Cnotes 2019-2020 College Football Trends-News-Notes-Best Bets & Opinions !

[CNOTES]

Love, Utah State kickoff season at Wake
August 29, 2019
By The Associated Press


WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Before he blossomed into a Heisman Trophy candidate, Utah State quarterback Jordan Love threw his first career touchdown pass at Wake Forest.


He's looking to toss a few more in his return trip - and to finish with a different result.


Love looks to begin his Heisman push Friday night when the Aggies open the season against a Demon Deacons team coming off its third straight bowl victory.


''I'm excited to go back down there and show them what we're really all about now,'' Love said. ''It's going to be a different story this time when we go down there.''


Love caught the attention of NFL draft gurus last season by throwing for school records of 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns with only six interceptions and leading Utah State to an 11-2 record, a No. 22 final ranking and a rout of North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. The school has launched a Heisman campaign for its quarterback - complete with packets of candy hearts stamped with his name and number, playing off his last name.


Two years ago, Love was merely a little-known freshman who was inserted into the second half of a blowout in Winston-Salem. He threw a 77-yard scoring pass to Gerold Bright for the Aggies' only touchdown of a 46-10 loss.


So that's one big thing the Demon Deacons have going for them - they know firsthand how capable Love can be, and sixth-year coach Dave Clawson says Utah State ''has certainly earned our respect.''


''This is the toughest opener we have had since I have been here, in terms of the quality of the opponent,'' he said.


Some other things to know about the Utah State-Wake Forest opener:

WAKE'S BIG CHALLENGE


Wake Forest enters this season as an under-the-radar pick to challenge for second place in the ACC's Atlantic Division behind reigning national champion Clemson, if not push the perennial power Tigers. Clawson says this team has the maturity and experience to handle the challenge of Love and the Aggies in the opener.


''I think where we were before, when we were really young, you almost wanted to be able to make some mistakes and still be able to find a way to win,'' Clawson said. ''You would try to play a lot of players. Where we are now, I think opening with a game like this is something that we can handle. The focus of preseason camp is much more intense and much more focused when you open with a team that won 11 games.''

HELLO, NEWMAN


Jamie Newman will begin this season the same way he ended the last one - as Wake Forest's starting quarterback. Newman and Sam Hartman spent the preseason battling for the job both of them held at times in 2018. Hartman started the first nine games last season before suffering a season-ending leg injury, and Newman took over and led the Demon Deacons to a road upset of North Carolina State, a rout of rival Duke and a victory over Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl.


WELCOME BACK, GARY


Gary Andersen is back for a second stint as the Aggies' head coach. Andersen, who coached Utah State from 2009-12 before taking the Wisconsin job, takes over for Matt Wells, who left for Texas Tech. He went 26-24 during his first run with the Aggies.


QUICK HITS


The Demon Deacons open with three straight Friday night games, visiting Rice next week and playing host to North Carolina on Sept. 13 in a game that won't count in the ACC standings. ... This is the third game in the series and the home teams won the first two, with Utah State claiming a 36-24 win in Clawson's first season in 2014 and Wake Forest rolling two years ago. ... Wake Forest has won nine straight home openers. ... Utah State has averaged 42.2 points in Love's 19 career starts.

 

[CNOTES]

Wisconsin faces test from USF in opener
August 29, 2019
By The Associated Press


TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst likes the idea of a good early season test when the 19th-ranked Badgers visit South Florida.


The Badgers, who've played in the Big Ten championship game three of the past five years, entered last season with expectations of contending for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Instead, they slipped to 8-5 and failed to win 10 or more games for first time under Chryst.


''Every first game, you're going to find out a lot about yourself,'' Chryst said. ''You're going to get tested in ways that maybe you could anticipate and don't anticipate.''


South Florida is not a typical challenge for a program the caliber of Wisconsin, which rarely hits the road so early to face a non-Power Five conference opponent as talented as the Bulls.


USF started 7-0 and climbed into the Top 25 before finishing last season on a six-game losing streak, a collapse that coach Charlie Strong has difficulty explaining. The Bulls were a combined 21-4 the previous two years.


''We're not going to let that define us and how good we can be,'' said Strong, entering his third season at USF ''I like the (mind-set) we're in.''


Wisconsin is the highest ranked team USF has faced in a season opener at home. The Bulls are 0-3 vs. Top 25 opponents under Strong. They're 11-25 all-time against ranked teams, with seven of those victories coming at Raymond James Stadium.


