Utah vs. Louisville: In the current jacked-up BCS era in which we now live, this is a noteworthy occurrence as a Mountain West team (the Utah Utes) will be on ESPN in this Friday night special. The Utes, when Brian Johnson (completing 62 percent of his passes, 378 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions) is playing, are a much better team and I fully expect Utah to give Louisville a good game. The Cardinals are their own worst enemy as one needs look no further than the Syracuse game two weeks ago in which Louisville surrendered 423 passing yards to Andrew Robinson of the Orange. Still, they responded positively by smacking North Carolina State, 29-10 last weekend and should be ready to evade upset against Utah. This will be a shootout as Cardinals QB Brian Brohm (1,948 yards, 16 touchdowns, four interceptions) should throw for well over 400 yards in this one. Call the final, Louisville 41 Utah 38, although if it goes into overtime, all bets are off.

Utah State vs. Hawaii: Much like their brethren to the south, Utah State has a tall order in facing an explosive offense on the road. The #16 Hawaii Warriors are seeking to promulgate an unbeaten season in which they evaded a close call against Louisiana Tech several weeks ago. Hawaii star QB Colt Brennan is seeking to maintain his usual excellence as last week he uncharacteristically threw five interceptions against Idaho. The Warriors amass 540 yards per game which is good for eighth in the nation and I fully expect Brennan (1,631 yards 15 touchdowns, six interceptions) to regain his stride against the hapless Aggies. Because of the weakness of their opponent and the late hour, no one on the east coast will care about this but I’ll take Hawaii in a 63-7 laugher.

Sacramento State vs. Weber State: The Hornets and Wildcats have combined for one win on the season, so you could call this the “pillow fight of I-AA.” The Wildcats are going nowhere fast, although Springville High product Trevyn Smith (75 car, 298 yards) is proving to be a viable tailback for the Wildcats. While the Hornets have struggled, offense definitely isn’t their problem as QB Jason Smith has thrown for 552 yards and three touchdowns against four interceptions on the season, while wideout Ryan Coogler has amassed 257 receiving yards and two scores. Because Sacramento State seems to have more firepower, I’ll take the Hornets in a 28-17 win.

Southern Utah vs. Montana State: The Bobcats have won two previous games against Utah-based colleges and the Thunderbirds should become victim number three. Jack Rolovich has been excellent as the Bobcats’ quarterback as he’s thrown for 911 yards and six touchdowns against three interceptions. Montana State has also had a consistent threat in the running game with Demetrius Crawford (who has averaged 7.4 yards a carry while scoring two touchdowns). While the Thunderbirds are fully capable of going into Bozeman, Mont. and giving the Bobcats a good game, they’re not quite ready to win these kinds of games and I expect MSU to win going away. Call the final, Montana State 45, Southern Utah 28

Well, I must confess that this week hasn’t been so great. My record was 5-9 which drags me below .500 at 28-32. The NFL is hard to handicap, but I feel that this will be a bounce-back week for me. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should be pleased with me because, my mediocre record confirms that parity has even affected me as a prognosticator, albeit an amateur one. Anyway, here’s this week’s foray into the unknown:

Arizona vs. St. Louis: The Cardinals are 2-2, which is their best record after four games since the franchise came to Maricopa County from St. Louis 19 years ago. Thus, why is QB Matt Leinart complaining about sharing snaps with Kurt Warner? Leinart needs to remember that in the NFL, winning transcends all and in the words of national talk show host Jim Rome, head coach Ken Whisenhunt “should keep on doing it (employing the two-quarterback system) until other teams key in on it.” The Rams, right now, are in no way able to stop the Cardinals, regardless of what they do. St. Louis signal-caller Marc Bulger is too beat up to play this weekend, so backup Gus Frerotte will come in in his stead. The NFC West was intriguing this offseason in the regard that no one could project who was ready to contend with the Seahawks for the divisional title. As of right now, this team seems to be the Cardinals, and if they continue to shut down the run like they did against the Steelers last weekend (Willie Parker was held to 37 rushing yards by the Cards) this is a serious contender for a wild-card in the NFC playoffs. Ken Whisenhunt’s system works and Cardinals fans may openly rejoice. Call the final in this one, Cardinals 28 Rams 17

