BCS Buster: Week 7 Preview

By KENNY FRANEK

Central Michigan @ Western Michigan

Tim Hiller vs. Dan LeFevour...it doesn’t get much better than this. They are numbers one and two, respectively, in career touchdown passes among active quarterbacks in the MAC. The records both quarterbacks hold could fill a trophy case and fans will get an opportunity to watch these two battle on Saturday in a much anticipated in-state rivalry game. The Chippewas boast the best scoring defense in the conference, allowing just over 14 points-per-game. They will likely try and force Hiller out of the pocket and make him try and make throws on the run. But Hiller isn’t the only Bronco player they will need to worry about. Running back Brandon West and wide receivers Jordan White and Juan Nunez all possess playmaking ability and could pose match-up problems for them on defense. The Broncos, on the other hand, will have their hands full dealing with the arm, and legs, of LeFevour who leads the team in rushing. Chippewa receiver Antonio Brown has the speed to breakaway from corners and can turn a five-yard pass play into a 70-yard score. It should be a great offensive show put on by these two MAC schools.
Prediction: Central Michigan 34, Western Michigan 23

Players to Watch: Central Michigan: QB Dan LeFevour; WR Antonio Brown; LB Nick Bellore; LB Matt Berning; CB Josh Gordy; DE Frank Zombo; Western Michigan: QB Tim Hiller; RB Brandon West; WR Jordan White; WR Juan Nunez; LB Austin Pritchard; DL Cody Cielenski

Other Games to Watch

Northern Illinois @ Toledo

The dynamic duo of Husky running backs Me’Co Brown and Chad Spann look to out-duel Toledo quarterback Aaron Opelt and running back DaJuane Collins and move to 2-0 in the MAC.

Colorado State @ TCU

Quarterback Andy Dalton looks to get back on track after a disappointing outing at Air Force and move the undefeated Frogs to 2-0 in the MWC. The Rams will be looking for a win to ease the pain of blowing a 14-point lead in the second half against Utah.

Utah @ UNLV

The Utes come-from-behind win at Colorado State saw quarterback Terrance Cain play his most inspired football of the season and may have fired this team back up. Meanwhile, the Rebels defense is looking to improve in any way possible after giving up 30 points or more in their past four games.

Photo Courtesy of Robert Barclay Central Michigan

BCS Busters Week Three Preview

By KENNY FRANEK

Game of the Week: Texas Tech at Houston

Both teams are coming off big time games and have offenses that can put a ton of points on the board. Houston ranks fifth in the nation in total yards-per-game (525) and third in points-per-game (50). Both quarterbacks are playing extremely well; Taylor Potts has already thrown for 1,281 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions while Case Keenum is playing as well as anybody right now with 725 yards passing, seven touchdowns and only one interception. He’s putting up these great numbers while completing 72.4 percent of his passes. This game should produce fireworks as the Cougars look to make it two straight against Big XII opponents and prove their win over Oklahoma State was no fluke.
Prediction: Houston 37, Texas Tech 33

Others to Watch

Louisville at Utah: The longest winning-streak in the country was snapped at 16 games, and now the Utes look to start another one up against a formidable Louisville team. If they allow the Cardinals to run all over them like the Oregon Ducks did, they could be starting a losing-streak instead.
Prediction: Utah 24, Louisville 13

Colorado State at BYU: This should be a fun one. Fans will get to see if Colorado State is for real and if BYU is going to collapse completely after getting walloped by Florida State. I’m sure if they drop this one, their biggest upset in school history against Oklahoma in the first game of the season will be a distant memory for Cougar fans.
Prediction: BYU 30, Colorado State 14

Boise State at Bowling Green: Another good match-up of a pass-happy offense versus a solid pass defense. Bowling Green averages 50 passes a game, so look for them to try and get the ground game going first to open up the passing against the Broncos strong secondary. Oh, and watch for Kellen Moore to keep doing what he does best, winning ball games.
Prediction: Boise State 40, Bowling Green 20


TCU at Clemson: TCU plays its second ACC opponent in three games. They already beat Virginia handily and aim their sights on a much tougher Clemson team in Death Valley. The Frogs are averaging 244.5 yards rushing this season and will need to continue to run the ball well this week if they have a shot at winning this game.
Prediction: Clemson 23, TCU 17

Photo Courtesy of University of Houston

New Mexico Bowl: Colorado St. vs. Fresno St.

By ANDREW GARDA

December 20 * 2:30 PM * ESPN

These two teams match up very well and are similar in many areas of play. Both quarterbacks work out of the pocket and have thrown for more than 2,000 yards. Fresno State’s Tom Brandstater and Colorado State’s Billy Farris also have ball protection issues in common – Brandstater with 11 interceptions to Farris’ even dozen. Each quarterback has been able to get the ball into the end zone plenty of times though, and can move the chains effectively. Both teams also have potentially NFL-worthy players at the tight end position. The Rams have Kory Sperry, who has 470 yards and five touchdowns, while the Bulldogs feature Bear Pascoe, who is actually second overall on his team in receiving yards with 361 and four touchdowns. The biggest difference between the teams comes at the running back position. Although Colorado State has a 1,000 runner in Gartrell Johnson, they don’t have anyone behind him who is very effective rushing the ball. If Johnson is stopped or hurt, there isn’t anyone to can fill in. While Fresno State lacks a thousand-yard back, they have three players with more than 500 yards and over 100 carries on the season. That depth should come in handy against the Rams and may be the difference in the outcome of this game.

