I say Utah. They've shown they can play at home and on the road. They have a bruising running attack - and the rush is something Cal hasn't been able to stop. Cal piled on a poor Southern Miss team. Even with Utah's backup QB in (20 career starts) I still think Utah can grind this game out in front of their home crowd.
Pat:
I like to put down $10 on games like these. It makes the game much more interesting. I usually wouldn't watch Cal play Utah but when I have even a little money on it then it's fun to watch. Besides, if I lose it only costs me the same amount as a movie ticket and a bucket of popcorn.
Life has definitely become more interesting now that I'm gambling.
I like to put down $10 on games like these. It makes the game much more interesting. I usually wouldn't watch Cal play Utah but when I have even a little money on it then it's fun to watch. Besides, if I lose it only costs me the same amount as a movie ticket and a bucket of popcorn.
Life has definitely become more interesting now that I'm gambling.
Thursday night breakdown
Sept. 11, 2003
By Christian Alexander
VegasInsider.com
California (1-2, 0-0 Pac-10) vs. Utah (1-1, 0-0 MWC)
Thurs., Sept. 11 at 7:45 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Surface: Natural Grass (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
Line: Utah minus 2
I told you just two weeks ago when I previewed the Georgia Tech-BYU game that it wouldn’t be long before we were back in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). And here we are, not only back in the MWC but also back in the state of Utah, as the Pac-10’s Cal Golden Bears visit the Utah Utes.
Major kudos to all those who remember the last time Cal visited Utah since it was all the way back in 1963, with the Bears leaving the home crowd disappointed by defeating Utah, 35-22.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess Cal won as a road 'dog that day. The only reason I bring up a game from 40 years ago is because I see a very similar result this time around.
Either way, one of these two teams will bounce back from last week, when both squads were dealt heartbreaking losses.
Last Saturday, Utah played at Texas A&M and nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback from a 21-0 halftime hole. However, after scoring a touchdown with just six seconds on the clock, Utah could not convert a 2-point conversion to tie the game and lost, 28-26.
The failed 2-point try ended up being a double whammy for the Utes, when starting quarterback Brett Elliott broke his left wrist on the play as he attempted to get into the endzone.
That said, it was yet another banner day for Utah senior running back Brandon Warfield. By now the MWC football office must be a little tired of sending conference Offensive Player of the Week awards to Mr. Warfield’s address. Including the final two games of last season, Warfield has now won the MWC weekly award four consecutive times. He took home the accolade this week after touching up the Texas A&M defense for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Warfield is currently the fourth-ranked rusher in the nation, averaging just over 175 yards a clip.
It was a similar heartbreak for Cal, as the Bears rallied from a 13-point deficit to take a 21-20 lead over Colorado State with under seven minutes to play. However, Cal could not contain QB Bradlee Van Pelt (who actually shared the MWC Offensive Player of the Week award with Warfield), as he led the Rams down the field for a game-winning field goal with less than two minutes on the clock.
So as I said, one of these two programs will bounce back from defeat and get back to winning ways this Thursday, and my money will be on Cal to do so.
When I took a peek at this game last week, I liked Cal’s chances. I like the Bears even more now that they will be facing a banged up Utah squad. Although coach Urban Meyer has yet to officially name a starter for injured QB Brett Elliott, all indications point to sophomore Alex Smith, who has only played in two games his entire career at Utah.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg for the walking wounded from Utah. The Utes will also be without the services of two-time all-MWC DE Jason Kaufusi (shoulder) and valuable RB Marty Johnson (foot). Honorable mention all-MWC OG Chris Kemeoatu has been bothered by a knee injury but could possibly play this week.
It will be quite a test for Meyer, who just last season was named MAC coach of the year after leading Bowling Green to a 9-3 record. On the heels of that success Meyer landed the Utah job when Ron McBride was fired. One positive note for Meyer this week is he will regain the services of his top WR, Paris Warren. Warren served a one-game suspension last week after he was arrested for stealing a box of condoms from a grocery store (no giggling class).
