Wisconsin riding 14-game home opener win streak

NCAA Football Betting Lines

09/10/2010 -

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -Wisconsin wants to shoot down the No. 1 comparison that's sure to be made Saturday when the 11th-ranked Badgers take on San Jose State: How would Wisconsin fare against Alabama?

The Spartans lost 48-3 to the top-ranked Crimson Tide last Saturday and San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre believes Wisconsin and Alabama are similar in style.

``They both have very good running games, they both have really good tailbacks, have experienced quarterbacks that know what they're doing. Defensively, they fly around,'' the coach said. ``It's going to be a very stern test.''

Wisconsin is a 38-point favorite against the Spartans and the Badgers only want to talk about winning their 15th straight home opener.

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said people naturally will compare the two scores, but they've kept that chatter out of the locker room.

``It's a thought that goes through your mind,'' Bielema said. ``But you're more focused on what San Jose State is doing.''

One big difference in this game is that the Spartans will face Wisconsin's John Clay after avoiding reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram last week.

The 252-pound Clay ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns in 17 carries in a 41-21 victory over UNLV in Las Vegas last Saturday.

``As you watch teams play them, they have to tackle him low. If you tackle him high you have no chance,'' MacIntyre said. ``The guy's a big, strong running back. The good thing about it is the second-teamer they bring in is only 5-11, 242, so they get a little smaller as it goes.''

That would be sophomore Montee Ball, who went for 79 yards and two more touchdowns on 16 carries. Freshman James White added 59 yards on 11 attempts and caught three passes for 37 yards.

Besides the running backs, Wisconsin's offensive line averages 323 pounds and the Badgers debuted a backup offensive lineman, Ryan Groy, as their newest fullback at 6-foot-5 and 307 pounds. Groy later switched uniforms at UNLV and played on the offensive line in the second half.

``The first series, we tried to ram it down their throats,'' said Groy, who took about 15 snaps at fullback. ``I was used a lot more than I thought I would be. I was really excited about it.''

Wisconsin is looking closely at making changes on its offensive line and quarterback Scott Tolzien said the competition is a sign of depth. The left side is set with pro prospects Gabe Carimi at left tackle, John Moffitt at left guard and Peter Konz at center.

On the right side, former walk-on Ricky Wagner, who earned a scholarship last week, is challenging starting tackle Josh Oglesby. Bill Nagy and Kevin Zeitler remain in competition for the guard slot there.

``Competition brings out the best in you,'' Tolzien said. ``The most eye opening thing for me is to see how those guys work. ... They don't say too much, they just grind and work and work and work.''

San Jose State quarterback Jordan Le Secla will need to be more efficient against the Badgers after the Spartans converted just 1 of 13 third-down attempts. MacIntyre said many of those failed conversions were his team's fault, not the defensive effort of Alabama.

San Jose State has netted more than $1 million for the games against Alabama and Wisconsin after reportedly turning down a $450,000 guaranteed game at Arizona State for a much sweeter offer from the Badgers. MacIntyre wishes the Spartans were playing closer to home, but said it's important to play marquee programs.

That means traveling more than 1,700 miles each way in consecutive weeks and starting Saturday's game at Camp Randall Stadium when it's 9 a.m. back in California.

``I think it's worth it for the athletic department and our young men to play in those type of games and that type of atmosphere,'' MacIntyre said. ``They'll use (the money) for our programs and help with the budget situation. We are in the black and that's part of the reason, which is good for our whole university, not only athletically but academically.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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