Kansas managed to win their final game of the season over Iowa State to get to six wins and bowl eligible. Their final record of 6-6 isn?t too impressive, but never the less they?re still going to show up in Orlando.
This is the first bowl game for Kansas since 1995. That was a good year in Lawrence as the Jayhawks won nine regular season games and capped off their season with a big bowl win, a 51-30 pasting of UCLA as 5.5-point underdogs.
Kansas also made a bowl appearance in ?92. They scored another SU underdog win as they defeated BYU 23-20. However, bowl games for Kansas have been few and far between as prior to the 1992 game, you have to go all the way back to 1981 to find Kansas in a bowl game.
This year was the second at Kansas for Mark Mangino. Mangino has been an assistant at Kansas State and Oklahoma, and knows what it takes to rebuild a program. However, at the end of last season it was ugly as the Jayhawks lost their final seven games of the season, and in fact were a great team to play against as they covered only three times all season.
This year it?s been a little better for the Jayhawks bettors as they climbed above .500 against the spread, posting a 6-5 ATS mark. If you read our 2003 Football Betting Guide you would know that Kansas was the only team in the past eight seasons not to have at least one season on the plus ATS side.
Kansas started the season at 5-2 and had a date in Manhattan with the Kansas State Wildcats. They wanted to see how good they really were. The Sportsbooks didn?t think they were very good as they had Kansas as three touchdown underdogs. They weren?t as they were ripped up by Kansas State 42-6. However, Kansas?s QB, Bill Whittemore suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter in the game. Whittemore was out for the remainder of that game and the next three games, all Kansas losses.
Whittemore was out, but what happened to the Kansas defense. In those four losses they allowed 155 points, an average of 38 per loss. One could argue that without Whittemore they couldn?t move the ball, thus forcing their defense to stay on the field the whole game.
However, one could also argue that those other three losses were against some mediocre teams at best the likes of Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Nebraska. Although two of those teams are bowl teams, neither is in major bowls.
When you analyze this game take a close look at Kansas? schedule. You see anything missing? That?s right, they didn?t have to play Texas or Oklahoma. Not sure Kansas would have made it to this bowl game had one of those Big 12 big boys been on their schedule.
The other glaring point on the Kansas stat sheet is there defensive points allowed on the road. It's ugly. Kansas is allowing 43.2 points per game on the road. All their defensive road numbers are awful so there?s no need to review them.
Unlike Kansas, NC State isn?t too pleased with having to play this early in the bowl season. After last year?s 11-3 record which included a 28-6 bowl win over Notre Dame, the Wolfpack was expecting big things this season.
However, they couldn?t overcome some early season injuries and bad luck. Early on Heisman hopeful, running back T.A McLendon, was sidelined. After opening with a 59-20 win over non-lined W. Carolina, the Wolfpack troubles began. They went to Wake Forest and were stunned by the Demon Deacons, losing 38-24 as 8-point favorites. Maybe they got caught looking ahead to Ohio State, as they had to travel to Columbus the following week.
Against the Buckeyes, they trailed Ohio State 24-7 in the fourth quarter and behind Phillip Rivers stormed back to tie up the Buckeyes 24-24 and send the game into overtime. They ended up losing 44-38, but did get the money as 8.5-point dogs.
NC State righted the ship with back-to-back home wins over Texas Tech and N. Carolina, but their road troubles continued when they went to Georgia Tech the following week. NC State lost to the Yellow Jackets 29-21 as 6-point road favorites.
Then after four straight wins, they have a big game against Florida State in Tallahassee. Another overtime game, another overtime loss. This time is was 50-44, but again the Wolfpack get the money as lofty 13.5-point underdogs.
NC State couldn?t rebound off that loss as they hosted Maryland to end the season and lost to the Terps 26-24, failing as 1-point home dogs.
In reviewing the NC State season, they weren?t very far from having only one or two losses. A couple of breaks and they may be playing in a major bowl game. However, they?ll have to settle for Disney World this time. The big question is will they get up to play this lowly Kansas team?
The Sportsbooks seem to think so as they have NC State as 11-point favorites. They?re also looking for a high scoring game as the over/under is way up there at 63 points. Will Kansas be the motivated team here and is an upset a possibility?
It?s tough to look past the fact that Kansas has allowed all of those points on the road this season. If you think that Kansas will allow NC State to get to their average of 36 points then you?ll be backing the Wolfpack as in College Bowl games teams that score 35 or more points cover over 90% of the time!
