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TCU (5-4) at BYU (6-2)
9:00 ET
Why to Watch: TCU’s
performance a week ago, a 37-0
rout of a streaking New Mexico
team, suddenly makes this week’s
game in Provo a little more
interesting. In their best game
of the year, by far, the Horned
Frogs got a crisp effort from
up-and-down QB Andy Dalton and
an emotional life from DE Tommy
Blake, who’d sat out the
previous four games for personal
reasons. While TCU is out of
the Mountain West race, it needs
Thursday’s game to inch closer
to a third consecutive bowl
game. BYU has won 12 league
games in-a-row, and enjoys a
two-game cushion on its closest
competition. No doubt the
Cougars are the class of the
Mountain West, but after
feasting on UNLV, Eastern
Washington, and Colorado State,
they’re pining for a chance to
knock off a quality opponent for
the first time since September.
BYU’s league-leading offense
versus TCU’s league-leading
defense is one of the more
underrated games-within-the-game
of the upcoming weekend.
Why TCU might win:
Provided it can use last week’s
shutout as a springboard, the
Horned Frogs sport one of the
few defenses around that can
slow down the high-powered BYU
offense. TCU allows just 17
points a game, and is No. 5
nationally in pass efficiency
defense, a job requirement
against gunslinging Cougar QB
Max Hall. With a game finally
under his belt, Blake should
even be more effective this week
going up against a BYU offensive
line that can be beat by speed
rushers. RB Chris Turner got
the job done last week, but the
tentative return of star back
Aaron Brown from a knee injury
would give a huge lift to the
TCU offense.
Why BYU might win: While
TCU has been incredible in pass
defense, it hasn’t faced an
attack as versatile as the
Cougars’, which will spread the
ball to a cadre of sure-handed
receivers, and pound it between
the tackles with Harvey Unga and
Manase Tonga. Dalton attempting
to move the chains at Edwards
Stadium is a recipe for lots of
punts and a few errant passes.
The freshman has been sporadic
in his first year, throwing
nearly as many picks as
touchdowns. Take out the
55-point debacle at Tulsa, and
the Cougar defense has been
rugged, leading the conference
in run defense, and allowing
only three touchdown passes in
the last five games.
Who to watch: BYU WR
Austin Collie has been
hit-or-miss in his return from a
two-year mission in Argentina.
In order for the Cougars to
solve the TCU pass defense, they
need him to be a direct hit
Thursday night. Collie has good
hands, runs tight routes, and
can stretch a defense better
than any of the BYU wide
receivers.
What Will Happen: TCU
opened eyes last Saturday, but
winning in Provo with a young
quarterback is a tough spot.
Hall will start slow before
cranking up the offense and
helping the Cougars pull away in
the second half.
CFN Prediction:
BYU
30 … TCU 20
...
Line: BYU -7.5
Must See Rating: (5
Seinfeld: Season 9 - 1 Bee
Movie) ... 3
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Air Force (7-3) at Notre Dame
(1-8)
2:30 EST, NBC
Why to watch: If the
first eight games weren’t enough
proof, Saturday’s
triple-overtime loss to Navy was
indisputable evidence that we’re
witnessing the worst season in
the modern history of Notre Dame
football. The 46-44 loss ended
the Irish’s 44-year dominance of
the Middies, but continued this
train wreck of a year that’s
been watched with horror and
glee, depending on where you
stand on the Domers. Notre
Dame’s commander-in-grief,
Charlie Weis, will spend the
next three weeks trying to drum
up some momentum to take into a
dark off-season. Air Force, on
the other hand, is enjoying a
surprising year in Troy
Calhoun’s debut with the
Academy. Pegged for the bottom
of the Mountain West before the
season began, the Falcons have
won five games in-a-row,
stirring talk of a rare bowl
game, possibly the Bell
Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.
With an eighth win in front a
national TV audience, any doubts
about Air Force’s bowl future
will be blown out of the sky.
Why Air Force might win:
The Falcons are soaring, playing
well on defense, and about to
face an opponent that’s trying
to climb from rock bottom. This
is a veteran-laden team that’s
getting better as the season
wears on, and is a more complete
crew than the one that just
knocked off Notre Dame. Air
Force will control the tempo on
the ground with QB Shaun Carney
and clamp down on a futile Irish
offense that’s still 118th
nationally in scoring, even
after putting up 44 points a
week ago. Led by LB Drew Fowler
and S Bobby Giannini, the
Falcons are a hard-hitting
defense that’s only yielding 18
points a game.