STOP ME IF YOU CAN


Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor led the nation in rushing last season, finishing with 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 219-pound junior has produced 4,171 yards since the start of 2017. It's the most by a FBS runner in the first two years of a career.


''Wisconsin is an unbelievable football team, a well-coached football team,'' Strong said. ''They are going to tell you they are going to run the football and tell you you've got to go stop it.''


That's something the Bulls didn't do well a year ago, when they yielded 247.5 yards per game on the ground to rank 11th among 12 teams in the American Athletic Conference.


NEW OFFENSE


USF's collapse prompted Strong to make several changes, including hiring Division II national championship-winning coach Kerwin Bell as offensive coordinator. Bell has installed the up-tempo system that produced prolific numbers at Valdosta State, which averaged 523.9 yards and 52 points en route to winning last year's D-II title.


''It's a very dynamic offense. There's a lot of moving parts to it, but when things are part together well, it's something special,'' Bulls quarterback Blake Barnett said. ''I think things came together well in fall camp, and the jump from spring to now has been tremendous.''


Chryst said Wisconsin's defense will be challenged.


''I know a little bit about Kerwin and what he's done. He's a good football coach. It's going to be a good plan,'' he said. ''The same thing on defense. They're going to have a good plan and good players.''


BIG OPPORTUNITY


USF has won five in a row against Power Five conference opponents, including Illinois and Georgia Tech last season. The Bulls' lone loss in their last eight vs. Power Five schools was a 55-35 home loss to Florida State in 2016.


''In order to take this program where you want to take it, we have to play these games,'' said Strong, whose team will face Georgia Tech on the road next week. ''Our guys understand that challenge.''

 

[CNOTES]

Friday's Tip Sheet
August 27, 2019
By 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]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


RICE at ARMY 06:00 PM
U 47.5


WIS at USF 07:00 PM
USF +10.5
U 59.0


TLSA at MSU 07:00 PM
O 47.0


MASS at RUTG 07:15 PM
U 54.0


USU at WAKE 08:00 PM
WAKE -4.0
U 59.5


PUR at NEV 09:30 PM
PUR -11.0
U 58.5


CSU at COLO 10:00 PM
COLO -13.5
O 56.0


OKST at ORST 10:30 PM
OKST -13.5
U 71.0

 

[CNOTES]

Taylor scores 4 TDs, No. 19 Wisconsin routs USF 49-0
August 30, 2019
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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Jonathan Taylor is off and running.


Catching, too.


Taking up where he left off a year ago, when he led the nation in rushing with 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns, Taylor ran for 135 yards and accounted for four TDs to help No. 19 Wisconsin open the season with a 49-0 rout of South Florida on Friday night.


The junior scored on runs of 37 and 38 yards and also had the first two receiving TDs of his career as the Badgers strive to become a more balanced team on offense.


''You work all offseason like I did, and to have that receiving touchdown come to life, I'm really excited about that,'' said Taylor, who scooted 36 yards up the left sideline after taking a quick flip from Jack Coan in the second quarter. ''It motivates you to see that hard work pay off.''


Taylor's second TD reception gave the Badgers a 28-0 lead just before halftime. He finished with two catches for 48 yards after having just eight for 60 yards last season.


''Jonathan was good in a lot of different ways. He was awfully patient on one run, and he had the little screen that he took,'' Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said. ''You get him in space and he's pretty good.''


Wisconsin's defense delivered a dominating performance, too, limiting South Florida to 157 yards total offense and forcing three turnovers, including a fumble that Matt Henningsen returned 16 yards for a second quarter touchdown.


The loss was the seventh straight for USF, which dropped the final six games of 2018 after starting 7-0 and climbing into the Top 25.


''A very disappointing, very embarrassing loss,'' USF coach Charlie Strong said. ''As a head coach, I thought I had them ready to play and I guess I didn't. And we showed it.''


Blake Barnett completed 13 of 30 passes for 109 yards for the Bulls. He was intercepted twice.


''The team that played out there tonight is not the team that we are,'' the quarterback said. ''A lot of mental errors, lack of execution, lack of effort. It stems from everyone, that's myself included.''


THE TAKEAWAY


Taylor joined Melvin Gordon (2014) and Ron Dayne (1996, 1999) as the only Badgers to top 2,000 yards rushing in a season in 2018, and he looks like he's primed for another big year after gaining 100-plus for the 23rd time in 28 career games. Coan carried his share of the load, too, rebounding from overthrowing a couple of open receivers deep in the first half to finish 19 of 26 for 199 yards without an interception.


