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[Udog]

Week 1 Upset Alerts
Matt Blunt

After these pieces became highly popular last year, we had to bring them back for the 2019 college football season, one that is about 48 hours from really getting going. Not only were these underdog pieces popular, they also ended up turning a profit in the end, going 22-18 ATS, although the bulk of that damage was done thanks to the highly successful run backing 20+ underdogs.

Hopefully we can find a bit more balance in terms of projecting ATS winners in the smaller underdog ranges, as chances are a 11-2 ATS run with the 20+ underdogs won't happen again. The goal is to always improve and keep producing winners, and hopefully that continues as these pieces pop up every week as the college football season goes on.

The first full opening week always brings a plethora of 20+ underdogs as late August-early September is still great for the cupcake business in college football for those teams that prefer to indulge in that practice still. The really good teams are realizing that they need quality non-conference wins on their resume as well, so there is some abandonment of loading up a team's early schedule with FCS and much weaker FBS teams, but non-conference time in college football brings plenty of significant chalk, and bettors better be able to back a few of these hefty underdogs because they do cover spreads.

So let's get right to this year's opening underdogs, as we may be a month or two away from “MACtion” but it is the MAC Conference that gets the bulk of the spotlight out of the gate this year.

Upset Alert #1: Underdogs in the +1 to +9 range

YTD: 0-0 SU; 0-0 ATS

Ole Miss (+5.5) vs Memphis
The Memphis Tigers should be a player again in the AAC when all is said and done, but even against an Ole Miss team that's in a bit of a transitional year with their highly talented WR core moving on and a freshman QB, this is still a step up in class in competition level for Memphis.

That's not to say the Tigers aren't ready for it, but this is a team that couldn't take advantage of beating UCF last year without their starting QB, and defensively there is still a lot to be desired with the Tigers. Mississippi is still an SEC team with eight returning on defense. SEC defenses are known to be stout in non-conference play no matter who the SEC team actually is, and it's that physicality that I'm not sure Memphis will be ready for out of the gates.

The market has already pushed this line down to +5,5 after opening at +6 and currently showing a healthy majority backing the Memphis Tigers as well. That's the first sign that this number might be too high and/or bettors are discrediting a rebuilding Mississippi team too much. As a program, Memphis is on a 1-9-1 ATS run against SEC foes which also suggests that facing any SEC opponent is a step up in class Memphis has struggled with for years now.

If I took away the team names and just told you that the SEC team was catching 5+ points on the road against an AAC team, chances are many would be looking to take the points with the SEC. Obviously it's not as simple as that as the individual teams do matter, but Ole Miss deserves more respect coming out of the gate, and hopefully the end result is as simple as backing the team from the much better conference.


Upset Alert #2: Underdogs in the +10 to +19 range

YTD: 0-0 SU; 0-0 ATS

Toledo +12 vs Kentucky
I touched on a possible reason for fading Kentucky this week given the struggles the school has had in season openers the past few years earlier in the week here, and that's always a nice piece to add to the puzzle of this play as well.

But similar to people potentially sleeping on Ole Miss and how good (or more specifically, won't be as bad) they are, Toledo is a team that should make plenty of noise in the MAC, and Kentucky's got their own transitional period to deal with on the team this year.

Kentucky QB Terry Wilson will be called upon to be a much better passer from the outset this season, as there will be no more heavy reliance on Benny Snell out of the backfield. The Wildcats defense will still be the strength of this team, but that could easily take a step back too, as it's still just Week 1 remember and it's going to take some time for this Kentucky team to develop and reach it's full potential.

Toledo is a team that's loaded with veteran, returning experience basically across the board on offense, as there are 7 returning starters on offense for them – including their QB Michell Guadagni returning from injury – and all of them are seniors. That type of experience will serve Toledo well in going into Kentucky on Saturday, and with the market move already on Toledo in a similar fashion to what we've seen on Ole Miss – majority backing Kentucky, spread moved Toledo's way from +13.5 to +12 – this is another underdog move worth following.


Upset Alert #3: Underdogs in the +20 and above range

YTD: 0-0 ATS

Miami (Ohio) +21.5 vs Iowa
The theme basically remains the same here, as I'm not ready to believe in an Iowa team to win by more than 3 TD's out of the gate, as this is a program that doesn't seemingly blowout anyone.

Iowa enters the year ranked in the Top 25, and as part of the highly intriguing Big 10 conference, it will be interesting to see where Iowa's season ultimately shakes out. But I'd venture a guess that they won't end up ranked when all is said and done, even if they do avoid some potential powerhouses in Michigan State and Ohio State on the season.

But this game against Miami (Ohio) is one right before Big 10 play essentially begins for the Hawkeyes with Rutgers coming to town next week. There really is no looking past Miami Ohio in terms of looking ahead to Rutgers, but every conference game is going to be critical in the Big 10 for programs that believe they've got a shot at winning the conference, so there is always the notion that Iowa could build a big lead early here and then put things on cruise control to stay healthy going into next week. Covering through that backdoor is a big part of these 20+ underdogs hitting, and I expect that door to be open through the entirety of this one.

 

[Udog]

Thursday's Tip Sheet
Joe Nelson

While college football had a brief preview last Saturday with two compelling and competitive games, the season opens more officially Thursday night with six games scheduled. Here is a look at the two ESPN contests with a pair of closely-lined battles in rematches of tight games last season.

UCLA Bruins at Cincinnati Bearcats
Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio
Time/TV: Thursday, Aug. 29, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN
Line: Cincinnati -3, Over/Under 60½
Last Meeting: 2018, Cincinnati (+14) 26, at UCLA 17

The highly anticipated return of Chip Kelly to the college football sidelines was spoiled on the opening college football weekend last season by the Cincinnati Bearcats. UCLA had a promising start in the game taking advantage of good field position to lead 10-0 in the first quarter but by halftime Cincinnati was up 17-10. The game was tied into the fourth quarter before a forced fumble resulted in a safety and Cincinnati would put the game away for one of the biggest upsets of the first week of the 2018 season.

UCLA started Michigan transfer Wilton Speight in that game but he was injured and freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson took over. He wound up playing the bulk of the snaps in the next five games for the Bruins before losing playing time late in the season to Speight, who has been in 49ers camp this August. Thompson-Robinson is the expected starter for UCLA this season and he will look to improve on marginal passing numbers with a 58 percent completion rate last season for only seven touchdowns. He also managed only a net gain of 68 yards on the ground last season despite Kelly being known for using quarterbacks in the running game as well.

The final record for UCLA last season was 3-9 but the Bruins did win three Pac-12 games including beating rival USC in November. They also were very competitive in three other single-score losses in league play including a seven-point loss to eventual Pac-12 champion Washington. UCLA will again play an extremely difficult non-conference schedule this season after losing to three teams that combined to win 35 games last season but this year’s Pac-12 draw is more favorable with Oregon and Washington absent from the North.

In Luke Fickell’s second season with Cincinnati the Bearcats improved from 4-8 to 11-2 including a bowl win over Virginia Tech. One of Cincinnati’s losses came in overtime but in the big late season showdown with UCF they were blown out with a 38-13 result to fall short in the difficult AAC East race. This year’s schedule will be much more challenging even if the Bearcats can make a case for being an even better team. Cincinnati will draw Ohio State in non-conference action next week in Columbus while they must play Memphis and Houston from the AAC West, teams they did not have to play last season.

Long-time Cincinnati starting quarterback Hayden Moore did start last season’s game with UCLA but was replaced early in the game after taking two sacks in five plays including a fumble that handed the Bruins the early advantage. Desmond Ridder took over to lead the win for the Bearcats and played substantially the rest of the season as the team’s main quarterback, winding up with 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions as well as rushing for more than 500 yards.

Cincinnati’s success last season in conference play came due to its defense which allowed an AAC best 139 points in eight games for an average of just over 17 points. That average was just over 14 points per game allowed against the teams other than UCF, and that even includes two overtime contests. In great contrast UCLA allowed more than 34 points per game last season, albeit through one of the nation’s most difficult schedules. The 26 points allowed in the loss to Cincinnati was technically the second best defensive scoring game of the season for UCLA.

In last year’s game UCLA posted 4.6 yards per rush and had a stronger yards per pass average compared with Cincinnati, finishing the game with two more yards in the box score overall. The turnovers were even and the penalty count was close as well but field position wound up being critical with each team having two short scoring drives of 36 yards or fewer.

Cincinnati can survive a loss next week to remain in the conversation for the top Group of 5 team bid but they need to win this game and maintain a run of 17 straight S/U wins in the season home opener. For a UCLA program looking to improve in stature this will be a big win to elevate its postseason prospects and improve on a 2-15 S/U record on the road the past three seasons.


Utah Utes at BYU Cougars
LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah
Time/TV: Thursday, Aug. 29, 10:15 PM ET, ESPN
Line: Utah -5, Over/Under 48
Last Meeting: 2018, at Utah (-10½) 35, BYU 27

Utah has been consistently successful under Kyle Whittingham who is the longest tenured coach in the Pac-12, even though Utah has only been in the Pac-12 since 2011. His career record is 120-61 and the Utes have had five straight winning seasons, while winning the Pac-12 south for the first time last year. The expectations continue to grow for the program in a potentially wide-open race out west with the Utes opening the season in the top 15 of the polls.