Atlanta vs. Tennessee: Joey Harrington is finally turning the corner in his career and while not as athletic or breathtaking as his dog-fighting predecessor, Michael Vick, he seems to be doing an impeccable job in leading the Falcons. His stats last week (23-29, 223 yards two touchdowns) confirmed that he is capable of excellence. The only question is, can he keep this up? This week, he’ll be hard-pressed to do so as the Titans defense ranks ninth in the league in total defense, and second against the run. If Atlanta is to have any success in this ballgame, Harrington must replicate his previous two performances against the Panthers and Texans, and if possible, exceed them. The Titans, behind the athletic Vince Young are also second in the NFL in rushing offense as they average nearly 174 yards per game on the ground. The Titans are the home team and they have a propensity for winning close games. The more and more I think about it Vince Young is the new John Elway, which means if it comes down to it he can pull out a comeback. Call the final, Titans 23 Falcons 20, and despite the loss, the ATL will rediscover what it’s like to play with passion.

Baltimore vs. San Francisco: This should be a good way for the Ravens to get well after they were ambushed by the Browns last Sunday. Steve McNair did throw for 307 yards against Cleveland in Baltimore’s shocking upset, but the Ravens, with their lack of explosiveness, aren’t built to win those kinds of games. Willis McGahee did rush for 104 yards last week for the Ravens, and if he can experience comparable success against the 49ers, Baltimore can control the clock and run at will. Meanwhile, the Ravens defense should easily contain a 49ers offense which ranks last in the NFL and must now go with reserve signal-caller Trent Dilfer, once a Super Bowl-winning QB with the Ravens. This one won’t be close, call the final Ravens 34 49ers 6.

Carolina vs. New Orleans: Can the Saints do it this week? Drew Brees is my fantasy quarterback, and his less than stellar start has cost me a few games. Thus, I’m not feeling too good about the Saints right now. The Panthers are also a hard team to get a feel for, so let me call this the toilet game of the week. Still, it’s New Orleans that shall be flushed in this one. Call it, Panthers 24 Saints 10

San Diego vs. Denver: Again, the Broncos played the Colts close, but Indianapolis had too much firepower and pulled away at the end. Notwithstanding the criticism they have faced (the Jaguars and Colts are both honorable teams to lose to), they’re far from dead. If the loss at Indianapolis can be surmised in one thing, it’s the fact that the Broncos settled for field goals in the red zone rather than touchdowns. The Colts only outgained the Broncos, 419-354 and Peyton Manning failed to throw for 200 yards. Nevertheless, the Broncos did surrender 266 yards on the ground, which should have Chargers’ standout LaDainian Tomlinson licking his chops. However, while it’s hard to quantify on paper, the Chargers are not right and the Broncos will finally assert themselves on their home field once again. I like the Broncos, 38-24 in this one as Jay Cutler exceeds the 300-yard plateau once again.

Detroit vs. Washington: This underrated gem should be a magnificent game. While the NFL Fact and Record Book is a marvelous resource, and one of my favorite books regardless of genre, it’s not in the Lions’ best interests to read it this week. That’s because they are 0-20 all time at Washington, and they travel to Redskins territory once again this weekend. Nevertheless, these Lions are much different than their predecessors primarily because of the resiliency of QB Jon Kitna (his 1,227 passing yards lead the NFL) who willed the Lions to victory in Week 2 against the Vikings and has been an outstanding leader thus far. The Redskins are no slouches, either as QB Jason Campbell has thrown for 621 yards and two touchdowns this season, while tailback Clinton Portis has amassed three rushing touchdowns. This is shaping up to be a magical year for the Lions, and I think Kitna will set Detroit history as the franchise wins their first game ever in our nation’s capital. Call the final, Lions 31 Redskins 30, in a loss for which Washington should have nothing to be ashamed of.