Last season's collapse prompted Strong to make several changes, including hiring NCAA Division II national championship-winning coach Kerwin Bell as offensive coordinator. The Bulls were held to 26 yards rushing and outgained 433 to 157 overall.


WEATHER DELAY


The start of the game was delayed 55 minutes because of lightning.


RARE COMPANY


Taylor rushed for 4,171 yards as a freshman and sophomore, most ever by a Football Bowl Subdivision player in the first two years of a career. With 135 Friday night, he moved within 694 of joining Dayne, Georgia's Herschel Walker and Oregon's LaMichael James as the only players to rush for over 5,000 through their junior season.


POLL IMPLICATIONS


Realistically, minimal. The Badgers opened with a true road game for the first time since beating UNLV 41-21 in Las Vegas in 2010. And while Chryst welcomed what he anticipated would be a good test from USF, the Bulls were overmatched from the start.


OUCH


The 49-point setback was the worst in the 23-year history of USF's program, surpassing a 42-3 loss to Arkansas in 2002. The Bulls were shut out for the first time since falling 16-0 at home to UCF in 2014.


UP NEXT


Wisconsin: Home opener vs. Central Michigan on Sept. 7.


South Florida: Travel to Georgia Tech next Saturday for rematch of game Bulls won 49-38 in Tampa last year.




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




No. 18 Michigan State shuts down Tulsa in 28-7 win
August 30, 2019
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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Raequan Williams knocked the ball out, and Kenny Willekes recovered it in the end zone.


When Michigan State's defensive linemen are playing like this, the Spartans' offense has plenty of margin for error.


Willekes recovered two fumbles, including one for a touchdown, and No. 18 Michigan State manhandled Tulsa 28-7 on Friday night. Willekes, back on the field after breaking his leg in last season's Redbox Bowl, was part of a swarming Michigan State defense that held the Golden Hurricane to minus-73 yards rushing.


The touchdown by Willekes came after he and Williams sacked Zach Smith near the goal line. The ball came free, and Willekes came up with it to put Michigan State up 22-0.


''Thank you Raequan for my first touchdown,'' Willekes said. ''It speaks to how, I think, the chemistry on our defense, how much work we put in this offseason - you see how dominant we are when we play together, we all do our job.''


The Spartans (1-0) still had their problems offensively, but that made little difference on this night.


Tulsa (0-1) botched two shotgun snaps in the second quarter - part of the reason its rushing total ended up so far below zero. One of those loose balls went out of the end zone for a safety.


''This may be the best defensive line we faced as a whole since I've been here,'' said Philip Montgomery, now in his fifth season as Tulsa's coach. ''We've played some very good teams obviously. This group that we faced tonight, there's guys that everybody across the board is a big deal player.''


The big question coming into this game was how Michigan State's offense would look after the Spartans scored only 32 points over the final four games of 2018. Coach Mark Dantonio shuffled roles around among his offensive assistants, making Brad Salem the offensive coordinator.


''Obviously, our defense played outstanding,'' Dantonio said. ''I thought our offense went down the field the first series, and then stalled out after that. Too many missed opportunities.''


Michigan State got the ball first and capped a penalty-aided drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brian Lewerke to Connor Heyward. Then the defense - which was No. 1 in the nation against the run last season - took over.


Tulsa went with Smith, a Baylor transfer, at quarterback over returning sophomore Seth Boomer. It would have probably been a long night no matter who was in. Michigan State was up 25-0 before the Golden Hurricane scored. Smith threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Sam Crawford late in the second quarter.


The Spartans have won 21 straight home openers.


RECORDS


Tulsa's rushing total set a school record for each team. It was the lowest rushing total for the Golden Hurricane, breaking the mark of minus-56 from the Humanitarian Bowl against Georgia Tech in 2004.


It was the lowest total allowed by the Spartans, who held Pittsburgh to minus-63 in a 1950 game.


''Our defensive line is dominant,'' Dantonio said. ''I mean, they're good. I think they handled the line of scrimmage, and we tackled well.''


FLAGS


On Michigan State's second play from scrimmage, Tulsa was called for holding and a personal foul on the same play. That set the tone for the evening. The Golden Hurricane finished with eight penalties for 80 yards, and Michigan State had 14 for 122.

