Danny Sullivan is a big, slow-footed stiff....imo, the perfect canidate to go on an East coast road trip and throw up on his shoes.....he is going to be playing scared all day, and ASU doesn't have the run offense to keep the ball moving.
I have a big lean to Georgia, but just hate betting on teams coming off the performance of the season so far....is the offense we saw against Arky the "real" bulldog O, or is it the one that looked pretty pedestrian against Okie State and even S. Carolina (desptie the points they put up)....
If Arky would have beaten Georgia, and this line was 9, I would be ALL OVER Georgia.....I think ASU is the 7th or 8th best Pac-10 team, and I really do think they get it handed to them this week.....but I question whether Georgia really is a better than average SEC team...
Can you convince me Georgia will come to play? If so, I will bet them.
I have a big lean to Georgia, but just hate betting on teams coming off the performance of the season so far....is the offense we saw against Arky the "real" bulldog O, or is it the one that looked pretty pedestrian against Okie State and even S. Carolina (desptie the points they put up)....
If Arky would have beaten Georgia, and this line was 9, I would be ALL OVER Georgia.....I think ASU is the 7th or 8th best Pac-10 team, and I really do think they get it handed to them this week.....but I question whether Georgia really is a better than average SEC team...
Can you convince me Georgia will come to play? If so, I will bet them.
Here is my attempt at non homer information. I don't think anything about this team is truly known based on the first two games other than a few things:
The defense is fast and will be very good.
The offensive line is still maturing and not great.
Sullivan has done what he is supposed to. Nothing spectacular, but he hasn't made any mistakes.
The wide receivers are very good. IF there is time to get the ball to them, they are quck and will get a lot of YAC.
Since it is hard to really tell what type of team ASU will have I did do some comparisons. I know these may not mean anything, however they are interesting to look at. I also know other factors paly into each game and could skew things.
ASU has played a common opponent with Texas and with Oklahoma. Here are the stats:
ASU LA-Monroe Texas LA-Monroe
First Downs 15 14 33 17
Rushing 118 136 191 101
Passing 220 126 363 197
Total Yds 338 262 562 298
TOP 32:29 27:31 30:56 29:04
ASU Idaho St Oklahoma Idaho St
First Downs 20 4 27 6
Rushing 199 -5 278 -22
Passing 208 42 286 66
Total Yds 407 37 564 44
TOP 34:14 25:46 31:02 28:58
What does this tell me? That ASU has a long ways to go on offense. They aren’t a quick strike team like Oklahoma and Texas. Their defense is every bit as good as the best in the BCS.
Something else I pulled from another site. Below are Georgia’s stats in the SEC. I didn’t check to see if they are right, but on the surface they look accurate:
This season has given me hope. Georgia does not have an SEC defense. They gave up 37 at home to South Carolina and 41 at Arkansas.
South Carolina ran up over 400 yards of offense (over 300 passing with their QB that is no better than Sully). They gave up 485 yards against Arkansas, almost all through the air.
Here are Georgia's defensive rankings in the SEC:
Points Against - 12
Yards Against - 12
Pass Yards Against - 12
Rush Yards Against - 8
Interceptions - 12
Here are Georgia's offensive rankings in the SEC:
Points/Game - 7
Yards/Game - 8
Passing Yards - 4
Rushing Yards - 11
1st Downs/Game - 12
3rd Down% - 8
Penalties - 12
Penalty Yards - 11
Time of Possession - 11
The bottom line is I really believe this game will be closer than most think.
Sullivan does need to play well in his first start on the road and not have the deer in the headlights thing going on.
I’m looking forward to a great game and the experience of the SEC tailgating.
Hope this helps.
The defense is fast and will be very good.
The offensive line is still maturing and not great.
Sullivan has done what he is supposed to. Nothing spectacular, but he hasn't made any mistakes.
The wide receivers are very good. IF there is time to get the ball to them, they are quck and will get a lot of YAC.
Since it is hard to really tell what type of team ASU will have I did do some comparisons. I know these may not mean anything, however they are interesting to look at. I also know other factors paly into each game and could skew things.
ASU has played a common opponent with Texas and with Oklahoma. Here are the stats:
ASU LA-Monroe Texas LA-Monroe
First Downs 15 14 33 17
Rushing 118 136 191 101
Passing 220 126 363 197
Total Yds 338 262 562 298
TOP 32:29 27:31 30:56 29:04
ASU Idaho St Oklahoma Idaho St
First Downs 20 4 27 6
Rushing 199 -5 278 -22
Passing 208 42 286 66
Total Yds 407 37 564 44
TOP 34:14 25:46 31:02 28:58
What does this tell me? That ASU has a long ways to go on offense. They aren’t a quick strike team like Oklahoma and Texas. Their defense is every bit as good as the best in the BCS.
Something else I pulled from another site. Below are Georgia’s stats in the SEC. I didn’t check to see if they are right, but on the surface they look accurate:
This season has given me hope. Georgia does not have an SEC defense. They gave up 37 at home to South Carolina and 41 at Arkansas.
