Wyoming @ Nebraska - GTS

[J-Rod]

GTS - Guess The Score....

By this time next week, the Wyo-Nebraska result will be determined....so its pretty much "game week".

Predict the outcome for next weeks game......no need to get bent out of shape, this is all for fun. You can be as homerish or realistic or bitter beer drinking as you like.

I think Brett Smith connects well with the WRs, but the running game gets clobbered by the Cornhuskers defense. Taylor Martinez won't need to throw in this game, just run run run like they did in 2011. This won't be a complete blowout, but the Huskers will win fairly comfortably. I'm going with Wyoming - 20, Nebraska - 40. Pokes beat the spread...

Your turn....

[BeaverPoke]

31-28 wyo
B-Smith goes off and people start taking notice.

[aranderson]

38-30 Nebraska. I really hope we win but this being my no blinders guess. I don't wanna be a complete and utter homer with my score.

[BDLHusker]

45-28 Huskers

[one-smooth-poke]

It is the first game of the season. I think the Bug Eaters are still hurting over the Wisconsin game. I have some neighbors who are big NU fans....they are all talking poop...all I have to do is say, "this is gonna be very similar to Wisconsin." They get ANGRY... We are having a "joint" bbq on game day. Wyo fans at my house, NU fans at theirs. LOL..it will be fun.

Like most on here, I bleed brown and gold. If Smith runs the the offense, the receivers catch the ball, its gonna be ugly for NU. Wyo 38 NU 21. I do believe Martinez is way to confident, arrogant, and overlooking the Pokes. He is a big poop talker, especially for having so many fumbles and int's.

If the Pokes offense gets stalled, its gonna get U-G-L-Y. Could be 45 to 28.

Either way, the Pokes beat the spread. I am actually putting money on the Pokes to win. This could be the year.

[Adv8RU12]

Years and years (and years) ago, when you could go to the pool hall in downtown Laramie and place bets on from 3 to 10 games, the prevailing wisdom was that the first game of the season was the most predictable for the favored team making or beating the spread. So I will have to go with nebraska 38, Wyoming 10.

[BeaverPoke]

I just did a little more research of Taylor Martinez and his passing abilities.
In the 10 games Nebraska won, Martinez averaged 16.3 completions and 25.2 attempts, hitting 64.7%
In the 4 Nebraska lost, Martinez averaged 16.25/29 hitting 56%.
Last year you could count on an average of just over 16 completions per game from him, win or lose. The difference was the amount of passes it took to get there.

If Wyo is going to win, the Pokes are going to have to beat them like UCLA did, not the way Ohio State, Wisconsin, or South Carolina did.
UCLA only won by 6. Taylor Martinez went 17-31 with 179 yards 0 TDs and 1 pick. He also ran the ball 13 times for 112 yards averaging 8.6 yards per carry. But what should be noted is that, one of his runs was a 92 yarder. So if you take out that 1 carry, he went 12 carries for 20 yards bringing that average down to 1.67 yards per carry.
All of us Wyo fans know that our defense is likely to give up a huge run on the ground like we have seen so many times over the past couple seasons. If we can limit Martinez to just 1 of those, then stiffen up the rest of his run game, and make him throw the ball 30 times the Pokes are going to be in it.
He is bound to throw picks when he throws the ball that much.

Pokes have got to score on Nebraska early and often in the first half, and make a couple key stops. We need Martinez to throw the ball as much as possible. Of course, he does fumble the ball more than anyone in the country each season over the last 3 seasons.
I really do not see Wyo getting blown out, but Wyo has got to limit the 60+ yard runs by Nebraska, and force Martinez to make bad decisions. A couple plays throughout the game could decide this thing.

[BeaverPoke]

Years and years (and years) ago, when you could go to the pool hall in downtown Laramie and place bets on from 3 to 10 games, the prevailing wisdom was that the first game of the season was the most predictable for the favored team making or beating the spread. So I will have to go with nebraska 38, Wyoming 10.

Think Appy State was a 2 point favorite over Michigan?

[J-Rod]

BTW, spread is currently at -28.5 Nebraska.

[YankPoke]

Without those brown and gold blinders on, I think that the poke offense will definately score on a mediocre Husker d, but the Huskers pull away in the fourth for a 38-31 victory.

With the goggles on, the Huskers d gets shredded early and Wyo pulls out to a 21 point lead in the first quarter, only to slow down and have the Huskers come back and make it a close 35-31 Wyo victory.

[OrediggerPoke]

44-30 Nebraska

Brett Smith with 350 yards passing. Herron with 150 yards receiving. Nebraska with 300 yards rushing.

[CowboyNV]

I've seen over 50 Wyoming openers, and although I bleed brown and gold, I have a hunch this one gets ugly in the second half with Nebraska exploiting the Cowboy defense and our lack of depth. Pokes keep it close the first half (21-10) but the final, 48 - 10 Nebraska.