Utah closed the regular season with BYU last November and managed to erase a 20-0 deficit to come back and win. It is worth noting that the Utes clinched the Pac-12 South the prior week and had their first appearance in the Pac-12 championship six days following this rivalry game and that perhaps showed in the slow start. The final score was misleading as BYU had a 357-296 yardage edge and Utah added a late touchdown after BYU fell a yard short of converting a 4th down on its own side of the field. Utah had a field goal blocked but also had a pick-6 that cut into the 20-0 deficit to start the game.

The other caveat is that Jason Shelley started the game for Utah at quarterback as a freshman that had played in only two prior games as Utah was without Tyler Huntley as well as last year’s top running back Zack Moss for the game. Huntley had produced very solid numbers the past two seasons and is healthy and one of the top returning leaders in the conference, and Moss is also back as the lead back on the team. Top receiver Britain Covey also appears cleared to play for the Utes after recovering from knee surgery.

BYU had some ups-and-downs last season with a 3-1 start that included wins at Arizona and then at Wisconsin. BYU was blown out in the next two games and wound up losing four of the next five before sneaking into the bowl picture at 6-6, where they soundly defeated Western Michigan. The Tanner Mangum era at BYU is over as despite some nice moments the long-time starter was a consistent turnover risk. Zach Wilson took over midseason as a freshman last season and wound up with good numbers, albeit mostly facing some of the lesser teams on the season schedule.

Playing as an independent BYU’s opportunities against major conference teams come early in the season and they have a heavyweight path in the first half of the season facing Utah, Tennessee, USC, and Washington in the first four games, though three of those games will be in Provo. Add in contests vs. Toledo, South Florida, Boise State, and Utah State in the next block of the schedule and getting back to .500 is far from a given for this team in the fourth season for Kitani Sitake, who is 20-19 in his career.

BYU outscored foes 354-278 last season but the unbalanced scheduled meant a few blowouts. This contest carries great weight as a long-time rivalry with this year’s game actually the 100th all-time meeting between these nearby schools. Utah owns a substantial edge in that ledger including eight consecutive wins with the last BYU victory coming in 2009. Each of the past six Utah wins has come by eight or fewer points as a close game has been the norm in recent years.

The stakes are high in this year’s ‘Holy War’ as BYU seems likely to be dogged each of the next three weeks as a 0-4 start is certainly possible. For Utah a chance to breakthrough on a national level this season seems attainable with this game being one of three most dangerous road games on the season. The Pac-12 draw misses both Stanford and Oregon for a preferable path as a double-digit win season is realistic and running the table isn’t out of the question for an experienced group if they can first get by their historical rival.

Other Games Thursday

Georgia Tech at Clemson
Clemson will open up its defense of last season’s national title in a game that many won’t be able to see with the launch of the ACC Network with few active providers carrying the new channel. The spread doesn’t suggest a compelling game in the debut for Geoff Collins leading Georgia Tech but Clemson did lose to the Yellow Jackets in 2014 and the past two regular season defeats for the program were unassuming contests in which the Tigers were at least three-TD favorites.

Florida International at Tulane
The Panthers won as a double-digit underdog hosting this matchup two years ago and this closely-lined contest will be an important win for the victor in a battle of a pair of programs potentially headed to the bowl bubble by season’s end. Both teams have difficult non-conference games ahead as this will be a big swing game for teams looking to take another step forward.

Texas State at Texas A&M
Jake Spavital is the new Texas State head coach and he was an assistant at Texas A&M for three seasons under Kevin Sumlin. The Bobcats project as one of the teams at the bottom of the FBS rankings but this was a fairly competitive team with several narrow losses last season. Texas A&M will likely have few games like this taking on one of the nation’s toughest schedules in year two for Jimbo Fisher.

Kent State at Arizona State
True freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels will be worth watching as the new starter for Arizona State, a program that should remain in the Pac-12 South mix in year two under Herm Edwards. Kent State played up-tempo last season for Sean Lewis and brings back a lot of experience following a tough 2-10 campaign that did feature great strides offensively compared with the 2017 numbers.

 

[Udog]

Friday's Tip Sheet
Matt Blunt

We've got to wait a week before we get those stand alone Friday night affairs in college football this year, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as the opening Friday of the season is never short on action. This year we get eight games of FBS action to help further along that great first weekend of college football, and with the market place geared up for these games for months now, all eight will see significant action.

However, with seven of the eight games having double-digit favorites currently listed, how competitive these eight games on Friday end up being is up for debate. Three of the seven teams laying double-digits are doing so on the road, with Big 10 teams Wisconsin and Purdue being two of those three. Michigan State is another Big 10 team in action, laying 20+ and climbing at home against Tulsa.

With plenty of action available out there, there are a few games that deserve at least some discussion, so let's take a look at a few different spots out there on Friday night.

Massachusetts at Rutgers (-15.5), Total 55.5

Rutgers as a double-digit favorite? Is it warranted?

It's not often that Rutgers gets to be laying points against anyone in a given year, but they do tend to be double-digit chalk at least once per season, and it's usually in these early season games against FCS competition often times. U Mass moved up from that classification early on in this decade, but they are still far from competitive and that will likely be the case in 2019 as well.

It's still Rutgers laying this big number though, and it's one that's been bet up since opening around -12. Rutgers is not expected to be all that competitive in the Big 10 either, but early action and market adjustment suggests laying it with Rutgers is the way to go. After all, they are 3-2 ATS the past four years as a double-digit favorite (2-0 ATS last two seasons), and the two ATS defeats were by the hook at -13.5 in a 13-point win, and a 38-point victory that fell short of covering -42. Rutgers may not be a great upset candidate in Big 10 play, but when they are projected to win easily, that's what they tend to do.

Definitely tough to lay it now with the best of the number long gone and it still saying “Rutgers” beside that point spread, but don't be surprised to see Rutgers feeling extra confident going into Iowa next week off a blowout 20+ point win this week.

Oklahoma State (-14.5) vs Oregon State, Total 74

Too far to travel for Oklahoma State out of the gate?

The betting market has already shown support for Rutgers and their chalk this week, but the same can't be said for Oklahoma State and their chalk out on the road in Corvallis. An opening line of -16.5 saw quick resistance at -17, before even more action started to settle on the Beavers, knocking it down to it's current state of -14.5. That's a move that does look a bit more significant then it really is – moves tend to be multiple points between the key numbers of -14 and -17 – but is this move going to be the right one?

You never know how the actual game will play out, but on the surface, taking a home dog at more then two TD's against a team that's got to travel a long way and has a history of shooting itself in the foot at times does make a lot of sense. But then it puts you on this Oregon State Beavers program who's likely to struggle again this season.

The Beavers do have more experience on offense that will help them be a bit more competitive in the end, but not necessarily the firepower that OK State brings to the party. With a total in the mid-70's, can you really trust that Oregon State will score 30+ here? Oregon State managed to hit that mark in their first three games a season ago vs Ohio State, Southern Utah, and Nevada, but it's not a thing I'd count on regularly from this team, even if it is against an OK State team that gave up 32.5 points/game a season ago.

It still is the Cowboys on the other side of the field though, and they are no strangers to losing games outright as multiple score favorites. It is a long way for them to travel to not really increase the standing of their potential 2019 resume much (it may be a Pac-12 team, but it's still Oregon State), and if the offense doesn't find itself in sync, can a defense that's been bad for years really carry the load? Not something I'm willing to risk a unit on to find out, as this game could end up landing rather close to either side of this current number.

Colorado State vs Colorado (-13.5), Total 57

The annual tradition of Colorado and Under in this rivalry game

The Colorado/Colorado State game has opened up the season for these two programs in nine of the past 11 years, but as is the case whenever these two meet up, support for Colorado and the 'under' always takes center stage.

While totals for some of these games have been out for weeks and line moves over that kind of time span are going to generally be greater, this total opened up at 64.5 at the beginning, and apart from a blip of 'over' money a few days ago, it's all 'under' money on this total. Considering that of those past 11 matchups between these two instate rivals, the 'under' has gone 10-1 against the number, it's easy to see why that side of the total is getting support. The hatred seems to never take a summer break for these schools and they bring it in terms of physicality every year. Oddsmakers continue to put out totals that get pounded to the 'under' and keep having to pay out.

Backing Colorado ATS is the yearly tradition as well, and with a 7-3-1 ATS record the past 11 years in this game – including entering this year on a 3-0 ATS run – the Pac-12 team has lived up to the general belief that nearly all Power 5 conference teams should be able to beat the non-Power 5 schools. This spread has really only seen Colorado money since coming out at -11, and we could end up seeing this game close at greater than two TD's.

However, eventually one of these initial numbers that oddsmakers put out on this yearly contest is going to be more accurate then the market continues to think, and of determining whether to go against the recent runs of Colorado and the 'under' in these games, it would be the total streak that I believe will get snapped.

Colorado is going to be much more consistent on offense this year, and the defense will continue to not be great. Colorado State is in a similar position this year as well, so when you've got the strengths of both sides going up against the weaknesses on both sides, chances are siding with the former will work out better.

Colorado State already gave up 42.5 points per non-home game last year, and last year's game, despite cashing the 'under' easily with a 45-13 score staying well below the 65.5 total, that final score this season would now hit current 'over' bets. It's not like it's rare for these CFB totals with major moves to land somewhere in the middle of those moves, leaving a lot of initial steam chasers left in the dark.

But having hitting that key number of 57 (and even lower in some places), I think we see these two rivals bring out the points this year, in a game that in all likelihood results in another Colorado win.