South Carolina ran up over 400 yards of offense (over 300 passing with their QB that is no better than Sully). They gave up 485 yards against Arkansas, almost all through the air.
Here are Georgia's defensive rankings in the SEC:
Points Against - 12
Yards Against - 12
Pass Yards Against - 12
Rush Yards Against - 8
Interceptions - 12
Here are Georgia's offensive rankings in the SEC:
Points/Game - 7
Yards/Game - 8
Passing Yards - 4
Rushing Yards - 11
1st Downs/Game - 12
3rd Down% - 8
Penalties - 12
Penalty Yards - 11
Time of Possession - 11
The bottom line is I really believe this game will be closer than most think.
Sullivan does need to play well in his first start on the road and not have the deer in the headlights thing going on.
I’m looking forward to a great game and the experience of the SEC tailgating.
Hope this helps.
ASU is one of the teams that I will be looking for value in opportunities to bet game totals to go under. The will rely on their defense to keep them in games. If they succeed there will be plenty of under wagers that will hit. UCLA too. Oregon St. possibly when they play a team with a good offense. Zona definitely a defensive oriented team too. If they play each other, the under wager has a very strong chance to hit. ASU is one of the 4 in that group. They may have their way at UGA as well. Erickson seems to have them focused much better than last year. And with the addition of Burfict, they will improve further as the season progresses.
hno:It's not just Sullivan, who I have heard has actually improved his game.... but vs UGA??? That's a tall order for him.
But get a load of this. If there's anything that tells you where a team is weak, it's their current list of recruits. This speaks for itself. ASU's top recruits in the 2009 class thus far:
<table class="data" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="labelleft">Name</td><td class="labelcenter">Pos</td><td class="labelcenter">Ht/Wt</td><td class="labelcenter">Stars</td><td class="labelcenter">RR</td></tr> <tr><td class="dataplayer">George Bell</td><td class="datacenter" width="15%" nowrap="nowrap">WR</td><td class="datacenter" nowrap="nowrap">6-3/195</td><td class="datacenter" width="15%" nowrap="nowrap">
OK. Get a load of this:
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Foles to start </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
</td> <td width="3" nowrap="nowrap">
</td> <td valign="top"> <table width="60%" bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap"> <script type="text/javascript">var author = escape("Thomas Preston");</script> By Thomas Preston
Posted Sep 21, 2009
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Mike Stoops met with the media on Monday and announced a quarterback change.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
After Saturday's performance against Iowa, it seemed like a necessity.
On Monday, it became a reality.
Arizona head coach Mike Stoops named Nick Foles the starter on Monday after Matt Scott had a terrible performance on Monday.
"We're going to start Nick this week and see if we can get a different flow to our offense," Stoops said.
Scott will likely get reps as well, although a strong performance by Foles would probably make the coaching staff think twice about giving Scott another opportunity.
Arizona is looking for stability at the position, as the defense has played well and the offense has not been able to support it.
Arizona now travels to Oregon State and we will have more information on the move as it becomes available.
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <script> var premiumFlag = 0; </script> <!--end STORY DISPLAY-->
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To make a long story short, a freshman QB is getting his first start ever, and it's on the road and it's against an aggressive defense like Or.St. where they like to play lights out in their own stadium. Still going to be a tough game, but I think tougher for the Cats than the Beavers. I wonder if Foles will make it through the 4th quarter? It's something worth thinking about. This different direction that Stoops says he's trying to take his offense in... would that be taking them in ANY direction at all... possibly? Clearly he is frustrated with what he's been able to get out of Scott... but then again, aside from Tuitama, can anyone name a single QB of note from Arizona.... ever?
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Foles to start </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
</td> <td width="3" nowrap="nowrap">
</td> <td valign="top"> <table width="60%" bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap"> <script type="text/javascript">var author = escape("Thomas Preston");</script> By Thomas Preston
Posted Sep 21, 2009
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Mike Stoops met with the media on Monday and announced a quarterback change.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
After Saturday's performance against Iowa, it seemed like a necessity.
On Monday, it became a reality.
Arizona head coach Mike Stoops named Nick Foles the starter on Monday after Matt Scott had a terrible performance on Monday.
"We're going to start Nick this week and see if we can get a different flow to our offense," Stoops said.
Scott will likely get reps as well, although a strong performance by Foles would probably make the coaching staff think twice about giving Scott another opportunity.
Arizona is looking for stability at the position, as the defense has played well and the offense has not been able to support it.
Arizona now travels to Oregon State and we will have more information on the move as it becomes available.
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <script> var premiumFlag = 0; </script> <!--end STORY DISPLAY-->
****************************
To make a long story short, a freshman QB is getting his first start ever, and it's on the road and it's against an aggressive defense like Or.St. where they like to play lights out in their own stadium. Still going to be a tough game, but I think tougher for the Cats than the Beavers. I wonder if Foles will make it through the 4th quarter? It's something worth thinking about. This different direction that Stoops says he's trying to take his offense in... would that be taking them in ANY direction at all... possibly? Clearly he is frustrated with what he's been able to get out of Scott... but then again, aside from Tuitama, can anyone name a single QB of note from Arizona.... ever?