This is the first bowl game for Kansas since 1995. That was a good year in Lawrence as the Jayhawks won nine regular season games and capped off their season with a big bowl win, a 51-30 pasting of UCLA as 5.5-point underdogs.
Kansas also made a bowl appearance in ?92. They scored another SU underdog win as they defeated BYU 23-20. However, bowl games for Kansas have been few and far between as prior to the 1992 game, you have to go all the way back to 1981 to find Kansas in a bowl game.
This year was the second at Kansas for Mark Mangino. Mangino has been an assistant at Kansas State and Oklahoma, and knows what it takes to rebuild a program. However, at the end of last season it was ugly as the Jayhawks lost their final seven games of the season, and in fact were a great team to play against as they covered only three times all season.
This year it?s been a little better for the Jayhawks bettors as they climbed above .500 against the spread, posting a 6-5 ATS mark. If you read our 2003 Football Betting Guide you would know that Kansas was the only team in the past eight seasons not to have at least one season on the plus ATS side.
Kansas started the season at 5-2 and had a date in Manhattan with the Kansas State Wildcats. They wanted to see how good they really were. The Sportsbooks didn?t think they were very good as they had Kansas as three touchdown underdogs. They weren?t as they were ripped up by Kansas State 42-6. However, Kansas?s QB, Bill Whittemore suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter in the game. Whittemore was out for the remainder of that game and the next three games, all Kansas losses.
Whittemore was out, but what happened to the Kansas defense. In those four losses they allowed 155 points, an average of 38 per loss. One could argue that without Whittemore they couldn?t move the ball, thus forcing their defense to stay on the field the whole game.
However, one could also argue that those other three losses were against some mediocre teams at best the likes of Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Nebraska. Although two of those teams are bowl teams, neither is in major bowls.
When you analyze this game take a close look at Kansas? schedule. You see anything missing? That?s right, they didn?t have to play Texas or Oklahoma. Not sure Kansas would have made it to this bowl game had one of those Big 12 big boys been on their schedule.
The other glaring point on the Kansas stat sheet is there defensive points allowed on the road. It's ugly. Kansas is allowing 43.2 points per game on the road. All their defensive road numbers are awful so there?s no need to review them.
Unlike Kansas, NC State isn?t too pleased with having to play this early in the bowl season. After last year?s 11-3 record which included a 28-6 bowl win over Notre Dame, the Wolfpack was expecting big things this season.
However, they couldn?t overcome some early season injuries and bad luck. Early on Heisman hopeful, running back T.A McLendon, was sidelined. After opening with a 59-20 win over non-lined W. Carolina, the Wolfpack troubles began. They went to Wake Forest and were stunned by the Demon Deacons, losing 38-24 as 8-point favorites. Maybe they got caught looking ahead to Ohio State, as they had to travel to Columbus the following week.
Against the Buckeyes, they trailed Ohio State 24-7 in the fourth quarter and behind Phillip Rivers stormed back to tie up the Buckeyes 24-24 and send the game into overtime. They ended up losing 44-38, but did get the money as 8.5-point dogs.
NC State righted the ship with back-to-back home wins over Texas Tech and N. Carolina, but their road troubles continued when they went to Georgia Tech the following week. NC State lost to the Yellow Jackets 29-21 as 6-point road favorites.
Then after four straight wins, they have a big game against Florida State in Tallahassee. Another overtime game, another overtime loss. This time is was 50-44, but again the Wolfpack get the money as lofty 13.5-point underdogs.
NC State couldn?t rebound off that loss as they hosted Maryland to end the season and lost to the Terps 26-24, failing as 1-point home dogs.
In reviewing the NC State season, they weren?t very far from having only one or two losses. A couple of breaks and they may be playing in a major bowl game. However, they?ll have to settle for Disney World this time. The big question is will they get up to play this lowly Kansas team?
The Sportsbooks seem to think so as they have NC State as 11-point favorites. They?re also looking for a high scoring game as the over/under is way up there at 63 points. Will Kansas be the motivated team here and is an upset a possibility?
It?s tough to look past the fact that Kansas has allowed all of those points on the road this season. If you think that Kansas will allow NC State to get to their average of 36 points then you?ll be backing the Wolfpack as in College Bowl games teams that score 35 or more points cover over 90% of the time!
