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THESE ARE CONFIRMED PLAYS FOR SATURDAY. REMEMBER MY FIRST AND ONLY BOOKIE BUSTER WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW FOR THE NFL AND IT LOOKS TO BE A HUGE GAME FOR ME. I WILL ALSO BE POSTING A FEW OTHER PLAYS IN THE NFL WHEN I UPDATE THE CARD TOMORROW. ALL THOSE WHO PLAY AND POST...GOOD LUCK!
NCAA FOOTBALL
(3) ARMY/NAVY UNDER 56
(2) WASHINGTON STATE -2
(2) WASHINGTON STATE/UCLA UNDER 53
(2) MARSHALL -4
(2) ARMY +3
(1) MARSHALL/TOLEDO OVER 62.5
TOP OPINIONS: OVER 59 HAWAII, OKLAHOMA -8,
SMALL OPINIONS: MIAMI, ARKANSAS
DETAILED ANALYSIS
WASHINGTON ST (9 - 2) at UCLA (7 - 4)
12/7/2002 4:30 PM
Southern California fans must swallow their pride, travel to the Rose Bowl and root hard for archrival UCLA. The Bruins can crown the Trojans Pac-10 Conference champions and make things a whole lot cleaner in the Bowl Championship Series if they defeat seventh-ranked Washington State on Saturday in the regular season finale for both teams. Washington State (9-2, 6-1 Pac-10) missed a chance to wrap up just its second Pac-10 title and first since 1997 when it was stunned by Washington, 29-26, in overtime on November 23. The defeat left a door open for Southern California, which is 7-1 in conference play and would edge out the Cougars for a date in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day should UCLA win. Washington State is likely headed for the Holiday Bowl should it lose Saturday. Southern California made its case for an at-large BCS berth with a 44-13 dismantling of Notre Dame on Saturday, but the Trojans could still be the odd-team out when the invitations are made this Sunday. An injury to Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser could help the Trojans' chances. Gesser suffered a high ankle sprain, a bruised knee and a pulled calf in the Apple Cup and was on crutches until late last week. Gesser is listed as questionable and in either case will share duties with backup Matt Kegel, who wilted against the Huskies. Kegel threw a costly interception that set up the game-winning field goal at the end of regulation and was credited with a costly fumble that ended the game in overtime. The normally efficient Cougars also were penalized 10 times for 69 yards against the Huskies.
UCLA has had an extra week to pick up the pieces from 52-21 loss to USC on November 23. The Bruins turned the ball over five times and had a pair of early mistakes to fall behind 21-0 after one quarter. UCLA had just 14 turnovers in the first 10 games. UCLA used three freshman quarterbacks against the Trojans, including Drew Olson, who completed 8-of-17 passes for 121 yards. Freshman Tyler Ebell rushed for 100 yards or more in six straight games games before being held to 56 yards by the Trojans. UCLA leads the series, 34-13-1, but the Cougars won a 20-14 contest last season in Pullman.
Will he or won't he play? WSU's superb quarterback, Jason Gesser, is very questionable for this contest. All he's done this year is complete nearly 60% of this pass attempts for 265 yards a game. Even more impressive...his touchdown to interception ratio at 25-9. Back up Matt Kegel is Ryan Leaf's cousin but we won't hold that against him. The guess here is Gesser will play if he has to crawl on the field. This guy is a throwback to the old time QB's that played on one leg if necessary. UCLA has been playing freshmen Drew Olson and Matt Moore for over a month due to an injury to starter Cory Paus. UCLA sports conflicting trends here. They stand a miserable 1-7 ATS the last eight years in the game following USC. But, they're also 6-1 at home following a bye week and 5-3 as a home dog under Bob Toledo. Also worth noting, the home team is 5-0 vs. the number the last 5 in this series. A win here by the Cougars puts them in the Rose Bowl. A loss and USC represents the Pac 10. The guess is the Cougars Gesser steps up and out duels the freshman QB's for the Bruins. Also, I expect him to be less efficient and we expect the Cougar D to put in some extra wrinkles for the young UCLA QB's.