[seattlecowboy]

This will be a high scoring game. Nebraska has a very high powered offense this year and Wyoming's defense could be a little better this year than last but it won't matter in this game. Nebraska will score at minimum in the mid 40's.

Wyoming should have a decent offense this year as well and with Nebraska having a lot of new guys on their front 7 Wyoming should be able to put up some points as well.

I look for Wyoming to cover the 28 points but this game will still get away from them in the 2nd half.

Final

Nebraska 49 Wyoming 28

[Adv8RU12]

Years and years (and years) ago, when you could go to the pool hall in downtown Laramie and place bets on from 3 to 10 games, the prevailing wisdom was that the first game of the season was the most predictable for the favored team making or beating the spread. So I will have to go with nebraska 38, Wyoming 10.

Think Appy State was a 2 point favorite over Michigan?

You are not using logic. This is gambling. Nothing is guaranteed. It is just that the observation was that, in the first game, the spread was the best way to play it, statistics wise. You don't win ever time when you gamble. By the way, I have never seen odds for Div-I vs Div-II games posted in the newspaper. Maybe they show up on some Las Vegas pink sheets.

[BeaverPoke]

Years and years (and years) ago, when you could go to the pool hall in downtown Laramie and place bets on from 3 to 10 games, the prevailing wisdom was that the first game of the season was the most predictable for the favored team making or beating the spread. So I will have to go with nebraska 38, Wyoming 10.

Think Appy State was a 2 point favorite over Michigan?

You are not using logic. This is gambling. Nothing is guaranteed. It is just that the observation was that, in the first game, the spread was the best way to play it, statistics wise. You don't win ever time when you gamble. By the way, I have never seen odds for Div-I vs Div-II games posted in the newspaper. Maybe they show up on some Las Vegas pink sheets.

I'm not using logic? Or you are taking every comment to heart and getting upset? It was a joke. Hence the wink. Calm down.
My point was that if Appy St. won @ Michigan, anything can happen.

[TheRealUW]

The Pokes will need a minimum of a 14 point lead at the half to have a shot of holding on. Unfortunately, I just don't see that scenario playing out come Saturday.

I think we will move the ball in the first half, but the Nebraska defense will step up with a big play on several occasions to limit the number of points we put on the board. I see us scoring 10 points in the first half. Now, the second half will be an entirely different story. The depth will begin to show and this "mediocre" Nebraska defense will completely shut down the Pokes in the second half. The Nebraska offense will be efficient all game long.

In the end...42-13 Nebraska.

[The Virginian]

Given that both teams have good offenses and both teams have questionable defenses, I'm sad to have to give the nod to the Huskers 42-24. I'm afraid our defense is going to get blown out and our offense won't be able to keep up with the Husker's O.

I don't like saying it. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong.

[BeaverPoke]

I get that some Pokes fans don't think that we will fine which is fine, but I don't see how Nebraska is going to blow us out or shut down Brett Smith, or beat us worse than Texas did last season. This high powered Nebraska offense is so turnover prone. Martinez is a huge fumbling and interception machine, did people forget about that?
People are hyping Nebraska's D like it is Alabama's and hyping their offense like it is Oregon's.
They aren't THAT good. Likely much better than us, but let's be real, they are not great by ANY means.
Plus, Wyo's offense is going to be legit. It will score more than 10 or 13 points on Nebraska.

[djm19]

I love the optimism BP, but although Taylor may be a turnover machine, I think they are too deep. We have a very unproven defense. Nebraska could probably line up and knock the shi outta us running the ball the entire game. Just wear us down. Plus, if we are running a fast paced offense, our D could get even more tired more quickly. Until our D proves to me that they are finally able to compete, I can't go all in with a UW win. Cover the spread...possibly.

The only thing we have proven:
Brett Smith and the WR corps

Unproven:
Linebackers
Defense backs
Kicking game
Punting game

That recipe does not bode well for playing a team like Nebraska.

Pains me to say this, but final score...

Nebraska 41 UW 17

[The Virginian]

I love the optimism BP, but although Taylor may be a turnover machine, I think they are too deep. We have a very unproven defense. Nebraska could probably line up and knock the shi outta us running the ball the entire game. Just wear us down. Plus, if we are running a fast paced offense, our D could get even more tired more quickly. Until our D proves to me that they are finally able to compete, I can't go all in with a UW win. Cover the spread...possibly.

The only thing we have proven:
Brett Smith and the WR corps

Unproven:
Linebackers
Defense backs
Kicking game
Punting game

That recipe does not bode well for playing a team like Nebraska.

Pains me to say this, but final score...

Nebraska 41 UW 17

I hear you djm19. As much as I want to be wrong about it, I think the Huskers will be too much of a load. I'll be happy if they avoid the blowout and show some confidence on offense. I just don't have a lot of faith in the defense. I hope to all get out they make eat those words. I'll gladly eat a huge plate of crow for a Wyoming victory.