Miami vs. Houston: I’m not going to lie to Utah-based sports fans in these words. My sojourns into online radio have led me to Miami and Dolphins coach Cam Cameron says he’s not going to pull Trent Green in favor of former Brigham Young standout, John Beck, just yet. However, with every passing loss, this becomes more and more of a possibility all the time. The Dolphins are hating life after Daunte Culpepper, whom they thrust out, accounted for five touchdowns against them last Sunday as the Raiders gashed the Dolphins, 35-17 at South Beach. We spoke of the Lions never winning in Washington, but the Dolphins have never beaten the Texans anywhere as they trail them 2-0 all-time. Matt Schaub’s excellence only continues to increase for the Texans as even without new best friend Andre Johnson in the lineup last week, he threw for over 300 yards against his former Falcons teammates and wasn’t the reason for the loss. He currently has 1,005 passing yards and five touchdowns. By the end of the game, his numbers should be around 1,300 passing yards and nine touchdowns in the air for the season. Call the final Texans 38 Dolphins 20

Jacksonville vs. Kansas City: Good luck to the Chiefs. This is a big step for me in sharing goodwill with my enemies, as obviously the Chiefs are bitter AFC West rivals to the Broncos. Nevertheless, I know just how efficiently the Jags can demoralize an opponent after they smacked the Broncos at INVESCO, 23-14 before their bye week two weekends ago. The Chiefs seem to be flashing signs of being a dominant defense but they must get the Jaguars off the field on third down whenever possible lest they become exhausted from chasing the dynamic Maurice Jones-Drew (33 car., 100 yds, three touchdowns this season) up and down the field at Arrowhead. David Garrard (630 passing yards, three touchdowns thus far) hasn’t been flashy, but he manages the game much better for Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio then Byron Leftwich ever did. I like the Jaguars in this game because they have playoff potential and in all honesty, the Chiefs don’t. I like Jacksonville in a convincing 27-10 win.

Tampa Bay vs. Indianapolis: This is the game of the week. Jon Gruden deserves a lot of credit for resuscitating what was swiftly becoming a moribund franchise on the gulf coast of Florida. Nevertheless, the adroit signing of Jeff Garcia from the Eagles (771 yards, two touchdowns thus far) and his chemistry with fleet-footed wideout Joey Galloway (256 receiving yards, two scores) have made Tampa Bay relevant in the NFC South once again. Cadillac Williams is out for the season after an injury incurred against Carolina last week, but veteran Michael Pittman (30 car., 170 yards) is fully capable of toting the rock for the Bucs. However, they must visit former coach Tony Dungy and his magnificent squad in the RCA Dome where a passionate crowd will be behind their beloved Colts. Again, Peyton Manning is putting up impressive statistics (1,066 yards, eight touchdowns) while tailback Joseph Addai (407 yards, five touchdowns) is quietly becoming one of the NFL’s best backs. Dungy, the ever-classy gentleman will graciously beat the team that gave him his first shot at head coaching in the NFL once again, although Tampa Bay will give them a really good game. Call the final Colts 41 Buccaneers 31 as Manning rips out the hearts of the Bucs as he has so many other opponents.

Cleveland vs. New England: It would be so nice to see the Pats take one on the chin this weekend. The Browns, after smacking Baltimore, can no longer be considered a bottom-feeding NFL team. They’re not a playoff squad, but they have already proven how capable they are of being an annoyance to the AFC’s elite teams. Romeo Crennel, the impetus of the Pats’ Super-Bowl winning defenses (we have no record of the Patriots cheating in their glory days, but the reasonable mind suggests it’s possible that it occurred) will try to stymie Tom Brady and company at Foxboro, Mass. and because of his familiarity with Belichick’s coaching schemes, he may have a great chance to do so. I desperately want to pick the Browns in an upset, but I lack the courage to make the call. However, the Pats will sweat for it before they prevail, 20-17.