Why Notre Dame might win:
The Irish saw the option last
Saturday, so there shouldn’t be
many surprises when Air Force
rolls into town. Offensively,
Notre Dame is coming off its
best game of the year, producing
28 points before overtime and
churning out 235 yards on the
ground behind James Aldridge and
Armando Allen. Emerging
freshman WR Duval Kamara, who
caught a pair of touchdown in
the Navy loss, is a 6-5 mismatch
that’ll make plays versus a
beatable Falcon secondary.
Who to watch: Air Force
senior Chad Hall may be listed
on the depth chart as a
receiver, but his output says
otherwise. Yeah, he’s caught 41
balls this year, but he’s also
rushed for 1,122 yards,
including a school-record 275 in
last Saturday’s win over Army.
Calhoun invents ways to get the
ball in Hall’s paws, a major
concern for a Notre Dame defense
that’s been easily confused
throughout the 2007 campaign.
What will happen: Two
teams headed in opposite
directions will remain on those
courses. Air Force will build
its resume at Notre Dame’s
expense, getting 150 total yards
and two scores from Hall, and
another solid effort from the
defense.
CFN Prediction:
Air
Force
31 …
Notre Dame 20 ... Line:
Air Force -2.5
Must See Rating: (5
Seinfeld: Season 9 - 1 Bee
Movie) ... 2.5
Colorado State (1-8) at New
Mexico (6-3)
3:00 p.m.
Why to Watch: New Mexico
still has a mathematical chance
to grab a share of the Mountain
West title, but it needs every
win it can get, especially with
red-hot Utah looming on the
schedule. The Lobos need to
regroup quickly after a
humbling, 37-0 loss to Texas
Christian last week and would be
happy to push Colorado State
further down the MWC ladder. The
Rams, meanwhile, are not only
playing for pride but also could
be in the process of bidding
farewell to coach Sonny Lubick,
who could be in the last weeks
of his long and distinguished
tenure at the school.
Why Colorado State Might Win:
The Rams have turned their
ground attack over to Gartrell
Johnson III, and it has been a
great idea. With the rest of the
offense struggling, Johnson has
rushed for 472 yards and three
scores in the last four weeks
and has established himself as
one of the conference’s top
rushing threats. QB Caleb Hanie
remains an efficient passer,
while the CSU pass defense is
solid and doesn’t give up too
many yards. Not that Air Force
cranks out many passing yards
anyway.
Why New Mexico Might Win:
The Lobos have a pretty good
runner of their own in Rodney
Ferguson who was stifled last
week but has gained 901 yards
and scored 11 times this year.
He provides good balance behind
QB Donovan Porterie, who has
kept the mistakes down while
still piling up more than 2,000
yards through the air. New
Mexico boasts a stout defense
that gives yards rather
grudgingly and holds opponents
to 21.1 ppg. It also has the
nation’s most productive kicker,
John Sullivan, who leads the
country in field goals per game
and has been extremely accurate.
Who to Watch: Senior
wideout Marcus Smith had a
productive ’06, but he has
crashed past last year’s
standard by catching 63 balls
this year, 10 more than he had
all of last season. Smith has
good size (6-2, 214) and has
already had a pair of 11-catch
games this year. He provides
Porterie with a reliable target
over the middle and can get
loose deep on occasion.
What Will Happen: New
Mexico is too balanced
offensively and is too strong on
defense for Colorado State to
make much of a charge on the
road.
CFN Prediction:
New
Mexico 27 … Colorado
State 14...
Line: New Mexico -9.5
Must See Rating: (5
Seinfeld: Season 9 - 1 Bee
Movie) ... 1.5
Wyoming (5-4) at Utah
(6-3)
3:30 p.m. CSTV
Why to Watch: The Utes
may have two league losses, but
they head into this week still
in the mix for the MWC title
after a five-game winning
streak, especially since they
still have a game with BYU on
the schedule with plenty of time
remaining. It may be November,
but the race is still wide open.
The Cowboys aren’t in the race
for the conference title, but
they have a shot at a bowl game
for the first time in three
years. It’s pushing it to call
this a make-or-break game for
both teams, but it’s close. The
loser could be in trouble for a
13th game.