Of course, Cal’s Jeff Tedford knows plenty about coach of the year awards, since he won that Pac-10 accolade last season. All he did last year was lead Cal to its first winning football record in nine seasons. He transformed the Bears from a 1-10 team in 2001 to a 7-5 club last year, the nation's biggest one-year turnaround.
Conventional wisdom said Tedford would have his work cut out for him this season after he lost a number of starters, including star QB Kyle Boller to the NFL. However, junior QB Reggie Robertson has been a pleasant surprise and currently ranks first in the Pac-10 in touchdown passes with eight. Robertson has made a name for junior WR Geoff McArthur, the NCAA Division I-A leader with 340 total receiving yards.
While I have respect for the Utah program and know that MWC road games can be a test, I think the Utah injuries will be too much to overcome here. You can be sure that the Cal defense will load the box with eight or nine defenders and force Warfield to single-handily beat it. Considering Cal has already encountered talented runners this season such as Kansas State’s Darren Sproles, I doubt Warfield will be able to do it all by himself.
On offense, I think Cal should be facing the easiest defense it has encountered all season. That doesn’t necessarily mean Utah is soft on defense, but I doubt it has a unit to compare to that of Kansas State, Southern Mississippi or Colorado State. Cal managed to score an average of just over 27 points against those three schools, so I see it being good for at least a touchdown more here.
And one last thing...for those of you who like worthless statistics, chew on this: Utah is 0-6 all-time in ESPN-televised games and 0-2 in Thursday ESPN telecasts.
Like I said, it will almost seem like 1963 all over again when Cal won, 35-22.
Final score: California 35 - Utah 21
Christian Alexander's Thursday night season record:
Christian Alexander nearly hit the bull’s-eye last Thursday as his prediction of Southern Mississippi was a winner. Christian’s prediction of a 17-13 Southern Mississippi win was off by just a mere point as the final score was 17-12. Christian’s Thursday night season record stands at 2-0.
Week 1: BYU (-3.5) -- WIN (BYU 24, Georgia Tech 13)
BYU vs. Georgia Tech
Week 2: Southern Mississippi (-2.5) -- WIN (Southern Mississippi 17 - UAB 12)
Southern Mississippi vs. UAB
Week 3: California (+2) vs. Utah -- RESULT PENDING
Sept. 11, 2003
By Christian Alexander
VegasInsider.com
California (1-2, 0-0 Pac-10) vs. Utah (1-1, 0-0 MWC)
Thurs., Sept. 11 at 7:45 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Surface: Natural Grass (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
Line: Utah minus 2
I told you just two weeks ago when I previewed the Georgia Tech-BYU game that it wouldn’t be long before we were back in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). And here we are, not only back in the MWC but also back in the state of Utah, as the Pac-10’s Cal Golden Bears visit the Utah Utes.
Major kudos to all those who remember the last time Cal visited Utah since it was all the way back in 1963, with the Bears leaving the home crowd disappointed by defeating Utah, 35-22.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess Cal won as a road 'dog that day. The only reason I bring up a game from 40 years ago is because I see a very similar result this time around.
Either way, one of these two teams will bounce back from last week, when both squads were dealt heartbreaking losses.
Last Saturday, Utah played at Texas A&M and nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback from a 21-0 halftime hole. However, after scoring a touchdown with just six seconds on the clock, Utah could not convert a 2-point conversion to tie the game and lost, 28-26.
The failed 2-point try ended up being a double whammy for the Utes, when starting quarterback Brett Elliott broke his left wrist on the play as he attempted to get into the endzone.
That said, it was yet another banner day for Utah senior running back Brandon Warfield. By now the MWC football office must be a little tired of sending conference Offensive Player of the Week awards to Mr. Warfield’s address. Including the final two games of last season, Warfield has now won the MWC weekly award four consecutive times. He took home the accolade this week after touching up the Texas A&M defense for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Warfield is currently the fourth-ranked rusher in the nation, averaging just over 175 yards a clip.
