Sakoda kicks Utes to bowl win over Tulsa
NCAA Football Betting Lines
12/24/2006 - Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Louie Sakoda connected on all four of his field goals as Utah downed Tulsa, 25-13, to win the Armed Forces Bowl.
Brett Ratliff threw for 240 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Utes (8-5), who are a perfect 6-0 in bowl games since 1999. The versatile Eric Weddle rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown and also intercepted Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith on the last play of the game.
Smith finished with 158 yards passing while running for two scores for the Golden Hurricane (8-5), who were making back-to-back post-season appearances for the first time since 1964-65.
The Utes took advantage of a good field position on their first possession of the game for the first score. Ratliff's 16-yard completion to Brian Hernandez set up Sakoda's first boot of the game, a 45-yarder with just under eight minutes to play in the first.
Tulsa survived a muffed punt late in the first quarter before embarking on a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive that bridged the first and second quarters.
Courtney Tennial rushed for 42 yards on the drive as Smith dove across the goal line from one yard out to put Tulsa up 7-3 early in the second quarter.
Ratliff began to heat up on Utah's next possession, completing three consecutive passes before hooking up with Brent Casteel for a 17-yard gain down to the Tulsa three yard line. However, Casteel was called for illegal touching after stepping out-of-bounds and the catch was nullified. Utah instead settled for a 39-yard Sakoda field goal that made it 7-6 with 8:50 left in the first half.
The Utes got the ball back with just over a minute left to play and put together an impressive late scoring drive. Ratliff scrambled for a 19-yard gain to the Tulsa 48-yard line before hitting Marquis Wilson for a 24-yard reception with just two seconds left on the clock. Sakoda stepped on the field and nailed a 41-yarder to put Utah up 9-7 at the break.
Utah came out strong to start the second half with a seven-play, 74-yard scoring march capped by Casteel's touchdown off a hook-and-ladder play. Ratliff threw out to the left flank to Hernandez, who tossed the ball back to Casteel. Casteel then ran untouched into the end zone to give the Utes a 16-7 lead.
Sakoda's 34-yarder on Utah's next possession gave the Utes a 19-7 lead with 3:02 left in the third.
Ratliff's errant throw early in the fourth quarter gave the Golden Hurricane some life as Bobby Blackshire came up with the interception. Tulsa capitalized on the short field as Smith scored his second TD of the game. Jarod Tracy pushed the extra point wide right to keep the score 19-13.
Tulsa then got the ball back with a chance to take the lead, but the Golden Hurricane stalled with a three-and-out. The subsequent punt and return gave Utah good field position and the Utes were able to take advantage.
With Weddle lined up primarily at the quarterback position, Utah ran the ball down Tulsa's throat, with Weddle scoring from four yards out to ice the game.
Game Notes
Hernandez finished with eight catches for 60 yards for the Utes, while Casteel rushed seven times for 66 yards...Tarrion Adams was Tulsa's leading receiver with nine catches for 63 yards.
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Super Bowl XLIV Odds
Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.
Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.
That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.
Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.
After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.
The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).
To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.
NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV
New England Patriots 8/1
Dallas Cowboys 9/1
New York Giants 10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Indianapolis Colts 12/1
San Diego Chargers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens 14/1
Tennessee Titans 16/1
Carolina Panthers 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Atlanta Falcons 25/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Green Bay Packers 25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
New York Jets 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 30/1
Chicago BearS 30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1
Buffalo Bills 35/1
Houston TexaNS 35/1
Miami Dolphins 35/1
Washington Redskins 35/1
Seattle SeahawkS 50/1
Cleveland Browns 55/1
Cincinnati Bengals 60/1
San Francisco 49ers 60/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
St. Louis Rams 75/1
Detroit Lions 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Odds as of: 2/2/09
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.