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[Cnotes53]

Miss St, LSU meet for big SEC game
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Here are a few things to watch during Week 8 of the Southeastern Conference season:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 22 Mississippi State at No. 5 LSU: The Bulldogs moved back onto the national radar with an impressive 23-9 win over then-No. 8 Auburn back on Oct. 6. Mississippi State's resurgence has come thanks to an improved running game that features QB Nick Fitzgerald and RB Kylin Hill. LSU will counter with a fantastic defense, a solid offense and plenty of momentum after a convincing 36-16 win over then-No. 2 Georgia last week. LSU lost to Mississippi State 37-7 last season in Starkville.

MATCHUP OF THE WEEK

Tennessee receivers vs. Alabama secondary: Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano threw for a career-high 328 yards in a 30-24 upset at Auburn last week because he capitalized on the playmaking ability of the receiving trio of Marquez Callaway, Jauan Jennings and Josh Palmer, who caught a combined 10 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. Those receivers will face a tougher test against an Alabama pass defense that has 12 interceptions, including a team-high three from Saivion Smith. North Texas is the only Football Bowl Subdivision team that has picked off more passes than Alabama this season.

NUMBERS GAME

Alabama coach Nick Saban owns a 14-0 record against his former assistants heading into the top-ranked Crimson Tide's game Saturday at Tennessee, which is coached by former Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. That 14-0 record includes victories over Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher and Louisiana-Lafayette's Billy Napier this season. ... Tennessee's victory at Auburn last week snapped the Vols' 11-game losing streak in conference games. ... Mississippi's Jordan Ta'amu rushed for 141 yards in a 37-33 victory over Arkansas last week. That's the highest single-game total for an Ole Miss quarterback since John Fourcade ran for 169 yards against Vanderbilt in 1979. ... LSU hasn't allowed a first-quarter touchdown in 11 straight games. ... LSU's Cole Tracy scored 18 points (five field goals, three extra points) last week in a 36-16 victory over Georgia. Tracy set a school single-game record for points scored by kicking.

UPSET WATCH

Missouri is favored by 9+ points over Memphis, which has the nation's leading rusher in Darrell Henderson. Memphis has beaten at least one Power Five team each of the last three seasons and is facing a Missouri team that has lost three straight. If Memphis isn't still brooding over its heartbreaking 31-30 home loss to No. 10 Central Florida , the American Athletic Conference upstart is certainly capable of winning this game. Missouri coach Barry Odom was Memphis' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2012-14.

IMPACT PERFORMER

Mississippi State's Montez Sweat and Jeffery Simmons: The Sweat-Simmons combo along the Bulldogs' defensive line has been among the best in the country. Sweat leads the SEC with 7 + sacks per game - including three in a win against Auburn on Oct. 6 - and Simmons is fourth in the league with 8+ tackles for a loss. They should be fresh after a week off and ready to cause trouble against LSU.

 

[Cnotes53]

NC State-Clemson headlines ACC
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Things to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Week 8:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 16 North Carolina State at No. 3 Clemson. The ACC's last two unbeaten teams meet with first place in the Atlantic Division on the line. Both teams are coming off open weeks and figure to be well-rested. The Tigers (6-0, 3-0) are the only team in league history to open four straight seasons with at least six consecutive victories. The Wolfpack (5-0, 2-0) are off to their best start since 2002, when Phillip Rivers was taking the snaps, and were a missed field goal at the buzzer from beating Clemson in Death Valley in their last trip there two years ago.

BEST MATCHUP

Florida State rushing offense vs. Wake Forest run defense. Something's got to give in Tallahassee. The Seminoles rank last in the conference in rushing, and at 92.8 yards per game are the league's only team that isn't averaging at least 100 yards on the ground. Maybe they'll get things fixed against a Wake Forest defense that has had serious trouble stopping big plays. Clemson had five touchdown runs of at least 50 yards in a 63-3 romp two weeks ago.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The N.C. State-Clemson game marks only the fifth matchup between undefeated ACC teams with five or more victories apiece, and only the second since the league expanded from nine teams in the early 2000s. Of the four previous times it's happened, the winner has gone on to claim at least a share of the national title three times (Georgia Tech in 1990, and Florida State in both 1993 and 2013).

LONG SHOT

Virginia appears capable of at least keeping it close in its visit to Duke. The Cavaliers are 7-point underdogs but are coming off a 16-13 upset of Miami that knocked the Hurricanes from the national rankings. Virginia has won three straight in the series with the Blue Devils, intercepting QB Daniel Jones a total of seven times in its most recent victories. Duke wants to build off the momentum of its 28-14 victory at Georgia Tech.

IMPACT PLAYER

Duke seems to look for T.J. Rahming when the Blue Devils need a big play. Rahming caught four passes for 91 yards and a 48-yard touchdown in the Georgia Tech victory, and all four of his catches went for first downs or touchdowns while also becoming the fourth player in program history with 200 career catches. He'll try to find some seams in a Virginia defense that ranks third in the conference against the pass.

 

[Cnotes53]

Washington St. finally gets its 'GameDay'
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Long before the sun rises over the rolling hills of the Palouse, the fans in crimson and gray will make their pilgrimage. They'll come stumbling out of RVs parked the night before in nearby lots. They'll walk through campus past the Bryan Clock Tower or make the hike up College Hill

They'll don jerseys bearing the names Leaf, Thompson, Bledsoe, Gleason and they'll display the number "3" in memory of quarterback Tyler Hilinski. They'll carry signs disparaging Dawgs to the West and Ducks to the South. They'll celebrate the "Popcorn Guy" and the "Fireball Chugger."

And flags. Oh, will there ever be flags. Crimson. White. Gray. Black. All with the unmistakable Cougars logo. And the most famous of those flags - Ol' Crimson - will be front and center.

ESPN's ''College GameDay'' is coming to Pullman on Saturday ahead of No. 25 Washington State's Pac-12 showdown with No. 12 Oregon and it could be unlike any setting ever for college football's version of Woodstock.

''We're going to try and set some records this weekend,'' Washington State athletic director Pat Chun said.

After 15 years of the Washington State flag being a backdrop fixture for every ''College GameDay'' broadcast - from Tempe to Tallahassee, Boise to Blacksburg - Ol' Crimson will finally come home when the broadcast goes live in the early morning hours from the intersection of Cougar Way and Ferdinand's Lane in the shadow of Martin Stadium.

That's 34 states, 72 cities leading to this moment.

''When we go to a place that we've never been to, it's guaranteed to be electric,'' said Lee Fitting, ESPN's vice president of production. ''Starting the show in the dark is cool. I just picture a dark fall morning, there could be some mist or fog and thousands of flags sort of dimly lit. It's going to be a really cool on-air moment.''

The show's trip to Pullman is the realization of a dream for many: For the founders of Ol' Crimson who created a movement that made sure the flag was flying at every broadcast since October 2003 and for Washington State fans who have made getting the show to the campus a collective mission.

''Even though I was the first one to start it and keep it going, I'm still amazed that something I thought of 15 years ago, did 15 years ago, would have this kind of effect,'' said Tom Pounds, who started the tradition of flying the flag in 2003. ''It still amazes me.''

What began as an attempt to draw attention to the school and lure the show to Pullman carries far deeper meaning for Washington State students, alums and fans. Ol' Crimson flying in the background of each of the past 216 GameDay broadcasts is a public representation of the bond created by being a Coug.

It's not easily explained.

Washington State is defined by its remoteness. Dealing with isolation at the school some 290 miles east of Seattle is part of the curriculum. Pullman is not a destination location, yet it becomes the foundation for a relationship between the students, the campus and the community that spans generations and creates inseparable bonds.

''There's something in the DNA of a Coug. ... There is a bond like none other, I would argue, and I gauge it on walking through the airport, wearing the Coug logo and how many `Go Cougs' I get,'' Chun said. ''I tell people there are less than a dozen schools around the country where you verbally hear that.''

The early days of Ol' Crimson came during some of the worst years in Washington State's football history. Between 2004 and 2014, the Cougars never won more than six games. Between 2008 and 2012, Washington State's combined record was 12-49. Now they've become relevant again, going to four bowl games in five years under Mike Leach. This week, the Cougars returned to the AP Top 25.

''It was kind of funny because they were so bad for so long it was like, `What the hell is the Wazzu flag doing here?''' Fitting said. ''We showed it as a bit of a spoof and had some fun with it. Then it was, this is turning into a thing. Over time, as I like to describe it, the flag signifies college football. Its tradition. Its pageantry and its passion. And that's what makes college football great. And that's what makes the flag behind GameDay great. Because people are passionate about it. They're making an effort to fly it. We recognize it.''

Fitting said there were a few times the show came close to a Pullman trip. The closest was Halloween 2015 when the Cougars were hosting Stanford in a game key to the Pac-12 North race. The show ended up going to Notre Dame at Temple that week in Philadelphia, in part because the broadcast came from in front of Independence Hall.

''We would have gone to Pullman if we didn't get the desired location in Philadelphia. And mid-afternoon on Monday, the mayor's office called and said you're good to go with your location,'' Fitting recalled. ''And Wazzu was left out and I got absolutely lambasted on social media.''

There are no more campaigns for the Cougs to take on. When the "College GameDay" equipment arrived in Pullman on Wednesday, it was greeted by a police escort and thousands of fans.

And while Ol' Crimson is coming home this Saturday, it'll be back out on its college football road trip next week.

''ESPN is still going to expect us to be there next week for (show) 218,'' Pounds said. ''That's all there is to it.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Oregon, Washington St tops Pac-12
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Here are some things to watch in Week 8 of the Pac-12 Conference football season:

GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 12 Oregon at No. 25 Washington State. This is a key game in determining who will remain alive for the North Division title. The Ducks (5-1, 2-1) feature running back CJ Verdell, who has rushed for 100 yards or more in three straight games, while the Cougars (5-1, 2-1) lead the nation in passing offense at 410.4 yards per game behind the arm of Gardner Minshew. The game will have a festive atmosphere as ESPN's ''College GameDay'' makes its first appearance at Washington State.

MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: Colorado at No. 15 Washington. Both teams are looking to bounce back from road losses. The Buffaloes (5-1, 2-1) have yet to allow a touchdown during the fourth quarter but face a tough challenge in containing Huskies QB Jake Browning and RB Myles Gaskin. Washington (5-2, 3-1) probably saw its College Football Playoff hopes dashed last week but the winner of this game will become the conference's first team to become bowl eligible this season.

NUMBERS GAME: The tradition of waving Washington State's Ol' Crimson in the background on ESPN's GameDay has reached 216 consecutive appearances. . Utah QB Tyler Huntley last week became the ninth conference player since 1996 to throw, rush and catch a touchdown in the same game. . UCLA RB Joshua Kelley is the first Bruin to have three straight 100-yard games since Jordon James in 2013.

UPSET WATCH: USC at Utah. The Utes are favored by seven at home, but the Trojans have won three straight and are 15-1 against the Pac-12 South during coach Clay Helton's tenure.

IMPACT PERFORMER: Oregon State RB Jermar Jefferson. The freshman leads the conference in rushing and is fourth in the nation, averaging 144.2 yards per game. He needs 135 yards to become the first Beavers running back to reach 1,000 yards since Jacquizz Rodgers (1,440) in 2009.

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday's Tip Sheet
October 18, 2018
By Brian Edwards

**Colorado State at Boise State**

-- As of Thursday afternoon, most sports books had Boise State (4-2 straight up, 3-3 against the spread) installed as a 23.5-point home favorite with a total of 62.5 or 63. William Hill was offering the Rams on the money line for a 12/1 return (risk $100 to win $1,200).

-- Boise State has only played at home twice this season, going 1-1 both SU and ATS. Bryan Harsin?s club smashed UConn by a 62-7 count as a 34-point home ?chalk? back in Week 2, but it dropped a 19-13 decision to San Diego State on Oct. 6 as a 13.5-point favorite.

-- BSU bounced back from the loss to the Aztecs last week to slip past Nevada, 31-27, as a 14.5-point road favorite. The 58 combined points slithered ?under? the 59.5-point total. Senior QB Brett Rypien threw for 299 yards and a pair of TDs, but he was intercepted three times. Trailing 10-7 early in the second quarter, the Broncos got a huge momentum-shifting play out of senior CB Tyler Horton, who intercepted Ty Gangi and returned the pick 99 yards for a TD. John Hightower had an 88-yard TD run for BSU and turned seven touches into 179 all-purpose yards.

