posted October 3, 2008 at 15:36 in NCAA F Props
NCAAF XBOX 360 Sim - ASU Sun Devils vs. Cal Golden Bears
by Mike Rose
Week 6 of NCAAF football betting continues Saturday afternoon with a solid PAC 10 match-up that pits the (2-2 SU, 1-2 ATS) Arizona State Sun Devils against the (3-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) California Golden Bears; kick-off is slated for 3:30 ET and can be seen nationally on ABC. ASU comes into this one reeling off a pair of SU losses at home to both UNLV and Georgia, while the Cal Bears ran roughshod all over the Colorado State Rams winning by a 42-7 final count last week.
They covered the lofty 28-point spread for CFB bettors, and will look to stay perfect at home this afternoon. The home team is 8-2 ATS the L/10 overall meetings, and ASU has failed to cash a winning ticket for the NCAAF wagering public its L/4 trips to Berkeley. HC Dennis Erickson’s Sun Devils knocked Cal off at home last year 31-20 as three-point home chalks.
Weather: Mostly sunny. Highs from around 60 near the ocean to the upper 70s well inland.
1st Quarter:
Cal got the ball first and set up shop at its own 33. QB Nate Longshore missed on his first pass, and RB Jahvid Best was dropped for a three yard loss. The Sun Devils were flagged for PI on their 3rd down play, but Cal wasn’t able to get anything done after that and was forced to punt.
ASU started its first drive from its own 16 yard line, and was able to move the chains due to a pass interference penalty on 1st down. QB Rudy Carpenter’s next two passes fell incomplete, and RB Keegan Herring only gained seven yards on 3rd down forcing the Sun Devils to forfeit its possession of the ball.
After forcing a three and out, ASU took back possession of the ball at its own 22. Carpenter completed his first big pass of the game to WR Chris McGaha for 29-yards and followed it up with a strike to WR Michael Jones for 23 to set them up 1st and 10 at the Bears 18-yard line. After another PI penalty moved them to Cal’s three-yard line, RB Herring punched it in to get the Sun Devils on the board first.
ASU’s defense got the ball right back in the offenses hands after Cal’s third possession sacking QB Longshore on back-to-back plays, and the special teams set them up nicely at ASU’s 38.
Carpenter nailed WR Jones for another 20-yard gain and then again for 10 more, and RB Herring did the rest scampering in from nine out for his second TD of the afternoon.
ASU 14 CAL 0
2nd QUARTER
After doing absolutely nothing but hurt the team in the 1st quarter, Longshore and the rest of the offense took the field determined to get Cal back in the game. That said; it was the same old song and dance from the Bears who dropped passes and committed penalties forcing a punt from its own seven-yard line.
ASU took possession of the ball at its own 47 and never looked back. After three consecutive rushes from RB Herring that totaled 21 yards, the Bears were flagged for another PI penalty that set ASU up 1st and 10 from Cal’s 14 yard line. After WR Kyle Williams gained six yards on an end around, RB Herring dove in from one yard out to register his third rushing TD of the day.
Now simply embarrassed about what’s transpired in the first 20+ minutes of the game, Cal’s offense finally got off. Longshore hit his TE for 20, and then hit his other TE for 20 more. RB Best rattled off a couple big gainers, and before you knew it, Cal was set up 1st and 10 at ASU’s 18 yard line. But unfortunately, another holding penalty put them too far behind the chains and they had to settle for a 34 yard FG by Jordan Kay.
ASU looked well on its way towards putting more points on the board set up 1st and 10 at midfield on its next possession, but the Cal “D” stepped up and made a play when CB Syd’quan Thompson stepped in front of Carpenter’s pass and picked it off.
Now staring at 1st and 10 from its own 41, Longshore connected with frosh WR LaReylle Cunningham for 25 yards and then with WR Nate Boateng for eight more to set Cal up 1st and 10 at ASU’s 12 yard line. After getting sacked on 1st down, Best ran for seven yards and then Longshore hit Boateng for an eight-yard scoring strike to cut into the Sun Devils lead a little more right before the half expired.
