24 Jan 11 BYU-Utah State: Take the Cougars to Win Big Over the Aggies

Jacob de Golish/Getty ImagesThe Battle for the Beehive Boot will take place this weekend when the 1-3 BYU Cougars battle the 1-3 Utah State Aggies on Friday night.Both squads are in dire need of a win to turn their seasons around. BYU has lost three straight since winning its opener over Chicago Bears jersey
Washington. Utah State is the second straight WAC opponent the Cougars face, as they fell to Nevada last week 27-13.The Aggies scared Oklahoma a few weeks back but have struggled through the non-conference portion of their schedule.The college football lines show that BYU is a 6.5-point favorite.BYU has lost its last three games by an average of 20 points and has had a hard time putting the ball in the end zone on offense. The Cougars rank 116th in the nation in points/game (16) and 95th in passing, which is uncharacteristic of a BYU team.True freshman Jake Heaps has taken over as the starting quarterback due to Riley Nelson going down with an injury. Heaps is completing just over 51 percent of his passes for 489 yards and a touchdown. He was highly touted out of high school but has not made a smooth transition to the college level.Losing Nelson hurt the running game more than anything. He ranked second on the team with 148 yards on 31 carries. JJ Di Luigi has been one of the few bright spots on offense for BYU. The junior has rushed for 332 yards and scored a team-high two touchdowns. Luigi has played a large role catching the ball also. His 18 receptions for 200 yards lead the Cougars.Not having Harvey Unga in the backfield has had a profound effect on running the ball. Unga decided to enter the supplemental NFL Draft during the spring.Cody Hoffman is second on the team in receiving. He has 13 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown.Utah State is in desperate need of Cincinnati Bengals jersey
a victory to gain some momentum heading into conference play. Beating a rival at home would be a great start. San Diego State crushed the Aggies last week 41-7 in a game that was never close.Quarterback Diondre Borel is one of the more exciting players in the WAC. He has completed 54 percent of his passes for 832 yards and four touchdowns. Turning the ball over has been an issue for Borel, throwing four interceptions in his first four games. Borel only threw four all of last season.Running the ball has been tough sledding for the Aggies, as they are averaging just four yards per carry. Derrvin Speight leads the team in rushing with 221 yards on 54 carries with two touchdowns. Michael Smith has added 153 yards on the ground with two more scores.Dontel Watkins has been the go-to guy in the passing game, catching 18 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. The junior college transfer is one of Borelfavorite targets. Xavier Martin is another, as he has 10 receptions for 133 yards and a TD.Defensively, the Aggies havenmade many stops against their opponents. They rank 101st in points allowed at over 32 per game. Those numbers could improve when a stagnant BYU offense rolls into town.BYU is just 1-8 ATS in its last nine games in October. Utah State, on the other hand, has covered six of eight contests during that period. The Aggies have lost 10 straight against the Cougars and are 3-26 since 1975.BYU has dominated its in-state rival but is going through a rebuilding year. They have not Cleveland Browns jersey
covered in their last three games and now are almost a touchdown favorite on the road. I think the Cougars break the trend this Friday and cover the 6.5 points.Play: BYU -6.5 Get all of your expert football picks from the team at Locksmith. No site provides more winners than Jimmy Boyd and company.