Best Bet: Over 57 points

 

[CNOTES]

Total Moves - Week 1
August 28, 2019
By Matt Blunt


College Football Week 1 Total Moves
The first full weekend of college football always brings some significant movement in totals numbers. Lines have been out for much longer which aids in that regard, but the first full month, especially the first week, is more of a feeling out process with where numbers open and ultimately close. It's a good time of year to try and get out and be ahead of some of these moves if you see and edge you really like, or wait on a game if you see it best to go against a big move.


Those two scenarios are the topic of this piece, and while it's tough to use the words 'correct' and 'incorrect' line moves at this juncture – again a feeling out process in the first few weeks – there is always going to be a few moves to agree with and a few that appear best to be going the other way.


Week 1's betting market has already shown some of those, and while it's tough to get down on the “agreeable” move and a much worse number, with all the in-game betting out there now you can use the info that way if there is some early action (or no action) to push the total back closer to the opener. So just keep that in mind for the second game in this piece, but for now it's about starting with the Week 1 total move that should be second guessed.


Week 1 Total move to disagree with:


Duke/Alabama from 61.5 to 57
This move hasn't been all straight 'under' money, and the 61.5 was the original opener back in July – it's been fluctuating between 58.5 and 57 for about 10 days now – but one of the best times to catch an 'over' in Alabama games is in the first game of the year.


Saban's Crimson Tide teams have become known for the 48-6 victory that leaves total bettors on both sides of the number sweating a lot. Taking 'overs' in general in 'Bama games can be difficult because of how suffocating their defense can be, and you do tend to need both teams on the football field to contribute to hit 'over' plays. It's why you will likely see plenty of 'under' money in Alabama games right off the opening numbers, just to see how far the market it will adjust.


But starting in 2008 – Saban's second year at Alabama – the Crimson Tide are 7-2-2 O/U vs the closing line in season openers, and have scored at least 33 points in all but one of those contests. They put up 40+ in nearly half of those 11 games (5), and averaged 39.5 points per game during the entire span. That's not a resounding ringing endorsement because something like a 40-6 game still leaves the 'over' 10 points short. But the other two times they were favored by 30 or more since 2008, Alabama put up 48 points both times. Give them that many points on the scoreboard and Duke doesn't have to pull that much of their weight to get up and over 57 points.


And there may not be a “better” time of year to get a few points up on Alabama as a much weaker foe. Saban's teams (during that same time period from 2008's opener on) have allowed 12.2 points per game in season openers, and allowed at least 10 points in seven of those 11 games.


With 'Bama LB Dylan Moses now gone for awhile, the Tide now have to switch up who calls the signals out on defense and that will bring some growing pains with it. It's not going to hurt Alabama greatly in this game, or likely however many weeks it takes them to work out those kinks, but it could easily hurt them enough to give up multiple scores to a Duke team that understands it's got to take some shots. The best friend of big plays is miscommunication on defense, and Duke gets just one of those and an 'over' ticket is looking alright.


Alabama would name their score against a Duke defense that's hoping for improvement from a lot of returning starters, and if Duke can put up 10+ points early on 'Bama it only forces the Tide to make that number greater in their “name the score” game. Seeing this game land somewhere right between the current total and the opener in July would not be shocking at all, as 52-7 sounds a lot like an Alabama score in Week 1 doesn't it?


Week 1 Total move to agree with:


Oregon/Auburn from 58 to 55.5
The highest profile game of Week 1 in terms of rankings is this Ducks/Tigers game, and I hate to say it Ducks fans, we've seen this story before. Not only specifically with this Oregon Ducks program, but with any Pac-12 team that goes and ventures out to another Power 5 opponent that's known for size/speed and physicality on defense. Oregon dealt with it last year against Michigan State in their Bowl game that ended up in a 7-6 final, Stanford and Pitt played to a 14-13 score in their Bowl game, and Cal and TCU needed OT to help them finish with 17 total points in their Bowl game.


The notion that the Pac-12 is 'soft' is probably not true in the end, but those kinds of beliefs and views don't come about without some speck of truthfulness in there. Now those low scores in last year's Bowl games came about for a variety of other reasons as well, but maybe it's a case of these Pac-12 teams wanting to shed that 'soft' label – especially on defense – and go out and play stout defense of their own. Oregon and Stanford still won those low-scoring affairs, and as much as Ducks fans may want to believe their best path to a victory here is in a shootout 35-30 type game, chances are it will be Auburn's defense who is more likely able to get that key defensive stop late in that style of contest. The Ducks defense will be out to bring it early and prove they are more than worthy of their Top 15 ranking.


The same can be said for Auburn's defense who has no doubt heard plenty about Oregon QB and Heisman hopeful Justin Herbert. Herbert came back to school to play and perform well in the biggest games at the collegiate level and this is his first opportunity in 2019 to do so. But Auburn can help their own cause in a big way by making a point to contain/harass/frustrate Herbert all game long to at least slow down Oregon's desire to play fast.


Auburn's defense only gave up 19.2 points per game a year ago, and they've got seven returning starters from that unit back, including their entire secondary. It will be on the backs of those DB's in the back end that Auburn makes life tough for Herbert in this game, with 50 points being around the range this one tops out.


Other Notable Moves


Down
Utah State-Wake Forest: 62.5 to 59.5
Colorado State-Colorado: 58 to 55.5
Eastern Michigan-Coastal Carolina: 55.5 to 53
Boise State-Florida State: 54 to 51.5
Miami-Ohio-Iowa: 49.5 to 47


Up
Wisconsin-South Florida: 56.5 to 59.5
Akron-Illinois: 56 to 61
Toledo-Kentucky: 59 to 62
Mississippi State-Lafayette: 57.5 to 60

 

[CNOTES]

Tech Trends - Week 1
August 27, 2019
By Bruce Marshall


THURSDAY, AUG. 29


Matchup Skinny Edge


UCLA at CINCINNATI...Fickell 4-2 as home chalk LY, though Cincy only 3-8 in role previous three seasons. Bearcats dropped 5 of last 7 vs. spread in 2018 despite fine 11-2 overall SU mark. Chip only 5-7 vs. line in Bruin debut LY though 3-2 as road dog. Bruins no winning spread season since 2013 (23-39 vs. points since 2014).
Slight to Cincinnati, based on team trends.


GEORGIA TECH at CLEMSON...Collins GT debut! Collins covered 6 of last 8 as dog with Temple, and was 14-7-1 last 22 vs. line with Owls. Paul Johnson was 14-8-1 as dog with Jackets 2014-18 but lost and failed to cover last four vs. Tigers (0-3-1 vs. line). Dabo just 3-3 last six laying 30 or more but is 13-8-1 as DD chalk the past two seasons.
Slight to Clemson, based on series trends.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL at TULANE...Butch Davis 4-0 as dog LY and 10-4 in role since 2017 with Golden Panthers. FIU also covered all six away from home last season and all five non-CUSA games. Wave just 1-3 as home chalk LY.
FIU, based on team trends.


TEXAS STATE at TEXAS A&M...Spavital TSU debut! Bobcats did cover 5 of last 7 in 2018 for Withers. Jimbo 5-1 as home chalk LY and 10-3 overall vs. line, also 4-1 as DD chalk. Ags also covered all five non-SEC games a year ago.
Slight to Texas A&M, based on team trends.


KENT STATE at ARIZONA STATE...Sean Lewis 3-1 vs. line non-MAC in his Kent State debut LY. Herm 4-2 vs. spread at Tempe LY, continuing recent good ASU home marks dating to Todd Graham years (Sun Devils 25-14 vs. spread as host since 2012). Herm 2-1 as DD chalk in 2018.
Slight to Arizona State, based on team trends.


UTAH at BYU... Visiting team has covered last three meetings since series resumed in 2016 (played in bowl in 2015 season), with Utah winning SU in last eight meetings. Utes 13-7-1 vs. spread last 21 away from Salt Lake City, 6-4-1 last 11 as visiting chalk. Sitake 6-1 last 7 as dog and is 13-5 vs. points last 18 on board.
Slight to Utah, based on series trends.

 

[CNOTES]

Utah takes new offense into state rivalry
August 28, 2019
By The Associated Press


PROVO, Utah (AP) No. 14 Utah heads into the 100th game of the Holy War rivalry with BYU sporting a new-look offense headlined by a familiar playmaker.


Quarterback Tyler Huntley has thrived in new offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig's scheme throughout fall camp and he has the right skills to run it smoothly. Before missing the final five games with a broken collarbone, Huntley tallied 1,788 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 64% of his passes last season.


''He's just soaking in everything Andy has to say to him,'' Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. ''He's done a great job of assimilating that and putting it into practice. The skill set Tyler has and what Andy is going to do with him line up. It's a great fit.''


Utah's offense will count on Zack Moss and the other running backs to carry a big load. Still, there are enough targets in the passing game to keep defenses honest. Britain Covey is a proven threat in the slot while receivers like Demari Simpkins, Solomon Enis, and Jaylen Dixon can stretch the field.


Huntley likes what he saw from his receivers throughout camp. It has given him confidence Utah's offense could be as tough on opponents as the team's defense.


''Everybody has been doing their job, making plays when their number is called,'' Huntley said. ''That's what I like about our offense.''


BYU is also expecting to make an offensive leap under Zach Wilson in his second season. Wilson offered a snapshot of his potential in the 2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl when he completed all 18 pass attempts for 317 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-18 victory over Western Michigan.


