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As we well know, just because a team plays in FCS doesn’t automatically mean the Cougs will roll. But if there ever was a chance for a get-right game for a team that is struggling, today’s matchup with Duquesne would be it.
The Dukes aren’t just any FCS team — they are a very, very bad FCS team. They’re off to an 0-2 start after getting dominate by Air Force in week one (34-0) and then drilled by fellow FCS team Youngstown State (70-13) in week two. In those two games, the Falcons and Penguins failed to score on just three drives that weren’t at the end of a half.
Perhaps the greatest indicator of the perceived quality of the Dukes: WSU is now a 39-point favorite (up from an open of 37.5) despite having scored just one (1) offensive touchdown in two games.
And yet, there’s a bit of an unease about this one for me.
Not that I doubt the outcome — I do think that’s a foregone conclusion. But as we add data points, I’d sure like to finally add a positive one today. Duquesne has been utterly uncompetitive in its first two games, and since we would surely like to believe the Cougars are better than both Air Force and (gulp) Youngstown State, WSU needs to add a third uncompetitive contest to the Dukes’ ledger for us to feel secure in that assessment.
A lot of WSU’s slow start has been pinned on playing a couple of tough matchups on the road right out of the gate. The Cougars need to show us today that the schedule was the main culprit and that our faith was not completely misplaced as they finally return to Pullman for their home opener.
Critical Info
Game time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Location: Back Home
Weather forecast at kickoff: 71 degrees and sunny, slight breeze
How to watch: USA Network/USANetwork.com
How to listen: WSUCougars.com
Live stats: StatBroadcast
Gamblin’
Consensus via TeamRankings.com.
Bet | Open | Now |
|---|---|---|
Spread | WSU -37 | WSU -39 |
O/U | 52.5 | 53 |
Moneyline | OFF | OFF |
This week’s podcast (in case you missed it)
What I’ll be watching for: Offensive strategy
At a school such as WSU, which has hung its hat on offense for virtually my entire lifetime, watching the team struggle so mightily to get in the end zone for the first two weeks was a particular kind of pain.
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