Inside the Numbers – Pass, Run & Catch:

Colorado St. Rams (6-6, 4-4)
Pass: Billy Farris – 2,677 yards, 17 TDs
Run: Gartrell Johnson – 1,191 yards, 10 TDs
Catch: Rashaun Greer – 62-1,045-2 TDs

Fresno State Bulldogs (7-5, 4-4)
Pass: Tom Brandstater – 2,478 yards, 17 TDs
Run: Anthony Harding – 702 yards, 4 TDs
Catch: Seyi Ajirotutu – 44-714-5 TDs

Kory Sperry of Colorado State Named John Mackey Tight End of the Week

Manhasset, N.Y. (October 29, 2008) - Kory Sperry of Colorado State was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The Mountain West Conference senior recorded six receptions for 51 yards and three touchdowns, most importantly the go-ahead touchdown in the beginning of the fourth quarter to lead the Rams to a huge 38-34 victory over San Diego State. Other candidates considered for this week's Mackey Tight End of the Week include Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma State and DJ Williams of Arkansas.

The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by Tight Ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process.

The Nassau County Sports Commission, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to enhance quality of life of Nassau County residents through sports, is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. The 2008 recipient of "The Mackey" will be announced at the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show live December 11, 2008 on ESPN and presented at the Nassau County Sports Commission Annual Awards Dinner on April 27, 2009.

For additional information, please visit www.johnmackeyaward.org or www.nassausports.org.

Pac-10 Preview - Week 5

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

#25 Fresno State @ UCLA
When #25 Fresno State decided to have UCLA on its schedule, it probably thought that the Bruins might serve as a challenge, not the other way around. But the way both teams have been playing since opening day, it’s exactly that--the Bulldogs have survived a tough loss to then 10th ranked Wisconsin, while Rick Neuheisel’s Bruins have slipped down into the abyss after a stunning win against Tennessee. UCLA will have to pressure Bulldog quarterback Tom Brandstater and try to force mistakes, a tough thing to do to an experienced senior who has thrown only one interception this year. The Fresno State offensive line has allowed seven sacks, but UCLA has not been able to take advantage of any opportunities in their last two games. If Brandstater has problems getting started, Fresno State will turn to its ground game. Ryan Matthews has been the ‘big dog’ thus far in the backfield and he should do well against a UCLA defense, that has had issues against the run--even Tennessee was able to put up almost 200 yards on the ground while losing. The Bruins have more problems on offense. Quarterback Kevin Craft is still trying to find his way at the position and has limited his mistakes the last two games, but was almost completely shut down by the Arizona Wildcats last week. The Bruins’ run game has also been woeful, though when you are down by more than one touchdown early in games, the run game tends to fade away quickly. It remains to be seen if this unit has anything to offer, or if it will even get the chance against Bulldog coach Pat Hill’s defense.

Colorado State @ California
Jeff Tedford’s Bears have had two weeks to lick their wounds after the stunning loss to Maryland on September 13th. Whether they will dwell on this or use it as fuel to right the ship is a huge part of this match-up against a visiting Colorado State Rams team that would like to get a little respect. Cal quarterback Kevin Riley was red hot as he led his offense in a valiant comeback against the Terrapins, but his three fourth quarter touchdowns were not enough. The road back to legitimacy starts with Colorado State. Rams quarterback Billy Farris has been effective so far, but can turn the ball over and California’s defense can be opportunistic. If they can force mistakes and the offense can take advantage of the turnovers, the Bears have an excellent chance to get back on track this weekend in Berkeley.

Oregon @ Washington State
The Oregon Ducks may have dropped a close one to Boise State, but it makes them no less dangerous against Washington State. The key may be if freshman quarterback Darron Thomas gets a chance to continue the excellent play he showcased while appearing in the final quarter against the Broncos last week. If he gets the nod, he will find a Washington State secondary that can play well, though will likely be overmatched by a prolific Ducks offense. The Cougars’ offense suffers from making far too many mistakes. Between their two quarterbacks they have thrown nine interceptions. If their play continues like that, Washington State will not be able to keep up with an Oregon team that desperately needs to make some noise and get back on track.

Stanford @ Washington
This game finds two teams struggling. Both the Cardinal’s losses were on the road and although the Huskies haven’t exactly been stout at home, Stanford will have to prove they aren’t suffering from homesickness before they can be taken seriously. The difference may once again come down to turnovers. Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard has thrown at least one interception the last three games and the entire Cardinal offense has struggled in part because of it. Huskies’ quarterback Jake Locker hasn’t been turning the ball over, but he hasn’t been able to make much headway through the air either. Where he does excel is on the ground, totaling 163 yards and three touchdowns. If he can keep the ball moving with his feet and the occasional pass to receivers like D’Andre Goodwin, Stanford will be hard pressed to keep up with Washington this weekend.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images