The West Coast guys can attest to this, ASU has a habit of laying an Egg on the road in big games. They have put quite a bit into this game however but it truly will be their first big test of the year. Comparing what Texas did to ULM and what OU did to Idaho St are not completely accurate. Texas did that in their first game of the year. OU did it with a backup QB making his first collegiate start. The comonality of those games was that they were both at home. This is a road game in one of the tougher SEC venues. How has ASU with talented teams played at CAL, USC, ORE and you have a pretty good idea of how they will play in this one. They typically are not very good in this spot.
The bigger question is how will UGA play. They have had to get up for OK St, So Carolina (SEC opener and home opener), then travel to Arkansas. ASU comes to town before LSU comes the Athens so this could be a flat spot for UGA. When do they have a chance to breathe. UGA has Tennessee after LSU with no off week in between. Will they come out sharp?
WinOne!!
The bigger question is how will UGA play. They have had to get up for OK St, So Carolina (SEC opener and home opener), then travel to Arkansas. ASU comes to town before LSU comes the Athens so this could be a flat spot for UGA. When do they have a chance to breathe. UGA has Tennessee after LSU with no off week in between. Will they come out sharp?
WinOne!!
I think the Georgia offense will be too much for ASU's defense. They have not been tested and will be in for a rude awakening. IMO, the key to the game is how ASU's offense performs against Georgia's D. They have a developing but not great OL and Sullivan is not a fast guy. Can ASU score enough to beat UG...I don't think so. I always like to see the Pac-10 do well but this is likely a mismatch.
As for Foles starting at QB for AZ, this was a move that was likely going to happen at somepoint this year. It was apparent in fall practice he was outperforming Scott. The coaches decided to start Scott because they thought he gave them the best chance to win...since he was a dual threat. Well...he's not a great passer. Some of the players, WR's and even some of the guys on D, were making comments that they thought Foles should be the guy. The offense will be improved with Foles but is it going to be good enough to beat OSU? This game would be a no bet for me but I would not be surprised to see AZ win this game.
Hope this offers more insight...
As for Foles starting at QB for AZ, this was a move that was likely going to happen at somepoint this year. It was apparent in fall practice he was outperforming Scott. The coaches decided to start Scott because they thought he gave them the best chance to win...since he was a dual threat. Well...he's not a great passer. Some of the players, WR's and even some of the guys on D, were making comments that they thought Foles should be the guy. The offense will be improved with Foles but is it going to be good enough to beat OSU? This game would be a no bet for me but I would not be surprised to see AZ win this game.
Hope this offers more insight...
I got UGA at -10 (-130) yesterday, and I am glad I did. Line is back up to -12 now.
ASU is without their PK which I think will hurt them if they are in the 30-40 yard zone and are questioning whether to kick a FG or go for it.
From all that I have read this week, I think the ASU offense will struggle on the road this week.
Thanks to everyone for your insights.
BOL.
ASU is without their PK which I think will hurt them if they are in the 30-40 yard zone and are questioning whether to kick a FG or go for it.
From all that I have read this week, I think the ASU offense will struggle on the road this week.
Thanks to everyone for your insights.
BOL.
If push comes to shove, I'd lay the 12 and take the Bulldogs to cover. But... these "lower" level Pac-10 teams have held their own thus far in these SEC matchups. Udub and LSU was predictable but UCLA/UT wasn't. In any event, both came out and played better than expected so why stop there?
So far ASU has been a bit difficult to size up with the opposition they've had up to now. This will be a defining game for them, perhaps like UW and UCLA had their "defining" moment amidst all of the doubters just the same as ASU does here.
I'm not suggesting that ASU WILL execute, but among these lower Pac-10 schools, two so far have managed to prove how underrated they were when they finally had a chance to show something in a tough situation.
Let's face it, nobody gave a hoot for either UW or UCLA. Well now here come the lowlife Sun Devils next. I'm happy just to sit back and see if they've got it or not. I've been wrong about UCLA and UW so far so I'm not so sure about pouncing on ASU the same way. This season has been just full of surprises. The Sun Devils really have not had a chance to put their best foot forward yet (if they have one.) So I'm just going to chill on this one, other than the fact that I don't see either team putting up a lot of points.
So far ASU has been a bit difficult to size up with the opposition they've had up to now. This will be a defining game for them, perhaps like UW and UCLA had their "defining" moment amidst all of the doubters just the same as ASU does here.
I'm not suggesting that ASU WILL execute, but among these lower Pac-10 schools, two so far have managed to prove how underrated they were when they finally had a chance to show something in a tough situation.
Let's face it, nobody gave a hoot for either UW or UCLA. Well now here come the lowlife Sun Devils next. I'm happy just to sit back and see if they've got it or not. I've been wrong about UCLA and UW so far so I'm not so sure about pouncing on ASU the same way. This season has been just full of surprises. The Sun Devils really have not had a chance to put their best foot forward yet (if they have one.) So I'm just going to chill on this one, other than the fact that I don't see either team putting up a lot of points.
