Army's next goal is a bowl game

NCAA Football Betting Lines

08/24/2010 -

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) -Rich Ellerson's first season at Army was successful in several ways. The Cadets won five games and were more competitive than they had been in years.

The goal now for Ellerson will be building on the accomplishments of the first year.

Ellerson installed a triple-option attack similar to the one Jim Young used with great success at Army in the 1980s, and the Black Knights responded by going 5-7, a season-ending loss to Navy depriving them of their first bowl berth since 1996.

Ellerson expects more this season, and he's not alone.

``The offense in general has made leaps and bounds since last year,'' senior offensive tackle Jason Johnson said. ``The cohesion level is much better than it was last year. It feels like everyone is on the same page and knows what they're doing. There is a lot more trust in the huddle.''

It starts with quarterback Trent Steelman, who last season became just the second plebe to start at quarterback for the Black Knights against Navy and the first Army quarterback, regardless of class, to start 12 games in a season.

The Black Knights averaged just more than 200 yards rushing behind Steelman, who ran for a team-high 706 yards and five touchdowns and threw for 637 yards and three TDs with two interceptions.

One of the biggest questions of the offseason was how effective senior quarterback Chip Bowden would be after recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.

So far in preseason camp, Bowden, the backup to Steelman for seven games in 2009, has not displayed any ill effects from the surgery.

Bowden has shared reps with the first string with junior Max Jenkins while Steelman nursed a minor knee injury.

Freshman wide receiver Anthony Stephens, a walk-on from Greenville, S.C., also has impressed the coaches and will be called on to help fill the void left by wideout Alejandro Villanueva, who at 6 feet 10 was the tallest player in Army football history.

Villanueva had 34 catches for 522 yards and five touchdowns in 2009 after playing offensive tackle the previous year.

``Anthony has been a pleasant surprise,'' offensive coordinator Ian Shields said. ``He just kind of showed up here. His dad went to school here. We knew about him, but he's been better than advertised.''

Pat Mealy, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored three times last season, is the top returning running back. Freshman Raymond Maples, Malcolm Brown, Brian Cobbs and fullback Jared Hassin round out the group.

``It has a chance to be an explosive group,'' Ellerson said.

Kicker Alex Carlton is back after he tied a single-season academy record with 18 field goals in 2009. Though he missed twice against Navy in the season finale and twice more in the annual spring game.

``He got rid of the shanks and went right back to work,'' Ellerson said. ``It looks like he's grown from last year.''

The past eight seasons have ended with losses to Navy, which has won 11 of 13 to take a 54-49-7 advantage in the rivalry.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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