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Spears Sat Play
Really sweet night - all winners. Got the big head -Still hungover from last night of drinkin' and dancin'. Not gonna pick anything but my ass for a few hours. Just wouldn't be right.I do believe the play on the East - West game at 4pm is the Over. Both teams are loaded with linebackers that are good. So I see an arial game today. Take the Over
Opinion: East-West Game 4 pm- Over 45
Leading the way for the East squad on the offensive side of the ball will most likely be Northwestern's quarterback Brett Basanez. Basanez had a fantastic season as the signal caller for the Wildcats and there is no doubt he was the spark plug to Northwestern's high-powered offense, as the QB threw for a whopping 3,622 yards and 21 touchdowns against just eight interceptions.
Basanez also finished second on the squad, rushing for 550 yards and seven scores. Another player to see significant time under center is Toledo's signal caller Bruce Gradkowski who finished the year with just 2,469 yards through the air, but tossed 29 touchdowns versus only 12 picks. Jonathan Orr and Greg Jennings will most likely be the two starting wideouts. Jennings is by far the most complete receiver, as the wideout caught an impressive 98 passes for a whopping 1,259 yards and 14 touchdowns. Out of the backfield will be Leon Washington (FSU), De'Arrius Howard (Arkansas) and Wali Lundy (Virginia). This is definitely the weakest spot for the East, as the three backs combined for just 1,332 yards and 15 scores on the year. Lundy is easily the most talented player out of the backfield, but due to injuries this year, Lundy finished with 574 yards and 10 scores.
As for the defensive unit, the East's strength is without question in the linebacking corps, as Nutt's squad boasts players such as Tim McGarigle (NWestern), Brandon Hoyte (ND) and Anthony Schlegel (OSU). McGarigle led the Wildcats with an astonishing 156 tackles and also recorded seven TFLs, while Schlegel was second to only A.J. Hawk on the Ohio State defense with 82 stops. As for Hoyte, he had a sensational season, collecting 92 tackles, while recording 16.5 TFLs and six sacks. The defensive backfield has a few solid players which will no doubt impressive NFL scouts, however the main attraction in the secondary has to be Dion Byrum, who finished third in all of College football with six interceptions. In the second game of the season, Byrom had possibly his best career game, as the cornerback picked off two passes, returning both for touchdowns, one which was the game winning score in overtime. Two players to look out for on the defensive front, are Corey Cofield (NWestern) and John Hall (Tennessee). Cofield collected 63 tackles for the Wildcats on the year, while Hall had just 51 stops, but made up for it with 13.0 TFLs and seven sacks.
As for the West there is no doubt this team will be airing the ball out early and often especially with the likes of Paul Pinegar (Fresno St.) and Drew Olson (UCLA) under center. Along with the solid quarterbacks, the West is stacked with a wide selection of receivers. Starting the contest will most likely be Olson, who had possibly one of the best seasons under center in over the past 20 years. Olsen threw for 3,198 yards and tossed a whopping 34 touchdowns against only six interceptions. As for Pinegar he also made solid strides this year, completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 3,335 yards. The signal caller finished the year with 30 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. While the East has Jennings at wideout, the West has Mike Hass (Oregon State), along with David Anderson (CSU). Hass finished just behind Jennings on the receiving charts during the regular season, grabbing 90 passes for a sensational 1,532 yards and six scores. As for Anderson, he finished last season with 86 receptions for 1,221 yards and eight scores. The tandem of Hass and Anderson should easily cause coverage problems for the West team. DonTrell Moore and Taurean Henderson are currently the only two backs on the team. Moore racked up 1,298 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns on the year and although Henderson only reached 872 yards on the ground this year, he rushed for a solid 17 TDs.
Much like their opponent, the West will have to rely on the strength of their linebacking corps if the defense wants to be successful. Most likely opening the game roaming the middle of the field will be LBs Jon Alston (Stanford), Dale Robinson (ASU) and Trent Bray (Oregon State). Out of all three players, Robinson might be the most complete, as he finished the year with 115 stops to go along with an impressive 15.0 TFLs and four sacks. As for the remainder of this defensive unit, there are a few talented players, however this could turn out ugly for the West. In the backfield, Quincy Butler is by far the best option in the secondary, as the cornerback paced his team this season with a team-high five interceptions. The combination of Devan Long (Oregon) and ****** Jolly (Texas A&M) on the defensive front, give the West squad a chance to put consistent pressure on the QB.
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