Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at No. 6 Florida State Seminoles
Saturday, 9/3/11, 3:30 PM EST, TV: ESPN U
Opening Point Spread: Florida State -28
Current Betting Line: Florida State -29
Opening Total: 50
Current Total: 55
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Louisiana-Monroe has been down this road before in kicking off a season against a ranked opponent, as its showdown against Florida State marks the fourth-straight season in doing so. The Warhawks have not won a season opener since beating Alcorn State 24-6 to kickoff the 2006 season. The program has still enjoyed success over the years, averaging a third-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference over the past seven seasons. In fact, the program has the second-best winning percentage in the state of Louisiana over the past five seasons. Louisiana-Monroe is 11-12 ATS over the last two seasons.
The Warhawks have always possessed in opportunistic defense that has caused at least one turnover in 21-of-24 games under defensive coordinator Troy Reffett. Overall, Louisiana-Monroe has forced 42 turnovers over that period. Freshman quarterback Kolton Browning is on the brink of stardom, after averaging 244.8 total yards of offense a year ago, which was the third-highest average by a freshman nationally. The team still has little chance of picking up a victory Saturday afternoon due to its 0-20 all-time mark against ranked opponents, including an 0-6 mark when opening the season.
Florida State is the defending ACC Atlantic Division champions after finishing 2010 with a 10-4 record and a 26-17 win over South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Seminoles are likely to use this contest as a tune-up for a matchup against Oklahoma that looms large down the road. “These guys are all going to play about the same amount of time,” commented Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher about the team’s depth chart. “That’s what happens when you get good players, you have depth.” The program has tallied an 8-1 all-time mark against current members of the Sun Belt Conference. Florida State is 3-8 ATS in home games.
The Seminoles will be led by quarterback EJ Manuel this season, taking over for the departed Christian Ponder, who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round last year. Manuel has posted a 4-2 record as a starter while on campus and completed 67.3 percent of his passes. He will have plenty of experienced targets to choose from, as three of the top four wide receivers from a year ago return. Running back Chris Thompson is a dangerous option in the backfield and averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 2010.
Bettors will likely back the Seminoles due to their 4-1 ATS mark in non-conference games, while the Warhawks are 17-37 ATS in the same situation.
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