Utah Utes at Air Force Falcons College Football Betting Preview

Utah Utes at Air Force Falcons
Saturday, 10/30/10, 7:30 PM EDT
Opening Point Spread: Utah -6.5
Current Betting Line: Utah -7
Opening Total: 55
Current Total: 54.5
Current Moneyline: Utah -270 / Air Force +230

The Air Force-Utah series has been dominated by the underdog going 11-0-1 against the number

Utah isn’t likely to look past this week’s opponent when the total point differential between the two teams has been 19 points. “It’s been back and forth. Last year was a great example of that playing in overtime,” said head coach Kyle Whittingham. “Most every year it comes down to the wire.” The Utes hope to set up a matchup of undefeated teams next week in hosting the TCU Horned Frogs on November 6th. Utah is coming off an impressive 59-6 win over Colorado State last week and has won its last six games by 24 points or more. Quarterback Jordan Wynn led the attack by completing 23 of 29 passes for 321 yards and is the the Mountain West Conference’s highest-rated passer. The team is 6-0 ATS this season and 20-11 ATS the last three seasons. The college football lines page has the visitors favored by a touchdown.

The Utes are off to their third 7-0 start in the last seven years and rank third nationally in scoring offense by averaging 47.7 points per game. Utah’s defense has also done its part by limiting opponents to just 12.9 points per contest, which is currently the fourth-best mark in college football. That unit will be tested against the unique rushing attack of Air Force. “We have a lot of players in the lineup for whom it will be their first opportunity to play against them,” said Whittingham. “With their cut blocking and everything they are going to bring to the table, we are going to try to replicate it in practice.” Utah leads the MWC and ranks No. 6 in the country in rushing defense (87.6 ypg).

Air Force is hungry to return to the winning column after dropping consecutive games to San Diego State and TCU. Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun believes his team is resilient enough to end its recent skid. “When you got to the Air Force Academy, going through basic training isn’t easy either,” he commented. “That’s a demanding five-and-a-half weeks.” The team holds a 14-12 overall advantage in the series over Utah, but has dropped six of the last seven meetings. Air Force took a 10-6 halftime lead in last year’s game in Salt Lake City, ultimately falling by a 23-16 margin in overtime. Despite the loss, the team outgained Utah, while holding the ball for 38:57. Air Force is 11-10 ATS versus conference opponents.

The Falcons lethal rushing attack is orchestrated by quarterback Tim Jefferson, who is third on the squad with 503 rushing yards, while leading the team with eight rushing touchdowns. This will be Utah’s first chance to faceoff against the talented signal caller. “He is a very good athlete. He is running the offense very well and his running ability is his strong suit,” said the Utes head coach. Utah and Air Force are second and fourth, respectively, in total offense and defense in the conference.