-- Rypien, a second-team All-MWC selection last year and a first-team All-MWC choice in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns, has completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,858 yards with a 14/5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His favorite target is Sean Modster, a senior WR who has 34 receptions for 480 yards and two TDs. A.J. Richardson has 27 catches for 430 yards, while Hightower has caught 21 balls for 306 yards and three TDs. Hightower has also rushed for 163 yards and two scores on merely eight attempts for a 20.4 yards-per-carry average. Junior RB Alexander Mattison has run for 416 yards and six TDs, but he?s only averaging 3.9 YPC.

-- BSU is ranked 19th in the nation in total offense, 10th in passing yards and 31st in scoring with its 36.2 points-per-game average. The Broncos are ranked 23rd in the country in total defense, 37th in pass defense, 30th at defending the run and 38th in scoring ?D? (21.8 PPG).

-- BSU?s other loss came at Oklahoma State (44-21) as a 1.5-point road favorite on Sept. 15. The Broncos? two other wins came at Troy (56-20) and at Wyoming (34-14).

-- Since joining the Mountain West Conference, BSU has gone 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS when facing Colorado State. However, the Broncos needed to overcome an 18-point halftime deficit and rally from 14 points down with less than four minutes remaining to capture a 59-52 victory in Ft. Collins last year. Gamblers backing BSU got an incredibly fortunate cover as a 6.5-point road ?chalk.? Rypien threw for 331 yards with a 4/1 TD-INT ratio, while Mattison rushed 23 times for 242 yards and three TDs.

-- Colorado State (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS) is 1-1 both SU and ATS on the road. Since starting 1-4 both SU and ATS, Mike Bobo?s squad has won back-to-back contests both SU and ATS at San Jose State (42-30) and vs. New Mexico (20-18).

-- CSU edged the Lobos as a one-point home favorite thanks to Wyatt Bryan?s 26-yard walk-off field goal as time expired. The Rams played turnover-free football, had a 24-15 edge in first downs and 423-299 advantage in total offense. K.J. Carta-Samuels connected on 24-of-42 passes for 311 yards and one TD without an interception. Preston Williams, the former 5-star recruit to Tennessee who sat out last season after transferring, had nine receptions for 93 yards and one TD. Izzy Matthews rushed for 92 yards on 26 totes.

-- Colorado State owns a 6-2 spread record in eight games as a road underdog during Bobo?s four-year tenure. Meanwhile, Boise State is an abysmal 9-19 ATS in 28 games as a home favorite on Harsin?s watch.

-- Carta-Samuels has completed 61.0 percent of his throws for 1,934 yards with a 16/6 TD-INT ratio. Williams has played lights out, hauling in 52 receptions for 671 yards and seven TDs. Olabisi Johnson has caught 36 balls for 533 yards and four TDs. Matthews has 425 rushing yards for two TDs with a 3.9 YPC average. The senior RB also has 18 grabs for 116 yards and one TD.

-- CSU could be without four starters Friday night on the blue carpet. Johnson (ankle) is listed as ?questionable? along with senior center Colby Meeks and junior DT Richard King. Senior OG Tyler Bjorklund is ?doubtful? due to an ankle issue.

-- The ?under? is 5-2 overall for the Rams, 1-1 in their two road assignments. They?ve watched their games average combined scores of 59.7 PPG.

-- Totals have been an overall was for BSU both overall (3-3) and at home (1-1). The Broncos have seen their games average combined scores of 58.0 PPG.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

**Air Force at UNLV**

-- As of Thursday afternoon, most spots had Air Force (2-4 SU, 4-2 ATS) listed as a 10-point road favorite with a total of 57. The Rebels were +330 on the money line (risk $100 to win $330).

-- Air Force is winless in three road games, but it has produced a 2-1 spread record. The Falcons covered the spread as eight-point underdogs at FAU in a 33-27 loss, failed to cover in a 42-32 loss at Utah State as 9.5-point ?dogs and took the cash in last week?s 21-17 setback at San Diego St. as 11-point puppies.

-- Troy Calhoun?s club ended a three-game losing streak two weeks ago by blasting Navy 35-7 as a 2.5-point home underdog. The Falcons shut down Navy?s vaunted ground attack by limiting it to 129 rushing yards on 41 attempts (3.1 YPC). They enjoyed a 17-9 advantage in first down and a 399-178 edge in total offense. Sophomore QB Donald Hammond rushed for 60 yards and three TDs on 19 carries, in addition to throwing for 142 yards and one TD without an interception.

-- Air Force came up short against the 5-1 Aztecs last week. The 38 combined points went below the 42.5-point tally to provide the Falcons with a third straight ?under.? Hammond left the game with an injury and is ?questionable? at UNLV. Junior RB Cole Fagan rushed for 90 yards on 16 carries.

-- Air Force has compiled a 12-16 spread record in 28 games as a road favorite during Calhoun?s 12-year tenure.

-- Air Force is 28th in the country in total defense, eighth at defending the run and 37th in scoring ?D? (21.8 PPG).

-- UNLV (2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS) will be without star QB Armani Rogers for at third consecutive game Friday night at Sam Boyd Stadium. Tony Sanchez?s team has lost 50-14 at home to New Mexico and 59-28 at Utah State since the sophomore QB went down with a toe injury that?s expected to keep him out for another 3-4 weeks. Rogers rushed for 780 yards and eight TDs as a true freshman in 2017. In UNLV?s first four games this year, he had run for 488 yards and six TDs while averaging 6.9 YPC. He had completed just 41.5 percent of his throws for 369 yards, but he had a decent 6/4 TD-INT ratio.

-- Third-year sophomore QB Max Gilliam, who was an original 2016 Cal-Berkeley signed, has started the past two games. He has completed only 45.8 percent of his passes for 373 yards with a 5/2 TD-INT ratio this season.

-- UNLV senior RB Lexington Thomas has been upgraded to ?probable? vs. Air Force after sustaining a concussion last week. Thomas is third in career rushing yards (3,040) at UNLV and can become the school?s all-time leader if he can run for 694 more rushing yards this year. He?s run for 556 yards and six TDs with a 5.7 YPC average in 2018.

-- UNLV owns an atrocious 1-5 spread record in six games as a home underdog during Sanchez?s four-year tenure.

-- Air Force is 7-2 SU and 4-5 ATS in the past nine games of this rivalry. The Falcons had to shake off a 27-7 intermission deficit at home vs. UNLV last season to capture a 34-30 come-from-behind victory. The Rebels took the cash, however, as nine-point underdogs. The ?over? had hit in four straight games and eight of the past nine in this series, but the 64 combined points inched ?under? the 65.5-point tally. Rogers rushed for 148 yards and one TD, while Thomas rushed for 91 yards and one score on 17 attempts.

-- The ?under? is 5-1 overall for the Falcons, 2-1 in their road outings. They?ve seen their games average combined scores of 50.8 PPG.

-- The ?over? is 4-2 overall for the Rebels, 2-1 in their home games. They?ve watched their games average combined scores of 66.8 PPG.

-- CBS Sports College will have the broadcast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.?s Bonus Nuggets**

-- North Texas is 6-1 for the first time in 30 years going into this week?s C-USA showdown vs. UAB at Legion Field in Birmingham. Junior QB Mason Fine, a first-team All-Conference USA choice in 2017, has a stellar 16/1 TD-INT ratio. The Mean Green is a 1.5-point underdog to the Blazers, who are 5-1 both SU and ATS and 3-0 both SU and ATS at home. North Texas is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in three road assignments. The Mean Green have seen the ?under? cash at a 7-0 clip.

-- How many times has Navy been a double-digit underdog during Ken Niumatalolo?s 11-year tenure? Only once. That was two seasons ago when the Midshipmen captured a 46-40 win over Houston as a 17-point home underdog. If the line holds at +11.5 like it was as of Thursday afternoon, Niumatololo?s squad will be a double-digit ?dog once again the Cougars, who take a three-game winning streak to Annapolis.

-- Wyoming has failed to cover the spread in six straight games since getting the cash in its season-opening win at New Mexico State. The Cowboys host Utah St. on Saturday. Speaking of the Aggies, they?re 5-1 SU and 6-0 ATS. Furthermore, Utah St. has seen the ?over? go 6-0. Utah St. was favored by 15 with the total at 51 as of Thursday.

-- Rutgers is noted in a 1-5 ATS slump going into Saturday?s home game vs. Northwestern as a 20.5-point underdog.

-- Besides Utah State, there are two other teams who remain unscathed for our purposes. Washington State is 6-0 ATS and Appalachian State is 5-0 versus the number.

-- Colorado WR Laviska Shenault has 60 receptions for 780 yards and six TDs, and he?s also run for 87 yards and five TD on 15 carries. However, Shenault is ?questionable? at Washington due to a toe injury. The Buffaloes, who are 5-1 after losing 31-20 at USC last week, were 16.5-point road underdogs as of Thursday. RB Travon McMillian, a grad transfer from Virginia Tech, has been upgraded to ?probable' at UW despite dealing with a leg contusion. McMillian has rushed for 560 yards and four TDs with a 5.5 YPC average.

-- Nation?s Biggest Disappointments:
1) Wisconsin
2 ) FSU
3) Auburn
4) Nebraska
5) Arizona
6) UCLA
7) Arkansas State
8) TCU
9) Louisville
10) Navy

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday, October 19

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COLORADO ST (3 - 4) at BOISE ST (4 - 2) - 10/19/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 143-105 ATS (+27.5 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 143-105 ATS (+27.5 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 89-61 ATS (+21.9 Units) after playing a conference game since 1992.
BOISE ST is 80-50 ATS (+25.0 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
BOISE ST is 56-33 ATS (+19.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1992.
COLORADO ST is 64-43 ATS (+16.7 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
BOISE ST is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOISE ST is 1-1 against the spread versus COLORADO ST over the last 3 seasons
BOISE ST is 2-0 straight up against COLORADO ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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AIR FORCE (2 - 4) at UNLV (2 - 4) - 10/19/2018, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
UNLV is 1-0 against the spread versus AIR FORCE over the last 3 seasons
AIR FORCE is 1-0 straight up against UNLV over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Friday, October 19

Colorado State @ Boise State
Colorado State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado State's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado State's last 5 games on the road

Boise State
Boise State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado State
Boise State is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home

Air Force @ Nevada-Las Vegas
Air Force
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Air Force's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Air Force's last 5 games when playing on the road against Nevada-Las Vegas

Nevada-Las Vegas
Nevada-Las Vegas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Air Force
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nevada-Las Vegas's last 5 games when playing at home against Air Force


-----------------------------------

Friday, October 19

Colorado State @ Boise State

Game 307-308
October 19, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado State
71.180
Boise State
91.957
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
by 21
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boise State
by 23 1/2
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado State
(+23 1/2); Under

Air Force @ UNLV

Game 309-310
October 19, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Air Force
80.112
UNLV
72.569
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Air Force
by 7 1/2
48
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Air Force
by 11
57
Dunkel Pick:
UNLV
(+11); Over


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Friday?s games

Boise State won its last six games with Colorado State, but games last two years were 28-23/59-52; Rams lost last three games on the Blue Turf by 5-13-28 points. Boise scored 31+ points in all four of its wins, were held to 21-13 in losses; they?re 5-16 vs spread in their last 21 home games, all as a favorite- three of their last four games stayed under. CSU won its last two games after a 1-4 start; under Bobo, Rams are 6-2 as road underdogs- they?re 1-1 in true road tilts this year, losing 48-10 at Florida (+20), winning 42-30 at San Jose State (-3).

Air Force lost three of last four games, with one win over rival Navy; over last 3+ years, Falcons are 2-7 as road favorites- four of their last five games stayed under total. AF held San Diego St to 297 TY LW, but lost 21-17 on late TD pass. UNLV?s backup QB is completing 45.8% of his passes, not good enough. Rebels lost last three games, allowing 50-59 points in last two. Under Sanchez, UNLV is 1-5 as home underdogs. Air Force won its last two games with UNLV, 34-30/48-21; they won two of last three visits to the Strip, winning by 27-15 points.


--------------------------------------


Friday, Oct. 19

COLORADO STATE at BOISE STATE...Bobo 3-11 last 14 vs. spread since mid 2017, though has covered last two TY. Boise however just 2-11 last 13 as MW chalk on blue carpet. Road team has covered last 3 and 6 of last 7 in series.
Colorado State, based on team and series trends.


AIR FORCE at UNLV...Sanchez just 3-7 vs. line last 10 at Sam Boyd, and 4-9 vs. line last 13 as MW host.
Air Force, based on team trends.


