Boise State vs Georgia Line
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
This Saturday the No. 5 Boise State Bronco and No. 19 Georgia Bulldogs will square off in a can’t miss opening week showdown. The game is scheduled for 8:00 ET and will be played at the Georgia Dome. Even though the schedule says the game is being played on neutral site, it will definitely feel like a home game for the Bulldogs.
Current odds have Boise State favored by 3.5 points over Georgia with the total set at 51.
The Broncos only hiccup in 2010 was that devastating overtime loss at Nevada, where they had two chances to win late. That kept the Broncos out of the National Title picture, but they still finished the year 12-1 after crushing Utah 26-3 in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Kicking off the season against a ranked opponent is nothing new to the Broncos, who beat No. 16 Oregon 19-8 in 2009 and No. 10 Virginia Tech 33-30 last year.
Boise State averaged 45.1 ppg while holding opposing offenses to just 12.8 ppg. Their defense is a bit overrated though. In their three games against Virginia Tech, Oregon State, and Nevada, they allowed 29 ppg.
The Broncos return 14 starters from last season. Most importantly they bring back starting quarterback Kellen Moore, who is one of the front runners to win the Heisman. The big concern for the Broncos is the loss of star wide oust Titus Young and Austin Pettis, who left as the No. 1 and No. 2 all-time leading receivers at Boise State.
Georgia ended last season with a 6-10 loss to UCF in the Liberty Bowl. That pushed their overall record to 6-7, which is the first time Georgia has finished with a losing record since 1996. The Bulldogs got off to a miserable 1-4 start before winning five of their final seven games to reach a bowl game.
Georgia’s offense really struggled early in the season, as they had to play without wide out suspended wide out A.J. Green, who was the No. 4 pick in the NFL draft. Once Green returned the Bulldogs offense took off , averaging 39 ppg over the final eight games of the regular season.
The big concern is whether or not sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray can keep the offense rolling without Green in the lineup. Murray should get some help from freshman running back Isaiah Crowell, who is one of the top 5 running back recruits in the nation. Last year the Bulldogs averaged a respectable 143 yards a game on the ground, but that was their lowest total since 2006.
Georgia also loses one of their best defensive players in outside linebacker Justin Houston, who led the team with 10 sacks and was third in tackles with 67.
Betting Trends:
The Broncos have been one of the best teams to back in college football over the last few seasons, and seem to be the way to go in big non-conference games. Boise State is 22-10-1 ATS in their last 33 non-conference games and 17-4 ATS in their last 21 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
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