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**InsiderEdge** · 09-18-2004, 10:46 AM

Today’s schedule:

Indiana Hoosiers at Kentucky Wildcats 7:00 PM ET
Wisconsin Badgers at Arizona Wildcats 4:00 PM ET
UAB Blazers at Florida St. Seminoles 6:30 PM ET
Hawaii Warriors at Rice Owls 8:00 PM ET
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pittsburgh Panthers 12:00 PM ET
Iowa Hawkeyes at Arizona St. Sun Devils 10:00 PM ET
North Texas Mean Green at Colorado Buffaloes 7:00 PM ET

Come on over and grab today’s winning card with the best analysis you will find anywhere GUARANTEED!

**InsiderEdge** · 09-18-2004, 05:49 PM

TOP PLAY comes through with Nebraska….Free play with Arizona in progress. We have 5 plays going after 6:30 PM ET….plenty of time to get the rest of the card!

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pittsburgh Panthers 12:00 PM ET

Nebraska Cornhuskers -4 -110 (3 Units)

We were on the Huskers last week against Southern Miss and turnovers were the obvious problem for Nebraska for the second straight week. They are moving the ball and should continue to do so here while they should completely shut down the lackluster Pittsburgh offense.

Against Ohio, Pitt ran 66 offensive plays and gained just 217 yards. The running attack contributed 168 yards against an Ohio team that is considered one of the worst in the nation. New quarterback Tyler Palko, who played behind an inexperienced offensive line and a youthful receiving corps, finished 9 of 16 for 49 yards with a touchdown and interception. But the tear-away offensive line gave Palko no time to throw, no time to move, no time to think, no time to react. "We have two new guards," head coach Walt Harris said. "Our center has been hurt most of the time in his career. Our right tackle is a first-year starter." That a green line. Outside of a 43-yard run to the Ohio 2 and an ensuing touchdown pass to Greg Lee late in the game, Palko was relatively ineffective. His struggles typified the play of an offense that comprised nine new starters, including a receiving corps that featured six of seven players who had never caught a pass in a college game. Nebraska junior cornerback Fabian Washington said the Huskers are making creating turnovers, particularly interceptions, a priority for Saturday's game. The Blackshirts forced only one in the Southern Miss game. "We're definitely going to be some ball hawks on Saturday, trying to get some turnovers, trying to shut down their passing game," he said. "But first thing's first. You've got to shut down their running game and make a team one-dimensional." The Blackshirts held Southern Miss to 239 total yards and harassed quarterback Dustin Almond into a 12-28 passing performance but left Memorial Stadium feeling empty.

Through two games, the Huskers rank seventh nationally in rushing offense, averaging 318.5 yards, and 64th in passing offense (210.0). Nebraska ranks 11th in total offense after finishing 83rd in 2003. A large part of the Huskers' ability to move the chains can be traced to the offensive line. That is a big factor this early in the season. Quarterback Joe Dailey struggled to the tune of four turnovers in the loss to Southern Miss, but he continues to draw raves for the class and maturity he showed after the defeat. The Panthers looked good on defense against the Bobcats as they scored on an interception return and held Ohio to only 3 points. Nebraska isn’t Ohio however. Pittsburgh could not stop the run last season as they finished 87th and allowed 185 ypg and 4.52 ypc. The front four is a year older but the linebackers are young and that could prove costly against the West Coast scheme they will see on Saturday. Field position is always important and Nebraska has a big edge in the punting game. Last week, Pitt punter Adam Graessle had a rough first game. His first seven punts covered 20, 36, 23, 46, 21, 40 and 14 yards. How young are the Panthers? Twenty Pitt players made their collegiate debut against Ohio.

**InsiderEdge** · 09-19-2004, 12:17 AM

4-1 so far with Rice and Arizona St. pending. We put our undefeated 6-0 NFL record on the line tomorrow.

Indiana Hoosiers at Kentucky Wildcats 7:00 PM ET

Kentucky Wildcats -1.5 -108 (2 Units)

Indiana is undefeated and Kentucky has yet to score this season but yet the Wildcats are favored. Kentucky did get shut out in their first game this season but it was against a very good Louisville team. The game was close heading into the second half when the Cardinals intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown in the opening drive of the third quarter. They have had two weeks to get over that one and to get ready for another big rival in the Hoosiers.

