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Posts Tagged ‘San Diego State Aztecs’

December 22nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The city of San Diego welcomes the host San Diego State Aztecs and the Navy Midshipmen to Qualcomm Stadium for the Poinsettia Bowl on December 23rd. These two teams have distinctly different styles, but both teams find ways to score points in bunches. Who will prevail on Thursday night? Check out our Poinsettia Bowl free picks for the big duel!

Poinsettia Bowl Matchup: Navy Midshipmen vs. San Diego State Aztecs
Date: Thursday, December 23rd, 8:00 ET
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Poinsettia Bowl Line: San Diego State -3
Over/Under 60.5

Midshipmen Notes: Navy scored at least 31 points in each of its last six games and averaged 41.0 points per game in that stretch, but its offense is going to be up against in versus a San Diego State team that plays significantly better defense than one would expect. QB Ricky Dobbs is closing out his career with the Middies and is clearly one of the best signal callers to run the triple option in Annapolis. Dobbs didn't quite have the year that he did last season when he rushed for 27 TDs, as he only totaled 25 scores between his rushes and passes this year. The ball stayed in his hands 369 times this year, more than half of the touches for the offense, but that is to be expected out of a triple option attack. RB Alexander Teich had a fantastic year as well, rumbling for 825 yards and five scores. As always in the triple option, a ton of different players are expected to touch the rock. Nine different players had at least 100 yards on the ground for a team that averaged over 280 yards per game on the turf. Don't discount the passing game either for the Midshipmen, as they really do resemble the Georgia Tech offense from a year ago with WR Demaryius Thomas catching all those passes. WR Greg Jones does the damage for the Naval Academy, and though he doesn't have numbers like Thomas, he does have fantastic figures for a Navy wide out, catching 30 passes for 577 yards and four scores on the year. Defensively, this team was the definition of mediocre, ranking No. 63 and No. 65 respectively against the rush and the pass.

Aztecs Notes: When you talk about an offense that is as well rounded as could be, you have to talk about the San Diego State 'O'. This team is only getting better, as the majority of the key cogs are still underclassmen and are growing under second year Head Coach Brady Hoke. Hoke has done a tremendous job with this team, as the Aztecs average 450.3 yards per game, No. 22 in the land. They put up 35.0 points per game and were really the only team this year that hung around with the TCU Horned Frogs. The losses this year all came by four points or fewer, and it is clear that SDSU really could have been a BCS team with just a few bounces in the right direction this year. QB Ryan Lindley, a third year starter, clearly had the best year in his career, throwing for 3,554 yards and 26 TDs against 14 picks on the year. He was helped out by a pair of seniors, WR DeMarco Sampson and WR Vincent Brown a ton. Both men are amongst the best receivers in the land statistically, as Sampson had 65 grabs for 1,175 yards and eight scores, while Brown had 58 grabs for 1,127 yards and nine TDs. Both are incredible deep threats and are fantastic in the open field, creating a ton of yards after the catch. On the ground though, this is going to be a chance for RB Ronnie Hillman to be on showcase. The freshman might have been the best first year man on the ground in the nation, and that's saying something considering the fact that South Carolina Gamecocks RB Marcus Lattimore was a freshman as well. The numbers between the two are basically indiscernible. Hillman ran for 1,304 yards and 14 TDs this year and had five games on the campaign with at least 150 yards on the ground. Defensively, Hoke has made some great strides with this team. The Aztecs ranked in the Top 50 in every single major defensive category on the year, and though there were some lapses, only three teams scored more than 27 points against this unit all season long.

The Final Word: If this game were later in the bowl season, we'd be more confidence in San Diego State's ability to win. Though it's not really a home game, there is a sense of familiarity for the Aztecs, knowing that this is their home field. The Middies always seem to be able to draw a great crowd, especially for bowl games. However, the problem that they have is that they have given the Aztecs basically a month to be able to prepare for the triple option attack. Hoke is a fantastic coach and has done one of the best transformation jobs in the country this year. The Aztecs won't lose this game.