ASU 21 CAL 10
3rd Quarter
Cal took possession of the ball first in the second half. HC Jeff Tedford elected to grind it out a bit with his bevy of RBs to tire out the ASU “D”. The plan worked, but it only got them three points when it was all said and done.
HC Erickson took a chance he probably shouldn’t have when he elected to go for it on 4th and short from the Bears 40. Carpenter got dropped for a six yard loss while surveying the field for an open receiver, and Cal took over at its own 47. “Ole Mo” was seriously on the Bears sideline after scoring the L/13 points and coming up with the big stop.
That said; ASU’s “D” was up to the challenge and dropped Longshore on 3rd and 3 for the third time in the game, and the special teams set Carpenter and company up nicely at their own 37.
After a Cal penalty allowed them to move the chains on 3rd down, RB Herring set Carpenter up for the 22-yard TD strike after taking it down to Cal’s 22 on five straight rushes.
Cal wasted no time in answering the score. Longshore hit WR Boateng in stride and 65 yards later, he was celebrating in the endzone with his teammates.
After ASU moved the chains once and got to midfield, the Cal defense stiffened and forced a punt as the third quarter came to a close.
ASU 28 CAL 20
4TH QUARTER
The Bears sprayed the ball all over the field to its plethora of WR’s, and then RB Best got them into ASU territory after a 15-yard scamper. Longshore hit frosh WR Cunningham for 23-yards to set the offense up 1st and 10 at the 15, and the freshman hauled in Longshore’s next pass for the 15-yard TD reception. ASU’s defense dropped RB Best for a four yard loss on an attempted draw to try and knot the game up at 28.
Stop reading right now if you’re a Sun Devils fan. After the special teams returned the kick to its own 27, a botched exchange occurred and Cal pounced on it at ASU’s 32 yard line.
After Longshore’s first pass fell incomplete, frosh WR Cunningham came up with another huge play when he outleaped the ASU defender and came down with the ball at ASU’s 1-yard line. Best pounded it in, and the Bears came all the way back to take the lead. It was bedlam throughout Memorial Stadium throughout the entirety of the commercial break. The only negative was the extra point getting blocked, but it was still a four point game.
Neither offense was able to do anything on its next possession, but ASU fumbled the punt after the defense forced a three and out, and Cal gained possession at the Sun Devils 34 yard line. ASU’s defense limited the damage holding the Bears to just a FG.
Arizona State managed to get to midfield down seven with less than a minute remaining on its next possession, but Carpenter’s next four passes fell incomplete and the Bears took over on downs.
They lined up in victory formation and came back to win in a game they were all but dead in after the first 20 minutes of play.
FINAL SCORE: ARIZONA STATE 28 CALIFORNIA 35
This game simulation calls for an Arizona State cover and for the game to go Over the posted ‘Total’. You can get Arizona
State (+9.5) –110 and the Over 55 –110 right now at BetUS.com!
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASU | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| CAL | 0 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 35 |
QB Rudy Carpenter: 26/38 328 yards 1 TD 1 INT
QB Nate Longshore: 18/28 304 yards 3 TD 0 INT
RB Keegan Herring: 17 carries for 103 yards 3 TD Long of 12
RB Jahvid Best: 13 carries for 58 yards 1 TD Long of 8
WR Chris McGaha: 3 receptions for 70 yards 1 TD Long of 25
WR Nyan Boateng: 4 receptions for 99 yards 2 TD Long of 65
| ASU | CAL | |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL OFFENSE | 461 | 412 |
| RUSHING YARDS | 133 | 108 |
| PASSING YARDS | 328 | 304 |
| 1ST DOWNS | 24 | 15 |
| TOTAL YARDS | 676 | 517 |
| TURNOVERS | 4 | 0 |
| 3RD DOWN CONV | 3/8 37% | 6/15 40% |
| PENALTIES | 5-45 | 8-90 |
| TIME OF POSSESSION | 30:30 | 29:30 |