Utah State at BYU College Football Odds
Written October 1, 2009 by Hector Garza
To say that Brigham Young University has had an up and down season is a bit of an understatement. They were on the top of the world Sept. 5 when they beat then #3 Oklahoma 14-13, and then that world came crashing down when they lost to Florida State 28-54, potentially ending their BCS title hopes. At 3-1, the Cougars are taking on in state rival Utah State (1-2), whom they beat handily last year 34-14. The college football odds have them as heavy favorites again this year at 23.5 points with a total at 63, and part of the reason is that this year the Cougars are playing at home in Provo.
Despite a recent 42-23 win against Colorado State, BYU needs to clean up their offensive act. They had 10 penalties on 117 yards and were out-gained 483-373 in total yardage. Senior QB Max Hall has completed almost 68% of his passes for a respectable air attack of almost 300 yards a game. However, his 8 interceptions match the 8 td’s he’s thrown this year. The offensive line has helped the team average 34.5 ppg, but has also given up 7 sacks in 4 contests this year. Get a $500 match bonus for betting college football when you open a new account with BetUS and deposit $500 or more!
FS Andrew Rich has been the hard hitter for the Cougars this year, earning a reputation for delivering punishing blows along with his 1 interception. The team has 6 sacks on the year with standout DE Jan Jorgensen still trying for his first. They’ve also done a good job forcing turnovers. Last year the Cougars shutout the Aggies until the 4th quarter and forced 3 turnovers in the process.
Utah State got their first win of the season last week, and they did it convincingly. The Aggies amassed 604 yards in a 53-34 beat down of Southern Utah. Robert Turbin went on a tear, rushing for 104 yards and receiving for 116 while scoring 3 td’s. He’s averaging almost 125 ypg on the ground, 4 nationally, and is a big play threat every time he gets the ball. QB Diondre Borel is coming off back to back 300+ yard games and has thrown 4 td’s and only 1 pick. They’ll no doubt be looking to mirror the success that Florida State had when they put up 54 points against the Cougars.
The Aggies defense has been a major reason for the 2 losses thus far. They rank in the bottom ten of several categories, and are giving up almost 36 ppg. Their main priority will be stopping Harvey Unga, who’s averaged 6.5 yards/rush with 4 td’s in 3 games. If they can contain the run, then Utah State has a chance to force QB Hall into some poor throws.
The odds are stacked heavily against the Aggies, as BYU has won nine straight in the series since 1994 by an average of 18.8 points. The Cougars, who are currently first nationally in punting average, have the edge in special teams as well. BYU boasts a 35-2 record under head coach Bronco Mendenhall when the defense holds opponents to 24 points or fewer. If the Aggies can put up more than 24 points, look for them to beat the spread, but still lose the game.
Garza’s Pick: Utah State Aggies +23.5
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