Projected Score: UCLA 21, Washington St 27
PLAY 2* UNITS ON WASHINGTON STATE -2
PLAY 2* UNITS ON WASHINGTON STATE/UCLA UNDER 53
ARMY (1 - 10) vs. NAVY (1 - 10)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 12:00 PM
The last time Paul Johnson walked the sideline in an Army-Navy game, the Midshipmen had a chance to win the prestigious Commander-in-Chief's trophy, snare a bowl bid and stay on course for a 10-win season. That was 1996, when Johnson was offensive coordinator on a Navy team that lost to Army but capped an enormously satisfying 9-3 season with a 42-38 win over California in the Aloha Bowl. Johnson now is coach of a once-proud football program mired in its worst stretch since the academy took up the sport in 1879. Talk of a 10-win season has been replaced by jokes about a 10-win decade, since Navy is just 2-30 since the 2000 season. The Midshipmen (1-10) get their last chance this year to add to that victory total on Saturday when they play their annual grudge match against Army (1-10). Sadly, Navy's only incentive is to snap a string of 10 straight defeats by beating an old rival. Contrary to popular belief, a win over Army won't be enough to erase the sting of yet another humbling season. "Whether we beat Army or not, we still have a lot of work ahead of us," Navy quarterback Craig Candeto said. A victory also would make Johnson's agony only slightly more tolerable. "It's a great rivalry, and certainly it would be a way to at least end on a positive note," he said. "If we could win the game, it would be twice as many wins as they've had here the last two years, which is by no means a successful season. We have to do more than try and beat Army to be successful." Johnson's success as an assistant at Navy in 1995-96 earned him the job as coach at Georgia Southern, where he won 62 of 72 games and two straight Division I-AA championships. He returned to Navy last December with designs on reviving a program that faltered badly after his departure. After beating Army in 2000 to avoid its first winless season since an 0-1 campaign in 1883, Navy hit bottom with an 0-10 record last year. Johnson delivered a stunning blowout victory over Southern Methodist to open this season, but the Midshipmen have lost every game since - although four of the 10 defeats came by nine points or fewer, including a 30-23 home loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 9, when the Irish scored 15 straight fourth-quarter points. Navy's last loss, 30-27 at Wake Forest on Nov. 23, came when Fabian Davis scored on a 5-yard run in the final minute. Outside those four relatively close losses, Navy has been outscored 270-87 in the other six games. This season the team has committed 35 turnovers and allowed a whopping 38.6 points per game. The stakes in the Army-Navy game were higher the last two times Johnson faced the Black Knights. A 14-13 loss in 1995 ruined Navy's bid for its first winning season since 1982, and a 28-24 defeat the following season spoiled the Mids' effort to win the Commander-In-Chief's trophy - awarded to the team with the best record in games between Army, Navy and Air Force. A defeat Saturday will give Johnson more losses this year than he had during his five-year run at Georgia Southern. But a win just might serve as a memorable turning point in his effort to revive the program. "I think our team is better," Johnson said. "We haven't won as many games as we would have liked, but there is no question that we are better than we were when we started. We're looking forward to getting out and recruiting and seeing if we can get this thing going."
Both teams come to the Big Game with identical 1-10 records. In their previous game, Army lost to Memphis, who snapped a six-game losing streak, 38-10. That was one week after the Knights beat Tulane for their first victory of the season, the Black Knights managed only 67 total yards in the second half, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Memphis had 218 yards rushing and 216 passing. Two weeks ago the Midshipmen lost to Wake Forest 30-27. The Midshipmen took a 27-23 lead on Craig Candeto's one-yard TD run with 4:11 remaining, but Wake Forest answered with a 10-play, 62-yard drive to cap the win. Navy, which suffered its 10th straight loss, stayed in the game by rushing for 317 yards on 63 carries, led by Michael Brimage, who ran for a career-high 171 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts. The Midshipmen erased a 17-7 deficit to take a 21-20 lead on Candeto's 53-yard TD pass to Chandler Sims with 2:26 left in the third quarter. Only Pride is at stake on Saturday as the teams take the field for the 103rd time. Army won a year ago 26-17 which marked the only series matchup in the last decade that have been decided by more than four points. Navy has been haunted by turnovers and defensive lapses throughout the year. Expect another close game on Saturday with the Black Knights and Mids fighting to the end in a low scoring game while the Cadets hold on for a cover.