THE TAKEAWAY


Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane had trouble running and passing, and they didn't help themselves with three first-half turnovers. The final score could have been a lot worse.


''They're a really good defense. We knew that coming in, and we knew we couldn't shoot ourselves in the foot,'' Smith said. ''That's exactly what we did. We shot ourselves in the foot too many times.''


Michigan State: The Spartans were never in much danger of losing this one, but in the end, they scored only one offensive touchdown. The offense failed to take full advantage of great field position in that second quarter, and there was some grumbling from fans at Spartan Stadium at various points in the night.


''The crowd reacts how they want, and you can't really control that,'' Lewerke said. ''It's probably right for them to do so, in a sense. The offense was lacking. We've just got to be better.''


POLL IMPLICATIONS


Michigan State was in the Top 25 despite all the concerns about the offense, and this comfortable win isn't likely to threaten that ranking.


UP NEXT


Tulsa visits San Jose State next Saturday night.


Michigan State hosts Western Michigan next Saturday night.




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




Army holds off Rice 14-7
August 30, 2019
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WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) Stymied off and on by a swarming Rice defense in a tight game, Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. finally did what he's become so accustomed to doing - guiding a time-consuming scoring drive that sank the hard-luck Owls.


Army converted five third downs on an 18-play, game-winning drive that took over 9 minutes of the fourth quarter and left the Owls in a hole they couldn't climb out of in the season opener for both teams. Hopkins hit Kell Walker with a 17-yard touchdown pass with 3:48 left and Army escaped with a 14-7 victory on Friday night at Michie Stadium.


A false start on third down had pushed the ball back to a third-and-8 at the 17 before Hopkins found Walker all alone on the left side near the goal line with 3:58 left in the game.


''Honestly, it was just the mindset of the offense,'' Hopkins said. ''We knew that we were going to have to make a drive, make a push, especially with time winding down. Thirteen minutes, that's right around where we want to get the ball and hold it as long as possible. The defense was carrying us a lot at points. We were putting them in some bad spots.''


The Owls threatened one last time, driving into Army territory. Quarterback Wiley Green lost the ball while scrambling and Army's Jacob Covington nearly covered it before Aston Walter fell on it for Rice with just over a minute left. A last-gasp sideline pass on fourth down by Green was broken up by Jaylon McClinton at the Army 15 with seconds to play.


''It's all about staying composed,'' Army linebacker Cole Christiansen said. ''We're used to things like that happening. We thought we had won the game. I think it's a testament to our team.''


The Black Knights have won 14 straight games at home and 10 straight overall, the second longest active winning streak in college football, behind only national champion Clemson.


''That game could have gone either way,'' Army coach Jeff Monken said. ''Our guys in the end found a way. We just overcame a lot.''


Hopkins, who last year became the first player in academy history to run for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in a season, finished with 80 yards rushing on 21 carries and was 3 of 8 passing for 53 yards as he operated with a new center and a new backfield.


Army, which finished last season ranked No. 19, lost a key part of its offense to graduation with the departure of fullbacks Darnell Woolfolk and Andy Davidson. Woolfolk was the workhorse, accounting for 956 yards and 14 TDs. Senior Connor Slomka (74 carries for 324 yards, 4.4 average and five TDs) and junior Sandon McCoy (16-65, 4.1) were being counted on to carry much of the load this season, but Slomka has been hobbled by an undisclosed injury and did not play.


The Owls, who started preparing for this game in the spring, held the Black Knights in check in the first half, limiting them to 120 yards on 30 plays, 103 of it on the ground on 27 carries, a 3.8-yard average. Last season, Army averaged 4.9 yards per carry, ranked second nationally with 312 yards per game, and won a school-record 11 games with its ball-control offense. The Black Knights finished with 231 yards rushing against the Owls, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.


''Obviously, a very tough loss and a game that we thought we could have won,'' said Rice linebacker Antonio Montero, who had a career-high 11 tackles. ''But this gives us a lot of confidence knowing that if we can hang in there with a really good team like Army we can win a lot of games this season and down the road.''


''I couldn't be prouder of these guys,'' Rice coach Mike Bloomgren added. ''That's a great team on the other sideline. They made a few plays. It's a credit to that team.''


Hopkins gave the Black Knights a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard run midway through the second quarter, and big plays set up the score in a drive that took 16 plays and lasted nearly 10 minutes. After Army converted twice on third down and once on fourth, wide receiver Christian Hayes ran a reverse right for 35 yards on a third-and-9 play. One play later Hopkins hit Hayes again, this time along the left side for 17 yards to set up the score.