Wilson studied film of NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Drew Brees during the offseason while he recovered from shoulder surgery. He even got a rare chance to work out with Brees.


''(I was) trying to increase my mental game,'' Wilson said. ''Going over some NFL tape and just trying to learn from guys that have done it before and been through it all.''


Here are other things to know as Utah and BYU meet Thursday night:


FRESH START


In his final college season, BYU running back Ty'Son Williams is getting another chance to make a big splash in the backfield. Williams joined the Cougars as a graduate transfer over the summer after spending two seasons at South Carolina and earned the top spot on the depth chart, beating out top returning rusher Lopini Katoa. He appeared in 20 games for the Gamecocks, totaling 799 yards and five touchdowns on 165 carries.


The senior played in just eight games last season after injuring his hand. He's not concerned with his durability.


''You can't really control injuries,'' Williams said. ''None of the football players here go to sleep and wake up thinking we're going to get injured. You just take it a game at a time and also just try to do what you can to be competitive.''


READY TO ROLL


Whittingham confirmed this week that Moss and Covey will play Thursday.


Questions had lingered about whether they would be sidelined for the season opener.


Moss suffered a hand injury and sported a cast during fall camp. Covey went through controlled reps while he worked his way back from a torn ACL suffered in the Pac-12 championship game.


OPENING SUCCESS


BYU and Utah have a recent history of opening seasons on a positive note.


The Utes have won 11 consecutive openers, starting with a 25-23 victory over Michigan in 2008. Utah is 12-2 in season openers overall during Whittingham's tenure.


The Cougars are 15-5 in their past 20 openers. BYU beat a dozen Power 5 teams in those contests. Overall, the Cougars carry a five-game winning streak in season openers into Thursday's game.


QUEST FOR PERFECTION


Utah is hogging the spotlight heading into the season. The Utes are a preseason pick to win their first outright Pac-12 championship.


BYU isn't drawing much attention after a seven-win season. The Cougars are confident they can change that even while opening the season with four straight games against Power 5 opponents.


''We expect to be a really good team and we want to be a really good team,'' tight end Matt Bushman said. ''We want to go undefeated this year.''

 

[CNOTES]

Aggies not looking past Texas State
August 28, 2019
By The Associated Press


COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) The 12th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies insist they're not looking past 33 1/2-point underdog Texas State in Thursday's opener. Next up is top-ranked Clemson.


''It doesn't matter what team you're playing, you should be preparing like you're playing an NFL team,'' quarterback Kellen Mond said. ''I would never take this game lightly.''


The Aggies like to say they see all their opponents the same and coach Jimbo Fisher emphasizes that the key to success is focusing on their team instead of worrying about who they're playing each week.


''They establish how they want to play,'' Fisher said. ''It's not about our opponent. It's not about anything. That's no disrespect. We have a tremendous schedule, like you always do in this league, but our guys have to understand ourselves before we can understand our opponents.''


Their first chance to do that is Thursday when they meet the Bobcats, a Sun Belt Conference team that won just three games a year ago. Then they'll have a couple of extra days to prepare for their trip to meet the defending national champions on Sept. 7.


That game is the first of four against opponents currently ranked in the top 10. After Clemson, they'll get a visit from No. 2 Alabama on Oct. 12 and meet No. 3 Georgia and sixth-ranked LSU on back-to-back Saturdays in November.


It's a daunting schedule for a team which went 9-4 last year and looks to take a step forward in its second year under Fisher after he signed a 10-year, $75 million contract before last season.


One of Fisher's main focuses in his first year was instilling his beliefs in the team and building the kind of culture that helped him win a national title at Florida State. With a season under his belt, he's seen a change in the program. But he still needs to see how his team responds in a game before he'll know if the Aggies are where he wants them to be.


''Hopefully, it's sinking in,'' he said. ''I believe it is by how we practice and the toughness and the way we play and compete.''


Some things to know about Texas A&M's opener against Texas State:


HELLO OLD FRIEND


The Aggies will see a familiar face on Thursday in first-year Texas State coach Jake Spavital after he spent three years as an assistant at Texas A&M. Spavital was the quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2013 and was the team's offensive coordinator from 2014-15. Spavital worked as an assistant at California for one season before spending the last two years as West Virginia's offensive coordinator.


At 34, Spavital is the second-youngest head coach in the FBS behind Kent State's Sean Lewis, who is 33.


Spavital, who recruited some of Texas A&M's stars including Mond, is looking forward to his return.


''It's actually going to be kind of a surreal moment for me, because A&M was the place where I got my first opportunity to call plays,'' Spavital said. ''(I) learned a lot, grew up a lot. It's going to be a surreal moment for me to go back to the place where it really all started for me.''


MOND'S GROWTH


The Aggies are hoping to see a steadier Mond this season after he struggled with consistency in his sophomore season. He didn't have an interception in Texas A&M's first three games last year, which included a close loss to Clemson. But he was picked off five times combined in the Aggies next three games.


''I feel like just with more knowledge of the game, I'll be more accurate and I'll be more decisive and more confident in my throws,'' he said. ''I was a little up and down last year. But I feel like with more film study and more knowledge of the offense, I will be more accurate.''


Fisher has not only seen Mond's skills grow since he arrived in College Station, he's also seen him blossom as a leader.


''His teammates respect him for his work ethic, his demeanor, his competitive nature, and more importantly his genuineness for our team to do well,'' Fisher said.


STUDYING UP


Fisher not only watched film of Spavital's recent offenses, but also pulled up tape of his work when he was at Texas A&M.


''He understands how to utilize his players, their strengths, what they can and cannot do and he's very diverse,'' Fisher said. ''He makes you play all parts of the field with splits, alignments, throwing it and getting it everywhere he goes.


''He's a very, very excellent offensive mind in how he does it, and I'm sure his teams are going to be prepared well and play well.''

 

[CNOTES]

College Football Picks: Can Oregon boost Pac-12 vs Auburn?
August 28, 2019
By The Associated Press


College football starts better than it ends.


The sport has evolved through numerous postseason systems that have clumsily crowned champions, and while the College Football Playoff does a better job than its predecessors it has also spawned a month's worth of tedious debate over the importance of bowl games.


The season still sort of peters out. When are the semifinals this year? How long do we have to wait until the championship game?


The season begins with bang, though, an immersive five-day holiday weekend filled with games after everyone's appetite was whetted with something called Week 0.


Admittedly, this opening weekend is light on marquee matchups. The only game with two ranked teams is No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn in Arlington, Texas. In this case quantity wins out over quality. Plus, doesn't it always seem like this type of schedule produces wacky results?


On the down side, this is also the time of year for some pretty ridiculous mismatches. We'll mostly ignore them here and you should, too.


The picks:


THURSDAY


Georgia Tech (plus 36) at No. 1 Clemson


You will need the ACC Network to get a look at Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence this weekend ... CLEMSON 35-3.


Texas State (plus 33 1/2) at No. 12 Texas A&M


New Bobcats coach Jake Spavital was A&M's offensive coordinator and QB coach from 2013-15 ... TEXAS A&M 49-10.


No. 14 Utah (minus 5) at BYU

Utes have won eight straight in the Holy War, their longest winning streak since the 1930s ... UTAH 24-17.


FRIDAY


Tulsa (plus 23) at No. 18 Michigan State


Can the Spartans' offense give its stout defense some help this season? ... MICHIGAN STATE 31-14.


No. 19 Wisconsin (minus 13 1/2) at South Florida


The Bulls ended last season on a six-game losing streak after winning their first seven ... WISCONSIN 31-21.


SATURDAY


No. 2 Alabama (minus 34 1/2) vs. Duke at Atlanta


This would be a potentially competitive 1 vs. 8 second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament, with the Blue Devils as favorites. But, alas, this is not basketball ... ALABAMA 42-10.


No. 3 Georgia (minus 20 1/2) at Vanderbilt


It was only three seasons ago that Vandy beat the Bulldogs in Athens. Since then, UGA has outscored the `Dores 86-27 ... GEORGIA 42-14.


FAU (plus 27 1/2) at No. 5 Ohio State


Lane Kiffin's Owls get first crack at the revamped Buckeyes' defense -and QB Justin Fields ... OHIO STATE 52-21.


Georgia Southern (plus 28) at No. 6 LSU


Facing Georgia Southern's triple-option is not the easiest way to start a season ... LSU 38-14.


Middle Tennessee (plus 33 1/2) at No. 7 Michigan


Wolverines set to unveil a new-look offense ... MICHIGAN 48-10.


Louisiana Tech (plus 20 1/2) at No. 10 Texas


Longhorns tune up for LSU with La. Tech ... TEXAS 35-13.


No. 11 Oregon (plus 3 1/2) vs. No. 16 Auburn at Arlington, Texas


Another big neutral-field game for the Pac-12 against Auburn. Can the Ducks do better than Washington did last year? ... AUBURN 24-21.


Eastern Washington (no line) at No. 13 Washington


Huskies debut for QB Jacob Eason against an FCS squad with a history of pushing Pac-12 teams ... WASHINGTON 48-24.


Miami, Ohio (plus 21 1/2) at No. 20 Iowa


Hawkeyes are 23-4 against MAC teams .., IOWA 42-14.


No. 22 Syracuse (minus 17 1/2) at Liberty


Weird road trip to start the season for a ranked team as Hugh Freeze makes coaching debut for Flames ... LIBERTY 35-34, UPSET SPECIAL.