Projected Score: Navy 24, Army 23
PLAY 2* UNITS ON ARMY +3
PLAY 3* UNITS ON ARMY/NAVY UNDER 56
TOLEDO (9 - 3) at MARSHALL (9 - 2)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 2:30 PM
If it's the first weekend of December, it must mean that Marshall is playing in the Mid-American Conference championship game. Led by quarterback Byron Leftwich, the Thundering Herd will make their sixth straight appearance in the MAC title game Saturday when they host Toledo in a rematch of last year's contest. Marshall (9-2), which already has accepted a bid to play Louisville in the GMAC Bowl, will be out for revenge as the Rockets ended the Thundering Herd's four-year reign as league champions with a 41-36 victory last season. However, that game was played in Ohio. Saturday's contest is in Marshall's backyard, where the Thundering Herd won their fourth straight league crowns from 1997-2000. Marshall and Toledo are no strangers to each other as they are meeting for the fourth time in the six-year history of the MAC championship game. The Thundering Herd beat the Rockets in the 1997 and 1998 title games, while the teams split regular season contests in 1999 and 2000. They did not face each other this year. In last year's meeting, Chester Taylor rushed for 188 yards as the Rockets rallied from a 23-0 deficit to earn their first MAC title since 1995.
The Thundering Herd tuned up for Saturday's game by beating Ball State, 38-14, last week. Leftwich completed 35-of-42 passes for 401 yards - his fourth 400-yard game of the season - to become the MAC's all-time leader in total offense. Leftwich raised his career offense total to 11,408, surpassing the previous mark of 11,081 set by Western Michigan's Tim Lester from 1996-99. This season, the Heisman Trophy candidate has passed for 3,615 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Toledo (9-3) clinched the West Division title last week with a 42-24 victory over Bowling Green. Brian Jones passed for three touchdowns and Trinity Dawson scored three times for the Rockets, who rallied from a 24-14 deficit. After the game, Toledo accepted a bid to the Motor City Bowl against an opponent to be determined. While receiving considerably less attention than Leftwich, Jones leads the nation in completion percentage at 71.4 and is second behind Iowa's Brad Banks in passing efficiency (158.2). He has completed 247-of-346 passes for 2,894 yards and 21 TDs. Toledo defeated Bowling Green 42-24 to qualify for the MAC Championship game as Brian Jones threw for three touchdowns and Astin Martin and Trinity Dawson combined for 221 rushing yards with Dawson running for three TDs. The Rockets held Bowling Green to 77 yards on the ground and a paltry 2.6 yards per carry. Toledo finished the season with a 9-3 record and 7-1 in the MAC with its only loss coming at the hands of Miami-Ohio 27-13 at the Glass Bowl. Marshall routed Ball State 38-14 as Byron Leftwich, still hobbling from a leg injury, finished an outstanding 35-of-42 for 401 yards and two touchdowns. Backup Stan Hill was 9-of-12 for 64 yards with one TD and two interceptions. The Thundering Herd had already wrapped up a MAC Championship berth along with a bid in the GMAC Bowl but Leftwich was given an opportunity to showcase himself for a Heisman Trophy bid. Marshall is 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the MAC including a 34-20 home loss to Akron. Toledo upset Marshall at home in last years MAC Championship 41-36 so you can look for another high scoring game as the Herd gains revenge where Marshall has lost only once since 1997.
Projected Score: Marshall 37, Toledo 30
PLAY 2* UNITS ON MARSHALL -4
PLAY 1* UNIT ON MARSHALL/TOLEDO OVER 62.5
TOP OPINION PLAYS
SAN DIEGO ST (4 - at HAWAII (9 - 3)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 11:05 PM
Long road trip for San Diego State. SDSU is 2-5 SU on the road this season, 3-4 ATS. They are 4-8 overall, but a decent 4-3 in the Mountain West Conference. San Diego State averages 22 points per game, big gives up 39 ppg! San Diego State is banged up a bit, but they're off a terrific upset over Air Force. James Truvillion scored on a 1-yard run with 58 seconds left, and WRs T.R. Tolver and Kassim Osgood combined for two NCAA receiving records as San Diego State rallied to beat Air Force 38-34. "It was tough for our guys now,' said San Diego State coach Tom Craft, whose team ended a four-game losing streak to Air Force. ``We're a little worn down from a 12-game stretch, a lot of it on the road. We weren't 100 percent healthy, but we just kept battling, and our players showed a lot of heart and resiliency.' Tolver had 13 catches for 126 yards, and Osgood had 12 for 123 yards. The duo has 213 catches this season, one more than the NCAA record for teammates. Hawaii is 6-1 SU at home, 3-3 ATS and off another home cover, lsoing 21-16 to Alabama. Coach June Jones has a run-and-gun offense that had a great season, outscoring teams by a 36-26 average. With lots of speed at wideout and aggressive offenses and poor defenses, look for a fun shootout and look for a posted total.