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[Cnotes53]

Friday?s List of 13: Trends on non-top 13 college football games

13) Kentucky beat Vanderbilt last two years, 44-21/20-13, but Wildcats failed to cover its last six games as a home favorite. Vandy is 2-5 in its last seven games as road underdogs. Under is 4-1 in Kentucky games this year.

12) North Carolina is 0-3 on road this season, with losses by 7-22-37 points. Since 2013, UNC is 6-3-1 vs spread as road underdogs. Syracuse lost its last two games, 27-23/44-37; they?re 1-5 in last six gams as home favorites. This is teams? first football meeting as ACC rivals.

11) Home side won both Maryland-Iowa games as Big 14 rivals; Terrapins lost 31-15 in last visit here. Maryland is 3-6 in its last nine games as road underdogs. Iowa is 5-1, scoring 48-42 in winning its last two games; Hawkeyes are 4-2-1 in last seven games as home favorites.

10) Marshall won four of last five games with Florida Atlantic, losing 30-25 (+7) at FAU last year; Owls lost 27-21/35-16 in last two visits here. Under Kiffin, FAU is 3-2 as road favorites. Since 2012, Marshall is 3-5 vs spread as a home underdog.

9) Eastern Michigan beat Ball State last two years, 56-14/48-41; Eagles lost four of last five games- their last four games were all decided by 3 or fewer points. Over last 11 years, EMU is 1-1 as a road favorite. Ball State is 2-7 in its last nine games as home underdogs.

8) Penn State won its last four games with Indiana, winning 45-31/13-7 in last two visits here; under Franklin, Nittany Lions are 7-3 vs spread as road favorites, 1-9 coming off a loss- they lost last weeks, both at home. Hoosiers are 2-6 in last eight games as home underdogs.

7) Utah State scored 55.8 ppg in winning its last five games since a 38-31 loss at Michigan State in their opener; all six of their games went over total. Wyoming is 7-4 in last 11 games as a home underdog, but are 0-2 in that role this year. Aggies/Wyoming split their last six meetings.

6) Fresno State won its last four games with New Mexico, winning 35-24/49-32 in their last two trips to Albuquerque. Bulldogs won/covered their last four games, giving up 3-3 points in last two weeks. Lobos are 6-2 in last eight games as a home underdog.

5) Cal Bears won three of last four games with Oregon State; they lost two of last three visits to Corvallis. California lost its last three games; they?re 2-7-1 in last ten games as road favorites. Beavers is 0-5 vs I-A teams, with one loss by less than 19 points; they?re 1-4 vs spread this year.

4) Florida State won its last six games with Wake Forest, winning last three, by 7-11-8 points; since 2014, Seminoles are 11-15 as home favorites- their last three games went over. Deacons lost 63-3 to Clemson LW; they?re 10-4 in last 14 games as road underdogs.

3) Minnesota/Nebraska split their last six meetings; Gophers won LY?s game, 54-21. Minnesota lost its last three games, allowing 40 ppg; they?re 3-6-2 in last 11 games as road underdogs. Cornhuskers are 0-6 SU this year; their last four games went over the total.

2) SMU won its last three games with Tulane, by 3-4-28 points; their last two visits here were decided by total of five points. SMU is 0-3 on road this year, losing by 23-25-28 points; they?re 2-4-1 in last seven games as road dogs. Tulane is 7-3 in last 10 games as home favorites.

1) Home side won last three Nevada-Hawai?i games; Wolf Pack lost last visit here 38-17, after winning previous two trips to Paradise. Nevada is 5-9 in its last 14 games as road underdogs. Hawai?i is 3-12 vs spread in its last 15 games as a home favorite.

 

[Cnotes53]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CSU at BSU 09:00 PM

BSU -24.0

O 63.5


AFA at UNLV 10:00 PM

AFA -9.5

O 55.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Rypien leads Boise State in romp over Colorado State 56-28
October 19, 2018

BOISE, Idaho (AP) Brett Rypien threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns to lead Boise State over Colorado State 56-28 on Friday night.

Boise State (5-2, 3-1 Mountain West), which had to rally from a 35-10 halftime deficit last season against the Rams, flipped the script this time in racing out to a 35-7 halftime lead and never looked back.

''I just thought the fast start tonight was the key to our success, and some of the plays we made on special teams . they were outstanding,'' Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. ''If you lose momentum in a game, you have to find a way to get it back. . But we kept that momentum throughout the game, which was key for us.''

Colorado State (3-5, 2-2) was its own worst enemy, turning the ball over three times and giving up a wild punt return for a touchdown. K.J. Carta-Samuels was 19-of-30 passing for 238 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

''Too many things went wrong for us tonight to have a chance to win,'' Colorado State coach Mike Bobo said. ''I didn't think we had to play a perfect game, but we certainly needed to play better than that.''

In the first half, the Broncos' offense was so efficient that the only third down it failed to convert occurred when Rypien stumbled over his own feet after taking a snap under center. But that was about the only miscue he had in finishing with the same number of touchdowns as incompletions (22 of 26 passing).

Rypien hit A.J. Richardson twice on scoring strikes of 13 and 35 yards in the first half before finding Sean Modster for a 17-yard touchdown near the end of the second quarter. Modster also scored on a 26-yard reception in the fourth.

Boise State defensive back Avery Williams had an interception along with a 44-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the Broncos' first since Nov. 23, 2013 against San Diego State.

THE TAKEAWAY

Colorado State: Suffering a blowout loss wasn't the way the Rams wanted to begin a critical stretch of conference games, especially if they had any plans to play in the Mountain West title game. With two losses in conference action, Colorado State has no margin for error and will need to get some help along the way to get to the championship.

Boise State: The Broncos successfully re-established their dominance at home after struggling in a 19-13 loss to San Diego State two weeks ago. Boise State still controls its own fate and will need to protect its home turf against three good opponents - BYU, Fresno State, and Utah State - to finish the regular season in order to have the opportunity to defend its Mountain West title.

UP NEXT

Colorado State: The Rams return home to host Wyoming next Friday.

Boise State: The Broncos will play next Saturday at Air Force where they are winless in three previous games.


***************************


Air Force gets first conference win 41-35
October 19, 2018

LAS VEGAS (AP) Isaiah Sanders accounted for four touchdowns Friday night to lead Air Force to a 41-35 win over UNLV.

Sanders completed 9 of 11 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 173 yards and three TDs. Rona Cleveland had three receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons.

Air Force (3-4, 1-3 Mountain West) held off a late rally by UNLV, which erased a 20-point deficit with 5:45 left in the third quarter by scoring 14 unanswered points.

The Falcons stopped UNLV (2-5, 0-3) on fourth-and-8 with less than two minutes left in the game, as Max Gilliam's pass to Darren Woods Jr. fell incomplete.

Gilliam, who was making his third start in place of injured starter Armani Rogers, was 26-of-38 passing for 261 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. The sophomore averaged 186.5 yards passing in his previous two starts for the Rebels, who rank 123rd nationally with just 123.7 yards per contest.

Lexington Thomas rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns for UNLV.

The Rebels held a 21-20 lead at halftime, but Air Force wasted no time in jumping on a UNLV defense that allowed 109 points and 1,100 yards in its previous two games.

The Falcons - which tallied 572 yards of offense - scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to pull ahead 41-21. The Rebels' defense has allowed more than 500 yards in four of their seven games this season.

Air Force, which has the 106th-ranked offense in the nation, had no trouble moving the ball against UNLV, converting on its first seven possessions - two field goals and five touchdowns.

TAKEAWAY

Air Force: The Falcons kept their bowl hopes alive by securing their third win of the season. After hosting preseason Mountain Division favorite Boise State next week, the Falcons close the season against Army, New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado State, who have a combined record of 12-14.

UNLV: While the Rebels continue to struggle defensively, Thomas continues to climb the ladder as UNLV's most successful running back. His 74-yard TD run was his second run of more than 70 yards this season, contributing to his 16th game with at least 100 yards rushing. He ranks second behind Mike Thomas on the all-time list for 100-yard games. Thomas (3,148) is two yards shy of passing Thomas (3,149) for career rushing yards. He is 586 shy of passing Tim Cornett (3,733) as the school's all-time rushing leader.

UP NEXT

Air Force: Hosts Boise State next Saturday

UNLV: Travels to San Jose State next Saturday

 

[Cnotes53]

Saturday?s six-pack

? I?m not a big fan of 9:30 Sunday morning NFL games from London.

? Former Tennessee coach Butch Jones is now an assistant at Alabama.

? Raptors 113, Celtics 101? Really good game, better with Hubie Brown as analyst.

? Nets 107, Knicks 105? Caris LeVert with GW hoop; Knicks had only 3 turnovers (+19).

? Warriors 124, Jazz 123? Utah led this game 81-68 at halftime.

? NBA?s salary floor is $91.6M; the salary cap is $101.8M.

Quote of the Day
?Um, not as fast as you guys think it?s going to happen. I always kind of compare it to like instant oatmeal. It is not that fast. It takes a while to get to where you can close your eyes and know exactly where your guys are.?
Lebron James, on how long it will take for the Lakers? chemistry to develop

Saturday?s quiz
Which four NBA teams came over from the ABA when the ABA folded in 1976?

Friday?s quiz
Olympia is the state capital of Washington.

Thursday?s quiz
Five current major league managers have won a World Series as a manager; Bochy, Hinch, Francona, Maddon, Yost.

**************************

Saturday?s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind?..

13) G-League President Malcolm Turner announced that the league is implementing a ?professional path? for would-be one and done college basketball players. The G-League will be offering $125,000 contracts, as well as access to NBA infrastructure and development tools.

Curious how many kids take this route, instead of playing college ball for a year?

12) Random movie trivia; remember when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a co-pilot with Peter Graves in the classic comedy Airplane!?

Kareem was on The Rich Eisen Show Wednesday; he said when the writers of Airplane! were casting the movie, they wanted Pete Rose to be the co-pilot, but they were filming during the summer and obviously, Rose was unavailable since that is also baseball season, so they chose Kareem to play the role.

11) More trivia from the past; New Orleans Saints had the first pick in the 1981 Draft; Dallas Cowboys called the Saints and offered them a ton for the #1 pick, but the Saints kept the pick and took South Carolina RB George Rogers.

Turns out the Cowboys wanted the guy who got picked #2; a linebacker named Lawrence Taylor. Wonder whatever happened to him?

10) There are players from 43 countries in the NBA; for the 5th year in a row, every NBA team had at least one international player.

9) NFL stuff:
? QB Brock Osweiler will start again for the Dolphins this week.
? Buffalo will start QB Derek Anderson at Indianapolis. Anderson has started only four times (2-2) since 2010- his career W-L record is 20-27.
? Arizona Cardinals fired OC Mike McCoy Friday.
? Browns traded RB Carlos Hyde to Jacksonville for a 5th-round draft pick.

8) Tremendous catch by Andrew Benitendi to end Game 4 of the Red Sox-Astros series late Wednesday night; he misses that ball, and Houston ties the game, maybe wins it right there.

It is also an example of how a ballpark with a very short LF fence occasionally takes hits away from the batter. No way is Benitendi that shallow if he?s playing in a ballpark other than Houston or Fenway.

7) Wednesday, Milwaukee?s Brandon Woodruff became 8th reliever in postseason history to strike out 8+ batters in a game. Before him, Pedro Martinez, was the last to do that, in the ?99 ALDS, Game 5 at Cleveland.

Of course, Woodruff wasn?t really a reliever, but Wade Miley walked the first hitter, a lefty, and was then lifted, so technically Woodruff relieved.

6) Falcons? WR Julio Jones has the 2nd-most receiving yards (707) in the NFL this season but hasn?t scored a touchdown yet; he?s now gone 11 straight regular-season games without a TD catch, which is really odd for someone with his ability.

5) My Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook came in the mail yesterday; time to get serious studying college basketball.

In the last seven years, seven different teams have won the Big West conference tournament.

4) Speaking of the Big West, Mark Gottfried is the new basketball coach at Cal State-Northridge; one of his assistants is 80-year old Jim Harrick, who won a national title with UCLA in 1995.

3) Jaguars? owner Shad Khan dropped his attempt to buy Wembley Stadium in London, which means the Jaguars won?t be playing half their home games there anytime soon.

2) Thru six games, Kansas City Chiefs have allowed 2,042 passing yards, the most PY any team has allowed thru six games, since 1940.