New Mexico State (plus 33 1/2) at No. 23 Washington State


Cougars will start Anthony Gordon, a former JUCO transfer and three-year reserve, at quarterback ... WASHINGTON STATE 56-17.


South Alabama (plus 27 1/2) at No. 24 Nebraska


Huskers are ranked to start a season for the first time since 2014 ... NEBRASKA 56-24, BEST BET.


Northwestern (plus 6 1/2) at No. 25 Stanford


(Insert joke about high academic standards here) ... STANFORD 24-21.


SUNDAY


Houston (plus 21 1/2) at No. 4 Oklahoma


Jalen Hurts debuts as the Sooners' quarterback against a defense that was one of the worst in the country last season ... OKLAHOMA 59-28.


MONDAY


No. 9 Notre Dame (minus 20) at Louisville


First game of what is expected to be a lengthy rebuild for Cardinals coach Scott Satterfield ... NOTRE DAME 42-14.


TWITTER REQUESTS


UCLA (plus 2 1/2) at Cincinnati, Thursday - (at)cliftnote


Bruins lost to the Bearcats in coach Chip Kelly's first game last year ... UCLA 24-21.


Oklahoma State (minus 14 1/2) at Oregon State, Friday - (at)BCGCSuper


Beavers RB Jermar Jefferson ran for more yards (1,380) than any freshman in the country last season ... OKLAHOMA STATE 35-28.


Utah State (plus 3 1/2) at Wake Forest, Friday - (at)VegasAggie


Aggies QB Jordan Love has the attention of NFL scouts after 2018 breakout ... WAKE FOREST 35-30.


Missouri (minus 17 1/2) at Wyoming, Saturday - (at)scott-jarrett1


Former Clemson QB Kelly Bryant plays his first game for Mizzou ... MISSOURI 31-17.


Boise State (plus 6) vs. Florida State, Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida - (at)Matt-Peaty


Peace-of-mind game for Seminoles fans to build confidence in coach Willie Taggart ... FLORIDA STATE 28-23.


Virginia (minus 2 1/2) at Pittsburgh, Saturday - (at)danhodes


The Cavaliers are the favorites in what promises to be another weird ACC Coastal race; Pitt won it last year ... VIRGINIA 24-17.


---

Last season: 225-92 straight; 170-169-3 against the spread.


Upset specials: 8-6 (straight up).


Best bets: 6-6 (against the spread).

 

[CNOTES]

Cincinnati looks to keep up momentum
August 28, 2019
By The Associated Press


CINCINNATI (AP) A national television audience for the home opener against a Power Five team with a deep tradition. This is about as good as it gets for the Cincinnati Bearcats, who are trying to build upon their resurgent season.


''There's more anxiety in week one than in any week,'' coach Luke Fickell said. ''I know for me, I didn't sleep last night and I probably won't sleep again tonight. Just the anxiety of week one, rolling that thing out there and getting started is so big.''


Yes, they're sleepless in Cincinnati as UCLA comes to town.


The Bearcats are coming off an 11-2 season that got them back in the Top 25 for several weeks. It all started with a 26-17 win at UCLA last season, the Bruins' first game under coach Chip Kelly.


Fickell was hired from Ohio State to dig out the program two years ago. He returns more than 85 percent of the roster that won 11 games, including the quarterback/running back tandem of sophomore Desmond Ridder and junior Michael Warren II.


The Bearcats know that Thursday night represents a chance to get some attention.


''The starts of all years are big,'' Fickell said. ''With the stage we're put on, it's even bigger. I told these guys the other day this is what we wanted, so we can't be shy.''


UCLA is looking to improve on its 3-8 inaugural season under Kelly, who returned to college coaching after four seasons in the NFL. The Bruins also have a young team - 53.3 percent of roster is comprised of true or redshirt freshmen, the highest percentage in Power Five programs.


The Bruins return a quarterback/running back tandem with sophomore Dorian Thompson-Robinson and senior Joshua Kelley. Thompson-Robinson has shown improvement after growing through a hurried first season.


''He is so much more comfortable,'' Kelly said. ''Most freshmen don't play unless they enroll early, and he didn't enroll early. And he played in our opening game. He literally had three weeks of camp and then playing in a game. Credit to him last year on how well he was able to play.''


Some things to watch at Nippert Stadium:


SECOND TIME AROUND


Thompson-Robinson completed 15 of 25 passes for only 117 yards in the opening loss to the Bearcats last season. He's watched video of that game several times preparing for the rematch.


''I was young and inexperienced,'' he said. ''Looking now this team is a lot different. I was a little nervous and excited. This year I will be more cool, calm and collected.''


INFREQUENT VISITORS


UCLA hasn't played a game in Ohio since Sept. 11, 1999, a 42-20 loss at Ohio State. Fickell was a graduate assistant on that Buckeye team. The Bruins are 1-2-1 all-time in Ohio.


THE BIG STAGE


This is Cincinnati's 19th Thursday night game, its first since a game against Austin Peay in 2017. The stakes are much higher, and Fickell knows that his team's composure will be tested.


''The talk is about how you handle your emotions,'' Fickell said. ''That's the thing we have to see. There's nothing like the bright lights.''


ON THE LINE


Cincinnati lost three starters from a line that anchored the American Athletic's top defense. In the Bearcats' opening win last season at UCLA, Kelley was held to 20 yards on six carries. The Bruins need a big game from their senior running back, who averaged 113 yards (fourth in the Pac-12) and had six 100-yard games last season.


HOME SWEET HOME


Cincinnati's two losses last season were on the road - at Temple and at UCF. The Bearcats were 6-0 at home, though there were no games of this magnitude.


''I'm excited to see what Nippert Stadium is going to be like,'' Fickell said. ''I've never seen it at night in prime time, what it can really be like.''

 

[CNOTES]

Pac-12, Oregon have something to prove in marquee matchup
August 28, 2019
By The Associated Press[FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]

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[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Here are some things to watch in the Pac-12 Conference this week:

Advertisement

GAME OF THE WEEK: This couldn't be more obvious. Eleventh-ranked Oregon faces No. 16 Auburn on Saturday in Texas and there's so much going on. It's the Pac-12 against the SEC and a rematch of the 2011 national championship game. The Ducks also have a chance to do what Washington couldn't in its loss to the Tigers last season. And the pressure's on Oregon to make a statement for a conference that's been left out of the playoffs for the last two seasons. Still, Oregon coach Mario Cristobal was downplaying the hype. ''I think anytime you play a game you're representing your conference, as well as your university, your community. But we don't try to make it anything outside of us preparing as our program as we face a great opponent,'' he said. Amid the hoopla there are some intriguing matchups. How will senior QB Justin Herbert and Oregon's offense fare against a tough Auburn defense that includes the likes of Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and Nick Coe. Oh, and Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix makes his debut.
MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin against Kent State's defense. Last season, Benjamin ran for a school-record 1,642 yards to lead the Pac-12 and rank fifth nationally. The Sun Devils will likely rely on the ground game while they break in freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels. At the same time, Benjamin will be looking to raise his profile on the national stage. He'll be a handful for Kent State, which went 2-10 last season and ranked last for total defense in the MAC, allowing opponents an average of 467.2 yards a game. So expect lots of yards on Thursday night from Benjamin, unless coach Herm Edwards pulls him early.
NUMBERS GAME: Speaking of Benjamin, the Pac-12 has six returning running backs that rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. Joining him are Arizona's J.J. Taylor (1,434), Utah's Zack Moss (1,096), Oregon State's Jermar Jefferson (1,380), UCLA's Joshua Kelley (1,243) and Oregon's CJ Verdell (1,018). ... There are three Thursday night games involving Pac-12 teams. UCLA is at Cincinnati, No. 14 Utah - picked to win the Pac-12 this season - is at BYU for a season-opening Holy War, and Arizona State hosts Kent State. ... The Pac-12 has five teams in the AP Top 25: No. 11 Oregon, No. 13 Washington, No. 14 Utah, No. 23 Washington State and No. 25 Stanford. ... Arizona kicked off the season early with a 45-38 loss to Hawaii last weekend.
UPSET WATCH: Keep an eye on BYU against the Utes. Sure, Utah has won eight straight in the series, but BYU has won five straight season openers. And yes, Utah has veteran quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss (who were both injured for last season's Holy War), but the Cougars have emerging quarterback Zach Wilson, who threw for 12 touchdowns last year as a freshman. Plus, the game is in Provo. The Cougars would like nothing more than to topple their rival in the season opener. ''I don't know if we've ever felt this strongly about an opening game,'' Cougars coach Kalani Sitake said.
IMPACT PERFORMER: Quarterback Anthony Gordon is finally getting his chance at Washington State, and look for him to make the most of it. Gordon toiled behind Luke Falk and then Gardner Minshew, but he won the starting job going into the Cougs' opener against New Mexico State. He's got a group of four receivers who each caught at least 50 passes last season, including Tay Martin, who had 69 catches for 685 yards and eight touchdowns.
[/FONT]

 

[CNOTES]

Pac-12, Oregon have something to prove in marquee matchup
August 28, 2019
By The Associated Press


Here are some things to watch in the Pac-12 Conference this week:


GAME OF THE WEEK: This couldn't be more obvious. Eleventh-ranked Oregon faces No. 16 Auburn on Saturday in Texas and there's so much going on. It's the Pac-12 against the SEC and a rematch of the 2011 national championship game. The Ducks also have a chance to do what Washington couldn't in its loss to the Tigers last season. And the pressure's on Oregon to make a statement for a conference that's been left out of the playoffs for the last two seasons. Still, Oregon coach Mario Cristobal was downplaying the hype. ''I think anytime you play a game you're representing your conference, as well as your university, your community. But we don't try to make it anything outside of us preparing as our program as we face a great opponent,'' he said. Amid the hoopla there are some intriguing matchups. How will senior QB Justin Herbert and Oregon's offense fare against a tough Auburn defense that includes the likes of Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and Nick Coe. Oh, and Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix makes his debut.


MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin against Kent State's defense. Last season, Benjamin ran for a school-record 1,642 yards to lead the Pac-12 and rank fifth nationally. The Sun Devils will likely rely on the ground game while they break in freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels. At the same time, Benjamin will be looking to raise his profile on the national stage. He'll be a handful for Kent State, which went 2-10 last season and ranked last for total defense in the MAC, allowing opponents an average of 467.2 yards a game. So expect lots of yards on Thursday night from Benjamin, unless coach Herm Edwards pulls him early.


NUMBERS GAME: Speaking of Benjamin, the Pac-12 has six returning running backs that rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. Joining him are Arizona's J.J. Taylor (1,434), Utah's Zack Moss (1,096), Oregon State's Jermar Jefferson (1,380), UCLA's Joshua Kelley (1,243) and Oregon's CJ Verdell (1,018). ... There are three Thursday night games involving Pac-12 teams. UCLA is at Cincinnati, No. 14 Utah - picked to win the Pac-12 this season - is at BYU for a season-opening Holy War, and Arizona State hosts Kent State. ... The Pac-12 has five teams in the AP Top 25: No. 11 Oregon, No. 13 Washington, No. 14 Utah, No. 23 Washington State and No. 25 Stanford. ... Arizona kicked off the season early with a 45-38 loss to Hawaii last weekend.


UPSET WATCH: Keep an eye on BYU against the Utes. Sure, Utah has won eight straight in the series, but BYU has won five straight season openers. And yes, Utah has veteran quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss (who were both injured for last season's Holy War), but the Cougars have emerging quarterback Zach Wilson, who threw for 12 touchdowns last year as a freshman. Plus, the game is in Provo. The Cougars would like nothing more than to topple their rival in the season opener. ''I don't know if we've ever felt this strongly about an opening game,'' Cougars coach Kalani Sitake said.


IMPACT PERFORMER: Quarterback Anthony Gordon is finally getting his chance at Washington State, and look for him to make the most of it. Gordon toiled behind Luke Falk and then Gardner Minshew, but he won the starting job going into the Cougs' opener against New Mexico State. He's got a group of four receivers who each caught at least 50 passes last season, including Tay Martin, who had 69 catches for 685 yards and eight touchdowns.

 

[indiana]

C/Note...…...here's to a solid season buddy......thank you again for all your efforts here, much appreciated...…….indy

 

[CNOTES]

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


UCLA at CIN 07:00 PM
CIN -2.5
U 57.0


FIU at TULN 08:00 PM
FIU +3.0
U 58.0


GT at CLEM 08:00 PM
GT +37.0
U 61.5


TXST at TAM 08:30 PM
TXST +33.0
U 57.0


KENT at ASU 10:00 PM
ASU -24.5
U 61.0


UTAH at BYU 10:15 PM
BYU +6.5
U 48.5

 

[CNOTES]

Etienne leads No. 1 Clemson to 16th straight win
August 30, 2019
By The Associated Press


CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) Travis Etienne ran for a career-high 205 yards and three touchdowns, including one from 90 yards out, and No. 1 Clemson overpowered Georgia Tech 52-14 Thursday night for its 16th straight victory.


On an offense filled with stars, it was Etienne who shone brightest for the defending national champions. His 90-yard score tied for the longest rushing TD in Tigers history. Etienne added scoring runs of 14 yards and 48 yards as Clemson opened a 35-0 lead and was never pressed by the Yellow Jackets in the season opener for both Atlantic Coast Conference teams.


It was not the flashy return that most of college football expected out of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The 6-foot-6 sophomore, so poised and polished in leading the Tigers to a 15-0, title-winning season, threw two interceptions in the first half. Lawrence had just four picks all last year.


Still, Lawrence had his moments. His hustle after a bad interception knocked defensive back Tre Swilling out of bounds at the Clemson 3, and the Tigers defense kept the Yellow Jackets from scoring. Lawrence opened things with a 6-yard rushing score and threw a perfect pass to Tee Higgins for a 62-yard touchdown.


NO. 12 TEXAS A&M 41, TEXAS STATE 7


COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - Kellen Mond threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score in just more than three quarters, and Texas A&M had four interceptions as the Aggies routed Texas State.


Mond, who threw for 194 yards, had touchdown passes of 21 and 3 yards and ran for another score in the first two quarters as Texas A&M raced to a 28-0 halftime lead.


Quartney Davis had 85 yards receiving and a touchdown and Jhamon Ausbon added a touchdown catch. First-year starter Jashaun Corbin had 103 yards rushing with a touchdown reception and a TD run.


Myles Jones had two of Texas A&M's four interceptions, and the Aggies had three sacks and nine tackles for losses.


NO. 17 UCF 62, FLORIDA A&M 0


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Former Notre Dame star Brandon Wimbush threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns in his UCF debut, helping the Knights open the season with a rout of Florida A&M.


The redshirt senior transfer completed 12 of 23 passes without an interception while sharing playing time with true freshman Dillon Gabriel, who finished second in the competition for the starting quarterback job that opened because of an injury sidelining two-time American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year McKenzie Milton.


Wimbush, who tossed TD passes of 37 and 12 yards to Gabriel Davis, was 13-2 as a starter over the past two years at Notre Dame.


The Knights improved to 26-1 since the start of 2017, with the lone loss coming against LSU in last season's Fiesta Bowl.


CINCINNATI 24, UCLA 14


TULANE 42, FLORIDA INTER 14


ARIZ. ST. 30, KENT ST. 7


UTAH 30, BYU 12

 

[CNOTES]

CFB AUGUST/ SEPT. OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


08/29/2019 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00


Totals...............6-6-0 50.00% -3.00




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


BEST BETS:


DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS




08/29/2019.............1 - 3.............-11.50.............4 - 1...............+14.50...........+3.00


Totals.....................1 - 3.............-11.50.............4 - 1...............+14.50...........+3.00

 

[CNOTES]

Friday’s 6-pack


NFL teams with most salary cap room:


$56.6M— Indianapolis


$37M— Houston


$34.6M— Cleveland


$26.1M— Dallas


$26M— Tennessee


$25.5M— San Francisco

Tweet of the Day
“My wife just told me she can’t talk right now because she’s too busy with one of her fantasy football drafts. I’ve never been prouder.”
ESPN’s Field Yates


Friday’s quiz
What is the only college that will have three alums starting at QB in NFL Week 1 games?


Thursday’s quiz
Roman Gabriel started the most games at QB for the Los Angeles Rams.


Wednesday’s quiz
Lovie Smith was the Chicago Bears’ coach last time they played in a Super Bowl.


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


Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……..


13) Saturday’s Boise State-Florida State game has been moved from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, because of the upcoming tropical storm. Kickoff was moved up to noon ET.


As a result, the line moved from Florida State -5 to 6.5; if you wagered on the game before the site changed, apparently those tickets are now void.


12) Speaking of noon ET starts, the Pac-12 is actually discussing having some of their teams play HOME games that start at 9am Pacific time, starting next season. Seriously.


Why would a fan want to go to a football game that starts at 9am on a Saturday? Just so teams can be seen on TV across the country earlier in the day? It makes no sense.


11) This is a tough week; between now and 4:00 Saturday, around 1,200 guys are going to get cut from NFL rosters. 300 or so of them will get re-signed to practice squads, another 300-400 will wind up playing in the XFL in February, but playing on fall Sundays is a player’s dream.


10) From Phil Rogers: Cleveland Indian starting pitchers have thrown 115+ pitches in 15 games this season, but Trevor Bauer had the first 13 of those— he’s on the Reds now.


No other team has had more than eight such games this year.


9) Random observation; hitters swing at 3-0 pitches a lot more than they used to.


8) Baseball stuff:
— Royals shelved P Brad Keller (innings limit) for the rest of the season.
— Oakland put DH Khris Davis on the paternity list.


7) Utah 30, BYU 12— Game was shortened by a lightning storm; wagers on the game will all be refunded, since game didn’t reach the last 5:00.


6) Cincinnati 24, UCLA 14— Yardage was 417-218 Bearcats; UCLA has a major problem- their QB isn’t very good. Bruins turned the ball over four times, twice in the red zone when their QB simply dropped the ball when he was preparing to pass- thats just not acceptable.


5) I have been critical of ESPN the last couple years, but the late SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt is excellent television; he gets it. It is worth your time to watch; highlights, sometimes an obscure highlight, gambling-related tidbits, and just good solid sentiment about what life should be like. In short, a lot of thought goes into making this show every night.


4) Marlins 4, Reds 3 (12)— Aristides Aquino hit his 14th homer this month, the most homers a rookie has ever hit in one month. He hit .241 in AA last year. Go figure.


3) I’m probably late with this, but apparently there are places now where you can go and throw axes at targets, kind of like darts except you’re throwing freakin’ axes. Competitive axe throwing is a thing, and this is news to me. Do they serve alcohol at those places?