Projected Score: Hawaii 42, San Diego St 30
COLORADO (9 - 3) vs. OKLAHOMA (10 - 2)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 8:00 PM
The Buffaloes outgained Oklahoma in their November 2, meeting. The Buffaloes gained seven more first downs than Oklahoma. The Buffaloes talked a lot more trash after the game was over. The Sooners won! Bob Stoops was quite animated the day after OU beat Colorado 27-11. Many CU players said they wanted a rematch...anywhere, anytime! Stoops when on to say that football isn't like golf - there aren't any mulligans on the gridiron. Saturday, Colorado may find out you need to be careful what you wish for. The bottom line is that you must go up top to beat the Sooners. CU QB Hodge is not a gifted passer, and the running of Brown, Purify may be successful enough to keep it close but I dont see it happening on this day. Colorado stood a chance in this game, until OU’s melt down LW. Stoops will have his troops coached up and geared for battle, and Colorado will merely be a punching bag for OU to vent with. The OU defense should slow down CU’s ground attack, and cover those 6 ½.
Projected Score: Oklahoma 28, Colorado 17
VIRGINIA TECH (9 - 3) at MIAMI (11 - 0)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 1:00 PM
Lee Suggs ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns in his final collegiate home game and 19th-ranked Virginia Tech snapped a three-game losing streak with a 21-9 win over Virginia in the annual battle for the Commonwealth Cup. The Hokies (9-3) were in the middle of the national title chase before losing to Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia. Only a big game from Suggs kept Virginia Tech from its first-four game losing streak since 1992. After receiving a warm ovation on a snowy day at Lane Stadium, Suggs scored on a four-yard run in the second quarter and iced the victory with a six-yard TD run in the fourth. Suggs has scored a touchdown in 25 straight games. Miami played like the No. 1 team right from the start against Syracuse. Just one more victory, and the Hurricanes will defend their national title in the Fiesta Bowl. Ken Dorsey threw for two touchdowns and Willis McGahee scored on runs of 61 and 51 yards as the Hurricanes won 49-7 Saturday to extend their winning streak to 33 games, the best in Division I-A. Barring an upset by Virginia Tech in Miami next week, which is highly unlikely. Miami rules as they head to the BCS Championship game.
Projected Score: Miami Fl 41, Virginia Tech 21
ARKANSAS (9 - 3) vs. GEORGIA (11 - 1)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 6:00 PM
115 ARKANSAS 46.5
116 GEORGIA -8
SEC championship game from Georgia. Arkansas seems to have little chance in this one. An offense that is averaging 376ypg and 29ppg will face a stiff Georgia D. This is a grind it out offense, getting 243 of their yards on the ground. Arkansas’ only chance is to succeed in the run, and control the tempo of the game. On defense, the Razorbacks possess one of the stronger units in the nation, despite playing a humbling SEC schedule. The unit is allowing only 18ppg, including a shutout of South Carolina. Against their 8 SEC foes, Arkansas is allowing only 23ppg. They’ve won 6 in a row but are just 2-4 ATS during that run. The defense is strong, as they followed a 23-0 shutout at South Carolina with a 24-17 win over Lafayette, a 26-19 win over Mississippi State and a 21-20 comeback win over LSU. Arkansas only played four road games this season and went 3-1 SU/ATS away from home. But the Razorback defense will be tested against Georgia, one of the best all-around teams in college football. Georgia plays great offense and defense, and outscores teams by a 32-16 average. The ‘Dawgs are 11-1 SU, 8-3 ATS. QB David Green and innovative coach Mark Richt lead a strong team that averages 140 yards rushing, 254 yards passing per game. They’re off an impressive 51-7 thumping of rival Georgia Tech (which HAD a very good defense). RB Musa Smith ran for 121 yards and became the first Georgia back since Garrison Hearst in 1992 to reach 1,000 yards in a season. Georgia will be rooting for Virginia Tech on this same day, as if No. 1 Miami loses, Georgia might play Ohio State for the national championship. Arkansas may be able to hang in here, however.