Indiana may be 2-0 and the line looks to be taking that into consideration but they are a fraud if there ever was one. In their first game, Central Michigan actually outgained Indiana 389-344 and had 4 more first downs but they finished 2-4 in redzone scoring. The turning point was a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown for the Hoosiers than extended the lead to 27-3, a 14-point swing. Last week, Oregon had a 495-198 yard advantage as they held Indiana to only 71 yards through the air. 7 turnovers were the obvious difference as the Hoosiers scored their first 20 points off 4 fumbles and added another field goal off a turnover on downs. It’s obvious the defense is taking advantage of the opportunities they are given but those opportunities will run dry soon. Kentucky is no juggernaut on offense but Shane Boyd is a duel threat to both run and pass the ball so Indiana will be back on their heels in this one.

Indiana ranks last in the Big Ten in total offense, averaging 266 yards per game, and last in passing offense with just 101 yards per game. QB Matt LoVecchio ranks last in the Big Ten in passing, completing 46.9 percent of his passes for 192 yards in two games. If the Wildcats can load up and stop the running game and force LoVecchio to make plays with his arm, the Hoosiers will sputter yet again on offense. Kentucky did a decent job against a very potent Louisville offense. The Cardinals put up the yards but the Wildcats made 3 strong goal line stands, forcing a field goal attempt and taking the ball over on downs the other two. After watching film of that loss, Kentucky noticed hardly any emotion on the field but that will change here. The past week at practice has been the best so far in the fall. Whatever they might lack in talent and experience, they can compensate with passion and energy.

Wisconsin Badgers at Arizona Wildcats 4:00 PM ET

Arizona Wildcats +11 -107 (2 Units)

Through just two games, the Wildcats are a completely opposite team that took the field a year ago at this time. They were down on themselves and their former coach but now Mike Stoops has this team clearly heading in the right direction. "What Mike has done in a short period of time," athletic director Jim Livengood said, "his energy and the type of staff that we have is as good as it has been here in a long, long time."

They played a much better team on offense last week than what they will face today and could have come out with a win. Utah won by 17 despite outgaining the Wildcats by just 14 yards on offense. Arizona had plenty of chances as they finished just 2-5 inside the redzone, missing a field goal and committing two turnovers inside the Utes 8-yard line. They are struggling to score but they are moving the ball. A year ago, Kris Heavner completed 51.1% of his passes and threw almost twice as many interceptions (15) as touchdown passes (eight). Through two games this season, he has completed 77.1% of his passes (37 of 48) with just one interception. He has passed for only 184.5 yards per game but has found nine different receivers. Arizona's offense should get a boost with the return of junior wide receiver Biren Ealy, who suffered a broken foot during summer workouts just prior to the start of preseason camp. Ealy led the Wildcats in receptions last year with 42 catches for 577 yards and four touchdowns. Arizona will look to control the clock with a consistent running game and a quick-rhythm passing game.

Wisconsin is struggling on offense and to make matters worse, their best player is out. Anthony Davis will not see action as he is out for at least two more games because of an eye injury suffered in the opener. Booker Stanley got the start in his place against the Rebels and too often struggled to take advantage of open running lanes. His 2.2-yard average was a testament to his struggles. The Badgers tallied only 276 yards of offense against UNLV last week. Wisconsin coaches have utilized a low-risk offensive attack to this point with their lack of offensive firepower. The Wildcats defense last season was a disgrace, ranking 107th in points allowed, 112th in passing and 108th in total yards. After two games, they are 58th against the run and 36th in pass efficiency with total defense coming in at 38th also. Sure it includes a game against Northern Arizona but it also includes a game against Utah. Fan support is picking up big time. The opener against Northern Arizona drew a crowd of 49,741. That was the largest home crowd since 54,297 attended the 2000 regular-season finale. On Saturday, a crowd of 52,790 fans watched the loss to Utah. Not since 1991 has Arizona had a mid-afternoon home game this early in the season. The Wildcats do know what to expect Saturday. The Badgers have no clue. Nike has provided Arizona with 80 "cooling system" lightweight undershirts to wear against the Badgers for Saturday's game, where temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s.