2) Glad to see that DirecTV has the local ABC affiliate back up and running in time for the college football season. Their business would take a hit if they’re blacking out stations that show football. Getting the Pac-12 Network would also be a help.


1) SouthPoint Casino posted a prop for Saturday’s college football; which team will score the first touchdown in the noon ET kickoffs?
Nebraska +$275
Ohio State 7-2
Ole Miss 4-1
Mississippi State 9-2
Memphis 7-1
Illinois 13-1
Indiana 14-1

 

[CNOTES]

2019 college football
Labor Day weekend’s top 13 games


Under Chryst, Wisconsin is 11-3 ATS as a road favorite; they’re 10-7 ATS in last 17 non-league games. Badgers have six starters back on both sides of ball; they’ll probably start a freshman QB, but their OL, normally a strength, has only 34 returning starts. South Florida has 91 starts back on its OL: they’ve got nine starters back on offense, have a senior QB- they’re 9-14-1 ATS as a home underdog (1-3 under Strong). Last three years, AAC teams are 8-4 vs spread when playing a Big 14 team.


Colorado won its last four games with Colorado State, last three by 14+ points; Buffs have a new coach, a senior QB (27 starts) and an OL with 63 career starts (2 senior starters)- they’re 11-9 vs spread in last 20 games as a favorite, 12-7-1 ATS in last 20 non-league games. State’s OL has only 26 returning starts; their junior QB has 8 starts. Rams covered 10 of last 14 games as an underdog; last three years, they’re 5-9 ATS outside the Mountain West. Last six years, Pac-12 teams are 36-33-1 vs spread when facing Mountain West teams.


Home side won last three Ole Miss-Memphis games; under Luke, Rebels are 3-4 ATS as a road underdog. Last three years, Ole Miss is 5-7 ATS outside the SEC. Rebels have a new QB, an OL with only 36 retuning starts- they’v got 10 starters back on defense, but only three on offense. Under Norvell, Memphis is 16-12 ATS as a favorite; Tigers have a junior QB (15 starts), an OL with 52 returning starts. Memphis is 6-8 ATS in its last 14 games outside AAC. Last three years, SEC teams covered five of six games vs AAC opponents.


South Carolina (-2) edged North Carolina 17-13 in last meeting in 2015; both teams changed coaches since then. UNC has Mack Brown back on sidelines; he has a new QB, an OL with 48 career starts but very little depth. USC has a senior QB (32 starts), an OL with 51 starts; under Muschamp, Gamecocks are 7-8 ATS outside SEC; they’re 2-5-1 in last eight games as a road favorite. Tar Heels covered six of last nine tries as an underdog; last five years, they’re 0-5-1 ATS on neutral fields. Last year, SEC teams were 8-1 ATS vs ACC foes (44-34-1 since ’11).


Over last decade, Northwestern is 24-9 ATS as a road underdog; they upset Stanford 16-6 (+10) in last meeting in 2015. Since ’14, Wildcats are 8-12-1 vs spread outside Big 14. Northwestern has a new QB, an OL with 48 starts (1 senior, 3 junior starters). Stanford has only nine starters back; their junior QB has 20 starts, their OL only 39 starts. Last three years, Cardinal is 6-10 ATS as a home favorite; they’re 10-13-1 ATS in last 24 non-league games. Stanford opens Pac-12 play with USC next week. Last four years, Big 14 teams are 16-8 ATS when playing a Pac-12 opponent.


Road team won four of last five Virginia Tech-Boston College games; Hokies won 23-10/26-10 in last two visits to Beantown. Favorites covered last four series games. Tech has 10 starters back on defense, a junior QB (20 starts), an OL with 51 starts- since 2012, they’re 6-16 ATS as a road favorite. BC has a junior QB (22 starts), an OL with 65 starts, but has only 3 starters back on defense. Last two years, Eagles are 4-1-1 vs spread as a home underdog.


Florida State is only 12-13 the last two years, with a -17 turnover ratio; Boise is +24 in turnovers the last two years. Seminoles have a soph QB (12 starts), an OL wth 58 career starts- FSU does have eight starters back on both sides of ball. Last three years, Seminoles are 9-13-2 ATS as a favorite; they’re 12-8 ATS in last 20 tilts outside the ACC. Boise State has new QB but an OL with 106 career starts (3 senior starters); over last decade, Broncos are 5-3 ATS as an underdog; under Harsin, they’re 14-10 ATS outside MW. Last four years, ACC teams are 5-3 vs spread when playing a Mountain West team.


Pittsburgh won its last four games with Virginia, winning 31-14/26-19 in last two played here; Panthers have a junior QB (15 starts), an OL with 37 starts- they’ve got only 11 of 22 starters back from LY. Virginia has a senior QB (13 starts), an OL with 46 starts; over last nine years, Cavaliers are 2-3 ATS as a road favorite. Last three years, Pitt is 5-3 vs spread as a home underdog. Overall under Narduzzi, Pitt is 17-11 ATS as an underdog.


Oregon has 153 returning starts on its offensive line, Auburn 104; nine of 10 starters are seniors. Oregon has 17 starters back, a senior QB (28 starts) and for first time in three years, they’ve got same coach as the year before. Last three years, Oregon is 3-11-1 ATS as an underdog; they’re 6-13-1 ATS in last 20 non-league games. Auburn has seven starters back on both sides of ball; they’ll have a new QB. Last five years, Tigers are 8-16-1 ATS outside the SEC; they’re 3-5 ATS in last eight neutral field games. Since 2011, SEC teams are 9-3 ATS vs Pac-12 opponents.


Last nine years, USC is 11-24 vs spread outside Pac-12; last two years, Trojans are 3-9 ATS as a home favorite. USC has a soph QB (11 starts); their OL has 63 starts- they lost half their 22 starters from LY. Fresno lost 13 starters from LY, has only three back on offense; Bulldogs have a new QB- their OL has only 31 starts, but they’ve covered eight of last 10 non-MW games, and are 22-6 SU last two years. USC (-20) hammered Fresno 52-13 in last meeting five years ago; both teams changed coaches since then. Last six years, Pac-12 teams are 36-33-1 vs spread when facing Mountain West teams. USC opens Pac-12 play with Stanford next week.


Houston has a senior QB (18 starts), an OL with 101 starts and Holgorsen is new coach; he was 0-6 vs Oklahoma in his last job (WVU), allowing 44+ points in each of last five meetings. Cougars are 7-1-1 ATS in last nine games as a road underdog- they’ve got only four starters back on defense. Sooners’ new QB is Alabama transfer Hurts (26-2 as starter); their OL has only 36 starts. Under Riley, Oklahoma is 8-5 ATS as a home favorite, 5-3 ATS outside Big X. Houston (+12) upset Oklahoma 33-23 in last meeting 33-23 in 2016; both teams changed coaches since then. Last two years, Big X teams are 7-3 ATS when playing an AAC team.


Louisville went 2-10 LY after going 57-21 the previous six years, so they changed coaches; Cardinals have 10 starters back on defense, a junior QB (9 starts), an OL with 57 starts- they covered once in last five tries as a home underdog. Last three years, Louisville is 3-11 ATS outside the ACC. Notre Dame has a junior QB (10 starts), an OL with 60 starts. Irish is 5-3-1 ATS in last nine games as a road favorite. Louisville (+3) won last meeting 31-28, five years ago.

 

[CNOTES]

Friday, August 30


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

RICE (2 - 11) at ARMY (11 - 2) - 8/30/2019, 6:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

UTAH ST (11 - 2) at WAKE FOREST (7 - 6) - 8/30/2019, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

WISCONSIN (8 - 5) at S FLORIDA (7 - 6) - 8/30/2019, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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

TULSA (3 - 9) at MICHIGAN ST (7 - 6) - 8/30/2019, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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

MASSACHUSETTS (4 - 8) at RUTGERS (1 - 11) - 8/30/2019, 7:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MASSACHUSETTS is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) as an underdog of 10.5 to 21 points since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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

COLORADO ST (3 - 9) vs. COLORADO (5 - 7) - 8/30/2019, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

PURDUE (6 - 7) at NEVADA (8 - 5) - 8/30/2019, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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

OKLAHOMA ST (7 - 6) at OREGON ST (2 - 10) - 8/30/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON ST is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON ST is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON ST is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON ST is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.



