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Nevada (4-4) at New Mexico State
(4-5)
8 p.m. ESPN2
Why to Watch: Both teams
feature high-scoring offenses
that rank in the top 10
nationally in total yards, so
expect plenty of entertainment.
The Wolf Pack can hit you on the
ground or through the air, while
the Aggies are more of a passing
fancy. Nonetheless, with
defenses that aren’t exactly
renowned for stopping too many
people, you can bet there will
be points and yards galore all
afternoon.
Why Nevada Might Win: The Wolf
Pack is on a two-game winning
streak after last week’s win
over Idaho, and it has plenty of
weapons to go at a New Mexico
State defensive unit that gave
up 50 points and 492 yards to
Hawaii last week. QB Colin
Kaepernick has thrown 10
touchdowns and only one
interception this year since
taking over under center, while
Luke Lippincott continues to be
the league’s top rushing weapon,
having topped 100 yards three
straight weeks and piling up 911
yards on the year.
Why New Mexico State Might
Win: The Wolf Pack may score
a lot, but they give up almost
as many points. That’s perfect
for a team like the Aggies,
which will hit Nevada with QB
Chase Holbrook, who threw for
328 yards last week, and a
collection of top-shelf
receivers, led by Chris
Williams. The Aggies play solid
enough run defense to keep
Lippincott from running wild,
and they boast one of the top
return men around in Derek
Dubois.
Who to Watch:
After going three games without
a reception due to an injury,
Dubois has 21 receptions in his
last three. In addition, Dubois
returned five kicks for 112
yards last week against Hawaii.
DuBois has caught 42 passes this
year and is a good second option
after Williams, not to mention a
fine special teams weapon.
What Will Happen:
Nevada’s balance trumps New
Mexico State’s passing attack in
an entertaining game.
CFN Prediction:
Nevada
38 … New Mexico State 27...
Line: Nevada -7
Must See Rating: (5 Heidi
Klum on Victoria's Secret
Fashion Show - 1 Heidi Klum
on Oprah) ... 2.5 |
|
San Jose State (3-5) at Boise
State (7-1)
3:00 p.m GamePlan
Why to Watch: After
dispatching Fresno State last
week, Boise State is poised to
roll through a three-week run
prior to their season-ender with
Hawaii. The Broncos have won six
in a row and are undefeated in
WAC play. Although everybody is
expecting the Warriors and
Broncos to hook up in an epic at
the end of November, BSU must
make it through San Jose State,
Idaho and Utah State first. San
Jose State, meanwhile, is trying
to recapture the spirit that
forced Hawaii to overtime
earlier in October, especially
after a 30-0 blanking by Fresno
State.
Why San Jose State Might Win:
The Spartans rely heavily on QB
Adam Tafralis, who snapped his
streak of 300-plus passing yards
at four games two weeks ago but
still threw for 254 yards.
Tafralis will also run the ball
fairly well, so he is the key to
SJSU’s chances. He’ll throw to
Kevin Jurovich, a strong target,
while Matthew Costello triggers
the defense with strong play at
middle linebacker. Another San
Jose State advantage: a plus-6
turnover margin.
Why Boise State Might Win:
Instead of staggering when Ian
Johnson went down with a bruised
kidney, the BSU offense
continued to crackle. Now that
Johnson is back, some folks have
to wonder whether there is room
for him. Two weeks ago, we were
talking about Jeremy Avery and
his 110 yards on the ground.
Last week, D.J. Harper, another
freshman, rushed for 153 yards
and a score. What’s next for the
Broncos, the wishbone? They’ll
run it, for sure, but BSU will
also let Taylor Tharp throw,
something he’ll do efficiently.
Meanwhile, the strong Boise
State pass defense will take
direct aim at Tafralis.
Who to Watch: Some may
wonder what would lead Harper
from Cypress, TX, to Boise, but
the Broncos are happy he made
the trip. As a senior at Cypress
HS, Harper rushed for 1,570
yards and scored 21 times. The
freshman had a season-high 19
carries last year and responded
with 153 yards. He may not get
as many carries this week – or
any at all, with Johnson’s
expected back – but Boise State
fans can feel secure the ground
game is set for the future with
Harper and Avery around.
What Will Happen: Boise
State hits San Jose State with a
run-pass combination that
overwhelms the Spartans and puts
the Broncos one step closer to
the showdown with Hawaii.
CFN Prediction:
Boise
State 41 … San Jose State
10...