Projected Score: Georgia 24, Arkansas 17
NCAA FOOTBALL
(3) ARMY/NAVY UNDER 56
(2) WASHINGTON STATE -2
(2) WASHINGTON STATE/UCLA UNDER 53
(2) MARSHALL -4
(2) ARMY +3
(1) MARSHALL/TOLEDO OVER 62.5
TOP OPINIONS: OVER 59 HAWAII, OKLAHOMA -8,
SMALL OPINIONS: MIAMI, ARKANSAS
DETAILED ANALYSIS
WASHINGTON ST (9 - 2) at UCLA (7 - 4)
12/7/2002 4:30 PM
Southern California fans must swallow their pride, travel to the Rose Bowl and root hard for archrival UCLA. The Bruins can crown the Trojans Pac-10 Conference champions and make things a whole lot cleaner in the Bowl Championship Series if they defeat seventh-ranked Washington State on Saturday in the regular season finale for both teams. Washington State (9-2, 6-1 Pac-10) missed a chance to wrap up just its second Pac-10 title and first since 1997 when it was stunned by Washington, 29-26, in overtime on November 23. The defeat left a door open for Southern California, which is 7-1 in conference play and would edge out the Cougars for a date in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day should UCLA win. Washington State is likely headed for the Holiday Bowl should it lose Saturday. Southern California made its case for an at-large BCS berth with a 44-13 dismantling of Notre Dame on Saturday, but the Trojans could still be the odd-team out when the invitations are made this Sunday. An injury to Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser could help the Trojans' chances. Gesser suffered a high ankle sprain, a bruised knee and a pulled calf in the Apple Cup and was on crutches until late last week. Gesser is listed as questionable and in either case will share duties with backup Matt Kegel, who wilted against the Huskies. Kegel threw a costly interception that set up the game-winning field goal at the end of regulation and was credited with a costly fumble that ended the game in overtime. The normally efficient Cougars also were penalized 10 times for 69 yards against the Huskies.
UCLA has had an extra week to pick up the pieces from 52-21 loss to USC on November 23. The Bruins turned the ball over five times and had a pair of early mistakes to fall behind 21-0 after one quarter. UCLA had just 14 turnovers in the first 10 games. UCLA used three freshman quarterbacks against the Trojans, including Drew Olson, who completed 8-of-17 passes for 121 yards. Freshman Tyler Ebell rushed for 100 yards or more in six straight games games before being held to 56 yards by the Trojans. UCLA leads the series, 34-13-1, but the Cougars won a 20-14 contest last season in Pullman.
Will he or won't he play? WSU's superb quarterback, Jason Gesser, is very questionable for this contest. All he's done this year is complete nearly 60% of this pass attempts for 265 yards a game. Even more impressive...his touchdown to interception ratio at 25-9. Back up Matt Kegel is Ryan Leaf's cousin but we won't hold that against him. The guess here is Gesser will play if he has to crawl on the field. This guy is a throwback to the old time QB's that played on one leg if necessary. UCLA has been playing freshmen Drew Olson and Matt Moore for over a month due to an injury to starter Cory Paus. UCLA sports conflicting trends here. They stand a miserable 1-7 ATS the last eight years in the game following USC. But, they're also 6-1 at home following a bye week and 5-3 as a home dog under Bob Toledo. Also worth noting, the home team is 5-0 vs. the number the last 5 in this series. A win here by the Cougars puts them in the Rose Bowl. A loss and USC represents the Pac 10. The guess is the Cougars Gesser steps up and out duels the freshman QB's for the Bruins. Also, I expect him to be less efficient and we expect the Cougar D to put in some extra wrinkles for the young UCLA QB's.
