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**InsiderEdge** · 10-16-2004, 10:09 AM

First game goes off at 12:00 PM ET today. The SEC Game of the Year is later in the day so win the early ones and play it for FREE.

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**InsiderEdge** · 10-17-2004, 07:15 AM

Members go 5-2 on Saturday including a win with Mississippi in our SEC Game of the Year. More winners for Sunday in case you missed another huge day for IES.

Michigan Wolverines at Illinois Illini 12:00 PM ET

Illinois Illini +19 –110 (2 Units)

Illinois hasn't been horrible, they just can't get a win. They are 0-3 in the Big 10 but unlike last season, they continue to hang around. Coincidentally, they faced Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan St. in their first 3 conference games last season. The results were a 130-44 combined losing score (28.7 ppg) and two of those were at home. This season with two of the games being on he road, they were outscored 100-62 (12.7 ppg), an improvement on both sides of the ball and an improvement overall of 16 ppg. Michigan is in the classic sandwich game, coming off a hard fought home win over Minnesota while they have a showdown at Purdue next week.

Starting tailback E.B. Halsey is listed as questionable with a sprained knee suffered last week against Michigan State. Illinois coach Ron Turner is hoping to have the team's leading scorer available. The sophomore running back will have a brace put on his strained left knee. If he doesn’t go, taking his place will be Pierre Thomas. Thomas has played in all six games this season, rotating series with Halsey. While Halsey remains an offensive threat, Thomas has developed into the more durable back. He leads the Illini with 505 rushing yards on 69 carries. He rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Spartans. He isn’t just a runner either as Thomas ranks 16th in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 28.4 yards per return. He is also sixth in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in all-purpose yardage (1,076), averaging 179.3 per game, with 505 rushing, 512 return yards and 59 receiving. The quarterback situation has not been stable all season but neither player has been playing bad enough to hurt the team. Turner is switching simply to make something bigger happen. In last week's 38-25 loss to the Spartans, Chris Pazan replaced Jon Beutjer at the start of the second half and, on Thomas' legs, led the Illini on a four-play scoring drive. Thomas had a highlight-reel 69-yard run on the drive. The week before, Pazan tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass for the Illini's only score in a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin. He had another one called back on a holding penalty. The Michigan defense looks good on paper against the run and in pass efficiency but they have given up their share of points. Offensively, the running game for Michigan has improved, but it is by no mean the classic Michigan power football. Through the first three games of the season, Michigan averaged 106.3 yards rushing and 2.7 yards a carry. The last three games the Wolverines have improved to 125.3 rushing yards a game and 3.1 a carry. An improvement, yes, but not overwhelming. Michigan ranks ninth in the league in rushing at 115.8 yards. The thought of Purdue in two weeks has definitely caught their attention. ''It's tough not to overlook games,'' fullback Kevin Dudley said. ''But coach [Lloyd] Carr tried to keep us pretty focused.'' Trying and doing are two different animals. Field position will be key and Illinois has a great weapon on special teams besides Thomas. Steve Weatherford is averaging 45.0 yards per punt, which ranks eighth in the nation and second in the Big Ten. He put together the school's third-best single-game punting performance against Michigan State when he averaged 53.9 yards on five punts. A winning season is still mathematically possible, although not likely, but the Illini are not throwing in the towel yet. "Absolutely, it's hard,'' said Illinois fullback Jason Davis. "The season isn't over, You can't pack it up. We have five games left. We all know it's a chance to go to a bowl still. Time is definitely running out, but we're not running out of chances.'' Linebacker Mike Gawelek said he has withdrawn into the team in order to zone out negative vibes from the outside. "Our backs are against the wall right now," he said. "We have nothing to lose, we're going out there and give it our all. We just want to go out there and get a win. I guarantee you 99 percent of the community doesn't think we have a shot. It's all about us now.” More often than not, a team in the situation that Illinois is in right now gives up on their coach. That is not the case here as they are playing more than ever for Turner. The players see a coach who has given them an opportunity, brought them in and nurtured them. To them, that outweighs the prospect of a third straight losing season in a conference where wins are tough to come by. "That would be pretty hard to take, because coach Turner is a good guy,'' said Thomas. "We want him to stay. That's somewhat of a motivation, but we play for a lot of things. We play for everybody on the team, not just one person."