UAB Blazers at Florida St. Seminoles 6:30 PM ET

UAB Blazers +23.5 -110 (2 Units)

The outcome of this game could be decided how Florida St. responds to their loss against Miami last Friday. We think the loss will be lingering some. The Blazers went into Georgia last season and almost pulled off the monumental upset, losing by just 3 points. This is a very experienced team that returns 53 lettermen from last season. Going into Florida St. and winning might be too much to ask but this veteran group has enough to stay with the Seminoles and within the generous number. Plus they’ve had two week to prepare for this big one.

The loss to Miami has everyone thinking that Florida St. will come out and blow the doors off the Blazers, which they are capable of doing on any given day, but it shouldn’t happen here. The Seminoles host a huge revenge game next weekend against Clemson so 100% focus might not be happening to begin with. There is dissention going on in Tallahassee as a quarterback controversy is already taking place. A few players in a frustrated Seminoles' locker room pointed to Chris Rix's performance after the Miami defeat, though coaches were mum. "We have got to make some changes. I know Chris has been here for five years, but it's time to put some pressure on his shoulders. Chris has got to get it done," tailback Leon Washington said. There isn’t much confidence within the coaches either. "We felt it's not time," head coach Bobby Bowden said of talk he might start backup Wyatt Sexton over Rix. "Let me say, it crossed my mind many times. If Wyatt is a bit further along, I would have probably made that move.” The team entered the preseason with five healthy returning starters on the offensive line, and three of those starters, Matt Meinrod and Bobby Meeks, both guards, and center David Castillo, have since sustained injuries.

In their win over Baylor 2 weeks ago, Darrell Hackney and the offense showed tremendous balance, while the defense wasn't just strong, it made big plays swarming all over the Bears. UAB's offensive line silenced some of its critics in the team's 56-14 rout. It paved the way for a 516-yard output, including a very impressive 343 yards rushing. Andy Galloway, senior guard and the elder statesman of the group, said the key to the success in the first game was the lack of mental mistakes. "I'm real confident in them," Hackney said. "Baylor had a good defensive line. All we heard about was their defensive ends all that week. We stepped up to the challenge and (center Matt) Batusic made all the right calls. They're going to do the same thing this week." Head coach Watson Brown called the Florida St. defense, the toughest the Blazers will face all season. It's paramount that the offensive line opens holes for Blazer running backs Dan Burks and Corey White. Doak Campbell won't intimidate a senior class at UAB which has played at the Swamp in Florida, Sanford Stadium in Georgia and South Carolina.

Hawaii Warriors at Rice Owls 8:00 PM ET

Rice Owls +1.5 -106 (2 Units)

The Owls have yet to receive the respect they deserve but that is excellent for us and the value in their lines. They won as a dog against Houston on a neutral field and now they are getting points in their home opener against a Hawaii team that is young and typically does not travel well.

In their first game, Rice penetrated the Cougars' 35 on six occasions, yet managed only one field goal and an Ed Bailey scoring run. However, the Owls did possess the ball longer than Houston (31:30 to 28:30). It was the fourth consecutive game Rice, riding a four-game win streak, won time of possession. Controlling the clock, not Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang, might be the biggest key to earning a win over the Warriors in the WAC opener for both teams. Simply controlling the clock will keep Chang and the offense off the field. Last season, Rice lost because of its inability to control the line of scrimmage against the Warriors' underrated defense. "Hawaii always has a really tough defense," Rice left tackle Scott Mayhew said. "Last year we only scored one touchdown offensively. They have eight new guys on defense, but they can't be underestimated at all." Eight new guys will give Rice a big edge with their triple option attack. The Warriors are scrambling to create depth on the defensive line. Head coach June Jones said Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan, the top backup to starting defensive right end Kila Kamakawiwo'ole, will not play against Rice. Akpan is required to sit out a game because of his role in an on-field fight following last year's Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Jones said another backup defensive end, Ikaika Alama-Francis, will not be medically cleared to play. Rice offensive linemen Ross Huebel and Micah Meador might be able to play Saturday after both leaving in the first series against Houston. This would be a big boost to the rushing attack.