Projected Score: UCLA 21, Washington St 27
PLAY 2* UNITS ON WASHINGTON STATE -2
PLAY 2* UNITS ON WASHINGTON STATE/UCLA UNDER 53
ARMY (1 - 10) vs. NAVY (1 - 10)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 12:00 PM
The last time Paul Johnson walked the sideline in an Army-Navy game, the Midshipmen had a chance to win the prestigious Commander-in-Chief's trophy, snare a bowl bid and stay on course for a 10-win season. That was 1996, when Johnson was offensive coordinator on a Navy team that lost to Army but capped an enormously satisfying 9-3 season with a 42-38 win over California in the Aloha Bowl. Johnson now is coach of a once-proud football program mired in its worst stretch since the academy took up the sport in 1879. Talk of a 10-win season has been replaced by jokes about a 10-win decade, since Navy is just 2-30 since the 2000 season. The Midshipmen (1-10) get their last chance this year to add to that victory total on Saturday when they play their annual grudge match against Army (1-10). Sadly, Navy's only incentive is to snap a string of 10 straight defeats by beating an old rival. Contrary to popular belief, a win over Army won't be enough to erase the sting of yet another humbling season. "Whether we beat Army or not, we still have a lot of work ahead of us," Navy quarterback Craig Candeto said. A victory also would make Johnson's agony only slightly more tolerable. "It's a great rivalry, and certainly it would be a way to at least end on a positive note," he said. "If we could win the game, it would be twice as many wins as they've had here the last two years, which is by no means a successful season. We have to do more than try and beat Army to be successful." Johnson's success as an assistant at Navy in 1995-96 earned him the job as coach at Georgia Southern, where he won 62 of 72 games and two straight Division I-AA championships. He returned to Navy last December with designs on reviving a program that faltered badly after his departure. After beating Army in 2000 to avoid its first winless season since an 0-1 campaign in 1883, Navy hit bottom with an 0-10 record last year. Johnson delivered a stunning blowout victory over Southern Methodist to open this season, but the Midshipmen have lost every game since - although four of the 10 defeats came by nine points or fewer, including a 30-23 home loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 9, when the Irish scored 15 straight fourth-quarter points. Navy's last loss, 30-27 at Wake Forest on Nov. 23, came when Fabian Davis scored on a 5-yard run in the final minute. Outside those four relatively close losses, Navy has been outscored 270-87 in the other six games. This season the team has committed 35 turnovers and allowed a whopping 38.6 points per game. The stakes in the Army-Navy game were higher the last two times Johnson faced the Black Knights. A 14-13 loss in 1995 ruined Navy's bid for its first winning season since 1982, and a 28-24 defeat the following season spoiled the Mids' effort to win the Commander-In-Chief's trophy - awarded to the team with the best record in games between Army, Navy and Air Force. A defeat Saturday will give Johnson more losses this year than he had during his five-year run at Georgia Southern. But a win just might serve as a memorable turning point in his effort to revive the program. "I think our team is better," Johnson said. "We haven't won as many games as we would have liked, but there is no question that we are better than we were when we started. We're looking forward to getting out and recruiting and seeing if we can get this thing going."
Both teams come to the Big Game with identical 1-10 records. In their previous game, Army lost to Memphis, who snapped a six-game losing streak, 38-10. That was one week after the Knights beat Tulane for their first victory of the season, the Black Knights managed only 67 total yards in the second half, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Memphis had 218 yards rushing and 216 passing. Two weeks ago the Midshipmen lost to Wake Forest 30-27. The Midshipmen took a 27-23 lead on Craig Candeto's one-yard TD run with 4:11 remaining, but Wake Forest answered with a 10-play, 62-yard drive to cap the win. Navy, which suffered its 10th straight loss, stayed in the game by rushing for 317 yards on 63 carries, led by Michael Brimage, who ran for a career-high 171 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts. The Midshipmen erased a 17-7 deficit to take a 21-20 lead on Candeto's 53-yard TD pass to Chandler Sims with 2:26 left in the third quarter. Only Pride is at stake on Saturday as the teams take the field for the 103rd time. Army won a year ago 26-17 which marked the only series matchup in the last decade that have been decided by more than four points. Navy has been haunted by turnovers and defensive lapses throughout the year. Expect another close game on Saturday with the Black Knights and Mids fighting to the end in a low scoring game while the Cadets hold on for a cover.