1) Here?s the thing about stealing signs: if you steal signals in football/baseball with the naked eye, more power to you; if you steal signals via technology, then you?re a cheater. Those are the rules.

 

[Cnotes53]

Oregon at Washington State
October 19, 2018
By Brian Edwards

Matchup: No. 12 Oregon at No. 25 Washington State
Venue: Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington
TV/Time: FOX, 7:30 p.m. ET

If the Pac-12 is going to be represented in the College Football Playoff, it will be the winner of Saturday night?s game in Pullman between Washington State and Oregon. Either team will have to win out and get some help in front of it, but the latter tends to happen in November.

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas issued Washington State a team total of six (?over? -125, ?under? +105) this past summer. Expectations were low following the loss of Luke Falk, the school?s all-time leading passer with 14,481 career yards.

Not only that, but Falk?s heir apparent Tyler Hilinski, who helped the Cougars rally to an overtime win over Boise State last season, tragically passed away when he committed suicide shortly after the 2017 campaign ended.

Therefore, Mike Leach?s team only brought back a total of 10 starters (four on offense and six on defense) from a 9-4 team. However, Leach shrewdly landed East Carolina grad transfer QB Gardner Minshew, who has been nothing short of sensational. He?s led an offense that?s ranked No. 1 in the nation in passing yards, 14th in total yards and 15th in scoring with 41.8 points-per-game average.

Minshew has led Washington State to a 5-1 straight-up record and a 6-0 against-the-spread mark. Four of the team's five wins have come by margins of 19 points or more. The Cougars are 3-0 both SU and ATS at home.

Minshew has completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 2,422 yards with a 19/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Sophomore WR Tay Martin has been his favorite target, bringing down 40 receptions for 440 yards and six TDs. Easop Winston has 29 catches for 426 yards and five TDs, while Dezmon Patmon has 25 receptions for 370 yards and two TDs.

Junior RB James Williams has rushed for a team-best 260 yards and five TDs with a 4.1 yards-per-carry average. Williams is a serious threat in the passing game out of the backfield, too, as he has caught 32 balls for 283 yards and three TDs.

Leach?s team has home victories over San Jose State (31-0), Eastern Washington (59-24) and Utah (28-24). The Cougars won 41-19 at Wyoming and 56-37 at Oregon State, but they allowed a second-half lead to get away in a controversial 39-36 loss at Southern Cal as 4.5-point underdogs.

Washington State has had two weeks to prepare for the Ducks, who fall into a bit of a letdown scenario after capturing a huge overtime win at home over Washington last week. The Cougars took the cash by one-half point as 18.5-point road ?chalk? in their win at OSU two weeks ago.

The Beavers had two different leads, including a 30-28 advantage midway through the third quarter. But Minshew threw two of his five TD passes in the fourth quarter. He finished with 430 passing yards and five TDs without an interception in Corvaillis. Minshew connected on 30-of-40 throws, while Williams ran for 56 yards ono 10 carries and had four receptions for 78 yards and one TD.

Martin had eight catches for 119 yards and two TDs against the Beavers. Winston brought down seven balls for 99 yards.

Oregon (5-1 SU, 2-4 ATS) and WSU are both 2-1 in league play. After Stanford won 20-13 at ASU last night, the Ducks and Cougars are looking for a win to pull into a first-place tie in the Pac-12 North with both the Cardinal and UW, who are both 3-1 in conference action. However, both Stanford and Washington have two overall losses and barring 2007-like chaos at the top of the rankings, neither has a shot at the CFP.

Mario Cristobal?s team has bounced back nicely from an unfathomable home loss to Stanford back on Sept. 22. The Ducks had a 24-7 lead late in the third quarter and appeared to score a TD to extend their lead, but the score was reversed by replay officials. A couple of plays later, a fumble was scooped up by Stanford?s Joey Alfieri and turned into an 80-yard TD the other way.

Then Oregon fumbled with less than 90 seconds remaining while trying to ice the game with a seven-point lead. Stanford then forced overtime with a field goal on the final play of regulation and eventually won 38-31 in the extra session.

Since then, Oregon has won back-to-back games both SU and ATS, including a 42-24 win at California as a two-point road ?chalk? and last week?s 30-27 triumph over Washington as a 3.5-point home underdog. There were four ties in regulation and no team led by more than seven points.

Oregon forced UW to settle for a 22-yard field goal from Peyton Henry on the first possession of OT. Then RB C.J. Verdell found paydirt on a six-yard TD run to lift his team to victory. It was sweet vindication for Verdell, whose attempt to stretch the ball out to the first-down marker late in the fourth quarter against Stanford resulted in the fumble that gave the Cardinal new life.

QB Justin Herbert completed 18-of-32 passes for 202 yards and two TDs without an interception against the Huskies. Verdell rushed 29 times for 111 yards and two TDs, while Dillon Mitchell had eight catches for 119 yards and one TD.

Oregon played a cupcake non-conference slate, which certainly won?t help its cause if it gets into the CFP picture come late November. The Ducks beat up on Bowling Green (58-24), Portland State (62-14) and San Jose State (35-22) in non-covering home wins that preceded the defeat vs. Stanford.

Herbert has completed 63.1 percent of his throws for 1,613 yards with a 17/5 TD-INT ratio. He?s also run for 106 yards and one TD. Mitchell is his go-to guy, hauling in 35 receptions for 561 yards and three TDs.

Verdell has rushed for a team-best 531 yards and four TDs, averaging 5.5 YPC. He also has nine catches for 112 yards. Travis Dye has run for 320 yards and a pair of scores with a 5.2 YPC average, while Tony Brooks-James has 200 rushing yards, three TDs and a 4.8 YPC average.

The ?over? is 5-1 overall for the Cougars, 2-1 in their home games. They?ve watched their games average combined scores of 65.7 PPG. This is the highest total WSU has seen all season.

Totals have been an overall wash for the Ducks (3-3), and the ?over? hit in their lone road assignments in Berkeley when the 66 combined points jumped above the 58-point number. They've seen their games average combined scores of 67.8 PPG.

Oregon won seven in a row in this rivalry from 2008-2014, but Washington State has won three in a row over the Ducks. In fact, the Cougars have covered the spread in eight consecutive head-to-head meetings with Oregon. The ?over? is on a 7-3 run in this rivalry.

Washington State went to Autzen Stadium last year and collected a 33-10 win as a 1.5-point road favorite. The 43 combined points dropped ?under? the 60.5-point total. Herbert was injured and didn?t play, while Falk there's for 282 yards and three TDs without an interception. Williams rushed for 48 yards on 11 carries.

In its last visit to Martin Stadium in Pullman, Oregon lost 51-33 as a 2.5-point road ?chalk? and the 84 combined points soared ?over? the 74.5-point tally. Williams rushed for 91 yards and two TDs on 11 carries, while Martin had five receptions for 45 yards.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern on FOX proper.

**B.E.?s Bonus Nuggets**

-- 5Dimes.eu updated its lines for upcoming Games of the Year. Some of those include Texas -3 vs. West Virginia, Michigan -7 vs. Penn State, Penn State -6 vs. Wisconsin, Memphis -3 vs. Houston, Oklahoma -4 at WVU, Ohio State -6.5 vs. Michigan and Notre Dame -4.5 at Southern Cal.

-- I backed the ?under? (closed at 57.5) on Thursday for an easy winner in Stanford?s 20-13 win at Arizona State as a two-point road favorite. ASU was threatening to score a game-trying TD in the final seconds, but a second-down play came up short of the first-down marker just inside the red zone and time ran out on the Sun Devils. With the game knotted at 6-6 midway through the third quarter, Stanford sophomore QB K.J. Costello found J.J. Arcega-Whiteside for a 28-yard scoring strike to put the Cardinal ahead for good. Cameron Scarlett?s one-yard TD run with 3:05 left in the third extended the lead to 20-6. ASU got a 10-yard TD run from Manny Wilkins with 7:50 remaining to make it interesting, but the Sun Devils came up short nonetheless. Costello threw for 231 yards and one TD without an interception, while Arcega-Whiteside finished with seven receptions for 91 yards and one TD. Bryce Love returned from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury, but he gained merely 21 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

-- Arkansas State captured a 51-35 win over Georgia State as a 13-point home favorite last night in Jonesboro. The 86 combined points easily jumped ?over? the 56.5-point total with more than a minute remaining in the third quarter. Senior QB Justice Hansen stole the show for the Red Wolves, throwing for 257 yards and three TDs without an interception. Hansen also ran for 76 yards and two TDs on 11 carries.

-- Temple RB Ryquell Armstead (ankle) has been upgraded to ?probable for Saturday?s key AAC showdown vs. Cincinnati at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Armstead has rushed for 626 yards and six TDs. The unbeaten Bearcats have had two weeks to prepare for the Owls, who are 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS since starting the season with home losses to Villanova and Buffalo.

-- UCLA will be without a pair of former 5-star recruits ? RB Soso Jamabo and LB Jaelan Phillips -- for the rest of the season due to concussion issues.

-- East Carolina has named true freshman QB Holton Ahlers as its starter for Satureday?s home game vs. undefeated UCF. Speaking of the Knights, they got a Herculean effort from their defense that held Memphis scoreless in the second half of last week?s 31-30 come-from-behind win at the Liberty Bowl.

-- Two of the nation?s premier defensive players are done for the season: USC?s Porter Gustin (ankle) and Ohio State?s Nick Bosa (core). Bosa is actually leaving school and starting to prepare for the NFL Draft despite Ohio State?s unbeaten status.

 

[Cnotes53]

SEC Notebook - Week 8
October 19, 2018
By Brian Edwards

**Auburn at Ole Miss**

-- When Gus Malzahn beat previously-unbeaten Georgia and Alabama, the eventual participants in the College Football Playoff finals, at home in a three-week span last year, he saved his job at Auburn. Then when Arkansas came calling with a lucrative contract offer, the school had to step up to retain its coach or lose him to an inferior program within its division. Therefore, AU committed to Malzahn and paid the man to the tune of a seven-year, $49 million contract. Even with what?s believed to be a $38 million buyout according to multiple reports, there are whispers that Malzahn?s seat is rapidly warming after a shocking 30-24 loss to Tennessee as a 14.5-point home favorite last week.

-- Malzahn was originally hired by Houston Nutt to become his new offensive coordinator at Arkansas more than a decade ago. At the time, Malzahn was a high school coach with Arkansas recruiting targets Mitch Mustain, Damian Williams and Ben Cleveland on his roster. After falling out with Houston and spending a year calling plays for Tulsa, Malzahn was hired as Auburn?s OC and was given loads of credit for tutoring Cam Newton and helping Auburn to its first national championship since the 1950s. After a one-year head-coaching stint at Arkansas State, Malzahn was chosen to replace Gene Chizik in 2013. He promptly led AU to unforgettable and fortunate home wins over Georgia and Alabama on its way to winning the SEC Championship Game and facing FSU in the BCS Championship Game. The Tigers led the Seminoles nearly the entire game but let a big lead get away in a soul-crushing 34-31 loss. After that spectacular debut campaign, Malzahn went 8-5, 7-6 and 8-5 before going 10-4 last season. Now his offense is stuck in the mud, ranked 93rd in the nation in total yards, 80th in passing yards and 83rd in rushing. AU is averaging only 28.0 points per game to rank 74th in the country.

-- Long-time Auburn beat writer Brandon Marcello appeared on the Paul Finebaum Show earlier this week. He told Finebaum, ?I?m not ruling out a change at the end of the season?from what I?ve been told, there?s not much concern there when it comes to the money.?

-- As of Friday, Auburn (4-3 straight up, 2-5 against the spread) was installed as a 3.5-point road favorite at Ole Miss. The total was 63 and the Rebels were +155 on the money line (risk $100 to win $155).

-- Auburn has compiled a 7-5-1 spread record in 13 games as road favorite during Malzahn?s six-year tenure.

-- Auburn started the season 2-0 with a win over Washington in Atlanta and a blowout victory over FCS foe, Alabama State. However, it allowed a late fourth quarter lead to get away in a gut-wrenching 22-21 loss to LSU as a 10-point home favorite on Sept. 15. The Tigers responded with back-to-back wins over Arkansas and Southern Miss, but they failed to cover the 27-point spread in the 24-13 triumph over the Golden Eagles. Then AU lost 23-9 at Mississippi State, which avoided a three-game losing streak with the win. Then last week happened.

