LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) – Week Three is more interesting that
Week Two on the local college football scene. No games against FCS opponents.
Statement games for Louisville and Western Kentucky. A payback game for
Indiana. A must win for Kentucky and Joker Phillips.
Anything else?
Sure: Best of all, all three games in legitimate doubt.
Let's go to the videotape.
North Carolina at Louisville, 3:30 p.m.
AccuScore.com puts U of L's win probability at 58.5 percent,
with the Cards favored by 3 ½.
Picking Louisville: The Sports Network, 31-23. Jeff Sagarin
by 5 ½. Rick Bozich, 21-17. Eric Crawford, 34-24. Mitchell Light, Athlon
Sports, 24-20.
Picking North Carolina: Phil Steele by 1.
Keys to the Game: Will North Carolina running back Giovani
Bernard play?
UNC coach Larry Fedora believes that Bernard wants to play
but isn't certain if he'll be available because of discomfort in his left knee
that kept him on the sidelines against Wake Forest last weekend. Bernard is Carolina's best back, the key to
Fedora's spread offense.
Red zone efficiency. North Carolina was forced to settle for
two field goals in five trips inside the Wake Forest 20 last weekend, while the
Demon Deacons generated four touchdowns in their four red zone trips.
Western Kentucky at Kentucky, 7 p.m.
AccuScore.com puts Kentucky's win probability at 74.8
percent, with the Wildcats favored by 7.
Picking Kentucky: The Sports Network predicts UK 31, WKU 23,
Jeff Sagarin by – wow! -- 13, Phil Steele by 7; Rick Bozich, 24-20. Mitchell
Light, Athlon Sports, 20-10. (Although three other Athlon writers like WKU).
Picking Western Kentucky: Eric Crawford, 35-31.
Keys to the Game: Can Kentucky run the ball against the WKU
defensive front? Alabama discovered there wasn't much joy in that. The Crimson
Tide managed only 103 yards on 31 attempts against the Hilltoppers in
Tuscaloosa last weekend. Kentucky has to control WKU quarterback Kawaun Jakes,
who has completed more than 70 percent of his passes this season.
Ball State at Indiana, 8 p.m.
AccuScore.com puts Indiana's win probability at 63.1
percent, with the Hoosiers favored by 3.
Picking Indiana: Jeff Sagarin by 10 ½, Phil Steele by 7,
Eric Crawford, 31-27. Mitchell Light, Athlon Sports, 21-20.
Picking Ball State: The Sports Network, 31-27, Rick Bozich,
27-17.
Keys to the Game: Ball State has a running back to remember
– sophomore Jahwan Edwards, who ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns against
Eastern Michigan. Ball State ran and ran the ball against Indiana in
Indianapolis last September. Indiana State hurt IU with its running game, so
expect Ball State to trust the handoff to Edwards. Ball State has won two
straight against IU, one in Bloomington, the other in Indianapolis.
Cameron Coffman gets the start for Indiana. He played 2 ½
quarters after Tre Roberson broke his leg last weekend. He's not the runner
that Roberson is, and you wonder how smoothly Indiana's no-huddle attack will
move with the change.
Copyright 2012 WDRB News. All Rights Reserved.
Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana are all favored to win this weekend -- but not by much.
