Last Updated on September 15, 2009 3:36 pm by drew
N. Texas-Alabama Odds
Tuscaloosa,
The Crimson Tide couldn’t match that intensity last weekend, though, and needed a late surge to put away a lesser opponent.
With another Sun Belt Conference team in North Texas coming to
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have not listed odds (View College Football odds) for Saturday’s game (Game Matchup). There is currently no public betting on the game as no odds are available (View College Football bet percentages).
The Tide led 20-14 before freshman Trent Richardson’s nine-yard touchdown run with 3:14 remaining in the third. In the final quarter,
"I don’t think our guys came out with the kind of energy, enthusiasm and intensity that we need to set the tone and we allowed them to stay in the game with some mistakes that we made and some things that we didn’t do correctly," Saban said.
"I think we need to learn to get off fast and finish strong. I think that’s what we want to continue to emphasize with the players so we can play with a model of consistency over a 60-minute period."
While the game was a struggle at times, a rising star emerged at running back for
With starter Mark Ingram limited by the flu and top sub Roy Upchurch hobbled by an early ankle injury,
After having three carries in his first collegiate game against the Hokies,
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Star receiver Julio Jones, who sat out most of the last game with a bruised right knee, could also be sidelined.
Although the offense wasn’t fully loaded against Florida International,
Greg McElroy completed a school-record 14 consecutive passes before finishing 18 of 24 for 241 yards and a touchdown.
McElroy will see a familiar face on the opposing sideline this week, as North Texas coach Todd Dodge was McElroy’s high school coach at Southlake Carroll (
"Other than this game, I will be pulling for them the rest of the year," McElroy said.
Dodge will be without his starting quarterback this weekend after his son, Riley Dodge, separated his shoulder in last Saturday’s 31-30 double-overtime loss to Ohio.
Nathan Tune will start after completing 9 of 15 passes for 69 yards and one interception last week.
With their backup quarterback starting, the Mean Green (1-1) would probably like to rely on their strong running game, which has amassed 411 yards, but that could pose as a problem against the suffocating
The Tide limited Florida International to one yard on the ground, and through two games they’ve yielded 65 rushing yards on 57 attempts.
The Mean Green have also had little luck against ranked opponents, losing all 13 games since 1996. They’ve been outscored 297-23 in five games against top-10 teams since 2004.
Posted: 9/15/09 3:36PM ET