Poinsettia Bowl Free Pick: San Diego State -3
Poinsettia Bowl Prediction: San Diego State 37 – Navy 28

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November 12th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Georgia Bulldogs @ Auburn Tigers
Date: Saturday, November 13th, 3:30 ET
Location: Jordan Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL
Game Line: Auburn -7
Over/Under 62.5

Allegations around QB Cam Newton could really be hurting the college football betting lines in this one, as the Tigers continue to drop like a rock through the day on Friday. We just don't buy into the hype, though. At some point, we all have to realize that there is a reason that the Tigers are 10-0 this year, and a reason why they are considered such heavy favorites against a .500 Georgia team. The Bulldogs just aren't that great. Sure, QB Aaron Murray is going to be a star one day, but he isn't right now, and the only way he becomes a star is if WR AJ Green makes him one. Green is great and will surely get his yards and touches, but that doesn't mean that he can single handedly beat Auburn. There is just too much on the line for HC Gene Chizik, and we aren't buying the fact that the Tigers can't go 12-0 and that they can't figure out how to win the SEC or the National Championship. Newton is one of the best 2-3 players in the entire country, and as long as he is on the field and the NCAA doesn't put the boom down against him in this whole issue with "pay to play" at Auburn, the Tigers are certainly seven points better than the Bulldogs are on any field, especially their own.

Free College Football Picks: Auburn -7
Prediction: Auburn 41 – Georgia 24

Matchup: Penn State Nittany Lions @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Date: Saturday, November 13th, 3:30 ET
Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Game Line: Ohio State -18.5
Over/Under 49.5

The Buckeyes have gone a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS at home this year, and they really don't seem like they're going to get stopped any time in the near future. They have looked relatively flawless, short of that loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, yet the oddsmakers and the pollsters don't seem to be giving them the respect that they deserve. It appears as though the time really is not now for QB Robert Bolden, as he has been replaced by QB Matthew McGloin by HC Joe Paterno. McGloin has played well this year, throwing for 551 yards and seven TDs against just one pick in limited action. However, that limited action doesn't normally include going against a defense anywhere near as good as that of Ohio State. The Nittany Lions were spanked 24-3 on the road by both the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Alabama Crimson Tide this year, and there's no reason to think that a relatively similar score line won't be the end result on Saturday. Don't fall into the trap and assume that this is a lot of points to be giving a 6-3 Penn State team. The Buckeyes really are that good.

Free College Football Picks: Ohio State -18.5
Prediction: Ohio State 30 – Penn State 6

Matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Oklahoma Sooners
Date: Saturday, November 13th, 3:30 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK
Game Line: Oklahoma -15
Over/Under 63.5

The Sooners have played down to the level of their competition all season long, and there's no reason to believe that that won't continue on Saturday. There is a major matchup issue here between the Oklahoma secondary, which is allowing over 230 yards per game in ranks in the 80s in the country, going against the Air Raid passing attack, which is always one of the best in the country. Normally, it has been talent at the corner position that has kept the Red Raiders at bay when these two teams meet, but now, we aren't so sure what's going to happen with the Sooners struggling so much. What isn't a question to us is that QB Landry Jones is going to get to the 3,000 yard barrier this week and that he is going to put points on the board. He probably needs to drop at least 40 to stop the Red Raiders at this kind of a college football line, though. Do you have confidence that he can do it and that Texas Tech isn't going to find a way to put 24 or so on the board? We sure don't. We'll take the points.

Free College Football Picks: Texas Tech +15
Prediction: Oklahoma 31 – Texas Tech 27

Matchup: Virginia Tech Hokies @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Date: Saturday, November 13th, 3:30 ET
Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC
Game Line: North Carolina +3.5
Over/Under 51.5

We're really amazed that the Tar Heels have really been able to keep up this year with the rest of the ACC in spite of the fact that they have 23 men on scholarship that are either suspended on the injured list at the current moment. HC Butch Davis has done a yeoman's job putting North Carolina on the verge of the Top 25 and potentially within one or two steps of the ACC Championship Game if it can pull off the mild upset here on Saturday. Just one problem: Virginia Tech probably has one of the best ten teams in the country and certainly has the best team in the ACC. The Hokies have been on fire, winning nine straight and going 6-1 ATS since losing to the James Madison Dukes, and with QB Tyrod Taylor finally putting together a fantastic season, we have no reason to believe that the men in purple won't be able to come on the road and pull off a victory by more than a field goal. The Hokies have too much to lose to screw around here, and though the ACC Coastal will still be won if they win out after this game, it could be all over but the crying with a win. HC Frank Beamer won't miss this chance.