-- In the loss to UT, Auburn junior signal caller Jarrett Stidham threw for 322 yards and two TDs, but he was intercepted twice. Stidham remains the starter even though he threw four picks in losses vs. UT and LSU. He completed only 50 percent of his passes at MSU and overthrew a wide-open WR for what would?ve been an easy TD. For the season, Stidham has connected on 60.6 percent of his throws for 1,499 yards with a 7/4 TD-INT ratio.

-- Ole Miss (5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS) is 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS at home this season The Rebels are off a 37-33 come-from-behind victory over Arkansas in Little Rock. The Razorbacks took the cash, though, as 6.5-point home underdogs. Jordan Ta?amu was the catalyst for the winners, orchestrating a pair of TD drives late in the fourth quarter. The senior signal caller completed 26-of-35 passes for 387 yards and two TDs with one interception. He rushed for a team-best 141 yards and one TD on 17 attempts. Scottie Phillips ran for 86 yards and one TD on 18 carries, including the game-winning dash into the end zone from five yards out with 42 ticks left. DeMarkus Lodge had 10 catches for 80 yards and one TD.

-- Ole Miss took a huge hit earlier this week when Matt Luke announced that star third-year sophomore WR D.K. Metcalf would miss the rest of the season due to a neck injury. Metcalf had 26 receptions for 569 yards and five TDs this year. With a bright future on Sundays, you wonder if Metcalf has played his last down for the Rebels.

-- Phillips is second in the SEC in rushing yards (798) and tied for first in rushing touchdowns with nine. The juco transfer is averaging 6.7 yards per carry.

-- Ole Miss WR A.J. Brown is sixth in the nation and paces the SEC in receptions (50). Brown in second in the league in receiving yards with 650 and has four TD grabs.

-- Ta?amu has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for an SEC-best 2,298 yards. He has a 15/5 TD-INT ratio and has run for 253 yards and four TDs with a 4.8 YPC average. Ta?amu has the SEC?s second-best QB rating (170.52).

-- The ?under? is 5-2 overall for AU, 3-2 in its home games. The Tigers have seen their games average combined scores of 44.6 PPG.

-- The ?over? is 5-2 overall for the Rebels, 2-2 in their home games. They've seen their games average combined scores of 76.7 PPG.

-- ESPN will have the broadcast at noon Eastern.

**Alabama at Tennessee**

-- As of Friday afternoon, most betting shops had Alabama (7-0 SU, 5-2 ATS) listed as a 28.5-point road favorite with a total of 57. The Volunteers had 20/1 odds to win outright at William Hill properties.

-- Alabama is off a 39-10 win over Missouri as a 28-point home favorite. The 49 combined points was the lowest-scoring game of the season for the Crimson Tide, and the ?under? (72.5) was an easy winner. Going into the game vs. Mizzou, Nick Saban?s bunch had produced a 29-0-1 spread record for bettors who backed this sequence of five wagers on the Tide each game ? ?Bama in the first quarter and first half, in addition to its team total ?over? in the first quarter, first half and for the game. Those bets are now 31-3-1 after the first quarter turned into a disaster for gamblers on the Tide for the spread and its team total ?over? in the opening stanza. Alabama went up 10-0 on a short field goal less than two minutes into the game, but a long TD pass was called back due to a shaky holding call midway through the quarter. Missouri got on the board with a 43-yard FG from Tucker McCann. With Alabama favored by seven (with heavy juice in the -155 range) or as much as 10 (at around even money) for first-quarter bets at some books, it went ahead by 10 when it was forced to settle for another short FG with 2:13 remaining. Missouri was around midfield with about 30 seconds left when it got a nice first-down run and the Tide was flagged for a horse-collar tackle. The Tigers had time to get one more play off before the first quarter ended. In a rare situation when Alabama only brought three rushers, Drew Lock had all day (and night!) to survey the field and hit a streaking Jalen Knox in the corner of the end zone for a 20-yard scoring strike. This crushed bettors on Alabama for the first quarter and its team total (14) for the opening quarter also dipped ?under? due to the TD being called back and settling for two short FGs.

-- Nevertheless, Alabama did cover first-half bets (-18 early Saturday, -19.5 or -20 in the hour before kickoff) by outscoring the Tigers 17-0 in the second quarter. Tua Tagovailoa aggravated a sprained knee late in the first half and didn?t play in the final 30 minutes. He threw for 265 yards and three TDs without an interception before exiting. Jalen Hurts connected on 7-of-8 throws for 115 yards and had a seven-yard catch for first-down yardage when he lined up at WR in the first half. Jerry Jeudy had three receptions for 147 yards and one TD, while DeVonta Smith had four catches for 100 yards and one TD. The Tide?s team total in the 51-52 range fell ?under? for the first time all season.

-- Tagovailoa is listed as ?probable? at UT due to the knee injury. Saban hasn?t given any indication that he?ll rest Tagovailoa this week despite many pundits insisting he should do so. Smith is listed as ?questionable? after leaving the win over Missouri with a hamstring issue. Smith has 21 receptions for 409 yards and three TDs.

-- Tagovailoa has connected on 71.5 percent of his passes for 1,760 yards and 21 TDs without an interception. The sophomore signal caller has run for 117 yards and two TDs with a 4.7 YPC average. Jeudy has 26 receptions for 705 yards and nine TDs. Henry Ruggs has 21 grabs for 379 yards and six TDs.

-- Alabama is four-deep in the backfield with senior Damien Harris and Najee Harris splitting the role as featured RB. Najee Harris has rushed for 439 yards and four TDs with a 6.4 YPC average, while Damien Harris has 423 rushing yards, four rushing scores and a 6.5 YPC average. Josh Jacobs has a team-high six rushing TDs.

-- Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the nation in both total offense and scoring with its 53.6 PPG average.

-- Alabama owns a 26-19 spread record in 45 games as a road favorite during Saban?s 12-year tenure, going 1-1 ATS in a pair of such spots this season.

-- Tennessee (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) avoided a three-game losing streak and snapped an 11-game losing streak in SEC play with last week?s 30-24 win at Auburn as a 14.5-point road underdog. Jarrett Guarantano completed 21-of-32 passes for 328 yards and two TDs without an interception. Josh Palmer had three catches for 84 yards, while Jauan Jennings had five receptions for 71 yards and one TD. Ty Chandler rushed for 50 yards on 16 attempts and had five catches for 62 yards and one TD.

-- Since 2008, UT has been a home underdog 19 times. The Vols have limped to an abysmal 5-14 spread record in those spots.

-- UT is 2-1 SU and 1-2 ATS at home this season, beating East Tennessee State (59-3) and UTEP (24-0) before getting smashed 47-21 vs. Florida on Sept. 22.

-- Tennessee senior LB Jonathan Kongbo saw his collegiate career end when he tore his ACL at Auburn. Kongbo, who started 10 games last season and five of six this year, had recorded 11 tackles, four QB hurries and one interception.

-- UT first-year HC Jeremy Pruitt was Alabama?s DC the past two seasons and served in the same post under Saban earlier his tenure. After beating Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M last month, Sabah improved to 13-0 in games against former assistants of his.

-- Alabama has won 11 games in a row in this rivalry, going 7-1 ATS in the past 10 encounters at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The ?over? is on a 5-1 run in the past six head-to-head meetings.

-- The ?over? is 5-2 overall for ?Bama, 1-1 in its road assignments. This is the lowest total of the season for the Crimson Tide, who have seen its games average combined scores of 68.7 PPG.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (3-3) for the Vols, with the ?over? going 2-1 in their home outings.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

**Mississippi State at LSU**

-- As of Friday, most books had LSU (6-1 SU, 4-3 ATS) listed as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 45. The Bulldogs were +210 on the money line (risk $100 to win $210).

-- Ed Orgeron?s club is 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS at home this year. LSU improve to 3-1 in SEC play with last week?s 36-16 win over Georgia as a seven-point home underdog. Joe Burrow led the way with 200 passing yards and 66 rushing yards for TDs on 13 attempts. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran 19 times for 145 yards, while Nick Brossette had 64 rushing yards and one TD on 16 carries. Justin Jefferson had six catches for 108 yards.

-- Burrow has been the key to LSU?s surprising start. His stats aren?t that pretty, but he was money at crunch time in a game-winning drive at Auburn. He didn?t throw his first interception for lose for the first time until falling 27-19 at Florida on Oct. 6. Burrow has completed 53.3 percent of his passes for 1,415 yards with a 6/2 TD-INT ratio. He makes plays with his legs too, evidenced by 242 rushing yards and four TDs.

-- Brossette has rushed for a team-high 640 yards and nine TDs while averaging 4.8 YPC. Edwards-Helaire has run for 475 yards and five TDs with a 5.3 YPC average. Jefferson has 27 receptions for 453 yards and two TDs.

-- When these SEC West adversaries collided at Scott Field in Starkville last year, Mississippi State rolled to an easy 37-7 win as a 7.5-point home underdog. Nick Fitzgerald threw for 180 yards and two TDs without an interception, in addition to rushing for 88 yards and two scores on 14 attempts. RB Aeris Williams rushed 23 times for 146 yards. The Bulldogs covered the spread for the fourth straight time in this series, while the ?under? connected for a third straight time in this rivalry.

-- Since losing at MSU last season, Oregon has led LSU to a 10-1 spread record in 11 SEC games. Since taking over for Les Miles, Oregon is 14-4 ATS against SEC competition. The Tigers are 6-6 ATS as home favorites on Orgeron?s watch.

-- Mississippi State (4-2 SU, 4-2 ATS) has had two weeks to prepare for LSU after capturing a 23-9 win over Auburn as a 3.5-point home underdog. Fitzgerald rushed for 195 yards and two TDs on 28 workmanlike carries. Kylin Hill had 126 rushing yards on 23 attempts for the Bulldogs, who didn?t have a turnover and committed only one penalty. They had a 22-15 edge over AU in first downs and a 418-304 advantage in total offense.

-- Joe Moorhead?s squad leads the nation in scoring defense (12.7 PPG) and is eighth in total defense, 14th versus the pass and 18th in run defense.

-- MSU is 1-1 both SU and ATS on the road. The Bulldogs won 31-10 at Kansas State but took a 28-7 loss at Kentucky.

-- The ?under? is 4-1 overall for Mississippi State, 2-0 in its road assignments. The Bulldogs have watched the ?under? cash in three straight games. They?ve seen their games average combined scores of 43.7 PPG.

-- After hitting in four consecutive contests, the ?over? is 5-2 overall for LSU and 3-1 in its home games. The Tigers have seen their games average combined scores of 48.9 PPG.

-- ESPN will have the broadcast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

**Vanderbilt at Kentucky**

-- As of Friday, most spots had Kentucky (5-1 SU, 3-3 ATS) favored by 12.5 points with a total of 47. The Commodores were +400 on the money line (risk $100 to win $400).

-- Mark Stoops?s team started the season 5-0 before dropping a 20-14 decision at Texas A&M in overtime. The Wildcats failed to cover the number as 4.5-point road underdogs. UK struck first in College Station when Terry Wilson found Lynn Bowden for 54-yard scoring strike. The Aggies didn?t get on the board until Kellen Mond?s three-yard TD pass to Quartney Davis with 1:14 left in the second quarter. The game remained knotted at 7-7 until Mond hit Jace Sternberger for a 46-yard TD pass with 10:13 remaining. The ?Cats got fortunate when they forced a fumble and Darius West turned it into a 40-yard scoop-and-score TD to tie the game with 4:17 left. The Aggies won in the extra session on a 10-yard TD run by Traveon Williams.

-- UK is led by senior RB Benny Snell, who was somehow only given 13 carries that he turned into 60 rushing yards at Texas A&M. For the season, Snell has run for 724 yards and eight TDs with a 5.7 YPC average. Wilson, the juco transfer QB who was originally signed out of HS by Oregon, has run for 304 yards and three TDs while averaging 4.6 YPC.

-- Wilson has completed 66.4 percent of his throws for 703 yards with a 3/5 TD-INT ratio. Bowden has 27 receptions for 273 yards and two TDs.

-- UK is ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 13.8 PPG. The ?Cats are 11th in the country in total defense and 23rd in both pass and run ?D.? This unit is led by senior DE Josh Allen, who has produced 37 tackles, six sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, five QB hurries, three passes broken up and two forced fumbles. West, LB Jordan Jones and safety Mike Edwards are other standouts on this unit.

-- UK is undefeated in four home games with a 2-2 spread record.