Ohio St. Buckeyes at Iowa Hawkeyes 3:30 PM ET

Ohio St. Buckeyes –2.5 –110 (2 Units)

By falling 24-13 to Wisconsin last week, the Buckeyes dropped consecutive losses for the first time in 44 games under coach Jim Tressel. The offense has been stagnate and by not making changes, that could be the best cure. While all of the talk is how bad the Ohio St. offense is, Iowa's offense is only minimally better. The Hawkeyes average 312.2 yards a game, ninth in the conference. They average 92.8 yards rushing, last in the conference. "We're continuing to search for answers," coach Kirk Ferentz said. Iowa is down to their fourth string tailback this weekend. The Hawkeyes have not beaten the Buckeyes since a 16-9 win in Columbus, Ohio, in 1991 and have not won in Iowa City since a 20-14 win in 1983. Ferentz, who will be coaching his 100th college game, has yet to beat the Buckeyes.

Justin Zwick is quickly learning how tough it can be to play quarterback in football-mad Columbus. But he continues to be supported by the only person who counts. Head coach Jim Tressel gave no indication he plans to change quarterbacks. The offense has been insipid, as Zwick, who has thrown five touchdowns and five interceptions, has failed to complete 50 percent of his passes in each of the past three games. He ranks 10th in the conference in passer efficiency and 89th nationally. The Buckeyes mustered just 49 yards of second-half offense in the 34-23 loss to Wisconsin. The Buckeyes are the nation's 97th ranked offense. They are last in the Big Ten in total offense (306.8 yards), turnover margin (-5), first downs (79) and third-down conversions (29.6 percent). Those are some horrific numbers but they catch an Iowa team that has had trouble against the pass this season. Their rushing numbers are also very misleading. They are ranked 9th in rushing defense, allowing only 85.2 ypg but they are also ranked 14th in fewest rushing attempts against with 162. Extrapolate that out to the average number of rushes in the country against (206) and that rushing number increases to 135.4 ypg, which would put them right about 55th in the country. The Buckeyes rushing attack, which generated 102 first-half yards against the Badgers, made positive strides. Tressel expects greater consistency from his line, and he said Kirk Barton likely would see more action. The sophomore tackle was inserted into Saturday's game and performed admirably against NFL-bound defensive end Erasmus James. As much as the offense is being blamed for Ohio St.’s troubles, the defense has been just as much to blame. After Northwestern gained 166 rushing yards and Wisconsin followed with 184, the Buckeyes rank eighth in the league against the run and have surrendered nearly as many rushing yards in five games this season (733) as they permitted in 12 games last season (810). But they should not have much trouble this week. Yet another running back will start in the backfield for the Hawkeyes on Saturday. Junior Marques Simmons, who has run for 98 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns this season, will make his first start for the Hawkeyes. He jumped from the No. 4 running back to No. 1 in just seven weeks because of injuries to Jermelle Lewis, Albert Young and Marcus Schnoor. Becasue of the sudden lack of depth at running back, Saturday will also likely see the debut of true freshman Damian Sims. Sims moved into this week's two-deeps behind Simmons and Sam Brownlee. Senior co-captain and cornerback Dustin Fox, who broke his left arm against Marshall in the second game and has missed the last three, has been cleared to return. "I think his presence will be felt," Tressel said. For Iowa, the injuries keep mounting. Safety Sean Considine, linebacker Mike Humpal and wide receiver Calvin Davis are doubtful for Saturday's game. "This isn't even a crossroads," linebacker Bobby Carpenter said. "We're at the overflow point right now. There's a point where everyone has to say, 'Hey, we can't lose any more games.' This is Ohio State, and to be 3-3 is unacceptable for us, to the fans, to the coaches, and to the former players who went here. I don't care who we're playing. We have to find a way to win.''

SEC Game of the Year

Tennessee Volunteers at Mississippi Rebels 9:00 PM ET

Mississippi Rebels +10.5 -115 (3 Units)

Tennessee followed up a blowout loss at home with a huge upset on the road last week at Georgia. Coming off that win and a home game against Alabama next week might not have this team completely focused for this one. Over the last four weeks, time and victories have healed a lot of wounds for the Rebels, who have shaken off an 0-2 start by winning three of their last four to get to .500 with five games left and they are coming off a road win over a ranked opponent. The season is far from lost and a win here puts them just one game behind Auburn for the SEC West lead. They play Auburn at home in their next game but that isn’t for another two weeks.

