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Orange
Bowl - january 2nd, 2006
by: VIP.com
By Michael Robinson:
The Big East took a devastating blow a couple
of years back when Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston
College all departed for the ACC. But with teams
like Rutgers, West Virginia and Louisville still
around, the Big East will be relevant for years
to come.
Wake Forest (+10) Louisville
When Louisville has the
ball
5th ranked Louisville (11-1)
came into this season with two All-American candidates
in quarterback Brian Brohm and running back Michael
Bush. Brohm has done his part in Louisville's
success by throwing for 2,738 yards and 16 touchdowns
despite missing two full games.
Bush went down with a broken
leg in the first game of the season, but the Cardinals
were fortunate to have two backs like Kolby Smith
and George Stripling who could step right in.
Those two players have combined to rush for 12
touchdowns and more than 1,200 yards.
Louisville is ranked in the
top 10 in the nation in both passing and rushing,
and it is that kind of balance that makes them
one of the most explosive offenses in the country.
The Wake Forest defense is
21st nationally against the rush and just 72nd
against the pass. The Demon Deacons would love
to be able to stop the run in this game and make
the Cardinals offense one dimensional, but that
is easier said than done.
When Wake Forest has
the ball
15th ranked Wake Forest (11-2)
won the ACC conference with a 9-6 victory over
Georgia Tech in the championship game. It was
a typical victory for Wake, who knows how to do
just enough to win a game.
When it comes to the passing
game, Wake Forest is not in the same universe
as Louisville. Red-shirt freshman, Riley Skinner
is the quarterback, but he had only eight touchdowns
on the year, and never more than one in a game.
More times than not, Skinner
is asked to just manage the game, and not win
it by himself. Statistically, the Demon Deacons'
aerial attack ranks 108th out of 119 Division
1-A teams.
Running back, Kenneth Moore
has done a good job subbing in due to injuries,
but he does not strike fear in the Cardinals defense.
Overall, it is hard to see this offense scoring
more than a couple of touchdowns without breaking
some big plays down the field.
The Louisville defense is
20th against the rush, and 74th against the pass.
While those numbers are almost identical to Wake
Forest, the Cardinals defense is not as stout
overall as their Orange Bowl counterparts.
Game Summary
These two teams are meeting
for the first time, and it is ironic that the
Big East school is heavily favored over the ACC,
considering the school defections mentioned earlier.
Louisville has gone over
40 points six times this year, and while they
won’t get that kind of scoring tonight,
they should get a comfortable win.
Prediction: Louisville
28, Wake Forest 17
For all College Football
betting lines, visit VIP.com
Posted by miker at January
2nd, 2006 10:08 AM
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