Against Houston, Owl defensive coordinator Roger Hinshaw made the decision to keep it simple, play their base defense. They shut out Kevin Kolb and the Cougars for 59 minutes. Rice held the Cougars to just eight yards rushing on 32 attempts, resulting in an average of barely 0.2 yards per play. Overall, Houston was permitted only 212 yards of total offense, with quarterbacks being taken down nine times. Rice defensive end John Syptak is extremely fast off the edge, but with that quickness, Hinshaw can use him on a zone blitz package, as a little defensive wrinkle, to drop off into Chang’s vision as he’s eyeing up a short passing route, while blitzing a linebacker into Chang’s face. Even though it’s very early, the Owls know that another victory over Hawaii in this WAC battle puts them in great position to get to a bowl for the first time since 1961 and make an outside run at the WAC conference championship. Nearly one third of the Hawaii football team's travel squad is in the midst of a brand-new experience. This is the first road trip as Warriors for 19 of the 60 players.

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pittsburgh Panthers 12:00 PM ET

Nebraska Cornhuskers -4 -110 (3 Units)

We were on the Huskers last week against Southern Miss and turnovers were the obvious problem for Nebraska for the second straight week. They are moving the ball and should continue to do so here while they should completely shut down the lackluster Pittsburgh offense.

Against Ohio, Pitt ran 66 offensive plays and gained just 217 yards. The running attack contributed 168 yards against an Ohio team that is considered one of the worst in the nation. New quarterback Tyler Palko, who played behind an inexperienced offensive line and a youthful receiving corps, finished 9 of 16 for 49 yards with a touchdown and interception. But the tear-away offensive line gave Palko no time to throw, no time to move, no time to think, no time to react. "We have two new guards," head coach Walt Harris said. "Our center has been hurt most of the time in his career. Our right tackle is a first-year starter." That a green line. Outside of a 43-yard run to the Ohio 2 and an ensuing touchdown pass to Greg Lee late in the game, Palko was relatively ineffective. His struggles typified the play of an offense that comprised nine new starters, including a receiving corps that featured six of seven players who had never caught a pass in a college game. Nebraska junior cornerback Fabian Washington said the Huskers are making creating turnovers, particularly interceptions, a priority for Saturday's game. The Blackshirts forced only one in the Southern Miss game. "We're definitely going to be some ball hawks on Saturday, trying to get some turnovers, trying to shut down their passing game," he said. "But first thing's first. You've got to shut down their running game and make a team one-dimensional." The Blackshirts held Southern Miss to 239 total yards and harassed quarterback Dustin Almond into a 12-28 passing performance but left Memorial Stadium feeling empty.

Through two games, the Huskers rank seventh nationally in rushing offense, averaging 318.5 yards, and 64th in passing offense (210.0). Nebraska ranks 11th in total offense after finishing 83rd in 2003. A large part of the Huskers' ability to move the chains can be traced to the offensive line. That is a big factor this early in the season. Quarterback Joe Dailey struggled to the tune of four turnovers in the loss to Southern Miss, but he continues to draw raves for the class and maturity he showed after the defeat. The Panthers looked good on defense against the Bobcats as they scored on an interception return and held Ohio to only 3 points. Nebraska isn’t Ohio however. Pittsburgh could not stop the run last season as they finished 87th and allowed 185 ypg and 4.52 ypc. The front four is a year older but the linebackers are young and that could prove costly against the West Coast scheme they will see on Saturday. Field position is always important and Nebraska has a big edge in the punting game. Last week, Pitt punter Adam Graessle had a rough first game. His first seven punts covered 20, 36, 23, 46, 21, 40 and 14 yards. How young are the Panthers? Twenty Pitt players made their collegiate debut against Ohio.

Iowa Hawkeyes at Arizona St. Sun Devils 10:00 PM ET

Arizona St. Sun Devils -1 -109 (2 Units)

Very few teams have the opportunity for redemption, but Arizona St. finds itself in the perfect spot to exact some revenge on the Hawkeyes. Sun Devil Stadium will be jam-packed for this chance at revenge after Iowa embarrassed the Sun Devils 21-2 last year. Last year at this time, Arizona St. was coming off lackluster wins against NAU and Utah State but they have come up with two solid efforts this year.