It was a similar heartbreak for Cal, as the Bears rallied from a 13-point deficit to take a 21-20 lead over Colorado State with under seven minutes to play. However, Cal could not contain QB Bradlee Van Pelt (who actually shared the MWC Offensive Player of the Week award with Warfield), as he led the Rams down the field for a game-winning field goal with less than two minutes on the clock.
So as I said, one of these two programs will bounce back from defeat and get back to winning ways this Thursday, and my money will be on Cal to do so.
When I took a peek at this game last week, I liked Cal’s chances. I like the Bears even more now that they will be facing a banged up Utah squad. Although coach Urban Meyer has yet to officially name a starter for injured QB Brett Elliott, all indications point to sophomore Alex Smith, who has only played in two games his entire career at Utah.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg for the walking wounded from Utah. The Utes will also be without the services of two-time all-MWC DE Jason Kaufusi (shoulder) and valuable RB Marty Johnson (foot). Honorable mention all-MWC OG Chris Kemeoatu has been bothered by a knee injury but could possibly play this week.
It will be quite a test for Meyer, who just last season was named MAC coach of the year after leading Bowling Green to a 9-3 record. On the heels of that success Meyer landed the Utah job when Ron McBride was fired. One positive note for Meyer this week is he will regain the services of his top WR, Paris Warren. Warren served a one-game suspension last week after he was arrested for stealing a box of condoms from a grocery store (no giggling class).
Of course, Cal’s Jeff Tedford knows plenty about coach of the year awards, since he won that Pac-10 accolade last season. All he did last year was lead Cal to its first winning football record in nine seasons. He transformed the Bears from a 1-10 team in 2001 to a 7-5 club last year, the nation's biggest one-year turnaround.
Conventional wisdom said Tedford would have his work cut out for him this season after he lost a number of starters, including star QB Kyle Boller to the NFL. However, junior QB Reggie Robertson has been a pleasant surprise and currently ranks first in the Pac-10 in touchdown passes with eight. Robertson has made a name for junior WR Geoff McArthur, the NCAA Division I-A leader with 340 total receiving yards.
While I have respect for the Utah program and know that MWC road games can be a test, I think the Utah injuries will be too much to overcome here. You can be sure that the Cal defense will load the box with eight or nine defenders and force Warfield to single-handily beat it. Considering Cal has already encountered talented runners this season such as Kansas State’s Darren Sproles, I doubt Warfield will be able to do it all by himself.
On offense, I think Cal should be facing the easiest defense it has encountered all season. That doesn’t necessarily mean Utah is soft on defense, but I doubt it has a unit to compare to that of Kansas State, Southern Mississippi or Colorado State. Cal managed to score an average of just over 27 points against those three schools, so I see it being good for at least a touchdown more here.
And one last thing...for those of you who like worthless statistics, chew on this: Utah is 0-6 all-time in ESPN-televised games and 0-2 in Thursday ESPN telecasts.
Like I said, it will almost seem like 1963 all over again when Cal won, 35-22.
Final score: California 35 - Utah 21
Christian Alexander's Thursday night season record:
Christian Alexander nearly hit the bull’s-eye last Thursday as his prediction of Southern Mississippi was a winner. Christian’s prediction of a 17-13 Southern Mississippi win was off by just a mere point as the final score was 17-12. Christian’s Thursday night season record stands at 2-0.
Week 1: BYU (-3.5) -- WIN (BYU 24, Georgia Tech 13)
BYU vs. Georgia Tech
Week 2: Southern Mississippi (-2.5) -- WIN (Southern Mississippi 17 - UAB 12)
Southern Mississippi vs. UAB
Week 3: California (+2) vs. Utah -- RESULT PENDING
utah !!!! cal has so many holes in the defese, i could even run for a touchdown. but seriously, cal gave up some big numbers on the ground and i believe that utah has the advantage on both sides of the ball.
a problem too is that cal isn't very deep at all on defense and you'll see a bunch of starters resting alot. that's not good.
take utah
a problem too is that cal isn't very deep at all on defense and you'll see a bunch of starters resting alot. that's not good.
take utah
First, I have NO clue on this one. Like several of the above posters, I was going to make a pizza and beer bet on one side or the other only because I HAVE TO in order to enjoy the game..