Projected Score: Navy 24, Army 23
PLAY 2* UNITS ON ARMY +3
PLAY 3* UNITS ON ARMY/NAVY UNDER 56
TOLEDO (9 - 3) at MARSHALL (9 - 2)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 2:30 PM
If it's the first weekend of December, it must mean that Marshall is playing in the Mid-American Conference championship game. Led by quarterback Byron Leftwich, the Thundering Herd will make their sixth straight appearance in the MAC title game Saturday when they host Toledo in a rematch of last year's contest. Marshall (9-2), which already has accepted a bid to play Louisville in the GMAC Bowl, will be out for revenge as the Rockets ended the Thundering Herd's four-year reign as league champions with a 41-36 victory last season. However, that game was played in Ohio. Saturday's contest is in Marshall's backyard, where the Thundering Herd won their fourth straight league crowns from 1997-2000. Marshall and Toledo are no strangers to each other as they are meeting for the fourth time in the six-year history of the MAC championship game. The Thundering Herd beat the Rockets in the 1997 and 1998 title games, while the teams split regular season contests in 1999 and 2000. They did not face each other this year. In last year's meeting, Chester Taylor rushed for 188 yards as the Rockets rallied from a 23-0 deficit to earn their first MAC title since 1995.
The Thundering Herd tuned up for Saturday's game by beating Ball State, 38-14, last week. Leftwich completed 35-of-42 passes for 401 yards - his fourth 400-yard game of the season - to become the MAC's all-time leader in total offense. Leftwich raised his career offense total to 11,408, surpassing the previous mark of 11,081 set by Western Michigan's Tim Lester from 1996-99. This season, the Heisman Trophy candidate has passed for 3,615 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Toledo (9-3) clinched the West Division title last week with a 42-24 victory over Bowling Green. Brian Jones passed for three touchdowns and Trinity Dawson scored three times for the Rockets, who rallied from a 24-14 deficit. After the game, Toledo accepted a bid to the Motor City Bowl against an opponent to be determined. While receiving considerably less attention than Leftwich, Jones leads the nation in completion percentage at 71.4 and is second behind Iowa's Brad Banks in passing efficiency (158.2). He has completed 247-of-346 passes for 2,894 yards and 21 TDs. Toledo defeated Bowling Green 42-24 to qualify for the MAC Championship game as Brian Jones threw for three touchdowns and Astin Martin and Trinity Dawson combined for 221 rushing yards with Dawson running for three TDs. The Rockets held Bowling Green to 77 yards on the ground and a paltry 2.6 yards per carry. Toledo finished the season with a 9-3 record and 7-1 in the MAC with its only loss coming at the hands of Miami-Ohio 27-13 at the Glass Bowl. Marshall routed Ball State 38-14 as Byron Leftwich, still hobbling from a leg injury, finished an outstanding 35-of-42 for 401 yards and two touchdowns. Backup Stan Hill was 9-of-12 for 64 yards with one TD and two interceptions. The Thundering Herd had already wrapped up a MAC Championship berth along with a bid in the GMAC Bowl but Leftwich was given an opportunity to showcase himself for a Heisman Trophy bid. Marshall is 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the MAC including a 34-20 home loss to Akron. Toledo upset Marshall at home in last years MAC Championship 41-36 so you can look for another high scoring game as the Herd gains revenge where Marshall has lost only once since 1997.
Projected Score: Marshall 37, Toledo 30
PLAY 2* UNITS ON MARSHALL -4
PLAY 1* UNIT ON MARSHALL/TOLEDO OVER 62.5
TOP OPINION PLAYS
SAN DIEGO ST (4 - at HAWAII (9 - 3)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 11:05 PM
Long road trip for San Diego State. SDSU is 2-5 SU on the road this season, 3-4 ATS. They are 4-8 overall, but a decent 4-3 in the Mountain West Conference. San Diego State averages 22 points per game, big gives up 39 ppg! San Diego State is banged up a bit, but they're off a terrific upset over Air Force. James Truvillion scored on a 1-yard run with 58 seconds left, and WRs T.R. Tolver and Kassim Osgood combined for two NCAA receiving records as San Diego State rallied to beat Air Force 38-34. "It was tough for our guys now,' said San Diego State coach Tom Craft, whose team ended a four-game losing streak to Air Force. ``We're a little worn down from a 12-game stretch, a lot of it on the road. We weren't 100 percent healthy, but we just kept battling, and our players showed a lot of heart and resiliency.' Tolver had 13 catches for 126 yards, and Osgood had 12 for 123 yards. The duo has 213 catches this season, one more than the NCAA record for teammates. Hawaii is 6-1 SU at home, 3-3 ATS and off another home cover, lsoing 21-16 to Alabama. Coach June Jones has a run-and-gun offense that had a great season, outscoring teams by a 36-26 average. With lots of speed at wideout and aggressive offenses and poor defenses, look for a fun shootout and look for a posted total.