This is a great spot for the Rebels as everyone saw Tennessee keep Georgia in check last weekend on national TV. Looking at the lines for today and last week, the Vols go from a 12.5 road dog to a 10.5 road favorite. They are basically saying that Georgia is 23 points better than Mississippi on a neutral field. No chance. A team that appeared almost certain to end up with its first losing season of the six-year David Cutcliffe era is now back in contention in the SEC West race and packing plenty of confidence heading into a critical two-game home-stand. The three-quarterback system that confused South Carolina and sparked the Rebels in last Saturday's victory could remain a part of the Ole Miss attack. There will have to be changes, of course, but Cutcliffe said it was something that should continue to pay dividends. QB Ethan Flatt is getting more experience and most important, WR Bill Flowers is back in the mix. After rushing for just 133 yards and a touchdown over the first two games, Ole Miss has since run for 765 yards and nine touchdowns the last four weeks. Tailback Vashon Pearson has averaged 118.7 yards per game during that stretch and has darted up to third in the SEC in rushing this week. "The biggest thing is that we've been able to run and pass the ball the last few weeks," said Pearson, who is averaging 5.3 yards per carry this season. "I don't think teams that play us now really know what to expect." Cutcliffe indicated that sophomore RB Jamal Pittman would be reinstated to the team this week; Pittman had missed the team’s first six games after being suspended as a result of his arrest in Memphis this past summer. Tennessee's defense held Georgia's talented David Greene to 209 yards passing. However, the same Vols stop unit will face an Ole Miss offense that has produced 1,356 yards of total offense in its last three games. Ole Miss did make some plays when it mattered against South Carolina, namely Flowers' game-winning touchdown reception with 65 seconds left. He returned from missing two weeks with a lacerated kidney and made a big mark. The Rebels had four sacks in Saturday's win, bringing the unit's total to 14 over the last four games. Ole Miss did not register a sack in either of the first two games. The surge in sacks has coincided with the improved health at tackle, where starter Daniel Booth and backups Andrew Wicker and Michael Bozeman have returned from injuries. "I think we've got a lot of momentum going across the board now," senior defensive end Cory Robinson said. "I feel like the biggest difference is that the coaches are just turning us loose and we're taking chances. That's been paying off for us as a team." Tennessee's Erik Ainge has been magnificent, but he's still a freshman quarterback playing on the road and this is still a young Tennessee team susceptible to mistakes turning it over 12 times so far. Star tackle Michael Munoz left the Georgia game with a banged up knee and is still hurting for this week. While he's probable, his injury comes at the wrong time with starting guard Cody Douglas hobbling with a foot problem. In addition, guard Cody Douglas might sit this one out with a mid-foot sprain. Cutcliffe, an assistant at Tennessee for 17 years, faces his former team for the first time as a head coach. Players admit to knowing how big a role their coach played in Tennessee's success back then and want to make him look good. "Tennessee will be familiar with us and we'll be familiar with Tennessee. It comes down to players making plays, though," Cutcliffe said. "There will be some familiarity on both teams' parts as to what we do offensively. But, again, through these six years, there's been enough change and enough differences that it's not identical by any means. Again, it comes down to players on the field and players making plays."

Texas A&M Aggies at Oklahoma St. Cowboys 7:00 PM ET

Texas A&M Aggies +7.5 –115 (2 Units)

What a difference a season makes, for both a team and a quarterback. After finishing 4-8 last season, the Aggies are ranked for the first time since 2002, their last season under coach R.C. Slocum. Thye have won 4 in a row and their offense is rolling. They have averaged 33.5 ppg during their 4 game winning streak. They are 21st in the country in total offense with a very balanced attack as they are ranked 38th in passing offense and 22nd in rushing offense. The Cowboys come in with a top rushing attack but a very weak passing game. Both defenses are tied for 45th, allowing 445 ypg but Texas A&M has the advantage since they have played the tougher schedule, 16th compared to 71st for Oklahoma St.