Rice tailback Nahshon Ellerbe, who missed almost all of last year with a knee injury, tied it at 7-7 with a 54-yard touchdown run on the Owls' next possession.


Ellerbe finished with 103 yards rushing on nine carries and Walter had 72 yards rushing on 18 carries.


POOR FIELD POSITION


Army started three drives inside its own 10-yard line.


KICKING WOES


Rice place-kicker Will Harrison missed field goals of 26 and 44 yards.

NO TURNOVERS, PLEASE


Last year Army lost only five fumbles in over 900 plays, but the Black Knights were bitten once in this one. McCoy had a nice gain up the middle into Rice territory late in the third quarter, but defensive lineman Elijah Garcia stripped the ball and linebacker Blaze Alldredge recovered for the Owls.The Army defense forced a punt.


GAMBLING MAN


Last season, Army led the nation in conversions on third down (112 of 196, 57% success rate) and fourth down (31 of 36, 86%), coach Jeff Monken's mantra as a gambling man. Without its powerhouse backfield from last year, Army sputtered early. The Black Knights, at their own 15-yard line, were held for no gain on third and fourth downs on their first possession of the game, needing just a yard to convert. But they escaped when Rice kicker Will Harrison shanked a 26-yard field goal attempt.


''That's who they are,'' Bloomgren said. ''Our defense stood tall. It really should have changed the game. We should have got points on the board there. We missed an opportunity, for sure.''


THE TAKEAWAY


Rice: The Owls were 2-11 last season, the first under coach Mike Bloomgren, who used a slew of freshmen and redshirt freshmen to build experience into his system. He also added seven graduate transfers to the roster with a total of 202 games of college experience and 144 wins. That should help the Owls improve going forward.


Army: The Black Knights lost a lot in the run game, and Monken had little experience in the backfield with the 240-pound Slomka out. McCoy gained 70 yards on 20 carries, a nice showing. Monken said he expected Slomka back for practice this week.


UP NEXT


Rice: Owls host Atlantic Coast Conference foe Wake Forest next Friday night.


Army: Black Knights are at Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 7.

 

[CNOTES]

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


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD




08/30/2019 5-8-0 38.46% -19.00
08/29/2019 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00


Totals..............11-14-0 44.00% -22.00




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


BEST BETS:


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


08/30/2019.............2 - 3.............-6.50...............3 - 2...............+4.00.............-2.50
08/29/2019.............1 - 3.............-11.50.............4 - 1...............+14.50...........+3.00


Totals.....................3 - 6.............-19.00.............7 - 3...............+18.50............-0.50

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday’s 6-pack


— Nevada 34, Purdue 31— Wolf Pack rallied back from down 31-14, drilled a 56-yard FG at the gun for a dramatic win.


— Wake Forest 38, Utah State 35— Both teams threw for 400+ yards.


— Nationals 7, Marlins 6— Rendon’s single sent the locals home happy.


— Mets 11, Phillies 5— Wilson Ramos is 11-16 with the bases loaded.


— Dodgers put 2B Max Muncy (broken wrist) on the IL.


— RIP actress Valerie Harper 80, who played Rhoda on the Mary Tyler Moore Show


Tweet of the Day
“If you want to talk shit to the other team, join the goddamn debate team.”
Nick Saban


Saturday’s quiz
Which current NFL QB replaced Russell Wilson at NC State when Wilson transferred to Wisconsin before his senior year?


Friday’s quiz
NC State is the only college that will have three alums starting at QB in NFL Week 1 games; Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson, Jacoby Brissett.


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


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


Saturday’s List of 13: Our first look at college basketball for this season


I don’t go grocery shopping much, because I never cook, but while getting some junk food Friday, guess what was there? The Athlon college basketball magazine for 2019-20, already on newsstands on August 30. Here is what I learned from scanning this fine magazine:


13) Top 4 coaching hires:
— Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska— His grandfather was once Nebraska’s head coach. He might be the only person in America who would turn down the UCLA basketball job for this.
— Eric Musselman, Arkansas— My first instinct was that this is a bad fit, but he was great at Nevada and he coached two NBA teams.
— Buzz Williams, Texas A&M— He got Virginia Tech to the NCAA’s the last three years; they had been there twice in the previous 30 years. Va Tech is a football school, too.
— Nate Oats, Alabama— Went 31-5 in MAC last two years; his job is to entertain the locals until spring football starts.