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


NCAAF


Week 1


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, August 30


Rice @ Army
Rice
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Rice's last 6 games when playing Army
Rice is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Army
Army is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Army is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


Tulsa @ Michigan State
Tulsa
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Tulsa's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Tulsa's last 11 games
Michigan State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Michigan State's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan State's last 5 games at home


Wisconsin @ South Florida
Wisconsin
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wisconsin's last 6 games
Wisconsin is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games on the road
South Florida
South Florida is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games at home
South Florida is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games


Massachusetts @ Rutgers
Massachusetts
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Massachusetts's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Massachusetts's last 13 games
Rutgers
Rutgers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Rutgers's last 6 games


Utah State @ Wake Forest
Utah State
Utah State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
Utah State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Wake Forest
Wake Forest is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Wake Forest is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games


Purdue @ Nevada
Purdue
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Purdue's last 11 games on the road
Purdue is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
Nevada
Nevada is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Nevada is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games at home


Colorado State @ Colorado
Colorado State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado State's last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Colorado State's last 11 games
Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing Colorado State
Colorado is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Colorado State


Oklahoma State @ Oregon State
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma State's last 7 games on the road
Oregon State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oregon State's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Oregon State's last 16 games




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


NCAAF
Dunkel


Week 1


Friday, August 30


Rice @ Army


Game 145-146
August 30, 2019 @ 6:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Rice
53.275
Army
85.181
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Army
by 32
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Army
by 23 1/2
50
Dunkel Pick:
Army
(-23 1/2); Over


Wisconsin @ South Florida


Game 149-150
August 30, 2019 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Wisconsin
93.499
South Florida
73.703
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Wisconsin
by 20
61
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Wisconsin
by 12 1/2
57 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Wisconsin
(-12 1/2); Over


Tulsa @ Michigan State


Game 151-152
August 30, 2019 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Tulsa
70.652
Michigan State
100.269
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Michigan State
by 29 1/2
51
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan State
by 22 1/2
47 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Michigan State
(-22 1/2); Over


Massachusetts @ Rutgers


Game 153-154
August 30, 2019 @ 7:15 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Massachusetts
68.605
Rutgers
73.760
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Rutgers
by 5
34
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Rutgers
by 15 1/2
57
Dunkel Pick:
Massachusetts
(+15 1/2); Under


Utah State @ Wake Forest


Game 147-148
August 30, 2019 @ 8:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Utah State
92.730
Wake Forest
98.165
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Wake Forest
by 5 1/2
66
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Wake Forest
by 3 1/2
63 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Wake Forest
(-3 1/2); Over


Purdue @ Nevada


Game 157-158
August 30, 2019 @ 9:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Purdue
87.405
Nevada
87.806
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nevada
Even
55
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Purdue
by 10
59
Dunkel Pick:
Nevada
(+10); Under


Colorado State @ Colorado


Game 155-156
August 30, 2019 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Colorado State
70.456
Colorado
79.879
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 9 1/2
51
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
by 12 1/2
58 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado State
(+12 1/2); Under


Oklahoma State @ Oregon State


Game 159-160
August 30, 2019 @ 10:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma State
90.180
Oregon State
77.338
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma State
by 13
71
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma State
by 16
73 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oregon State
(+16); Under




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

 

[CNOTES]

Army hosts Rice riding a winning streak
August 29, 2019
By The Associated Press


WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) Army is very much at home on the banks of the Hudson.


The Black Knights take a 13-game winning streak over two seasons into Friday night's season opener against Rice at Michie Stadium.


''It's been a good run and I hope it will continue,'' Army coach Jeff Monken said. ''That is a source of pride. That's something we talk about as a program and make a goal that we want to go undefeated at home.''


The Black Knights, who finished last season ranked No. 19, also have won nine straight games. That's the second longest active winning streak in college football, behind only national champion Clemson.


''I think this team can be very special,'' Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. said. ''It's a lot of guys that want to leave a good legacy.''


This will be the ninth time the teams have played. The Owls lead the series 4-3-1, but the Black Knights have won the last two. In the previous meeting in 2017, Army forced six turnovers and won 49-12 on the road, the largest margin in the series.


Second-year Rice coach Mike Bloomgren was on the Stanford staff when the Cardinal defeated Army two straight times - 34-20 at Michie Stadium in 2013, Rich Ellerson's last season at Army, and 35-0 in 2014, Monken's rookie year at the school. Stanford was ranked both times and Army was stuck in a five-year rut that produced just 14 wins against 46 losses.


A lot has changed.


Since the start of the 2017 season, the Black Knights, with their ground-control option attack, have won 21 of 26 games - an .807 winning percentage - and posted back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins for the first time, including a program-record 11 last season, capped by a stunning 70-14 victory over Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl .


''What coach Monken and his staff have done to get better talent than they ever have and to play better than they ever have, it's so impressive to me,'' said Bloomgren, who guided the Owls to a 2-11 record last season. ''This is a different team, night and day, from when we played them at Stanford. Just the talent level. It's so much different. They are really good at what they do, to say the least.''


Other things to know when Rice visits Army on Friday night:


CAPTAIN KELVIN


A year ago, Monken had to replace star quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw, the catalyst that helped Army snap its 14-game losing streak to archrival Navy in 2016. He chose Hopkins, who responded by becoming the first player in academy history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards.


He's a senior team captain now.


''We're in an entirely different position right now than we were a year ago,'' Monken said. ''A year ago we didn't know if he'd be the starter. I had no idea that he would be capable of doing that. He earned the job, had a great season, and so at this point just the confidence that we have and his teammates have in him as a leader and as a performer makes it different.''


THREE IS NOT NECESSARILY A CROWD


Rice had three starting quarterbacks last season. Wiley Green threw for 621 yards and three scores with four interceptions in four games as a freshman and has earned the start against Army, with graduate transfer Tom Stewart (Harvard) and Evan Marshman at the ready.


''I think Evan and Tom have thrown the ball extremely well. They've earned this staff's trust,'' Bloomgren said. ''Their leadership is what we want from all three of those guys.''

EFFICIENCY A MUST


Army led the nation in possession time last season (38:33), epitomized in an overtime loss at Oklahoma . The Black Knights had the ball for 44:41 and ran 87 plays to Oklahoma's 40.


That sort of play leaves little margin for error.


''You can't waste plays against this team because it's all about negative plays,'' said Bloomgren, who has added seven graduate transfers to the roster with a total of 202 games of college experience. ''If they get you in negative plays and make you go three and out, you may not get the ball for 12 minutes. They've proven that time and time again on film.''

LET'S GET PHYSICAL


Army thrives on its physicality and aims to wear down opponents in the fourth quarter. It's what the Black Knights train for at the end of every practice.


The Owls figure they'll fight fire with fire.


''I think it's the only way to play Army,'' Bloomgren said. ''I think Army absolutely feasts on finesse teams. That's what they want. They want people that aren't willing to stand in front of them and throw punch after punch after punch. What they're going to see is that we are going to be willing. We're going to fight.''

 

[CNOTES]

Moore leads Purdue against Nevada
August 29, 2019
By The Associated Press


RENO, Nev. (AP) Purdue receiver Rondale Moore and Nevada running back Toa Taua each made a big mark on his respective team as a freshman.


Now it's time to see what they'll do for an encore, beginning Friday night when Nevada hosts Purdue in the season opener for both teams.


Moore became the first true freshman in Big Ten history to be named a consensus All-American. He caught 114 passes for 1,258 yards and 12 TDs last season while helping lead the Boilermakers to their first back-to-back bowl trips since the 2011-12 seasons.


Taua rushed for 872 yards and six TDs last year as Nevada went 8-5 and ended a two-year bowl drought that had been preceded by a decade during which the Wolf Pack were a postseason regular.


''This will be a great test for us to go on the road, see where we stack up,'' said Purdue coach Jeff Brohm, whose two-deep chart includes 15 freshmen. ''We've been trying to gain experience as fast as we can. There's not one team on our schedule that if we don't play well and attack that we're going to beat. Nevada is in the same boat.''


Nevada coach Jay Norvell agreed there are similarities.


''In many ways they are very similar to us - a program that is growing with their roster and their coaching staff, dynamic offensively,'' he said.


Other things to know heading into Friday night's matchup in Reno:


MOUNTAIN WEST HIGH


It's only the 18th time in school history that Purdue will play in the Pacific Time Zone, where the Boilermakers are 5-10-2.


Nevada, 1-6 all-time against Big Ten foes, was one of only two NCAA teams that played in five different time zones last year, each trip requiring three days' travel.


''That takes a toll on your kids after a while,'' Norvell said. ''We're excited Purdue has to come to the West Coast and play us at night at our stadium. To play at 4,000 feet of elevation, I think that will be different for them.''


The Boilermakers called around to get suggestions about how best to get acclimated to Reno, where Friday's high is forecast to be in the 90s, and decided to leave Wednesday instead of the customary day before kickoff.


''I think we're aware of what we're getting into,'' Brohm said. ''That's one reason we're going out a little bit early, to make sure we get adjusted ... get a feel of the temperature and the heat, the altitude, the air level.''


AIRING IT OUT


Purdue's passing attack, ranked 11th nationally last year, has added freshmen David Bell and Milton Wright to a talented receiving corps that includes standout tight end Brycen Hopkins. The biggest challenge for Nevada will be corralling the 5-foot-9 Moore.


''He's not very tall, but he is very quick and elusive,'' Norvell said. ''He's very hard to bring down.''


Nevada counters with a combination of former Wolf Pack coach Chris Ault's Pistol Offense and the Air Raid attack used by Mike Leach at Washington State.


''We call it the `Air Pistol,''' Norvell said. ''We still want to throw the ball and spread the ball to our skill people... (but) we think it's important to run the ball physically. Some Air Raid teams don't.''


SINDELAR WATCH


Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar threw three interceptions in the first two games last season and never took another snap as he recovered from tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee.


The strong-armed, fifth-year senior who's now the undisputed starter has talked all summer about how different it feels not to worry about whether the next bad throw will put him on the sideline. He believes it will give him the freedom to take more chances.


''He's played some really good football,'' Brohm said. ''We have to do our job to put him in the best position for success. He has to take the reins and run with it.''

YOUTH MOVEMENT


Injuries and graduation have forced Brohm to reconstruct his offense with a young line and unproven backfield combination.


Redshirt freshman tackle Will Bramel and sophomore center Viktor Beach are expected to fill two of the three openings up front. With projected starting running back Tario Fuller out (fractured jaw), the revamped line will be opening holes for sophomore running back Zander Horvath and freshmen King Doerue and Da'Joun Hewitt.