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UTAH (19) VS BOISE ST (10) 8PM EST
Tonight we are all set to kick off the "Real" Bowl games as our first Bowl with Ranked teams who both had greater aspirations during the season but fell short are set to do battle. Boise opened as a big chalk favorite laying 17 points and it has remained there all week. Late action suggests $ is pouring heavy in on Utah as the line has been bet down to 15.5 at some books. The total is set at 60 for tonights game. There is no doubt about which team has the better player at every position (Well except maybe Kicker) as the Broncos were just a FG away from going to the Rose Bowl.
Heisman finalist QB Kellen Moore leads the #2 offense in the country (46.7 PPG). Moore threw for 3,506 yards and had a 33-5 TD-INT ratio with a 71% completion rate. His 185.0 passer rating was second in the nation to Auburn's Cam Newton. He faces a Utes defense that allowed 215.5 YPG through the air and only 105 per game overland.
As far as the pointspread is concerned, this will be the 12th consecutive game that Boise State is favored by at least two touchdowns. So far, they have gone 7-4 ATS with three of the non-covers coming in SU victories of 13, 29 and 36 points. The other was obviously the Nevada game. For over a decade now, BSU has been a pointspread juggernaut, going 96-53 ATS since moving up to FBS play, including 25-10 ATS L35. They are 10-3 ATS L13 against non-conference opponents. They are 7-3 ATS in bowl games, including a 2-0 ATS run vs. TCU the last two years, including an outright win in the Fiesta Bowl LY as seven-point dogs.
It is interesting to note that Boise is 0-3 SU its last three non-BCS bowl games, losing to TCU in '08 (Poinsettia), East Carolina in '07 (Hawaii) and Boston College in '05 (MPC Computers).
A lot of people are questioning whether or not Boise wants to be in this bowl and WILL THE BRONCOS BE MOTIVATED?
Utah comes in Ranked 17th in the Nation and has an impressive 9 Bowl winning streak on the line.
Utah was also once unbeaten and ranked in the top ten as the won their first eight games to climb as high as #8 in the polls. Then came back to back losses to TCU and Notre Dame, which very nearly dropped them out of the top 25 entirely. The loss to TCU was a bad one - 47-7 at home - as was the loss to the Irish as the Utes were favored by 5.5 in a 28-3 road loss. HC Kyle Whittingham's team did close the season with a pair of close victories over San Diego State and BYU - by a combined five points.
After starting the season 6-0-1 ATS, the Utes failed to cover in four of the final five regular season games. They own the nation's longest bowl win streak at nine games, one of which came two years ago against Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl as lofty 9.5-point dogs. Last year, they pulled off another outright dog win, this time beating California in the Poinsettia Bowl, 37-27, as three-point pups. Three of the last five years we've seen Utah win its bowl game outright as a dog.
The Utes will not have their starting QB Jordan Wynn for this game. That should be okay as backup Terrance Cain has gone 9-1 SU as a starter in his career with a 163.9 passer rating. However, Cain could be in for a long day against a Broncos defense that is tops in the nation in sacks per game (3.8) and second in tackles for a loss (8.3 per game). The Boise St defense also ranks fourth nationally in both points (13.6) and yards (259.3) allowed per game while ranking third against the pass (155.8 yds per game).
And on some personal notes - ITS POURING RAIN in Las Vegas right now. Flash Flood warnings - the whole works. Its like Seattle outside right now as I look out my window on the top floor of the MGM Grand Signature Suites.
The players got into a major scuffle the other night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. A shoving match, thrown drinks, the bartenders had to douse a few players who were jawwing eachother. Not smart for Utah to get Boise fired up like that. One Utah player is referring to Boise St as Girlsie State on his Twitter account. They may have awoke a sleeping Giant. We believe that Boise will take out their frustrations on this Utah team. Look for a dominant Defensive effort and stellar offensive performance from Boise St.
