Iowa State looks to snap TD drought against Iowa

NCAA Football Betting Lines

09/07/2010 -

AMES, Iowa (AP) -Former Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer's second-quarter touchdown run gave the Cyclones a 14-3 lead over Iowa back in 2006, and it looked as though Iowa State was set to stun its rival yet again.

Little did anyone know, that would be the last TD the Cyclones would score against the Hawkeyes - in that game or since.

No. 9 Iowa (1-0) hasn't let up a touchdown to Iowa State in 14 quarters, a stretch that's spanned four years and three coaches; Dan McCarney, Gene Chizik and now Paul Rhoads. The Cyclones head back to Kinnick for Saturday's matchup with the Hawkeyes knowing they will need more than field goals to pull off the upset.

``We have to limit our turnovers and obviously, execute,'' Iowa State running back Alexander Robinson said. ``They're a good defense regardless, but especially in the red zone.''

Rhoads knew going into the season that Iowa State (1-0) was going to have to score more than the 20.5 points it averaged a year ago if it was going to have a shot at another bowl game.

The Cyclones still have work to do on offense, but they were productive enough to get by Northern Illinois in the opener.

Iowa State totaled 403 yards of offense in last Thursday night's 27-10 win over the Huskies. But although the Cyclones rushed for three TDs, two by Alexander Robinson and one by quarterback Austen Arnaud, they averaged less than four yards per carry. Nearly half of those yards came on Robinson's 63-yard score early in the second quarter.

Arnaud also had a 53-yard rush for a score called back on a penalty, though, and Rhoads said Monday that Northern Illinois stacked the box in attempt to keep the Cyclones from establishing the run.

``They were going to make us beat them with the passing game, and Austen and the rest of the offense did that,'' Rhoads said.

Arnaud, who spent the offseason tweaking his mechanics in an effort to be more accurate, was certainly on target against the Huskies, completing 27 of 36 passes for 265 yards. But he didn't throw a touchdown pass and had two of his throws picked off - including a brutal misread deep in Northern Illinois territory in the third quarter, when the Cyclones looked poised to bury the Huskies.

It was the kind of throw Arnaud made all too often last season against Iowa, when he tossed four picks in Iowa's 35-3 win in Ames.

``I played terrible,'' Arnaud said of last season's loss. ``It's something that I hope to not do again going into this year, but I can't think about it, let it hang over my head.''

Rhoads was pleased with Arnaud's first effort of this season, although he noted there is still room for improvement with his senior quarterback.

``He threw two bad interceptions, and they were bad decisions on his part and bad balls on his part. But he threw for 75 percent accuracy with 36 thrown balls, which is something he didn't do a year ago,'' Rhoads said. ``He did a great job of executing and running the offense. He did a nice job running the football.''

The Cyclones could find it tough to break their touchdown drought against the Hawkeyes, who return eight starters from a defense that allowed just 15.4 points per game last season and beat Eastern Illinois 37-7 in their opener.

Iowa held the Panthers to just 157 yards, and Eastern Illinois needed a perfectly executed fake punt and long pass play to set up their lone touchdown.

Iowa State did beat Iowa in 2007 without scoring a touchdown, winning 15-13 in Ames on a late field goal. But the Cyclones were outscored 52-8 in the last two meetings between the heated rivals, notching just two field goals and a late safety in a 17-5 loss in 2008.

``They're not a flashy team by their own account. They've got a front four that's as good as any front four in the country,'' Rhoads said. ``There's something to be said for doing something over and repeatedly and doing it really well. That's the University of Iowa.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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