Line: Boise State -26
Must See Rating: (5 Heidi
Klum on Victoria's Secret
Fashion Show - 1 Heidi Klum
on Oprah) ... 2
Louisiana Tech (3-5) at Idaho
(1-8) 5:00 p.m.
Why to Watch: After a
31-21 win over Utah State last
week, Louisiana Tech is trying
to build some more momentum
before next week’s game with LSU
and is still holding out the
hope of a 6-6 season, especially
with games against San Jose
State and Nevada on the
schedule. Idaho, meanwhile, is
searching for its first WAC
victory and would like to head
into a bye week on an up note.
Why Louisiana Tech Might Win:
The Bulldog ground game
continues to get more
formidable. Patrick Jackson
posted his second 100-yard
effort of the season last week
(101 yards, 2 TDs) against Utah
State, while Daniel Porter had
129 yards, his second straight
strong outing. That made things
easier for QB Zac Champion, who
completed 23-of-29 passes for
230 yards. The Bulldog defense
specializes in stopping the run,
good news since the Vandals
prefer to travel overland.
Why Idaho Might Win:
Though Deonte Jackson had just
45 yards against Nevada, he has
rushed for 974 on the season and
has scored six times. That’s
good for third in the WAC. The
Vandals are happy to have QB
Nathan Enderle back from his
injury to bring much-needed
balance to the offense. He
completed 12-of-21 passes last
week against Nevada, for 156
yards and two scores. The
Vandals do have a solid counter
to the LTU ground attack in
senior linebacker David Vobora,
one of the nation’s top tackling
machines.
Who to Watch: It won’t be
hard to find Idaho defensive
back Shiloh Keo, who does plenty
on defense and is an excellent
return man. The sophomore has
already taken back a punt for a
touchdown, and he had picked off
four passes. Key has made 63
tackles, including four for loss
and has emerged as one of the
WAC’s most productive defensive
forces.
What Will Happen: The
Bulldogs will run successfully
against the soft Idaho front,
while Champion continues his
solid play, and the Vandal
offense won’t keep up.
CFN Prediction:
Louisiana Tech 34 … Idaho
20 ...
Line: Louisiana Tech -4
Must See Rating: (5 Heidi
Klum on Victoria's Secret
Fashion Show - 1 Heidi Klum
on Oprah) ... 1.5
Utah State (0-8) at Fresno State
(5-3)
5:00 p.m.
Why to Watch: Despite
last week’s disappointing loss
to Boise State, the Bulldogs
remain hopeful of reaching a
bowl, even though they must
still face Hawaii and Kansas
State. It’s a good tune-up for
the Bulldogs before they travel
to meet the Warriors next week
in a game that could still have
WAC title implications. With
just one league loss, FSU is not
out of it yet.
Utah State,
meanwhile, is hoping for its
first win of the year after a
relative near-miss last week
(31-21) against Louisiana Tech.
Why Utah State Might Win:
With Boise State in the
rear-view mirror and Hawaii
looming ahead, this could be a
trap game for the Bulldogs, who
could well take the Aggies
lightly. It would be unwise to
sleep on Kevin Robinson, USU’s
all-purpose standout, and if the
Fresno offense isn’t ready for
full action, the productive Utah
State linebacking crew of Jake
Hutton, Paul Igboeli and Devon
Hall will make it pay.
Why Fresno State Might Win:
The Bulldogs like to run it, and
the Aggies are ranked 95th
nationally against ground
attacks. They’re even worse
against the pass, so expect the
Fresno State offense to thrive.
That could mean big things again
for QB Tom Brandstater, who had
his most productive passing day,
in terms of yards, last week
(263 yards). He’ll work behind a
line that allows a mere 1.5
sacks a game, while the Fresno
State front four tackles the QB
2.8 times each week and averages
8.3 stops behind the line.
Who to Watch: Putting the
ball in the hands of senior
running back Clifton Brown is a
very good idea. After playing
sparingly his first three years
at FSU, Brown has become an
all-purpose producer in ’07. He
has scored three times on the
ground, caught 24 passes and
averages 16.1 yards bringing
back punts – and scoring twice.
Brown had his best game last
week against BSU, rushing for 65
yards, catching five balls and
returning four punts for 95
yards and a score.
What Will Happen: FSU
could be looking ahead and
behind, and it won’t matter. The
Bulldogs roll.
CFN Prediction:
Fresno
State 38 … Utah State 17...
Line: Fresno State -20.5
Must See Rating:
(5 Heidi Klum on Victoria's
Secret Fashion Show - 1
Heidi Klum on Oprah)
... 1.5 |