Giving where these two teams are at - I am surprised the line here is only -10.......So far this season - this is not a Mid Tenn team with great QB play and an explosive offense like we are used to seeing and that does not change @ Minnesota Saturday.
Right off the bat Mid Tenn QB Brent Stockstill will be less than 100% after having his shoulder slammed to the ground at SYC.....I am not even sure he is cleared to play as of yet.
Mid Tenn only put up 6 points and 240 YDS of total offense VS Vandy in week 1.......Last season VS Vandy they put up 495 YDS
Last week VS SYC MID Tenn put up 30 but were very fortunate to do so getting some short fields.......They still rushed for under 100 YDS and Stockstill did not look like his last year version passing for only 269 and a pick.
Through two games in 2017, Stockstill has carried the ball 21 times for 21 yards, which includes taking six sacks. That's nearly half of the 45 carries he had in 10 games last year, when he was sacked just eight times.......Losing 3 OL has proved to be detrimental so far this year.
Beware this is not the Mid Tenn offense of last year.
This week MID Tenn goes up against the best defense they are going to face all season(on the road at that ) and I think its safe to say Stockstill has a rough game....He has not been getting any support from his run game either and that will not change this week.
Minnesota was a very strong defensive team last season only allowing 340 YDS and 22 pts per game last season.....They are starting right where they finished last season by dominating both Buffalo and Oregon ST on the road allowing 7 and 14 PTS and each opponent to under 250 YD of offense.
Minnesota offense struggled out of the gate vs Buffalo only putting up 17 while breaking in their young QBS in......They looked much better on the road out west last week putting up 48 on ORG ST.....They return 7 starters on a team who AVG 27 per game VS Big 10 defenses and are very capable of having a big day at home in this spot.
This line (-10) is set based on what we have seen from the Mid Tenn offense in the last 2 seasons........But that offense will not be on display.
The question is which of these teams show up. The Middle Tenn. team that was routed by Vandy at home, or the team that beat Syracuse as a 10 point dog on the road. Ditto Minnesota. Will the team that crushed Oregon State on the road show up, or the team that barely got past Buffalo at home? IMO, the Big 10 is very over rated this season. Minny is 2-10 in this situation, being a HF of more than 8 after two straight S/U wins. Still, I can not trust Middle Tennessee's offense. Pass.
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Easy win for Minnesota -10 IMO
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