The Aggies are turning into a force on offense. Texas A&M lines up in a variety of formations and does everything from running the option to throwing out of a five-receiver, no-back set. Nine players have scored an offensive touchdown this season. Four Aggies, running back Courtney Lewis, quarterback Reggie McNeal and receivers Terrence Murphy and Jason Carter, are averaging more than 70 all-purpose yards per game, the only Big 12 team with that many. Lewis lead a Texas A&M a running game that averages 197.8 yards per game. After rushing for 1,024 in 2003, including 171 on 26 carries in the loss to Oklahoma State, Lewis is averaging 90.8 per contest this season. His numbers are down because of he emergence of McNeal. McNeal has 124 pass attempts this season without an interception. He has a logical reason why he hasn’t been picked off. In practice quarterbacks have to run after throwing interceptions. He’s the only Division I-A quarterback averaging more than 70 yards rushing and 200 yards passing per game. McNeal ranks third among NCAA quarterbacks in rushing with a 71.2 average and he’s second to Texas Tech’s Sonny Cumbie in Big 12 total offense with 278.6 yards per game. Eight Aggies wide receivers have caught a pass. Seven of them have had at least two catches in a game. Texas A&M’s depth has allowed it to weather a season-ending injury to Jesse Woods, who made one start and had five receptions for 62 yards in four games. Carter is starting to feel comfortable at wide receiver. He had five catches last week for 99 yards, which solidifies him as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver with 14 catches for 230 yards, trailing Murphy (17-293). The defense is really coming of age. They are 17th against the run and they are 20th in the country in scoring defense. Last season, the Wrecking Crew defense was a wreck. The Aggies allowed an average of 44.5 points in eight conference games. Seven of the eight league opponents scored 33 or more points. This season, the Aggies are allowing only 16.0 points and 337.0 yards a game. Three redshirt freshmen are starting, and four other redshirt freshmen are on the defensive two-deep chart. "The guys are getting bigger, faster, stronger, more experienced and more confident," defensive coordinator Carl Torbush said. "You should see bigger hits, and as the defense gets better, you are going to see more of that." They are more than ready for the rushing attack of the Cowboys. “They came to our place and smacked us around last year,” A&M safety Jaxson Appel said. “They run the ball well. They won’t try to trick you. They line up and say, ‘Here we are, stop us if you can.’ No one they’ve played so far has been able to. Fortunately for us, Kansas State and Iowa State, the last two teams we’ve played, have similar offenses, so we’re prepared.” They're not in as bad a shape as they were at this time last year, when the Cowboys marched into Kyle Field and whipped Texas A&M 38-10. At the time, the Aggies' 28-point defeat was their worst in two decades on their home field. One key component to the success has been the Aggies playing 60 minutes of football. Texas A&M is outscoring opponents 75-50 in the first half and 80-30 in the second half. Also, the Aggies were minus-11 in turnovers last season. Through five games this season, they are plus-12, having committed only one turnover all season. The Cowboys have played only two teams with winning records, UCLA, 4-1, and Colorado, 3-2. The others, Tulsa, SMU and Iowa State, have a combined 4-12 record. And by the end of the season the victories over UCLA and Colorado could lose value. The four teams UCLA beat have a combined 6-15 record, while the three teams Colorado beat are 6-12.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Alabama Crimson Tide 3:30 PM ET

Alabama Crimson Tide –7 -110 (2 Units)

It’s homecoming in Alabama and at 4-2, there is still an outside shot at a very successful season. It’s no secret what the Tide will do in this game with their huge offensive line. Alabama leads the SEC in rushing yards with 240.2 yards per game. Southern Miss comes in with the 76th ranked rushing defense in the country, allowing 170 ypg and 4.6 ypc. Both teams will be without starters on offense as Southern Miss will be without QB Dustin Almond while Alabama is without TB Ray Hudson. The difference is that the Tide has the dh to make up for the loss while the Golden Eagles will struggle against the tough Alabama defense with new starter Damion Carter.

