Illinois at Fresno State Odds
Written by Matthew Martz - Google +
A rematch of one of the most exciting games in the 2009 college football season takes place in central California as the Fresno State Bulldogs host the Illinois Fighting Illini in a matchup of Western Athletic Conference versus Big Ten schools.
The Bulldogs won last year’s thriller in Champaign 53-52 when offensive lineman Devan Cunningham caught a deflected passes and rumbled across the goal line for the winning two-point conversion with just two seconds left in regulation. That game marked the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and now the Fighting Illini is bent on seeking their revenge.
Checking the latest odds, The Fighting Illini are favored by 5 ½ points over the Bulldogs and the total for the game is set at 57 points.
Mikel Leshoure gained 184 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns in the loss last season to the Bulldogs, and enters this contest leading Illinois in rushing yards for the season with 1,411 and 13 rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase has also shown his ability to run the football effectively when need be, adding in 684 rushing yards, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt. In the passing game, Scheelhaase has thrown for 1,522 yards and 16 touchdown tosses, completing 58.7 percent of his passes. His main target in the passing game has been A.J. Jenkins. The junior wide out from Jacksonville has grabbed 44 receptions for 619 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per catch, to go along with a team-high six touchdown receptions.
Defensively, it’s been a challenge at times for Illinois this season. The defense has been a microcosm of the entire team in that they’ve been consistently — inconsistent. As you might expect from the school that produced Dick Butkus, the team is led in tackles by a linebacker. In this case, it’s Martez Wilson with 100 tackles, including 10 ½ for loss and a team-best four quarterback sacks.
For the Bulldogs, they too have had their moments of brilliance and disappointment both contained within this season under Pat Hill. Robbie Rouse has very effectively replaced Ryan Mathews at tailback for the Bulldogs, rushing for a team-best 1,135 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Colburn has also been solid under center for the Bulldogs passing attack. Colburn has thrown for 2,225 yards and 18 touchdown passes, completing 61.1 percent of his pass attempts. Jamel Hamler leads Fresno State in receptions with 40, and has registered a team-high 633 yards and five touchdown receptions.
On defense, the Bulldogs leading tackler is Ben Jacobs. The senior linebacker from Las Vegas has recorded 51 tackles. While Cris Carter was known in the NFL because, “…all he does is catch touchdowns,” his namesake at Fresno State is similarly known. The Bulldogs Chris Carter is one to watch for because all he does is record quarterback sacks; 10 sacks to be precise, among the leaders in the nation in that statistic.
If you’re looking for an interesting set of stats to sway your judgment, look at the home and road numbers: Illinois is 4-1 on the road this season against the spread, while the Bulldogs are just 2-3 at home against the spread this season. Both teams are currently bowl eligible.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Illinois 33 – Fresno State 27
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