Machine Plays: 4-2
Missouri's new QB soph James Franklin could not feed his receivers or manage the offense in the 1st game of the season last week vs Miami-OH. The drop-off in offense from Blaine Gabbert's tenure was astounding: Missouri won 17-6 against a Maimi-OH team that was WORSE than the Miami-OH team that Mizzou pounded last year 51-13. Missouri has weapons galore at WR position, but Franklin is not comfortable in the pocket and prefers to scramble out and scatter (72 yards rushing last week). Mizzou runs a Wildcat-type offense that was effective last year with the threat of the deep throw (Gabbert), but was stagnant last week under the nervous sophomore.
Now he travels to a 100-degree desert hell-hole where ASU will be sporting the new all-black gladiator uniforms and the fans will have a "black-out" sell-out. ASU's defense played against some of the best offenses in NCAAF last year (Oregon, Stanford, USC, Wisconsin) and yet despite the fact that they had only 5 returning starters they placed a respectable 49 in scoring defense. Now they return 7 starters and should be much improved, especially at home where ASU has gone 12-6 ATS as a home favorite under Dennis Erickson.
ASU's QB Brock Osweiler is the main event tonight, as he is a huge upgrade from Steven Threet (who threw 16 ints's last year). Osweiler is accurate and shifty, not to mention HUGE (6-8, 235). The converted basketball player projects to throw over 3,500 yards if you take his stats from last year and project them over a full season. ASU gets back its leading rusher Cameron Marshall (5.2 ypc)
Injuries (all starters): Mizzou will be without WR Jerrell Jackson (Sr.), center Travis Ruth, tackle Elvis Fisher (Sr.), defensive end Jacquies Smith (2nd team all-conference), linebacker Will Ebner.
ASU will be without tackle Aderious Simmons, WR TJ Simpson, and linebacker Brandon Magee.
When you factor in the injuries, Mizzou returns 7 on offense from last year with a huge downgrade at QB, and only 4 on defense. ASU returns 7 on offense with an upgrade at QB, and returns 6 on defense.
I expect the inexperienced Mizzou QB to get his bell rung tonight by ASU's monster LB Burficit (all-american candidate) and he will play erratically. ASU will put togther enough offense to cover this spread, as Osweiler is not afraid to throw deep.
ASU -9
Missouri's new QB soph James Franklin could not feed his receivers or manage the offense in the 1st game of the season last week vs Miami-OH. The drop-off in offense from Blaine Gabbert's tenure was astounding: Missouri won 17-6 against a Maimi-OH team that was WORSE than the Miami-OH team that Mizzou pounded last year 51-13. Missouri has weapons galore at WR position, but Franklin is not comfortable in the pocket and prefers to scramble out and scatter (72 yards rushing last week). Mizzou runs a Wildcat-type offense that was effective last year with the threat of the deep throw (Gabbert), but was stagnant last week under the nervous sophomore.
Now he travels to a 100-degree desert hell-hole where ASU will be sporting the new all-black gladiator uniforms and the fans will have a "black-out" sell-out. ASU's defense played against some of the best offenses in NCAAF last year (Oregon, Stanford, USC, Wisconsin) and yet despite the fact that they had only 5 returning starters they placed a respectable 49 in scoring defense. Now they return 7 starters and should be much improved, especially at home where ASU has gone 12-6 ATS as a home favorite under Dennis Erickson.
ASU's QB Brock Osweiler is the main event tonight, as he is a huge upgrade from Steven Threet (who threw 16 ints's last year). Osweiler is accurate and shifty, not to mention HUGE (6-8, 235). The converted basketball player projects to throw over 3,500 yards if you take his stats from last year and project them over a full season. ASU gets back its leading rusher Cameron Marshall (5.2 ypc)
Injuries (all starters): Mizzou will be without WR Jerrell Jackson (Sr.), center Travis Ruth, tackle Elvis Fisher (Sr.), defensive end Jacquies Smith (2nd team all-conference), linebacker Will Ebner.
ASU will be without tackle Aderious Simmons, WR TJ Simpson, and linebacker Brandon Magee.
When you factor in the injuries, Mizzou returns 7 on offense from last year with a huge downgrade at QB, and only 4 on defense. ASU returns 7 on offense with an upgrade at QB, and returns 6 on defense.
I expect the inexperienced Mizzou QB to get his bell rung tonight by ASU's monster LB Burficit (all-american candidate) and he will play erratically. ASU will put togther enough offense to cover this spread, as Osweiler is not afraid to throw deep.
ASU -9
