the game by putting maximum
pressure on Spartan quarterback Adam
Tafralis. The Spartan signal caller has
shown a propensity for turnovers when
opponents get heat on him and the New
Mexico State defense picked off Nevada
QB Jeff Rowe twice last weekend.
Who to Watch: NMSU linebacker
Tim McManigal has been a one-man show on
defense this season. He leads the team
with 72 tackles, six tackles for a loss
and a sack and a half. Last weekend
against Nevada, he had 11 total tackles,
two for a loss and a 60-yard pick six.
The versatile defender will see plenty
of the Spartan running game on Saturday,
but he’s more than capable of stopping
either run or pass.
What Will Happen: Although he
left the Nevada game with a myriad of
injuries, Holbrook should get back into
the lineup. Whether he does or doesn’t
get under center, though, San Jose State
will force a couple of interceptions
that’ll put Davis and the Spartan
offense on the field for 35 minutes of
time of possession. The Spartan
offensive line will control the line of
scrimmage from the start.
CFN Prediction: San Jose State 38
… New Mexico State 23
... Line:
San Jose State -6
Must See Rating: (5 skip the
birth of your first born - 1 Running
with Scissors) ...
2