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Today’s Bowl Forecasts

December 30th, 2011 No comments
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Friday, December 30th @ 12:00 p.m.
Click on the bowl logo for MORE info!!!!

TULSA (8-4) VS BYU (9-3)

Rushing
Passing
Points
TO’s
ST
A.O.R
TULSA 168
230
29
2.9
-
90.4
BYU
142
270
31
2.8
96.1
Tulsa is 1-6 vs BYU but won the last gm in ‘07, 55-47. This will be the 1st meeting in a bowl/neutral site. TU HC Blankenship has guided the Hurricane to a bowl in his 1st ssn at the helm but has been on staff for the L/3 bowls (3-0). BYU HC Mendenhall has led the Cougars to a 7th str bowl in his 7th yr (4-2). Tulsa was 2-4 vs bowl tms being outscored 37-30 and outgained 480-440. BYU was 1-3 vs bowl squads also being outscored 33-20 and outgained 365-349 and beat only one schl with a winning record. Both ply’d UCF TY and ironically won by the same exact 24-17 score but BYU was outgained 399-260 while Tulsa outgained UCF 454-381. On the road TY BYU was 3-2 while Tulsa went 4-2. BYU has 9 Sr st’rs among their 16 upperclassmen. TU has 9 Sr st’rs but 18 upperclassmen. Tulsa is the smallest school that competes in DI but should have the crowd edge as the are just 260 miles away. BYU is 1,225 and was hoping that Houston would fall to this bowl after their CUSA Champ loss, so fans may be disappointed but Cougs normally travel well. TU also has played in this venue every other yr S/’96 (CUSA started) but is 1-7 while BYU won their last and only trip in ‘97. LY BYU rolled down the stretch winning their final 4 regular season games and then put up 52 in the bowl. This year they’ve won final 6 games, and in that stretch have avg’d 41 ppg, I’ll take the Cougars here in what should be a great bowl game.

PHIL’S FORECAST: BYU 31 TULSA 28

 

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Thursday’s Bowl Forecasts

December 30th, 2010 No comments
ARMED FORCES BOWL
12:00 ESPN
Click on the bowl logo for MORE info!!!!

ARMY (6-6) VS SMU (7-6)

Rushing
Passing
Points
TO’s
ST
A.O.R
ARMY 213
65
22
1.1
91.7
SMU
122
280
26
2.5
-
96.8
The Black Knights accomplished a major goal as they are back in a bowl for the 1st time S/’96 (lost to Aub in the Independence Bowl). The Mustangs were also lacking in the postseason until LY’s trip to the Hawaii Bowl where they destroyed Nevada and prior to LY the Mustangs had not been in a bowl S/’84. They had 2 common opponents this year (Tulane and Navy) with the Knights and Mustangs both beating Tulane: Army 41-23 and SMU 31-17. Both lost to Navy: SMU blew a 14-0 HT lead in a 28-21 loss while Army lost 31-17 despite a 337-325 yd edge as they all’d a 98 yd FR TD just before HT (14 pt turnaround).
Army’s option hit its stride in the 2nd season under Ellerson. They scored their most points in a season S/’96 when they last went to a bowl. LY QB Steelman became the 1st frosh QB to start the opener for Army in the modern era. He was the team’s leading rusher in ‘09 but is #2 TY as they added FB Hassin (originally at AF) who has a shot at breaking the 1,000 yd barrier here. HC Ellerson invented the “Desert Swarm” defense when he was DC at Arizona and brings the same attacking philosophy here that takes advantage of Army’s small but fast players. Army has my #55 special teams but they avg just 7.1 on PR’s and 19.5 on KR’s.
The Mustangs’ Run n’ Shoot offense has been more balanced in each of the L/2Y as they avg’d 27 ppg and 415 ypg and have my #68 ranking. After starting the L/6 (‘09), QB Padron finished his 1st full season as the starter in solid form leading SMU to the CUSA West Title. A year after the speedy Shawnbrey McNeal became HC Jones’ first 1,000 yd rusher, Line became the 2nd RB to accomplish that feat. The Mustang D has my #52 ranking, all’g 26 ppg and 362 ypg but the Mustangs have just my #95 ST ranking led by K/P Szymanski who did miss some time at the EOY (leg) but should be a full go here.
June Jones has taken the Mustangs from back-to-back one win seasons to 8 wins last year and playing for the CUSA Championship this year. This is a great matchup for them as they played Navy each of the L/3Y and have improved vs the option having only all’d 337 yds this year. It is fantastic to see Army in a bowl game but, truth be told, it was vs a very watered-down sked this year. They have not seen this type of offensive fire power and the extra prep time won’t help them in this matchup. Read more…