New York Jets vs. New York Giants: These co-tenants of the Meadowlands will deal with circumstances comparable to daily life appertaining to the NFL in the Big Apple. This means it’s just as well that the Jets are the road team because when compared to the Giants, they really are second-class citizens in Gotham. The Giants have every reason to feel good about themselves after amassing 12 sacks against an Eagles offensive line which was as pathetic as I’ve seen in 18 years of being a devout NFL fan, (this excludes the two years spent on my mission in case you were wondering). Plaxico Burress (286 yards, six touchdowns), amidst an offense of inconsistency, has been the one constant Eli Manning can rely upon. The G-Men are getting more out of their running game of late as Derrick Ward (73 car, 353 yards) is finding his stride. The Jets, meanwhile were defeated by an NFL quarterback, Trent Edwards, who had never taken a snap in the league before last week in a loss to Buffalo. Thus, I’m not high on the Jets right now, I’ll take the Giants in a 24-10 win.

Seattle vs. Pittsburgh: It’s payback time. The Seahawks, victimized by questionable officiating consistently in Super Bowl XL (a 21-10 Steelers win) have finally picked up the pieces from that debacle and are much better than the Steelers currently. Much of this has to do with the excellent play of QB Matt Hasselbeck (1,032 yards, seven touchdowns) and the resurgence of TB Shaun Alexander (91 car, 353 yards, two touchdowns) who have returned to their 2005 forms. The Steelers are doing well under Mike Tomlin, but they are not quite an elite team in the NFL just yet. The Seahawks are and to the tune of 340 passing yards from Hasselbeck and three touchdowns, while Alexander runs for about 85 yards and another touchdown Seattle should win, 38-30.

Chicago vs. Green Bay: It sucks that flexible scheduling hasn’t kicked in yet because if it had NBC could have selected Buccaneers vs. Colts, Seahawks vs. Steelers or Lions vs. Redskins, each of which would be excellent matchups. However, while the Packers are holding up their end of the bargain, the Bears are not. It doesn’t matter if the Bears have blocked five kicks in four games (an impressive feat for any NFL team) or that Brian Griese played better than Rex Grossman has, the Bears are still losing and now that Griese’s been placed in the lineup, things probably aren’t going to change. Congratulations to Brett Favre for setting the all-time touchdown pass record, but until Green Bay can run for more than 54 yards per game, they’re not a serious contender. They’ll beat Chicago, but it won’t change the fact that they’re still a mirage. Call the final Packers 24 Bears 17 as Favre guts out yet another win.

Dallas vs. Buffalo: See that flexible scheduling lamentation in the Chicago vs. Green Bay game. The Cowboys are explosive, the Bills are not and Tony Romo (1,199 yards, 11 touchdowns) is torching those pathetic secondaries who have faced him and his awesome weapons which include Terrell Owens, (19 rec, 362 yards, three touchdowns) and Marion Barber (6.4 yards a carry, four touchdowns) are running amuck. Who’s going to stop them, the Bills? Judging by Buffalo’s defense (which surrenders 430 yards per game, good for last in the NFL) the answer is no. Call the final Cowboys 41 Bills 14. After all of this meticulous analysis, surely I’ll do better than 5-9.

(DELTA) – A Delta man sustained head injuries after being attacked while he was sleeping Sunday night. At about 11pm, Millard County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Delta Manor apartments where 24-year old, Tyler Overson, was attacked by 26-year old, Edgardo Gonzalez. According to the sheriff’s report, Gonzalez had entered the residence through a kitchen window and went upstairs to the master bedroom and assaulted the sleeping victim. Overson was transported to the Delta Community Medical Center. The suspect left the area prior to deputies arriving at the residence. Two other male Hispanics were in the parking lot at the time of the attack and were questioned by deputies. 18-year old, Guillermo Madera and a 17-year old juvenile were arrested for possession of concealed dangerous weapons. Madera was booked into the Millard County Jail and the juvenile was referred to juvenile court. The attacker is still being sought.