Free College Football Picks: Virginia Tech -3.5
Prediction: Virginia Tech 28 – North Carolina 20

Matchup: San Diego State Aztecs @ TCU Horned Frogs
Date: Saturday, November 13th, 4:00 ET
Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Game Line: TCU -27
Over/Under 53.5

Way to go Horned Frogs! TCU really has seized control of the BCS Championship picture, and though right now, it would be on the outside looking into the big game and playing in the Rose Bowl instead, we know that this is probably the biggest favorite of it, the Auburn Tigers, and Oregon Ducks to be in the desert for the National Championship Game. San Diego State really couldn't have asked for a better time to run into the Horned Frogs though, as they are coming off of that huge 47-7 win over the Utah Utes on the road. Just one problem: This is TCU's final home game of the season. Do you think that it really wants to leave Fort Worth with anything less than another incredibly dominating victory? Sure, the Aztecs have already played well at the Missouri Tigers this year, but this is a totally different challenge. This year at home, TCU has outscored its foes 221-27 in five games. Without a doubt, this has to be one of the most impressive statistics in the country. Even more impressive? The Horned Frogs are allowing just 8.5 PPG on the season. No way they win this one by less than four TDs.

Free College Football Picks: TCU -27
Prediction: TCU 45 – San Diego State 13

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March 13th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Teams that are already in the NCAA Tournament…

Cornell Big Red (27-4, Ivy League), Winthrop Eagles (19-13, Big South), Murray State Racers (30-4, Ohio Valley), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (20-14, Atlantic Sun), Northern Iowa Panthers (28-4, Missouri Valley), St. Mary's Gaels (26-5, West Coast), Siena Saints (27-6, Metro Atlantic), Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8, Colonial), Wofford Terriers (26-8, Southern), Oakland Golden Grizzlies (26-8, Summit), Butler Bulldogs (28-4, Horizon), North Texas Mean Green (24-8, Sun Belt), Robert Morris Colonials (23-11, Northeast), Montana Grizzlies (22-9, Big Sky)

Teams that clinched automatic bids on Friday…

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (22-10, Patriot): The Mountain Hawks reached March Madness for the fourth time in school history when they took out Lafayette without any real consequence on Friday afternoon. This is a team that can rain down three pointers like it's no one's business (40.2% on the season), but unless there is an upset of absolutely epic proportions, this team won't make it to see the weekend. Expect to see Lehigh either as a #16 seed or in the play-in game.

Teams vying for automatic bids on Saturday…

Boston Terriers (19-12, America East): The Terriers were slight favorites against the top team in this conference, Stony Brook, in the America East League semifinals, and they didn't disappoint. Now, leading scorer, F John Holland (19.3 PPG) will look to lead the way for BU to make it to its first NCAA Tournament since 2001. This will be the Terriers' first appearance in the America East finale since 2003.

Vermont Catamounts (24-9, America East): Vermont has one of the most well-rounded players in the entire nation in F Marqus Blakely. Not only is Blakely leading the team in scoring (17.2 points per game), but he is also one of the best defensive players in the conference, as he is averaging 9.1 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, all team highs. The Catamounts haven't been dancing since HC Tom Brennan was on the sidelines, but they're the clear choices to go to March Madness this year.

UTEP Miners (26-5, Conference USA): UTEP already knows that it's got its spot to the NCAA Tournament on lock down, as it is probably going to be a middle seed in the dance thanks to a great season in C-USA play. G Randy Culpepper is one of the elite scorers in the entire nation, and he has the ability to take over an entire game very, very quickly. He put up 21 points as his team bounced Tulsa from the conference tournament on Friday, and his scoring average over the L/8 games is a solid 22.4 points per game.

