[sportsfan2006]

By Jeff Zell
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Who: Florida State (6-6) vs. UCLA (7-5)
Where: San Francisco


When: Wednesday, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
WagerWeb.com line: UCLA -3 (38.5)

Matchup: It’s been one of Florida State’s worst seasons in a while, and the coaches are paying the price. Both the offensive coordinator and running backs coach are out after the Emerald Bowl. Plus, FSU wants to avoid Bobby Bowden's first losing season in forever. UCLA’s offense isn’t much better than FSU's, scoring 24 touchdowns in only 12 games.

Why FSU Wins: While the offense may be in shambles, the defense is still strong. That unit finished ranked No. 15 in the nation, giving up just over 278 total yards per game. The Seminole ball-hawks average 8.50 tackles-for-loss per game, which leads the nation. Drew Weatherford will get the start at QB and has had a month to fully recover from an ankle injury that occurred in the Maryland game.

Why UCLA Wins: The Bruins have momentum, coming off their biggest win in years, over rival USC. UCLA has two of the premier defensive ends in the country in Bruce Davis and Justin Hickman – both have 12.5 sacks on the year and should have a field day against an immobile Weatherford. The rush defense is tops in the Pac-10 and ranked No. 12 in the country, giving up less than 90 yards per game. However, against an equally tough FSU rush defense, RB Chris Markey will have to step up and try to find a way to get in the end zone (2 TDs this year).

Prediction: UCLA 17-9

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