College Football Pick Arkansas State at North Texas 10-9-10

Arkansas State Red Wolves (1-4) vs. North Texas Mean Green (1-4)

Saturday, October 9, 2010 7:00PM EST

Line: Arkansas State -3

In this Sun Belt conference meeting, two struggling teams hope to ignite their seasons with a solid win. Arkansas State is primed as the favorites because of their colorful passing game behind Ryan Aplin, who’s already thrown for 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns this season. North Texas is coming off a one-point loss to Louisiana-Lafayette last week. They possess a decent running game behind, Lance Dunbar. The junior back had 141 rushing yards and a touchdown in his last game.

Keys to the Game:

-          Former wide receiver, Riley Dodge has been filling in for Nathan Tune at quarterback lately. The six-foot sophomore has made the best out of his playing time behind center, completing 40 of his 63 passes for 400 yards and four touchdowns this season.

-          North Texas holds tight to a good set of receivers behind Darius Carey, Jamaal Jackson and Tyler Stradford. The team has also frequently looked towards their running back, Dunbar to catch the ball also. Lance has caught 14 balls for 135 yards and a touchdown.

-          Arkansas State has a more complete team on both sides of the ball. Their defense has been abused around this season, but their passing game has been something to watch out for. Receivers, Allen Muse, Dwayne Frampton and Taylor Stockemer have all been able to get the balls thrown their way this season.

This inner-conference meeting will include some really good scoring through the air. Both teams hold solid running games also. Arkansas State has been more roughed up by tougher teams this season, expect them to take advantage of this weaker opponent in North Texas, even though they’ll be playing away from home.

Free Pick: Arkansas State -3