-- Vanderbilt (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS) started the season with home wins over Middle Tennessee (35-7) and Nevada (41-10), but it has lost three of its past four games while going 0-4 ATS. The Commodores raced out to a 21-3 lead over Florida in the first half of last week?s home game as seven-point underdogs. However, leading rusher Ke?Shawn Vaughn was forced out of the game in the first half with an undisclosed injury and the offense wasn?t the same without him. Before exiting, Vaughn had a 75-yard TD catch and ran for 56 yards on only seven totes. The Gators narrowed the deficit to 21-13 at halftime thanks to a Lamical Perine seven-yard TD run with 2:30 left in the second quarter. They also got a 25-yard FG from freshman kicker Evan McPherson with one tick left until intermission. UF took its first lead on the opening play of the final stanza when Jordan Scarlett ripped off a 48-yard TD run. Vandy would answer with a 42-yard FG with 12:10 remaining. The Gators went ahead of the number for the first time all day on an 11-yard TD pass from QB Feleipe Franks to Freddie Swain. Vandy got a 53-yard FG to make it a one-possession game and make it a push for our purposes with 3:55 remaining. Then with 37 seconds left, UF?s Dan Mullen took the risk of having a FG blocked but it worked with McPherson burying a 43-yarder for the spread cover.

-- Vaughn has been upgraded to ?probable? at UK. The Nashville native sat out last season after transferring back home from Illinois. Vaughn has rushed for a team-high 495 yards and five TDs with a 6.9 YPC average. He has seven catches for 131 yards and one TD.

-- Vandy senior QB Kyle Shurmur is playing outstanding football, much better than his stats suggest due to lots of drops from his young wideouts. The son of the New York Giants head coach has a 58.7 completion percentage and has thrown for 1,629 yards with an 11/5 TD-INT ratio. Kalija Lipscomb has 49 receptions for 560 yards and six TDs, while TE Jared Pinkney has 22 catches for 348 yards and three TDs.

-- Vandy is 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS on the road. During Derek Mason?s five-year tenure, the Commodores are 11-11 ATS as road underdogs. They?re 1-1 ATS in a pair of such spots this year, covering at Notre Dame as 14-point ?dogs in a 22-17.

-- UK has won back-to-back games over Vandy both SU and ATS, including last year?s 44-21 win in Nashville as a 2.5-point road underdog. Snell ran for 116 yards and three TDs on 17 attempts, while Bowden had three receptions for 79 yards. Shurmur completed 30-of-43 passes for 308 yards and one TD, but he was intercepted four times.

-- Vandy is 5-2 ATS in the past seven games of this rivalry. The ?under? is on a 5-1 run in the last six encounters.

-- Vandy might be without a pair of senior starters. OG E.J. DellaRippa and DT Louis Vecchio are both listed as ?questionable? with undisclosed injuries.

-- The ?under? is 4-2 overall for UK, 2-2 in its home games. The ?Cats have seen the ?under? cash in three consecutive games and their games are averaging combined scores of 43.2 PPG.

-- The ?under? is 5-2 for Vandy, 2-0 in its road assignments. The ?Dores have watched their games average combined scores of 51.3 PPG.

-- Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. Eastern on the SEC Network.

**B.E.?s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Missouri (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) will play host to Memphis at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on the SEC Network. As of Friday, most spots had Mizzou listed as a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 73. Mike Norvell?s team is winless both SU and ATS in a pair of road assignments. Memphis raced out to a 30-17 halftime lead at home vs. unbeaten UCF last weekend, only to go scoreless in the second half and lose a 31-30 decision. Nevertheless, Memphis covered the spread as a five-point underdog. Norvell?s team brings the nation?s leading rusher to town in Darrell Henderson, who has rushed for 1,133 yards and 13 TDs while averaging 10.3 YPC. Lock will be without his favorite target Emanuel Hall for a fourth straight game. Hall, a first-team All-SEC selection last year, had 18 receptions for 430 yards and three TDs in his teams? first three games. Lock has struggled mightily in three SEC games in which his team is 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS. The senior QB who is predicted to be a first-round pick by most draftniks has only 1 TD pass compared to five interceptions in SEC play. For the season, Lock has completed 58.7 percent of his throws for 1,629 yards with a 12/6 TD-INT ratio.

-- Arkansas (1-6 SU, 3-3-1 ATS) is hoping to get its second win of the season at noon Eastern vs. Tulsa on the SEC Network. The Razorbacks have ripped off three straight spread covers and they?re 2-1-1 ATS in four home games this year. The Golden Hurricane lost a lead in the final minute of play last week just like Arkansas did vs. Ole Miss. Tulsa allowed South Florida to rally for a 27-25 win on a walk-off FG. As of Friday, most books had the Hogs listed as seven-point ?chalk? with a total of 55.5.

-- Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas A&M are off this week. The Gators, who have won five in a row both SU and ATS, will take on Georgia next week in Jacksonville. The look-ahead line at 5Dimes is UGA -7.5. The same book had the Bulldogs favored by 11 at this time last week.

-- Sportsbook.ag has Alabama as the -200 ?chalk? to win the CFP. UGA has 10/1 odds, LSU is at 40/1, UF is 100/1, Mississippi State is 500/1 and UK is 1,000/1.

-- Tagovailoa is the -150 favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at the offshore book.

-- 5Dimes.eu has Alabama as the -350 favorite to win the SEC Championship Game. The next-shortest odds belong to UGA (+275), UK (15/1), UF (15/1), LSU (15/1), MSU (100/1), Texas A&M (100/1), South Carolina (500/1) and Tennessee (1,000/1).

 

[Cnotes53]

College Football Best Bets For October

Date w-l-t % units record (ALL PLAYS BEST BETS AND OPINIONS )

10/19/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
10/18/2018 0-4-0 0.00% -22.00
10/13/2018 23-39-1 37.10% -99.50
10/12/2018 5-1-0 83.33% +19.50
10/11/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
10/09/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
10/06/2018 32-39-0 45.07% -54.50
10/05/2018 1-5-0 16.66% -22.50
10/04/2018 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00

Totals............69-94-0........42.33%.....-172.00

best bets................. ats ...............units................ o/u...............units...............days total

10/19/2018............1 - 1...............-0.50..............2 - 0...............+10.00.............+9.50
10/18/2018............0 - 2..............-11.00..............0 - 2...............-11.00..............-22.00
10/13/2018...........12 - 15............-22.50..............5 - 9...............-24.50..............-47.00
10/12/2018............3 -0................+15.00............2 - 1...............+5.50...............+20.50
10/11/2018............0 - 2................-11.00............1 - 1................-0.50................-11.50
10/09/2018............0 - 1................-5.50..............0 - 1................-5.50................-11.00
10/06/2018............6 - 18..............-49.50.............8 - 6...............+7.00...............-42.50
10/05/2018............0 - 3...............-16.50..............1 - 2..............-6.00.................-22.50
10/04/2018............2 - 0...............+10.00.............2 - 0..............+10.00..............+20.00

Totals....................24 - 42.............-91.50............21 - 22............-15.00.................-106.50

 

[Cnotes53]

The Triple Option: College football Week 8 picks, predictions
Andrew Caley

Can you believe the college football season is already halfway done? Me either. And while a lot of things have changed through the first two months of the season, much is still the same. Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson are the top 3 teams in the country, the SEC has seven teams in the top 25, and UCF hasn?t lost a football game in almost two years.

So, with that in mind, it?s time for our mid-season betting awards.

Mid-Season Best Bet: Utah State Aggies (6-0 ATS)

Utah State opened their season by surprising everyone (including Michigan State) when they nearly upset the Spartans in East Lansing as 23.5-point road underdogs and they haven?t let their backers down since. The Aggies have an unblemished record against the spread this season, covering the number by just over 14 points per game and they?ll be a contender all season in the Mountain West. This week they are 14-point road favorites against Wyoming.

Honorable Mention: Washington State (6-0 ATS), Appalachian State (5-0 ATS) & Florida (6-1 ATS)

Mid-Season Best Fade: Connecticut Huskies (0-5-1 ATS)

Boy. Connecticut is bad. I mean really bad. Not only have the Huskies not covered a spread so far this season, but they rank 97th in total yards, 122nd in points per game and dead last in yards and points allowed. Plus, their -33.3-point differential isn?t just dead last in the country, it is 13-points worse than the next closest team. Connecticut is a 32.5-point underdog this week at USF.

Honorable Mention: Wyoming (1-6 ATS), Louisville (1-6 ATS) & USTA (1-5-1 ATS)

Mid-Season Best Over: Massachusetts Minutemen (6-1 O/U)

The Minutemen of UMass are an Over bettors dream. They have more holes on defense than a block of swiss cheese allowing nearly 45 points per game, but at the same time can hold their own on the offensive side of the ball, scoring over 36 per contest. That?s 81 combined points per game! 81! But have oddsmakers caught on to this Over Train? UMass faces their biggest total of the season when they host Coastal Carolina at 72.

Honorable Mention: Utah State (6-0 O/U), Bowling Green (6-1 O/U) & Oklahoma (5-1 O/U)

Mid-Season Best Under: Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-4 O/U)

Mississippi State?s defense is one of the stoutest in the country. They limit opponents to just 12.7 points per contest, the best in the nation and are top 10 in total yards allowed. But what makes them a great Under bet is that the offense and more specifically Nick Fitzgerald have just never really gotten on track this season. Fitzgerald is completing just 49.6 percent of his passes this season. Mississippi State is seeing an NFL total this week at just 45.4 going up against another stout defense in LSU.

Honorable Mention: North Texas (0-7 O/U), UAB (1-5 O/U & Northern Illinois (1-6 O/U)

And on to the picks!

North Carolina State Wolfpack at Clemson Tigers (-17.5, 57.5)

Is it just me, or does Clemson look like one of the worst 6-0 Power 5 teams in recent memory? With the Kelly Bryant saga and their struggles against decent teams, the Tigers just don?t look right. Things won?t get any easier this week when they welcome the Wolfpack to Death Valley.

North Carolina State is also undefeated at 5-0 thanks in large part to the play of quarterback Ryan Finley. The senior signal caller leads a Wolfpack offense that ranks 22nd in the nation in total yards and sixth in passing. Finley is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes for 1,621 yards and 8.7 yards per attempt. If the Wolfpack o-line can keep Finely upright lone enough, they?ll be able to succeed on offense.

The other key here, will be if NC State can contain Clemson stud running back Travis Etienne. The sophomore back has been running extremely well, but the Wolfpack defense ranks 13th against the run and 16th in points allowed.

If NC State is able to do these things, they won?t just cover, they?ll put Clemson on upset alert once again.

Pick: North Carolina State +17.5

Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers (+28.5, 57)

This one is pretty simple. We all know Alabama could win most games by a score of 70-14 if it left its starters in for a whole game. But Nick Saban won?t do that. He doesn?t do that. Especially when going up against those who used to work for him.

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, he just doesn?t like embarrassing former assistants. Alabama is 0-2 ATS vs former Saban assistants this season, and Tennessee?s head coach? Jeremy Pruitt, who spent a decade working for Saban, including the previous two seasons as his defensive coordinator. Additionally, Bama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa still may be nursing a bit of a knee injury.

Meanwhile, the Vols have shown some fight lately, going 2-0 ATS in their last two contests, covering as 30.5-point underdogs at Georgia and winning outright as 14.5-point pups at Auburn. The play of quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has stood out over those games. Throwing for 471 yards on nearly 64 percent passing with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Lastly this is also a bit of a lookahead spot for Bama, who was a date with LSU next week.

Pick: Tennessee +28.5

UCF Knights at East Carolina Pirates (+21.5, 65)

Guess who?s back? The National Champs in this column, that?s who!

Another simple rationale here. We?re just 10 days away from the first College Football Playoff rankings being released and while it is certainly unlikely, if UCF has any hope of making it, it?s going to have to start really running up the score on its opponents. That could be bad new for East Carolina.

The Pirates have struggled against good quarterbacks this season, ranking 80th in passing defense and 100th in points allowed. On the other side of the ball they rank 109th in points scored. So, they don?t score much and allow a lot of points. That won?t work against McKenzie Milton and Co.

UCF won this matchup last year 63-21, where Milton threw for 324 yards on 21-27 passing and two touchdowns, in just a half of action.

The Knights were lucky to escape Memphis with a win last week, but that scare should motivate them to come out firing this week.

Pick: UCF -21.5

Last week: 2-1
Season to date: 12-9

 

[Cnotes53]

TCU'S TURNOVER TROUBLES

The TCU Horned Frogs are steeling for their biggest game of the season Saturday against visiting Oklahoma ? but in order to win, or even cover, they'll need to take much better care of the football. Despite boasting a top-15 defense in terms of total yards allowed, the Horned Frogs have had all sorts of problems hanging onto the ball, coming into the weekend with 15 turnovers and an overall turnover margin of minus-9 ? third-worst in the nation. Oklahoma's turnover differential isn't that great either at minus-1, but the Sooners have been much better at retaining possession, having turned it over just six times all season.

