Rutgers Scarlet Knights at West Virginia Mountaineers, Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
Saturday, December 4, 2010, 12:00 pm Eastern, TV: ABC
Opening Line: WVU -20
Current Line: WVU -20 1/2
Opening Total: 44
Current Total: 44 1/2
Money Line: WVU -1400 / Rutgers +900
The 4-7 Rutgers Scarlet Knights are reeling coming off a 5 game losing streak. They had gone to 5 straight bowl games before this season but it won’t happen this year. Rutgers travels to West Virginia to finish the regular season for both teams. West Virginia is 8-3 and tied with UConn and Pittsburgh for the Big East Conference title, but UConn holds the tiebreaker. West Virginia wins the conference outright and clinches the Big East BCS bid if they win and Connecticut loses at South Florida later in the day. Rutgers has lost 15 games straight up in the series against West Virginia but has covered the spread in their last 3 trips to Morgantown. Rutgers has gone only 2-9 this season ATS, including 0-7 on Saturdays this year.
Rutgers has lost 5 games in a row after starting off 4-2. A month ago a bowl bid seemed likely for the Knights in the mediocre Big East, but it all came careening off the tracks rapidly. In Rutgers’ last win against Army October 16, defensive lineman Eric LeGrande was paralyzed from the neck down. Obviously, there are things more important than winning football games but the Knights just haven’t played with the same emotion or intensity since losing their teammate in that game. During the losing streak, Rutgers has been outscored 38-22 on average. For the season Rutgers is only scoring 21 points a game and gaining 303 yards a game. The defense is only giving up 25 points and 361 yards a game. Rutgers has a turnover margin of -5 and is allowing 5 sacks a game. The Knights struggle to convert on third and fourth downs as they only convert 32% on third and 38% on fourth. Rutgers has been inconsistent in the kicking game converting only 14 out of 20 field goal attempts. The offense such as it is is led by quarterback Chas Dodd who has 1,498 passing yards along with 9 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Back-up Tom Savage also takes some snaps and has thrown for 521 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Wide receiver Mohamed Senu is a multi-threat weapon out of the wildcat formation. He has over 800 combined passing, rushing, and receiving yards, along with 9 total touchdowns. He has thrown for 3 touchdowns. Receiver Mark Harrison has 41 catches for 763 yards and 8 touchdown catches. The Knights only rush for just over 100 yards a game, but 4 players including Senu have at least 59 carries and 276 yards on the season. Joe Martinek has four rushing touchdowns on the year on 85 carries.
West Virginia is 8-3 and their three losses are by a combined 14 points to LSU, Syracuse, and Connecticut. All of those teams are going to bowl games this season. West Virginia is outscoring opponents 26-13 on the season. The Mountaineers are 2nd in the country in scoring defense. Only Marshall has scored at least 21 points against West Virginia and that was in overtime. The Mountaineers are only giving up 255 yards a game on defense. They have forced 21 turnovers on the season and are forcing 3 sacks a game. The offense struggles to move the ball sometimes as they only average 363 yards a game, including 161 rushing yards a game. The offense is led by quarterback Geno Smith. Smith has thrown for 2,215 yards, 22 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. His top targets are receivers Tavon Austin (47 catches, 636 yards, and 7 touchdown catches) and Jock Sanders (58 catches, 589 yards, and 4 touchdowns). Brad Starks only has 17 catches but 4 of them are for touchdowns. The rushing game is led by Noel Devine who has 188 carries, for 855 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Back-up Ryan Clarke has 5 touchdown runs on 73 carries.
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 20’s with a small chance of snow for this game. Rutgers seems to be a team that is just playing out the string and West Virginia has everything to play for. Rutgers struggles mightily to protect the quarterback and West Virginia has a dominant front seven. Neither of these teams score very much, so that might keep the spread closer than it should be, as West Virginia is clearly the superior team.
Our college football handicappers are red hot this season. The regular season is winding down but we still have tons of winners on tap for this weekend and the upcoming bowl games.