But wait, the lady of the house had a while back lost a $250 pair of glasses which we were resigned to replacing next week. Well as I'm reading this thread here she comes with a big smile on her face--she found them.
So it's a lucky sign, I'm up $250 and can now easily go two dollars on the game. Keep the write-ups coming.
But wait, the lady of the house had a while back lost a $250 pair of glasses which we were resigned to replacing next week. Well as I'm reading this thread here she comes with a big smile on her face--she found them.
So it's a lucky sign, I'm up $250 and can now easily go two dollars on the game. Keep the write-ups coming.
With these two teams, I would find something better to watch on TV and save myself the beer money for beer. I wouldn't touch either with a 20 foot pole in this matchup.
Gun to the head, it's under the total, but thankfully, no one is going to do that to me. Although, the girlfriend has been a bit moody lately, so who knows.
HW
Gun to the head, it's under the total, but thankfully, no one is going to do that to me. Although, the girlfriend has been a bit moody lately, so who knows.
HW
While Utah trailed A&M at the half it should be pointed out that the Utes were better than A&M in all catagories(sp?) with the exception of fumbles. You can't fumble the ball 9 times and expect to win even though you only lost 3. The time of possession for the Utes was almost 15 minutes better than A&M so they should have been able to control the tempo.
Cal on the other hand against Colorado St had given up 420+ yards and throw in the 80 yards of penalties the Rams had that would have been 500. Cal gave up 120+ yards on the ground to the Rams and I don't percieve them to be a run oriented team.
Seems a majority are on Cal. I like the home team...Best of luck whatever side your on....
Cal on the other hand against Colorado St had given up 420+ yards and throw in the 80 yards of penalties the Rams had that would have been 500. Cal gave up 120+ yards on the ground to the Rams and I don't percieve them to be a run oriented team.
Seems a majority are on Cal. I like the home team...Best of luck whatever side your on....
McPatrick, You sound like me, I can't even watch these games or sports without a little something on it to make it interesting!
I like the u27 in the 1st half, I am hoping that Utah will try to establish a run game and they have a decent defense, so I am hoping that they at least contain Cal at home in the 1st half, have fun and gl with your pick.
I like the u27 in the 1st half, I am hoping that Utah will try to establish a run game and they have a decent defense, so I am hoping that they at least contain Cal at home in the 1st half, have fun and gl with your pick.
Thunder points out that Cal gave up over 120 yds on the ground to a not run oriented team. I might interpret this as rushing yardage given up when there is a passing threat.
With virtually no passing threat, as there will be tonight, isn't it easier to stack the run? I'm asking a question here. And, as has been pointed out, nobody puts the ball on the ground as often as Utah does.
I see Utah's injuries being worth a point or two, particularly on the defensive side. This is a Cal offense that has put points up against a few more than decent D's. Tedford is showing again just what he can do with a QB.
I think I will play a beer money bet on Cal. I was just kidding about betting anymore than that on this one.
BTW, Patrick, thanks for the reply to my e-mail. I'll give you I call in a few days. And in case you missed it, Duemig called it a cover for Cal this afternoon.
With virtually no passing threat, as there will be tonight, isn't it easier to stack the run? I'm asking a question here. And, as has been pointed out, nobody puts the ball on the ground as often as Utah does.
I see Utah's injuries being worth a point or two, particularly on the defensive side. This is a Cal offense that has put points up against a few more than decent D's. Tedford is showing again just what he can do with a QB.
I think I will play a beer money bet on Cal. I was just kidding about betting anymore than that on this one.
BTW, Patrick, thanks for the reply to my e-mail. I'll give you I call in a few days. And in case you missed it, Duemig called it a cover for Cal this afternoon.