Why Wyoming Might Win: In
a word, defense. The Cowboys are
sixth in the nation in total D
and especially strong against
the run. Utah might not have the
most explosive ground game, but
it needs to run well to get the
offense moving. With a balanced
attack, things start when
Darrell Mack is moving well. The
Cowboys have a solid running
game, with Devin Moore and Wynel
Seldon, even if it’s not
consistent, while QB Karsten
Sween completed 22-of-30 passes
and tossed two TD strikes last
week against San Diego State.
Why Utah Might Win: The
Utes are on a roll, and it can
be traced to the return of QB
Brian Johnson, who while not
piling up the numbers, runs the
Utah attack smoothly and makes
the most of the weapons around
him. Mack, who gained 151 yards
last week against Colorado State
and has hit the century mark in
the past five games.
Defensively, the Utes have been
stingy against the pass all
season long with excellent play
from the corners. Expect
turnovers from Sween, who has
thrown 15 picks this year.
Who to Watch: Going into
last week’s game, Utah junior
Ray Stowers had rushed for just
92 yards all year and only 115
during his time in Salt Lake
City. Four quarters later, he
had lit up Colorado State for
123 yards on just 11 carries and
scored a touchdown. The 6-0,
223-pounder has been laid low by
injuries, particularly to his
shoulder, which has hampered him
during two of the past three
seasons. A tough back who
relishes contact, he’ll team
with Mack to give the Utes an
even more dynamic ground attack
and take the pressure off
Johnson.
What Will Happen: The
Cowboy defense will keep things
close, but Wyoming’s offensive
troubles will ultimately give
the game to Utah.
CFN Prediction: Utah 23 …
Wyoming
13 ...
Line: Utah -14
Must See Rating: (5
Seinfeld: Season 9 - 1 Bee
Movie) ... 2.5
San Diego State
(3-5) at UNLV (2-7)
11:00 p.m. CSTV
Why to Watch: Both teams
are trying to gather some
momentum for 2008 after yet
another disappointing campaign
for each. While both coaches
should survive the season, the
loser will get the fan base
grumbling in what each side sees
as a winnable game. At least San
Diego State grabbed some success
last week by beating Wyoming,
while UNLV has struggled
mightily of late, losing five in
a row without much improvement
for the young team. The game
matches two relatively similar
teams statistically, although
the Aztecs’ QB situation (Kevin
O’Connell) is more stable than
the Rebels’ (dueling freshmen).
Why San Diego State Might
Win: SDSU has been able to
succeed through the air, thanks
to O’Connell, who hasn’t piled
up the touchdowns, but who has
put up solid numbers. He threw
for 249 yards and a pair of
scores in last week’s win over
Wyoming and its stubborn
defense, and has even shown a
flair for the dramatic at times.
The Aztecs have given up some
big yards themselves through the
air but make up for it with a
pair of larcenous defensive
backs, Aaron Moore and Vonnie
Holmes, each of whom has picked
off four passes this year.
Why UNLV Might Win: The
Rebels will hope they can avoid
the interception bug that has
plagued Travis Dixon and Omar
Clayton. They’ll attack the
nation’s 106th ranked pass
defense while turning running
back Frank Summers loose on a
front seven that could be
missing its leading tackler,
linebacker Beau Bell (sprained
knee). UNLV is relatively solid
against the pass and doesn’t
need to be so strong versus the
run, since the Aztecs don’t move
too well on the ground.
Who to Watch: You won’t
be able to take your eyes off
Clayton, for better or worse.
The freshman walk-on, who began
the year fifth on the UNLV depth
chart, has already become the
first Rebel player to pass for
300 yards (304) and run for 100
(135) in the same game. That
shows his great athletic talent.
Meanwhile, he accounted for five
turnovers in last week’s loss to
Wyoming, three via interceptions
and two by losing fumbles. He’s
an exciting, unpredictable
player, and fans had better
watch him closely.
What Will Happen: Clayton
could go nuts, but a better bet
is a steady performance by
O’Connell in a methodical SDSU
win.
CFN Prediction:
San
Diego State 24 … UNLV 20
...
Line: UNLV -3.5
Must See Rating: (5
Seinfeld: Season 9 - 1 Bee
Movie) ... 1.5 |
