Bold Predictions Challenge: Bryant

Here’s our Bold Prediction’s scoreboard for the Brevard game. After much review, it looks like Josh Woodrum was the answer to last week’s bonus question so Rachel Macpherson was the only one to get it right. Here’s the link to last week’s game.

After three weeks in the books here are our standings:

Ben Dussault has taken a pretty commanding lead after a few weeks, but keep pressing on, the Bold Predictions Challenge is just getting started.

Now for Brevard week!

Submit your picks in the comments section. Good Luck!

1. Total points scored will be less than 34.5.

Why this is bold- Liberty is averaging 34 points per game while Bryant is averaging 22 points per contest.

Why it will happen- Last time Liberty went up against a stout defense, the final score was 17-0. I expect this game to be a defensive struggle similar to that Norfolk State game. Also, both teams have had a cupcake game to inflate their PPG average higher than what it probably should be.

2. Dominique Davis and Chima Uzowihe total for 3+ sacks.

Why this is bold- They’ve only combined for 3.5 sacks on the year.

Why it will happen- Davis and Uzowihe have been giving O-lines a lot of trouble, it’s only a matter of time before some big numbers follow.

3. Jacob Hagen has part in a turnover (interception, strip, fumble recovery).

Why this is bold- Even though Jacob Hagen is the man, it’s too much to expect a forced turnover from him every single game.

Why it will happen- Jacob Hagen is a ball hawk and seems to be involved in every pivotal play the defense makes. Though he’s only thrown one interception this year, Dalton Easton’s quarterback play hasn’t been convincing (55% completion percentage). I think he’ll hook up with Hagen at some point Saturday.

4. Tom Alberti (Bryant kicker) misses a field goal.

Why this is bold- Alberti is a D-1 kicker, which usually means you don’t miss many field goals.

Why it will happen- Alberti is 4 of 6 on the season so far, and I don’t think the atmosphere at Williams Stadium will help his chances.

5. Zac Parker has a 35+ yard punt or kickoff return.

Why this is bold- Parker hasn’t been able to break one yet. He averages 5 yards per punt return and 18.6 per kick return.

Why it will happen- We got a glimpse of the wheels on Parker last game. The Flames may need a spark against the stout Bryant defense, and Parker definitely has big play ability.

6. Josh Woodrum rushes for more yards than Flames are penalized for.

Why this is bold- Josh is only averaging 16 yards per game. Meanwhile, the Flames are averaging 48 penalty yards per game.

Why it will happen- Every time he takes off, I’m impressed with Woodrum’s rushing ability. Bryant has been very solid in coverage this year, and I could see Woodrum needing to make some plays with his feet. The Flames have also been pretty disciplined on the penalty front.

7. Attendance is 17,777+.

Why this is bold- Even though the Bulldogs are currently a top 25 team, they aren’t a household name after they just finished making their move to D1 in 2012. We’ve never had any history with them and they aren’t close enough to expect them to travel well. I don’t think this game will generate as much interest as it should.

Why it will happen- CFAW will inflate the numbers a bit. I expect the student side to be packed to the brim at kickoff.

Bonus (worth 1/10th of the greater value): Which will be greater on Saturday- Trey Turner’s average punt yardage or Todd Macon’s total rushing yardage.

Currently Macon is averaging 40.7 yards per game while Turner is averaging 40.6 yards per punt.

As usual, submit your picks by 11:59 P.M. on Friday.