12) UCLA butchered its coaching search; they wound up with Mick Cronin, who is a solid coach but Bruin fans are going to hate his defense-first style (or lack of style).


Last six years, Cronin’s Cincinnati teams’ national rank in tempo (out of 351 or 353 teams):
328-339-333-330-330-338


From 2006-08, Ben Howland made the Final Four three years in a row; from that point on, AFTER he made the Final Four three years in a row, UCLA went 58-32 in Pac-12 games, but only 2-3 in NCAA tourney games- they told Howland to take a hike. Why?!?!?!?!?


Cincinnati made the NCAA’s the last nine years, but since 2013, they’re 3-4 in 1st round, 0-3 in the 2nd round, and never made an Elite 8 under Cronin. Uh-oh.


11) There are 354 Division I teams this year; Merrimack joins the NEC this year, after Cal Baptist joined the WAC and North Alabama joined the Atlantic Sun.


10) Keep in mind that the 3-point line has been moved back 16.75 inches, to the international distance of 22 feet, 1.75 inches. The NBA arc is 23 feet, 9 inches.


They used the longer international arc in the NIT last spring; teams shot 2.2% lower behind the arc than they did in the regular season.


9) Five coaches on the hot seat:
— Dave Leitao, DePaul— LY’s 19-17 mark was their best in 12 years, but then the NCAA came calling. Last 4 years, Blue Demons are 16-56 in Big East games, and they’re cheating. Oy.
— Danny Manning, Wake Forest- Deacons are 24-66 in ACC games under his watch.
— Matt McCall, UMass— When you finish 13th two years in a row in a league called the Atlantic 10 (they have 14 teams), your job is going to be in jeopardy.
— Shaka Smart, Texas— His Longhorn teams are 31-41 in Big X games, and they don’t play the same fast-paced style his great VCU teams played. Why?
— Patrick Chambers, Penn State— 8 years, 0 NCAA bids; last year, 8 of 14 Big 14 teams made the NCAA’s. PSU is a football school, but Chambers still needs to show progress.


8) Gonzaga is the only team in the country that has made the Sweet 16 the last five years.


7) Athlon Sports top 6 teams for this season:
6— Memphis Tigers
5— Florida Gators
4— Louisville Cardinals
3— Kentucky Wildcats
2— Duke Blue Devils
1— Michigan State Spartans


6) Brad Brownell has been Clemson’s coach for nine years; in four of those years, Clemson finished .500+ in ACC games but didn’t make the NCAA’s. They need to win more games in December, but they were in the Sweet 16 two years ago. Brownell is a good coach whose job is a tough one- they lost five of their top six scorers from last year’s 20-14 team.


5) Five most impactful freshmen this year:
5— Nico Mannion, Arizona- Scoring PG whose dad played in the NBA.
4— Anthony Edwards, Georgia- 5-star recruit from talent-rich Atlanta.
3— James Wiseman, Memphis- 7-1 center who needs work on offense.
2— Isaiah Stewart, Washington- Young man from Rochester, NY is long way from home.
1— Cole Anthony, North Carolina- His dad Greg was UNLV’s PG in the Tark glory days.


4) Some programs win no matter who the coach is.. Check out VCU’s record:
1999-2002— Mack McCarthy, 65-55, 35-32 in CAA
2002-06— Jeff Capel, 79-41, 50-22 in CAA
2006-09— Anthony Grant, 76-25, 45-9 in CAA
2009-15— Shaka Smart, 163-56, 38-16 in CAA, 36-14 in A-14
2015-17— Will Wade, 51-20, 28-8 in A-14
2017-19— Mike Rhoades, 43-23, 25-11 in A-14


3) Five of this year’s better transfers:
— Omer Yurtseven, NC State to Georgetown- Scored 13.5 ppg for the Wolfpack.
— Quade Green, Kentucky to Washington- Will be Huskies’ PG after the 1st semester.
— Malachi Flynn, Washington St to San Diego St— Scored 15.8 ppg for the Coogs.
— Koby McEwen, Utah State to Marquette— Bolted Logan after they fired the coach.
— Jalen Harris, Louisiana Tech to Nevada— Wolf Pack literally wouldn’t have been able to field a team the day they hired Steve Alford. Harris scored 15.3 ppg his last year at Tech.