The Sooners are favored by 7.5 points at Amon G. Carter Stadium, but that huge turnover edge makes them a good bet to cover. If TCU can't take better care of the ball, the over on its team total of 26.5 (-120) could prove to be a fool's play; it might also be worth considering the defensive touchdown prop, valued at +120.


NICE DAY FOR A RUN

Wild weather is expected at Camp Randall Stadium for Saturday's encounter between the host Wisconsin Badgers and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Reports suggest the wind will be blowing between 15 to 25 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour expected during the game. Add in the fact that the temperature will be hovering in the low-40s, and you have terrible conditions for passing and kicking. Fortunately, both teams are well-prepared: The Badgers own the sixth-best rush attack in the nation at 269.7 yards per game on the ground, while the Illini rank 22nd at 229.7.

With both teams expected to forego the pass and torch the respective defenses on the ground, the over on the total of 57 is well within reach. And with the kicking games likely to go by the wayside, look for both teams to open with TDs; a Wisconsin TD to open the game scoring is listed at -115, while an Illinois TD as the first scoring play is +350.


RED ZONE REJECTION

The New Mexico Lobos have been a decent red-zone team through the first six games of the season ? but they'll face their toughest test of the season Saturday as they entertain the Fresno State Bulldogs. New Mexico has made 28 red-zone trips in 2018 and has produced 21 touchdowns and three field goals on those possessions. But the Bulldogs' defensive tenacity has it leading the nation in red-zone defense, surrendering just five touchdowns and one field goal on 11 opponent trips inside the 20-yard line. Fresno State has also snagged 17 turnovers so far this season, tied for the third-most in the nation.

New Mexico's team total is 20.5 ? but between Fresno State's relentless red-zone defense and its incredible ball-hawking prowess, we recommend taking the under with confidence. The Bulldogs are favored by 13.5, and are a strong cover play here.


A SAD STOREY

The Arkansas Razorbacks will be without starting quarterback Ty Storey for Saturday's home encounter with Tulsa. Storey sustained a head injury in last weekend's loss to Ole Miss, and while head coach Chad Morris said he had progressed enough to return to practice earlier this week, he wasn't considered healthy enough to return to action against the Golden Hurricane. Storey has had an up-and-down season for the 1-6 Razorbacks, having thrown for 983 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. One of Cole Kelley or Connor Noland will get the start in Storey's place.

With Kelley more of a pocket passer than Storey, and Noland having thrown just seven collegiate passes, Arkansas might be in tough to cover at -7 vs. Tulsa ? though it's worth noting that the Golden Hurricane have just seven sacks in six games.


SDSU'S JASMIN IN DOUBT

San Diego State might be without both of its leading rushers for Saturday's encounter with San Jose State. Chase Jasmin is in the concussion protocol after getting hit in last weekend's 21-17 victory over Air Force, and will need to be cleared in order to play. Head coach Rocky Long said earlier this week he was hopeful the sophomore would get the go-ahead to hit the field, but there is no update on his status as of Friday. Jasmin ranks second on the team in carries (87), yards (381) and scores (three); the guy who leads all three categories, Juwan Washington, is out indefinitely with a fractured clavicle.

Jasmin's absence would leave the Aztecs without the two players responsible for 86.7 percent of their total rushing yards on the season. For a team that runs the ball twice as much as it passes it, that's bad news ? and would make the under on their team total of 35 a great play against a Spartans team much better at defending the run than the pass.


SPARTY IN BIG TROUBLE?

The Michigan State Spartans could be significantly short-handed for Saturday's marquee matchup with visiting Michigan. In addition to running back LJ Scott remaining questionable with a leg injury ? he hasn't played since Week 2 ? the Spartans might have to do without senior wideout Felton Davis III, who is dealing with a hip injury. While Davis played through the injury to record the game-winning 25-yard TD pass in last week's 21-17 win over Penn State, his appearance on the injury report is concerning for a Michigan State team tasked with facing the No. 1 defense in the country.

The Spartans' team total sits at 15.5 points; even if Davis returns, he won't be at 100 percent. The under on the Michigan State total (-120) is in play regardless of Davis' status ? but if he sits out, bettors might consider an alternate under-14 play (+160).

 

[Cnotes53]

College Essentials - Week 8
October 20, 2018
By Tony Mejia

It looks unlikely that the Pac-12 will be able to secure a spot in college football's national semifinals, which means this will be one of their final chances to truly captivate the nation's attention since they've got a number of attractive matchups on tap to strengthen Satruday's card. The following are the best games on the slate.

Oregon at Washington State (-3/68), 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX: Both Washington schools, Stanford and Oregon have each lost only once in Pac-12 play and harbor realistic hopes of reaching the conference title game. The Cougs have had dream seasons before, but this would be an unlikely one given the graduation of Luke Falk, the most prolific quarterback in conference history. ECU transfer Gardner Hinshew has stepped in and made the Cougs his team, making the most of a tremendous receiving corps that the Ducks will have to stay in front of. Tay Martin, Dezmon Patmon and Easop Winston will have to win individual battles against a Ducks secondary to help the Cougs hold serve as a home favorite in order to maintain a perfect record against the spread.

Dillon Mitchell is the main cog in the Ducks? receiving corps and should draw extra attention to make life easier for Justin Herbert, who is picking up steam as the likely first QB taken in the next NFL draft so long as he stays healthy. Weather in Pullman should be perfect, so don?t rule out a shootout here. Washington State has won three straight meetings against Oregon for the first time since the early 1980s, rising up after years of mostly being the conference doormat. The Cougs are hoping that hosting College Gameday won?t be the lone highlight of a potentially special weekend.

Michigan (-7.5/40.5) at Michigan State, 12 p.m. ET, FOX: If you long for the days of old school Big Ten football, the kind with the three yards and a cloud of dust, the universe has your back with this one. Although last year?s game was over the top in that regard due to monsoon-like conditions, this year?s edition should feature milder rain and challenging winds. Mix in the heated rivalry as the Spartans now seek out this upset to highlight a disappointing season and you should see why this isn?t expected to be a cakewalk for the Wolverines. A victory for Michigan would ensure that the most promising run of the Jim Harbaugh era since it would take them into its bye with a single loss and a seven-game win streak entering Ohio State week.

Defensive end Rashan Gary, one of the top players in the country, will be a game-time decision for the Wolverines. Rumors had him following Ohio State?s Nick Bosa lead in hanging up the college jersey early to prepare for the pros, but he?s now likely to play in this one after sitting out the Wisconsin win with a shoulder injury. WR Tarik Black has been out all season but is expected to be one of QB Shea Patterson?s top targets. The Ole Miss transfer is also a go despite a hand injury. Counterpart Brian Lewerke comes off throwing two touchdowns in a 21-17 upset of Penn State and has experience in this rivalry game, running for a score and remaining turnover-free in last year?s 14-10 upset as a 10-point underdog. In order to win their first game over the Wolverines in East Lansing since 2014, the Spartans have to overcome injuries to guards David Beedle and Kevin Jarvis, both of whom are out. Corner Josiah Scott won?t play, RB L.J. Scott is a huge question mark and WRs Darrell Stewart, Jalen Nailor and Cam Chambers will likely be game-time decisions.

USC at Utah (-6.5/48), 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12: The Trojans failed to cover the number in any of their first four games but have cashed in holding serve against Arizona and Colorado in their last two contests. USC is 0-2 in an underdog role, being outscored 54-17 by Stanford and Texas in September. It went 0-2 when catching points last season, falling to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and at Notre Dame by a combined margin of 73-21, so the last time it came through with a genuine upset came back at Washington in Nov. 2016. The Trojans have lost in their last two trips to Salt Lake City, last winning in 2014. They?re 7-16 on the road against the number under Clay Helton and are 1-10 SU/ATS getting points on the road. USC must overcome the absence of top pass rusher Porter Gustin, who was disruptive before suffering an ankle injury against the Buffs.

The Utes own the nation?s fourth-ranked run defense, so they?ll force true freshman J.T. Daniels to grow up in his fourth true road game, having finally won his last one in Tucson. He again demonstrated maturity in overcoming two early picks, throwing three touchdowns to drop Colorado and connecting with deep threat Michael Pittman, Jr., whose emergence makes him one to watch here. Utah won last season?s game 29-27 on a TD run in the final minute and have seen QB Tyler Huntley come into his own of late, becoming the first player since 2000 to throw for over 200 yards while running and receiving for over 50 yards each. Keep an eye out for trick plays. The Utes threw to the quarterback in last years?s win in L.A. too, so expect to see a full playbook as they seek out a huge win on Homecoming.

Oklahoma (7.5/62) at TCU, 12 p.m. ET, ABC: The Sooners had a scheduled week off after the Red River Showdown, so they?ve hit the reset button following a disappointing upset loss to the Longhorns in a shootout at the Cotton Bowl. OU is back in the DFW area for the first of three challenging road games they must now play in order to try and get another crack at Texas in the Big 12 Championship. Kyler Murray is playing out his final football season before reporting to the Oakland A?s to begin his baseball career, so it?s vital to keep him engaged. With veteran defensive coordinator Mike Stoops replaced by Ruffin McNeill, changes are expected on that side of the ball that the Horned Frogs will have identify in-game. Oklahoma hasn?t lost consecutive regular-season games since 1999 and owns a national-best 17-game road winning streak.

TCU had a few extra days off itself after losing 17-14 to Texas Tech on Nov. 11. QB Shawn Robinson and RB Darius Anderson each were banged up, so they?re expected to be healthier here as they seek out their first upset of Oklahoma since 2015 in order to improve to 2-6 against the Sooners since joining the Big 12. Free safety Niko Small is a game-time decision while the offensive line continues to be shuffled around, so the Frogs will have their hands full as they look to avoid falling under .500 for the season. Their defensive front will have to get to the elusive Murray, who ranks second in the country in passing efficiency and fourth in total offense. OU has won 27 of its last 29 conference games but must still play at Texas Tech and West Virginia as it looks to recover and not waste a promising season.

Colorado at Washington (-17.5/50), 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX: The Buffs lost standout WR Laviska Shenault to a toe injury last week, falling from the ranks of the undefeated in demoralizing fashion at the hands of USC at the Coliseum. With WR Juwann Winfree unable to go and another key wideout, Jay McIntyre, sidelined by a head injury, QB Steven Montez ran out of quality targets. Shenault leads the country in receptions and receiving yards per game, so if he?s unable to play against Washington, Colorado is likely to lose to the Huskies for the 10th straight time. Washington has won all six Pac-12 matchups by 15 or more points. RB Travon McMillan will play despite nursing a thigh injury. No rain is expected in Seattle, so if Colorado does get its key personnel back, it should have a chance to move the football against U-Dub?s stingy defense, giving them a fighting chance at snapping a 28-game road losing streak against ranked opponents.

Washington is hoping both of its running backs, Myles Gaskin (shoulder) and Salvon Ahmed (knee) will be healthy enough to play, but a number of top defensive players may not be so lucky. Linebacker DJ Beavers is expected to be out, while NT Shane Bowman (foot) remains out. Senior DT Jaylen Johnson is out for the first half due to targeting and pass-rusher Amandre Williams elected to transfer this week, so the Huskies will probably look to keep the defense off the field wherever possible.

N.C. State at Clemson (-17/58), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: Freshman QB Trevor Lawrence had his first bye week to help prepare for a challenging second half of the season that begins with the only other unbeaten team in the ACC?s Atlantic Division coming through town. Visits to Florida State and Boston College are also on the schedule over the next month, so the work Dabo Swinney got accomplished with Lawrence and the offense while they were on the mend should be invaluable. Clemson is as healthy as it has been all season but didn?t get the services of former starter Kelly Bryant back as a safety net for Wallace. He?s visiting Arkansas this weekend.

The Wolfpack must find a way to protect QB Ryan Finley, who can beat you with downfield passes if he gets the time to throw and has receivers like Kelvin Harmon and Jacobi Meyers who are capable of making inroads against the Tigers secondary. RB Reggie Gallaspy has proven to be quite the find and calls himself the ?Bus,? so you can imagine what his running style is like if you haven?t seen him. There?s no doubt N.C. State feels it can pull off this upset, having come within a touchdown of Clemson in each of the past two seasons after scoring 41 points in the 2015 matchup. If they can get speedy freshman Ricky Person, Jr. to find some room in complementing Gallaspy to anchor the ground game, N.C. State can possess the ball and keep its defense fresh and off the field. The Pack has covered three of the last five meetings between the schools.