Southern Miss offensive coordinator Rip Scherer said the best defense will be the offense, which will play for the first time this season without the services of Almond. Almond, who injured his hamstring while scoring a late fourth-quarter touchdown in last Thursday’s overtime win over Houston, will miss two-to-three weeks as a result of the injury; Carter will get the start, which will be his first start since losing at Alabama last season. And after six games the Crimson Tide is quite surprisingly the nation's No. 3 pass defense, allowing a scant 116.3 yards per game. Alabama is also No. 5 in pass-efficiency defense. Alabama has allowed just five touchdown passes and a slender 5.5 yards per pass attempt. "We've improved immensely, I think," Alabama defensive backs coach Chris Ball said. "The corners have been playing really, really well. (Roman) Harper and (Charlie) Peprah have been doing a good job, and so has our nickel (Simeon Castille)." Alabama's defense is allowing 234.7 yards per game this season, a reduction of 27 percent (87.6 yards per game) compared to the six-game mark last year. Alabama might have issues, but they're not on defense currently tops in the SEC allowing a mere 235 yards per game and fewer than 15 points. It's not going to take many points to put Southern Miss away. "They're tough to move the ball on and everyone's had that problem against them," USM coach Jeff Bower said. "The biggest difference with them this year is last year they gave up a lot of plays in the passing game. They're really playing well in the secondary this year." On offense, sophomore Ken Darby will make his first start for the Tide. While the loss of Hudson is big, it really isn’t as bad as people will think since Darby is 6th in the SEC in rushing, averaging 72.8 ypg and 5.5 ypc. He has also rushed for five touchdowns, getting only 13 fewer carries than Hudson. Tim Castille, who plays both fullback and tailback and has run for four TD’s, will backup Darby. There are still some offensive players who can score in a hurry. Darby isn’t a sprinter, but he’s elusive. Tyrone Prothro can score from anywhere, as he showed on his 100-yard kickoff return. Run blocking is what the Crimson Tide offensive line enjoys most. It opened enough holes for Alabama runners to gain 304 yards on 63 carries on Saturday. Sure it came against the worst rush defense in the conference but no one has completely shut down Alabama's running attack thus far. Alabama's five sacks allowed ranks third in the SEC, though that number is helped by the fact Alabama averages fewer pass attempts per game (21) than any other league team. Wesley Britt, Evan Mathis, JB Closner, Danny Martz, Kyle Tatum and tight end Clint Johnston have proven remarkably durable, with no missed starts among them. The ability of Alabama's offensive line to seal the heavily populated Southern Miss front will be key. Spencer Pennington will be the starter at quarterback, coach Mike Shula confirmed. "He had a real good look in his eye, was seeing things well and communicated well and very positive," Shula said. "And he played that way, too. We're going to need that each week." Southern Miss had 26 missed assignments and a plethora of missed tackles against Houston. Although most Alabama fans probably still see the remaining rivals, Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, as critical games, there may not be a bigger week left on the schedule than this one. Alabama was able to beat Southern Miss last year with an abridged playbook.

NC State Wolfpack at Maryland Terrapins 3:30 PM ET

NC State Wolfpack +3 –120 (2 Units)

The Wolfpack has lost four straight games to the Terrapins, all by seven points or less. N.C. State has appeared to have the Terps on the ropes, and all four times, Maryland has rallied in the fourth quarter for a stunning, last-second victory. Despite a tough loss last weekend to their bitter rival Tar Heels, they want this one really bad. Maryland is having troubles at quarterback and their offense is sputtering once again. They are having trouble against the good defensive teams. They scored 23, 16 and 7 points against Northern Illinois, West Virginia and Georgia Tech respectively. They are ranked 52nd, 24th and 27th in total defense. They scored a combined 100 points against Duke and Temple, ranked 105th and 107th. The Wolfpack come into this game ranked 3rd.

NC State has physically outplayed every opponent this year, but has lost two of five games. Painfully close losses to the Terrapins the last four seasons fueled a simmering rivalry that boiled over last year with a postgame scrum. This is a fired up bunch and those emotions tend to play out more on the defensive end. Scoring won't get any easier for the Maryland offense when the Terps face the nation's third-ranked defense. Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen pulled sophomore starter Joel Statham in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to Georgia Tech and replaced him with true freshman backup Jordan Steffy, who led the team to its only scoring drive. Statham will start at quarterback Saturday but it won’t be a popular choice. Terps fans in Byrd Stadium cheered when Steffy entered the game against the Yellow Jackets. Statham, who has seven interceptions and 10 fumbles this season, was constantly pressured by the Yellow Jackets and completed six of 14 passes for 36 yards. On top of that, the Maryland offense has had a heck of a time holding onto the ball. The Terps have turned the ball over 12 times in five games. "I've got two young quarterbacks -- one's 20 years old, the other's 18 years old," Friedgen said. "I think both of them have a chance to be very good quarterbacks. I'd like to have a junior who has had experience, but I don't. I knew that going in. I knew it was going to be a problem.” NC State leads the nation in pass defense. That's quite an improvement from last season, when the Pack ranked 86th out of 117 teams in defending the pass. The Wolfpack is a defensive force, but it hadn't been tested by a quarterback with the arm, legs and cool of Darian Durant. The game came down not to Carolina's defensive weakness, but to NC State's defense giving up too many points. They do not have to worry about the quarterback beating them this weekend. NC State was stopped at the goal line in a stunning 30-24 loss to the Tar Heels last week, while Maryland's offense managed a grand total of 81 yards of total offense in a 20-7 loss at home to the Yellow Jackets. The loss to Georgia Tech suggests Maryland is vulnerable. So far the Maryland defense lags behind its predecessors on the stat sheet. It ranks eighth in the ACC in scoring defense, allowing 20.4 points per game. Wolfpack QB Jay Davis has turned his game around his last two games. Dais has hit 37-of-45 passes for 498 yards in those six quarters. He currently ranks No. 2 in the ACC in passing efficiency and No. 6 in passing yards. Sophomore Leroy Harris, who has started 18 straight games at guard, will slide over to fill Jed Paulsen's vacant center position. All is not lost however as there is some good depth. To fill Harris' guard spot, Amato will call on either sophomore James Newby or fifth-year senior Ricky Fowler. Newby started at tackle against Virginia Tech. He also played extensively against Wake Forest at both guard and tackle. Fowler, a former defensive tackle, started nine games at guard last season. NC State has suffered four straight brutal losses to Maryland by a total of 16 points and this is the year they get them back.