Houston Cougars (18-15, Conference USA): G Aubrey Coleman put on a heck of a show in the Conference USA semifinal against Southern Miss on Friday, scoring 27 points. He's the conference's leading scorer at 25.9 points per game. No one expected the Cougs to reach this point in the season, but after pulling off the upset of Memphis and taking down Southern Miss, they'll have an improbable chance of making the NCAA Tournament.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (24-7, Southland): The Bearkats are going to have their hands full in the Southland final. SHSU has limped to a pair of victories in the conference tournament, which is uncharacteristic for a team that is now 16-2 against divisional foes. F Gilbert Clavell will have to do a better job staying out of foul trouble than he did in the Southland semis. Even though he only played 24 minutes though, the team's leading scorer (17.6 points per game) still managed 16 points.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (23-8, Southland): Playing second fiddle to a crosstown rival never sits well, but that's where Stephen F. Austin found itself all season in relation to the Bearkats. The Lumberjacks will get their chance to use their fantastic defense to make their way to the NCAA Tournament out of the Southland Conference. Four of the team's L/5 foes have been held under 55 points. With another effort like that, SFA will be dancing next week.

Akron Zips (24-9, MAC): There aren't any real prolific scorers on this team, but what the Zips do well is spread the scoring options around. Eight scorers are putting up at least five points per game. Now that Kent State is out of the MAC Tournament, there's no reason for Akron, who was clearly one of the top two teams in this conference all season long, to not grab the automatic bid from this conference.

Ohio Bobcats (20-14, MAC): At the beginning of the MAC Tournament, you probably didn't have the Bobcats in the finals. Alas, after going just 7-9 in conference play this year, Ohio is here, just one step away from dancing. The Bobcats picked a great time to have their best defensive half of the season, as they held the Redhawks to just 12 points in the first frame in Friday's semifinal. It's going to take another Herculean effort to take care of the Zips to go to March Madness.

Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions (16-15, SWAC): This hasn't been a great year for SWAC basketball, but the Golden Lions did go 14-2 in conference and are deservedly playing for a right to play in the play-in game in the NCAA Tournament. Senior F Terrance Calvin put up a double-double with a dozen points and a dozen rebounds in the semifinals. The team's leading scorer is averaging 10.6 points per game this season.

Texas Southern Tigers (17-15, SWAC): If the Tigers are going to find a way to make it to March Madness, they're going to need a great game out of their big three. G Deandre Hall, G Whitworth Treasure, and F Travele Jones combine to average a whopping 44.5 of the team's 69.1 points per game. Texas Southern caught a major break when Jackson State was bounced out of this tournament, as eliminating Grambling was significantly easier than beating a team that went 17-1 in conference would've been.

Morgan State Bears (26-9, MEAC): The Bears have been the best team in the MEAC all season long, and anything less than a conference crown and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament would be brutally disappointing. G Reggie Holmes has been off of his game in this tournament, scoring just 28 points in two conference tournament contests, which would be great if not for the fact that he averaged 22.1 points per game during the regular season. He'll need to pick it up to the get the conference's automatic ticket.

South Carolina State Bulldogs (18-13, MEAC): Whatever has gotten into the Bulldogs' defense had better keep up for one more game to get SCSU into the NCAA Tournament. The Dogs would've kept five straight foes under 65 points, if not for the fact that they had to play overtime against Delaware State to reach this point of the MEAC Tournament. This is a miserable three-point shooting team though, as 30.4% just isn't going to cut it for a team that is hoping to make it to the dance.

Georgetown Hoyas (23-9, Big East): Many were down on the Hoyas coming into the Big East Tournament, but if there were any doubts about how good this team is, those were erased over the past few days. Blowing out South Florida and Marquette and sandwiching a win over Syracuse between them took this team from a potential #5 seed up to possibly a #2 with a win at MSG in the finale of this tournament on Saturday night.

West Virginia Mountaineers (26-6, Big East): Could West Virginia earn a #1 seed to the NCAA Tournament with a win on Saturday night? It's not likely, but it's certainly a possibility. The Mountaineers have stormed through the Big East tourney at Madison Square Garden thanks in large part to the play of leading scorer F Da'Sean Butler. WVU's star scored 24 in the semifinal against the Fighting Irish, and he'll look to carry that momentum into Saturday's finale.

