The University of Houston and UTEP face off on September 10th, 2010 at 9:15 pm CT at Robertson Stadium in Houston. Last season, UTEP beat Houston in this matchup, 58-41, at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso. This matchup is sure to be one of the more interesting ones rounding out Week 2 of the season, and the college football odds show the Cougars -20 over the Miners. If you are going to wager on this game, then be sure to do it at BetUS where our readers can earn up to a $500 match bonus on their initial deposits.
Fans are salivating for UTEP to be competitive after a 7th straight forgettable season, finishing 4-8 under head coach Mike Price and dropping the Miners to 34-38 in the seven seasons he has coached.
This season will be a tough one as the schedule is loaded with games away from home and little time between to regroup.
Fourth year starter Trevor Vittatoe is questionable at QB after shoulder surgery, but will most likely resume the duties. Last season was a disappointment with 13 interceptions, but he did throw 17 TD’s and threw for over 3,000 yards for a third time in his collegiate career.
Also returning is senior RB Donald Buckram, who broke a school record by running for 1,600 yards in 2009. He will anchor an offense capable of duplicating last year’s success.
Beyond Buckram there is depth at RB, but little that stands out. Senior WR Kris Adams will be expected to pick up a share of the workload after last year, where he only accounted for just two TDs. Dropped passes were an issue for the Miners across the board last season, and better hands will need to be found this season.
The UTEP defense was atrocious in 2009, allowing 33 points and 447 yards per game. Stopping the run was not in the vocabulary, as the Miners allowed 200 yards per game.
Meanwhile, the Miners’ offense was potent and averaged nearly 30 points per game last year and will provide plenty of points again this season, but the defense needs to be better for UTEP to make headway.
UTEP lost four of its games when it scored more than four TDs, including giving up a mind-numbing 64 points to Texas. The team will pull out a new playbook and 4-3 alignment to shake things up. Safety Braxton Amy is the heart of the defense and was granted a sixth year of eligibility. The Miners will rely heavily on last year’s backups and freshman to round out the defense.
The University of Houston plays a similar style to UTEP, all offense and little defense. The difference is that Houston has the players to make the defense better this season.
The Cougars finished the season 10–4, after a bowl loss to Air Force, and were 6–3 in Conference USA games.
The offense at University of Houston is a powerhouse led by QB Chase Keenum. He was a 2nd Team All-American after throwing for 5,600 yards with 44 TDs. He is on the Heisman watch and one of the best in the country.
He will have the advantage of four returning receivers, and it’s a strong group. Senior James Cleveland caught 14 TDs, while juniors Tyron Carrier and Patrick Edwards combined for 13 TDs and both broke the 1,000 yard mark.
The ground attack will be supported by sophomore tailback Charles Sims, who was named the C-USA Freshman of the Year after 10 TDs in 2009. He should get the blocks he needs up front as the O-line has three returning starters; standout junior guard Curtis Thompson was a 1st Team C-USA selection.
With all that firepower, Houston is easily one of the best offenses in the country and will average close to 40 points per game.
The defense will try a 3-4 formation to try to better the 30 points per game it allowed last season. The run defense was the major sore spot, allowing 227 yards on the ground per game. The defensive line will be revamped as only junior DE David Hunter returns up front. Senior transfer Matangi Tonga will fill the other DE spot after being highly sought after. Junior Marcus McGraw was a 1st Team C-USA selection and will anchor the defense. Sophomore Phil Steward had 89 tackles as a freshman, and will be better this season.
Houston is primed for a big season and the defense will save enough points to let the offense carry the team to a deep run in 2010.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Houston -20 – While these teams may have a lot of similarities, Houston has got to be the favorite here. Their defense is improving, and they managed to increase the expectations of the offense even after last season. UTEP may have a few wins in their schedule, but this isn’t one of them.
If you are looking to beat the college football odds this season, be sure to make your way back for our expert college football picks each week from the best handicappers in the business.
Original Story:
http://thesportsbetguide.blogspot.com...
Fans are salivating for UTEP to be competitive after a 7th straight forgettable season, finishing 4-8 under head coach Mike Price and dropping the Miners to 34-38 in the seven seasons he has coached.
This season will be a tough one as the schedule is loaded with games away from home and little time between to regroup.
Fourth year starter Trevor Vittatoe is questionable at QB after shoulder surgery, but will most likely resume the duties. Last season was a disappointment with 13 interceptions, but he did throw 17 TD’s and threw for over 3,000 yards for a third time in his collegiate career.
Also returning is senior RB Donald Buckram, who broke a school record by running for 1,600 yards in 2009. He will anchor an offense capable of duplicating last year’s success.
Beyond Buckram there is depth at RB, but little that stands out. Senior WR Kris Adams will be expected to pick up a share of the workload after last year, where he only accounted for just two TDs. Dropped passes were an issue for the Miners across the board last season, and better hands will need to be found this season.
The UTEP defense was atrocious in 2009, allowing 33 points and 447 yards per game. Stopping the run was not in the vocabulary, as the Miners allowed 200 yards per game.
Meanwhile, the Miners’ offense was potent and averaged nearly 30 points per game last year and will provide plenty of points again this season, but the defense needs to be better for UTEP to make headway.
UTEP lost four of its games when it scored more than four TDs, including giving up a mind-numbing 64 points to Texas. The team will pull out a new playbook and 4-3 alignment to shake things up. Safety Braxton Amy is the heart of the defense and was granted a sixth year of eligibility. The Miners will rely heavily on last year’s backups and freshman to round out the defense.
The University of Houston plays a similar style to UTEP, all offense and little defense. The difference is that Houston has the players to make the defense better this season.
The Cougars finished the season 10–4, after a bowl loss to Air Force, and were 6–3 in Conference USA games.
The offense at University of Houston is a powerhouse led by QB Chase Keenum. He was a 2nd Team All-American after throwing for 5,600 yards with 44 TDs. He is on the Heisman watch and one of the best in the country.
He will have the advantage of four returning receivers, and it’s a strong group. Senior James Cleveland caught 14 TDs, while juniors Tyron Carrier and Patrick Edwards combined for 13 TDs and both broke the 1,000 yard mark.
The ground attack will be supported by sophomore tailback Charles Sims, who was named the C-USA Freshman of the Year after 10 TDs in 2009. He should get the blocks he needs up front as the O-line has three returning starters; standout junior guard Curtis Thompson was a 1st Team C-USA selection.
With all that firepower, Houston is easily one of the best offenses in the country and will average close to 40 points per game.
The defense will try a 3-4 formation to try to better the 30 points per game it allowed last season. The run defense was the major sore spot, allowing 227 yards on the ground per game. The defensive line will be revamped as only junior DE David Hunter returns up front. Senior transfer Matangi Tonga will fill the other DE spot after being highly sought after. Junior Marcus McGraw was a 1st Team C-USA selection and will anchor the defense. Sophomore Phil Steward had 89 tackles as a freshman, and will be better this season.
Houston is primed for a big season and the defense will save enough points to let the offense carry the team to a deep run in 2010.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Houston -20 – While these teams may have a lot of similarities, Houston has got to be the favorite here. Their defense is improving, and they managed to increase the expectations of the offense even after last season. UTEP may have a few wins in their schedule, but this isn’t one of them.
If you are looking to beat the college football odds this season, be sure to make your way back for our expert college football picks each week from the best handicappers in the business.
Original Story:
http://thesportsbetguide.blogspot.com...