Mississippi State at LSU (-6/46), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN: Rain is likely to stay away in Baton Rouge, so at least the Bulldogs aren?t expected to have to deal with the elements in addition to a fierce Tigers defense on the road in Death Valley. Mississippi State comes off a revitalizing 23-9 upset of Auburn on the heels of scoring a combined 13 points over back-to-back weeks in losses to Kentucky and Florida. Nick Fitzgerald beat LSU 37-7 last season and nearly led a comeback from a 23-3 deficit last time MSU came to town, falling a field goal short. Coming off a bye week following its win over Auburn?s Tigers, Mississippi State?s group will be playing only its second road game since early September and will need the defense to lead the charge again by keeping the LSU offense at bay behind DT Jeffery Simmons and edge rusher Montez Sweat up front. Sophomore RB Kylin Hill will try and help Fitzgerald play keep-away in addition to limiting opportunities for miscues since the Bulldogs aren?t likely to put the ball in the air much.

LSU will happily ride its run game and sturdy defense as well, so points may be difficult to come by. MSU?s desire to do its damage on the ground may limit the impact standout Tigers corner Greedy Williams can have, but linebacker Devin White should be a force. Coming off a 20-point blowout home win over Georgia to get over an upset loss at Florida, the Tigers will be counting on a lubed up Homecoming crowd to provide an advantage as they look to bounce back from last year?s blowout loss that saw them outgained 465-270 in a complete annihilation. LSU converted all four of its fourth-down conversion attempts last week, so look for that trend to continue in a game where maintaining possession should play a huge role.

Ohio State (-13/69) at Purdue, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC: The Buckeyes have only been favored by fewer points than they are tonight in West Lafayette against Penn State, so keep that in mind as you look to wager on this one. Add in the fact that Purdue senior QB David Blough has had a tremendous season, demostrating tremendous growth, and the potential for an upset is certainly there if he continues to make plays in order to take advantage of an injury-filled secondary. True freshman Rondale Moore has the speed to easily get away from the Ohio State defense, so count on him commanding extra attention. That could really benefit WR Issac Zico, who has stood out in taking advantage of the attention Moore receives over the past few wins. Ohio State has surrendered 22 plays of 30 yards or more, sixth-most in FBS, so it is certainly susceptible to giving up big plays.

The Buckeyes can score in the blink of an eye themselves and knows it likely needs to score points to get awya unscathed, so count on aggressive playcalling. QB Dwayne Haskins has a number of fantastic receiving options who all block for each other well, contributing to him leading the Big Ten in passing yards per game (333) completion percentage (72.3, third in nation) and a national-best 28 touchdown tosses. Wind gusts of over 30 miles per hour could be a factor here, so don't dismiss an upset despite the fact they fell 56-0 the last time the Buckeyes visited.

Others to watch:Memphis at Missouri, Houston at Navy, Penn State at Indiana, Auburn at Ole Miss, Alabama at Tennessee, Cincinnati at Temple, Virginia at Duke, North Carolina at Syracuse, Minnesota at Nebraska, Maryland at Iowa, Buffalo at Toledo, Wake Forest at Florida State, Arizona at UCLA, Nevada at Hawai'i

 

[Cnotes53]

College Football Best Bets For October


Date w-l-t % units record (ALL PLAYS BEST BETS AND OPINIONS )


10/19/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
10/18/2018 0-4-0 0.00% -22.00
10/13/2018 23-39-1 37.10% -99.50
10/12/2018 5-1-0 83.33% +19.50
10/11/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
10/09/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
10/06/2018 32-39-0 45.07% -54.50
10/05/2018 1-5-0 16.66% -22.50
10/04/2018 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00


Totals............69-94-0........42.33%.....-172.00


best bets................. ats ...............units................ o/u...............units...............days total


10/19/2018............1 - 1...............-0.50..............2 - 0...............+10.00.............+9.50
10/18/2018............0 - 2..............-11.00..............0 - 2...............-11.00..............-22.00
10/13/2018...........12 - 15............-22.50..............5 - 9...............-24.50..............-47.00
10/12/2018............3 -0................+15.00............2 - 1...............+5.50...............+20.50
10/11/2018............0 - 2................-11.00............1 - 1................-0.50................-11.50
10/09/2018............0 - 1................-5.50..............0 - 1................-5.50................-11.00
10/06/2018............6 - 18..............-49.50.............8 - 6...............+7.00...............-42.50
10/05/2018............0 - 3...............-16.50..............1 - 2..............-6.00.................-22.50
10/04/2018............2 - 0...............+10.00.............2 - 0..............+10.00..............+20.00


Totals....................24 - 42.............-91.50............21 - 22............-15.00.................-106.50

 

[Cnotes53]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CIN at TEM 12:00 PM
CIN +3.5

NW at RUTG 12:00 PM
U 48.5

TLSA at ARK 12:00 PM
TLSA +7.0
O 51.5

OKLA at TCU 12:00 PM
OKLA -7.5

ILL at WIS 12:00 PM
WIS -24.0

MICH at MSU 12:00 PM
MSU +7.5

MD at IOWA 12:00 PM
U 43.5

AUB at MISS 12:00 PM
U 63.0

M-OH at ARMY 12:00 PM
ARMY -7.5

BUFF at TOL 12:00 PM
O 60.0

UNC at SYR 12:20 PM
UNC +10.0


*******************************



UVA at DUKE 12:30 PM
UVA +6.5

BGSU at OHIO 02:00 PM
BGSU +16.5

USU at WYO 02:30 PM
USU -14.5

FAU at MRSH 02:30 PM
O 61.0

CHAR at MTU 03:00 PM
MTU -16.5
O 48.5

EMU at BALL 03:00 PM
EMU -3.0

WMU at CMU 03:00 PM
O 54.0

***************************

UTEP at LT 03:30 PM
UTEP +23.0

SMU at TULN 03:30 PM
TULN -7.0
O 57.0

HOU at NAVY 03:30 PM
HOU -11.5

PSU at IND 03:30 PM
PSU -13.5

MINN at NEB 03:30 PM
MINN +5.0

COLO at WASH 03:30 PM
COLO +17.0

ALA at TENN 03:30 PM
ALA -29.5

ULL at APP 03:30 PM
APP -24.5

KU at TTU 03:30 PM
O 59.0

AKR at KENT 03:30 PM
AKR -4.5

NCST at CLEM 03:30 PM
NCST +17.5

WAKE at FSU 03:30 PM
WAKE +9.0

CC at MASS 03:30 PM
O 73.5

********************

MEM at MIZZ 04:00 PM
MEM +10.0
O 69.5

CAL at ORST 04:00 PM
ORST +7.5

GASO at NMSU 06:00 PM
O 54.0

 

[Cnotes53]

CFB EVENING BEST BETS:

CONN at USF 07:00 PM
CONN +31.5
O 68.0

UCF at ECU 07:00 PM
UCF -21.5
O 65.0

UTSA at SOMIS 07:00 PM
SOMIS -16.0

MSST at LSU 07:00 PM
U 45.5

TXST at ULM 07:00 PM
ULM -10.5

FRES at UNM 07:30 PM
O 52.5

RICE at FIU 07:30 PM
FIU -24.0

UNT at UAB 07:30 PM
UAB -1.5
U 53.5

OSU at PUR 07:30 PM
PUR +12.0

ORE at WSU 07:30 PM
ORE +3.0
O 69.5

VAN at UK 07:30 PM
UK -10.5

ODU at WKU 07:30 PM
ODU +4.0
O 56.0


*************************


USC at UTAH 08:00 PM
UTAH -6.5
U 48.0

SJSU at SDSU 10:30 PM
O 44.0

ARIZ at UCLA 10:30 PM
UCLA -10.0

NEV at HAW 11:59 PM
HAW -3.0
U 67.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Saturday's best
October 20, 2018
By The Associated Press

STARS

-Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, threw for 306 yards and had TD passes to four receivers in little over a half, leading the top-ranked Crimson Tide to a 58-21 victory over Tennessee.

-Alan Bowman, Texas Tech, threw for 408 yards and three TDs in his first game since suffering a partially collapsed lung three weeks ago, helping the Red Raiders beat Kansas 48-16.

-Drew Lock, Missouri, threw for 350 yards and four TDs on 23-for-29 passing to help the Tigers defeat Memphis 65-33.

-Johnny Ford, South Florida, rushed for 164 yards and three TDs to help the Bulls remain unbeaten with a 38-30 victory over Connecticut.

-Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky, rushed for 169 yards, including the go-ahead 7-yard run with 8:04 remaining, helping the No. 14 Wildcats beat Vanderbilt 14-7.

-Tyler Huntley, Utah, threw for 341 yards and four TDs to lead the Utes to a 41-28 victory over Southern Cal

-D'Eriq King, Houston. threw for 413 yards and accounted for four TDs in a 49-36 victory over Navy.

-Jake Maier, UC Davis, threw for five TDs in a 52-10 win over Cal Poly.

-Austin Day, Marist, threw for a school-record 440 yards and five TDs in a 48-41 win over Davidson.

-Patrick Laird, California, ran for 193 yards and two TDs, and also caught a scoring pass in the Bears' 49-7 victory at Oregon State.

-Lawson Page, Morehead State, passed for a season-high 352 yards and accounted for three TDs in a 31-24 win over Valparaiso.

---

BUCKEYES BOILED

D.J. Knox rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns, David Blough threw for three more scores and Purdue shook up the College Football Playoff chase with a 49-20 blowout of No. 2 Ohio State.

The Boilermakers won their fourth straight overall, their second in a row over a ranked team and pulled off their biggest upset since taking down then-No. 2 Ohio State 28-23 on Oct. 6, 1984. Purdue also set a school record for points scored against the Buckeyes, besting the previous mark of 41 in 1967.

Mistake-prone Ohio State had its 12-game winning streak snapped, fell out of the Big Ten East lead behind rival Michigan and now must fight away its way back into playoff position.

Blough outplayed Heisman Trophy candidate Dwayne Haskins Jr. on a night the Buckeyes didn't reach the end zone until early in the fourth quarter.

---

RIVALRY HEATS UP

Michigan had plenty of reasons to be motivated to beat Michigan State, barely defeating its in-state rival over the last decade and losing to every ranked team on the road for a dozen years.

The Wolverines, though, were even more fired up to win after a pregame spat with the Spartans.

Shea Patterson threw two touchdown passes and No. 6 Michigan earned a desperately needed 21-7 win over No. 24 Michigan State, snapping a streak of 17 consecutive losses to ranked teams on the road.

The Wolverines had lost eight of 10 against coach Mark Dantonio's Spartans and those setbacks have led to them not winning a Big Ten title since 2004.

The matchup is always highly charged and kicked up a notch well before kickoff, when Michigan State's team walked from one end zone to the other with their arms locked and made contact with Wolverines players stretching.

Michigan linebacker Devin Bush later scraped his cleats across the Spartans' white logo at midfield.

---

ANOTHER TIDE ROUT

Alabama continued its season-long penchant for fast starts and quickly finished off Tennessee.

Tua Tagovailoa threw touchdown passes to four receivers and the top-ranked Crimson Tide reached the end zone on their first four possessions, trouncing the Volunteers 58-21 for their 12th straight victory in this annual series.

Alabama outscored Tennessee 28-0 and outgained the Volunteers 217-6 in the opening period. Alabama has outscored opponents 165-31, and Tennessee has been outscored 69-16 in first quarters this season.

Alabama posted the highest point total by a visiting team in the history of Neyland Stadium, which opened in 1921. Alabama is scoring 54.1 points per game and entered the weekend leading all Football Bowl Subdivision teams in that category.

---

RECORD LOSING STREAK

Earlham of Indiana set a Division III record for consecutive losses with 51 with a 64-20 loss to Franklin. Earlham broke the 38-year record set by Macalester College of Minnesota. Earlham (0-8) has a week off before hosting winless Defiance (0-7), losers of 10 straight, on Nov. 3. Earlham is far from the NCAA record held by Prairie View with 80 straight Division I-AA losses from 1989-98.

---

NUMBERS

7-Straight games Houston has scored at least 40 points, matching the school record set in 2011.

43-Straight losses in true Big 12 road games by Kansas, dating to a 35-33 win at Iowa State on Oct. 4, 2008.