Arizona St. is playing with confidence and believes in itself again. The Sun Devils proved something to themselves by dominating UTEP the way they were supposed to in the opener and then going on the road and winning at Northwestern. Arizona State matched Northwestern's physical style. It controlled the game early getting out to a 24-7 lead. Andrew Walter will go into the Iowa game having thrown six touchdown passes with no interceptions. When he is on, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. His confidence level is at an all time high and he will look to reverse the game he had in Iowa City last year. The Sun Devils' only points against the Hawkeyes last season were on a first-quarter safety. They mustered only 184 yards and was held without a touchdown for the first time since 1995. Iowa ranks fourth in the nation in total defense, allowing opponents an average of 173.0 yards a game. The Hawkeyes are third nationally against the rush, allowing an average of 26.5 yards. These numbers have come against Kent and Iowa St., who have each played a Division 1-AA team in their other game and are still only ranked 83rd and 108th in total offense. The Sun Devils are in the Top 25 in total offesne so the challenge will be a little more of a challenge for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa barely averted disaster against Iowa State this past weekend and looked very beatable. Iowa is struggling to cope with a depleted running back corps. Marcus Schnoor is out for the season with a torn knee ligament, and now Albert Young is sidelined with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Starter Jermelle Lewis, who was suspended for the Hawkeyes' opener, carried 30 times for 102 yards in a 17-10 win over Iowa State. Now his backup is former fourth-teamer Marques Simmons. Lewis gained 16 yards on his first carry Saturday and 34 on his last. In between, he ran 28 times for 52 yards. Injuries are just one of the issues with the running back situation. The other is the lack of room being created by the offensive line. The line, with three first-year starters, joined the list of concerns Saturday when it provided little running room for Lewis and sometimes provided little protection for quarterback Drew Tate. The Cyclones sacked Tate five times. Offensive guard Todd Plagman (sprained ankle) will not play this weekend and could miss two to three weeks. Ben Gates will replace Plagman as the starting left guard. For Arizona St., this season the 2-0 is a bit more meaningful even though the national rankings still have the Sun Devils buried in the "others receiving votes" category. Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz downplayed the effect of the Arizona heat on the Hawkeye players, despite the fact that starting quarterback Drew Tate has had some dehydration problems in his first two games.

North Texas Mean Green at Colorado Buffaloes 7:00 PM ET

Colorado Buffaloes -20 -110 (2 Units)

This is a lot of points to be laying for a team that has not scored an offensive touchdown in 7 quarters but this is by far the worst of the defenses they have faced so far. The Mean Green are 0-2 and struggling, following the preseason death of one of its quarterbacks and a knee injury suffered by its star running back Patrick Cobbs. Its defense has surrendered 95 points in two games and could be the perfect elixir for the Buffaloes.

QB Joel Klatt and his coaches say they plan to simplify the offense and play at a faster pace, hoping to build some continuity. Tailback Bobby Purify, who rushed for 53 yards on 23 carries last week, had a 65-yard scoring run negated by a holding penalty. Purify, who ran for 189 yards in their opener against Colorado St., said the holding call "might have changed the momentum of the game, and a few other plays had penalties. . . . That kind of messed up our psyche." North Texas was 15th in the country last season in rushing defense but it has come full circle so far this season. They are 116th and giving up 345 ypg and a whopping 6.63 ypc. Another challenge arises as Colorado gained 255 yards in its opening win over the Rams. Coaches have used a total of 15 players at the other skill positions on the offense during the first two games. Klatt said that number could be trimmed down this week, in an effort to build chemistry and speed up the tempo.

North Texas quarterback Scott Hall relied on one of the best ground attacks in the country last season, which allowed him to be able to complete passes and make plays. Cobbs' rushing made the play-action passes work. That won’t be the case this week with Cobbs out. The senior’s value to the Mean Green’s offense was apparent last season when a bruised thigh kept him out of games against Air Force and Arkansas. North Texas scored just 28 points combined and lost both games by a combined 37 points. Last weekend, Hall was under throwing several open receivers and turning in an 8-22 passing performance against Florida Atlantic. Prior to that, he was 8-17 for 78 yards against an excellent Texas defense. North Texas has rushed for an average of 77 ypg, well below what they are accustomed to. The offensive line is not as strong as years past either. Center Andy Brewster is a standout player, but he is surrounded by newcomers who have yet to find their form. Colorado linebacker Brian Iwuh's ankle got considerably better Sunday and Monday, and he has been upgraded from missing two weeks to day to day. Also, linebacker Chris Hollis (foot) has been medically cleared to play this week.

Announcement

7 NCAA Releases Saturday - 69% Winners

7 NCAA Releases Saturday - 69% Winners

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