Projected Score: Hawaii 42, San Diego St 30
COLORADO (9 - 3) vs. OKLAHOMA (10 - 2)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 8:00 PM
The Buffaloes outgained Oklahoma in their November 2, meeting. The Buffaloes gained seven more first downs than Oklahoma. The Buffaloes talked a lot more trash after the game was over. The Sooners won! Bob Stoops was quite animated the day after OU beat Colorado 27-11. Many CU players said they wanted a rematch...anywhere, anytime! Stoops when on to say that football isn't like golf - there aren't any mulligans on the gridiron. Saturday, Colorado may find out you need to be careful what you wish for. The bottom line is that you must go up top to beat the Sooners. CU QB Hodge is not a gifted passer, and the running of Brown, Purify may be successful enough to keep it close but I dont see it happening on this day. Colorado stood a chance in this game, until OU’s melt down LW. Stoops will have his troops coached up and geared for battle, and Colorado will merely be a punching bag for OU to vent with. The OU defense should slow down CU’s ground attack, and cover those 6 ½.
Projected Score: Oklahoma 28, Colorado 17
VIRGINIA TECH (9 - 3) at MIAMI (11 - 0)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 1:00 PM
Lee Suggs ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns in his final collegiate home game and 19th-ranked Virginia Tech snapped a three-game losing streak with a 21-9 win over Virginia in the annual battle for the Commonwealth Cup. The Hokies (9-3) were in the middle of the national title chase before losing to Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia. Only a big game from Suggs kept Virginia Tech from its first-four game losing streak since 1992. After receiving a warm ovation on a snowy day at Lane Stadium, Suggs scored on a four-yard run in the second quarter and iced the victory with a six-yard TD run in the fourth. Suggs has scored a touchdown in 25 straight games. Miami played like the No. 1 team right from the start against Syracuse. Just one more victory, and the Hurricanes will defend their national title in the Fiesta Bowl. Ken Dorsey threw for two touchdowns and Willis McGahee scored on runs of 61 and 51 yards as the Hurricanes won 49-7 Saturday to extend their winning streak to 33 games, the best in Division I-A. Barring an upset by Virginia Tech in Miami next week, which is highly unlikely. Miami rules as they head to the BCS Championship game.
Projected Score: Miami Fl 41, Virginia Tech 21
ARKANSAS (9 - 3) vs. GEORGIA (11 - 1)
Week 15 Saturday, 12/7/2002 6:00 PM
115 ARKANSAS 46.5
116 GEORGIA -8
SEC championship game from Georgia. Arkansas seems to have little chance in this one. An offense that is averaging 376ypg and 29ppg will face a stiff Georgia D. This is a grind it out offense, getting 243 of their yards on the ground. Arkansas’ only chance is to succeed in the run, and control the tempo of the game. On defense, the Razorbacks possess one of the stronger units in the nation, despite playing a humbling SEC schedule. The unit is allowing only 18ppg, including a shutout of South Carolina. Against their 8 SEC foes, Arkansas is allowing only 23ppg. They’ve won 6 in a row but are just 2-4 ATS during that run. The defense is strong, as they followed a 23-0 shutout at South Carolina with a 24-17 win over Lafayette, a 26-19 win over Mississippi State and a 21-20 comeback win over LSU. Arkansas only played four road games this season and went 3-1 SU/ATS away from home. But the Razorback defense will be tested against Georgia, one of the best all-around teams in college football. Georgia plays great offense and defense, and outscores teams by a 32-16 average. The ‘Dawgs are 11-1 SU, 8-3 ATS. QB David Green and innovative coach Mark Richt lead a strong team that averages 140 yards rushing, 254 yards passing per game. They’re off an impressive 51-7 thumping of rival Georgia Tech (which HAD a very good defense). RB Musa Smith ran for 121 yards and became the first Georgia back since Garrison Hearst in 1992 to reach 1,000 yards in a season. Georgia will be rooting for Virginia Tech on this same day, as if No. 1 Miami loses, Georgia might play Ohio State for the national championship. Arkansas may be able to hang in here, however.
Projected Score: Georgia 24, Arkansas 17