Kansas Jayhawks (31-2, Big XII): The #1 team in the country continues to get up off the mat when it is down. On both Thursday and Friday, Rock Chalk not only stormed back from a deficit, but they ultimately put away their foes by double digits. Now, HC Bill Self's team has its sights set on another conference title, but the top seed in the Midwest Region has virtually already been wrapped up.

Kansas State Wildcats (26-6, Big XII): Kansas State is one of at least seven or eight teams that believes that it can be a #1 seed when Sunday rolls around. The Wildcats have looked awfully impressive on the offensive side of the court in this tournament, rolling up 80+ points against both Baylor and Oklahoma State. It's going to take a very similar performance to be able to stick with the Jayhawks on Saturday night in Kansas City.

San Diego State Aztecs (24-8, Mountain West): The Aztecs were one of the teams that was sitting firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble before conference tournaments started, but when other teams fell flat, they excelled. The win against New Mexico absolutely sealed the deal. There's going to be a question about motivation for this team, but it's hard to go against a team that just stopped the squad with the longest winning streak in the MWC.

UNLV Rebels (25-7, Mountain West): UNLV has seemingly been the forgotten team in the MWC all season long, but it has a chance to take down the conference crown after both New Mexico and BYU bit the dust in the league semifinals. No one has crossed 70 points on this team since February 10th. Considering the fact that this is the host team for this tournament, the Rebels are going to be hard to take out, no matter how hot the Aztecs are.

Utah State Aggies (27-6, WAC): All of the carnage around the bubble has probably made the Aggies a tournament team for certain, but don't tell that to them! Utah State came out and absolutely annihilated Louisiana Tech on Friday night, which sets the stage for it to take the league's automatic bid to the tournament and save a slot on the bubble for someone else. The Aggies ride into Saturday night on a 17-game winning streak and don't look to be stopped.

New Mexico State Aggies (21-11, WAC): The odds were stacked up against the Aggies in the WAC semifinals on Friday night, as they had to play in Reno against the host school, Nevada. However, a gritty performance down the stretch led New Mexico State to the conference final with an 80-78 victory. The question is going to be whether or not a team that largely relies on just six players can find a way to win the battle of the Aggies in the WAC Championship.

California Golden Bears (23-9, Pac-10): For the duration of the season, the Golden Bears have looked like the only team that really could make the NCAA Tournament without the league's automatic bid. However, the Pac-10 crown is up for grabs at this point, and Cal is the favorite for the title. After a pair of double digit victories in the conference tourney, is anyone going to pick against this team? Leading scorer G Jerome Randle has had a great tourney, scoring 20+ points in both games.

Washington Huskies (23-9, Pac-10): The Huskies did what the Sun Devils couldn't do: Get rid of Stanford. There's still a big question whether or not U-Dub really needs to win the Pac-10 to make the NCAA Tournament. If the bubble shrinks any more, it's plausible to think that the Huskies could get left home if they get blown out by Cal. Still, this team has too good of a resume to ignore right now. Washington has won six straight games and takes one of the highest scoring marks in the land into the Pac-10 finale (79.8 points per game).

Santa Barbara Gauchos (19-9, Big West): The Gauchos took advantage of a first round bye in the Big West Tournament and bounced UC-Davis with ease on Friday night to get within one step of the NCAA Tournament. This can be a lethal three-point shooting team, as it is shooting 37.9% from downtown this year. Leading scorer G Orlando Johnson is the main candidate for long balls, as he shot a shade under 40% from beyond the arc. That's why he's averaging 18.0 points per game.

Long Beach State 49ers (17-15, Big West): No one really saw the 49ers making it to the finals of the Big West Tournament, but they stepped on the gas pedal right from the get go and dismissed the top seeded Tigers on Friday night. Now, after going just 8-8 in conference play this year, leading scorer and rebounder F TJ Robinson (15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds per game) will lead Long Beach State into battle in the Big West Championship.

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