Wyoming Cowboys (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)
College Football Week 2
Date/Time: Saturday, September 10, 2016 at 12PM EST
Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
TV: ESPN 2
By Loot, NCAA Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: WYO +24.5/NEB -24.5
Over/Under Total: 58
On Saturday in week two action, the Wyoming Cowboys make the trip into Lincoln to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Both teams were successful in week one action. Nebraska won their home opener with a 43-10 win and cover over Fresno State. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are now only one win off their 2015 total after beating favored Northern Illinois in triple-overtime on Saturday, 40-34. It was a positive week one development for a team that hasn't seen much go right recently.
The last time these teams played in 2013, Wyoming lost narrowly, 37-34, while putting up 602 yards of total offense. Head coach Craig Bohl is in his third year and maybe some of his recruiting has begun to pay off. Northern Illinois is a good little team and by beating them, Wyoming showed they might not be the laughingstock of last season and beyond. It was certainly a better opener for Fresno St, than last season, when they were smoked by North Dakota.
Starting at quarterback for the Cowboys was sophomore Josh Allen. Despite only 29 attempts to his credit coming into the game, he looked good on Saturday commandeering this offense, as he threw a pair of TDs and didn't give up the rock. He also showed a different dimension lacking in his predecessors, as he was nifty with his legs. Allen ran for 70 yards and a touchdown. Last season, RB Brian Hill was over 1600 yards and he looks to have picked up where he left off with 125 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. They also return their two top receivers from last season, with Tanner Gentry and Jake Maulhardt both over 100 yards receiving in week one. They have a lot of weapons with experience to help make life easier on Allen as he gets his feet wet. The line looks to be the best one they've fielded since Bohl arrived on campus. But let's face it—beating N. Illinois in Laramie and going to Lincoln to tangle with the 'Huskers are two different propositions entirely.
There are some things to like about Wyoming moving forward. When a team goes through hard times, they can either stay down or start to turn some of that hard-earned experience into something positive. And it looks like the pieces on offense are ready to come into their own. How about on the other side of the ball? Well, they weren't foolproof, as they gave up a 329-yard performance to NIU QB Drew Hare, while also giving up some chunks of yardage on the ground. But a lot of defenses are like that—porous and not altogether hard to score on. What we saw on Saturday was a Wyoming defense that had a capacity for clutch plays and making key stops, including shutting out NIU in two OT periods. That kind of timely clutch play could really pay off down the line.
It's hard to criticize Nebraska for anything that happened in last Saturday's win over Fresno. Granted, Fresno St. is not a high-quality opponent, but the 'Huskers looked good in covering the spread and notching a through win. A lot of Nebraska's offense hinges on QB Tommy Armstrong, Jr, a player they need to finally turn the corner and fulfill his promise. He showed some of that on Saturday, with crisp running accounting for a pair of TD runs, while he was able to connect on a nice deep ball to Alonzo Moore for another score. They ran the ball in excess, with 51 of 64 plays on the ground.
It looks like coach Mike Riley is open to new approaches, after his pro style of offense fell flat last season to some extent. And on Saturday, we saw a greater commitment to the run-game, with Devine Ozigbo going for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Terrell Newby added 56 yards, while Armstrong, Jr. scooted into the end zone twice. The offense returns 9 starters and should see an upswing this season, as they attempt to improve on their 6-7 finish last season. And when they decide to take to the air, they have a nice WR crew with Moore, Jordan Westerkamp, and Stanley Morgan, Jr. The only pieces they lose on offense are on the O-line, but the youngsters waiting in the wings were good ones and should come together. All in all, this offense should produce more in 2016.
Facing a dilapidated Fresno offense painted Nebraska's "D" in a positive light, as Nebraska was pretty stout—especially when it mattered. Fresno was able to move the ball with some ease at times, but the Cornhuskers defense always seemed to snap into shape before they could create much momentum. Last season, they had a pretty good run-defense, though they weren't good at getting after the QB and they only secured 15 takeaways for the entire season. They should be better this season and week one bore that out to some extent. If the line grows in stature, it helps the rest of the defense. Some big-time talent also needs to materialize in the middle where they have a lot of returners, but a lack of an impact-making presence. The strength of this unit could be their secondary, where Nate Gerry, Aaron Williams, Joshua Kalu, and Chris Jones look to make a big statement this season. I don't think it's asking too much for this group to improve this season.
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Wyoming coach Craig Bohl has always said he wanted to bring Wyoming back into relevance and that he wanted to do it the right way. His first two seasons at the helm were difficult, but it looks to be paying off in his third season. Again, beating NIU in triple OT at home is nice, but not exactly grounds to project them having the same success in Lincoln. Things get exponentially more-difficult this week for the Cowboys.
By the same token, there's a certain scrappiness to this Wyoming team. They were pretty clutch on Saturday and look very improved. Still, no team is going to be struck with fear at the prospects of Wyoming coming into town, which could allow the Cowboys to narrow some gaps and cover some spreads this season. I just think after a nice win like that, Wyoming is feeling as positive as they've felt in a while and that will translate into a scrappy showing in Lincoln. I'm going with the dog.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Wyoming Cowboys plus 24.5 points. Tired of your credit card not working for sportsbook deposit? End that problem today and bet the Wyoming vs. Nebraska game in the comfort of your own home by signing up at Bovada Sportsbook where your credit card WILL work and where you'll receive a generous 100% sign-up bonus!
