Florida State Travels To BYU As 7 1/2 Point Underdogs

Sports Betting News - September 18th, 2009 - Written by Scott

What should have been a great matchup between two ranked teams following BYU's upset over Oklahoma, has now taken on a new meaning as unranked Florida State travels to Provo, Utah to play the 7th ranked Cougars.  The Seminoles barely escaped with a win over Jacksonville State last Saturday at home to avoid an 0-2 start, needing two scores in the final :35 to get the win.  They have been miserable in the defensive secondary and this is not a good sign as they face BYU quarterback Max Hall.  Florida State has struggled this decade to get their program back to where it was in the 1990's.   This game has great meaning for both programs.  A win over Florida State could possibly seal an undefeated season for BYU.  A win for FSU over a Top 10 team would bring life to a program that has been stagnant over the past few years. 

Offensively for the Seminoles, they have been able to move the ball down the field.  They scored at will against the Hurricanes, but turnovers and dropped passes hurt them against Jacksonville State.  Quarterback Christian Ponder has played well and has thrown for 618 yards and only 1 interception.  He must get help from their running game.  The Seminoles still do not have a back who has rushed for 100 yards this year and Ponder is the team's second leading rusher.  Defense is where all the questions come into play.  They are allowing over 300 yards per game which puts them at 111th nationally.  Expect them to put pressure on BYU's quarterback to disrupt their passing attack.  Hall has been sacked four times already this season.

BYU is coming into the game with their highest ranking since 1996.  They are led by Hall who has picked apart defenses in their first two games.  He has completed 71% of his passes and has 638 yards and 4 touchdowns this year.  Look for BYU to go right at the secondary of FSU.  BYU has hinted they will try to speed up the flow of the game in hopes of taking advantage of the altitude factor.  They could be without starting free safety Scott Johnson which could be big as Florida State has had success in the air this year.

This matchup could turn out to be an offensive shootout.  BYU is favored at home by 7 1/2 over the Seminoles and the game has an over/under of 55 according to BetUS.  A win is crucial for both teams.  BYU will host it's biggest game in quite some time and has an 18 game home winning streak at stake.  If the FSU defense is able to keep BYU's scoring to a minimum, they could have a chance in this one.

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