Colorado St. Rams at San Diego St. Aztecs 7:00 PM ET

San Diego St. Aztecs –4 –110 (2 Units)

If two teams are playing below expectations, the team with the better rushing numbers and defense is usually the play. This is a small line considering the dismal season the Rams are experiencing. San Diego State might be struggling as well but not nearly as bad and the defense is still solid and is far better than Colorado State's. They are coming off a tough road loss to Wyoming where their special teams imploded, notably the punting game. A new punter will get time this week as things can only go up from there. The Rams are young and this is clearly a retooling season for the boys from Fort Collins.

The San Diego St. offense remains ranked high in terms of yards gained. They are averaging 413 ypg, which is 29th nationally but the problem has been getting the ball into the endzone. The offensive line is a concern for San Diego St. but they are going up against one of the worst run defenses in the country. The Aztecs are without five players who would have at least played a role on the offensive line. Even with the depth issues, they have been surprisingly stout, allowing only 10 sacks in 222 pass attempts. Head coach Tom raft said, in particular, "We'll try to make things simpler" for the offensive line this week against Colorado State. QB Matt Dlugolecki is one of the most improved players in the league, and Jeff Webb is emerging as one of the top receivers. This is a game for Michael Franklin and the Aztec ground game to shine and for the offense to finally get in the end zone on a consistent basis. The Rams are ranked 91st in the nation, giving up an astounding 31 points a game. The defense, already young and inexperienced to start the season, has been banged up because of injuries, making matters even worse. On Saturday, Colorado St. will start two freshmen and three sophomores on defense. Several key backups also are underclassmen. And even some of the upperclass defensive starters came into the season largely inexperienced. The rushing defense is having the most problems. BYU, ranked last nationally in rushing offense, ran for 207 yards on the Rams two weeks ago. Colorado St. leads the MWC in pass defense giving up 185 yards a game but is fifth in pass efficiency defense. This is due to teams running the ball much more than throwing it so the 185 yards allowed per game is pretty much meaningless. Coming off that loss last week against Wyoming, the Aztecs played well despite the flu ravaging the team last week. The defense, despite not forcing a turnover for the first time, played its best game of the season at Wyoming. It allowed a season-low 264 yards. And half of Wyoming's points came on two drives that totaled 37 yards. The Aztecs turned around their defense last year, soaring from 89th in NCAA Division I-A total defense to 8th, allowing 289 ypg. This season they are allowing 350 yards a game, which is 55th but they have allowed more than 24 points only once. The 24 points allowed to Michigan in their loss was a victory in itself. San Diego State's rushing defense is the best in the league and the Aztecs have given up just three TD’s on the ground. Colorado State has the league's best passing game, although most of the yards have come in garbage time, but it's still averaging 322 yards per outing. Passing most of the time during the second half will do that. The Aztecs are 16th nationally in pass efficiency defense as they have nine interceptions to seven TD’s allowed. The Aztecs rode into the season on a wave of positive press, played Michigan close and then crushed Nevada. A bowl seemed close enough to touch. Two weeks later, they've lost two straight and are facing what seems to be a must-win situation against Colorado State this week. But the attitude has not changed. The Aztecs rode into the season on a wave of positive press, played Michigan close and then crushed Nevada. A bowl seemed close enough to touch. Two weeks later, they've lost two straight and are facing what seems to be a must-win situation against Colorado State this week. "I think we looked a little too far into the future," Dlugolecki said. "From now on we're taking it one game at a time. We're not going to worry about what's happening in two or three weeks."

Announcement

SEC Game of the Year!!

SEC Game of the Year!!

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