2) Under Chris Beard, Texas Tech is 8-2 in NCAA tourney games; before Beard became Tech’s coach, Tech was 8-16 all-time in NCAA tourney games.


1) Georgetown played the fastest tempo games of any Big East team last year, playing the 25th-fastest tempo in the whole country. I wonder what John Thompson thinks of that?


Patrick Ewing has changed the Hoyas’ program into one that plays fast, which helps recruiting— Hoyas are 34-29 under Ewing, 14-22 in Big East games, but they were 19-14, 9-9 LY. They’ll be an interesting team to watch this winter.

 

[CNOTES]

2019 college football


Labor Day weekend’s top 13 games


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.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's Essentials
August 30, 2019
By Tony Mejia


Here’s a look at what must be considered before wagering on Saturday's slate in all FBS vs. FBS matchups.


Odds courtesy of the Westgate Superbook:


Early Starts


Florida Atlantic at Ohio State (-27.5/63.5), 12 p.m. ET, FOX: Lane Kiffin’s Owls have been outscored 105-34 in his first two season-openers at the school. Since Deondre Francois wound up at Hampton, QB Chris Robison is expected to see the majority of the snaps despite a student-newspaper story dropping this week alleging that a complaint against him for sexual assault wasn’t properly investigated. The Oklahoma transfer likely won’t be the only FAU player to line up under the center but is expected to do the bulk of the work. How quickly will the Buckeyes overcome any jitters as Georgia transfer Justin Fields takes his first snaps at quarterback as head coach Ryan Day settling in full-time? With Cincinnati in town next week, Ohio State wouldn’t want to see RB JK Dobbins overloaded with work behind an offensive line that must be patched together since multiple starters went off to the NFL.


South Alabama at Nebraska (-36/66), 12 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Huskers still haven’t divulged if top RB Maurice Washington will play after pleading not guilty to a revenge porn charge in California back in April, so former Georgia Tech standout Dedrick Mills might be worth the fantasy nod. After an 0-6 start to ‘18, Scott Frost won’t have his team looking ahead to next weekend’s visit to Colorado but probably will withhold any real wrinkles unless it’s necessary. South Alabama’s chances hinge on QB Cephus Johnson being more accurate since he completed just 36.8 of his passes last season.


East Carolina vs. NC State (-17.5/52), 12 p.m. ET, ACCN: Ryan Finley lit it up for the NFL’s Bengals all preseason and the Wolfpack’s two 1,000-yard receivers are also gone, so it will be interesting to see what this offense looks like with co-coordinators replacing Eli Drinkwitz, who took over as Appalachian State’s head coach. Sophomore Matt McKay beat out ex-FSU commit Bailey Hockman for first crack at replacing Finley. ECU’s Holton Ahlers impressed before being hurt last season and will open under center as a sophomore after leading the team rushing yards, rushing scores and TD passes despite making only five starts. Mike Houston, who had a great run at FCS-member James Madison, lost to N.C. State 24-13 in last season’s opener when he was with the Dukes, so the entire coaching staff will be familiar with the Pack. ECU won 33-30 in 2016 at home but fell in Raleigh 58-3 to close out last year’s disastrous season.


Akron at Illinois (-18/61), 12 p.m ET, BTN: Lovie Smith is 3-0 in lid-lifters since taking over the Illini but hasn’t covered the past two against MAC foes. With Michigan transfer Brandon Peters in to run the show, Smith has the most talented quarterback he’s had at the position since he returned to the college game. The schedule lays out for Illinois to open 3-0 for the first time since 2011 if they take care of business as a favorite. Akron moved on from Terry Bowden, so we’ll see what things look like under Tom Arth, a former QB tasked with upgrading an offense that was held to single-digits in three of last season’s final four game. Defensively, Illinois will likely stay away from dangerous DB Alvin Davis, the unquestioned leader of a revamped secondary.


Ball State vs. Indiana (-18/60.5), 12 p.m. ET, CBSSN: This game is being played at Lucas Oil Stadium. For Ball State, it’s an opportunity to knock off the first power-five of the Mike Neu era, which is entering an important fourth year. The Cardinals have covered at Indiana, Illinois and Notre Dame during his tenure but fell 38-10 at the Hoosiers last season. Junior QB Drew Plitt threw more picks than TD passes last season but has a lot of receiving weapons. Indiana will start redshirt freshman QB Michael Penix, who tore his ACL last season but showed real promise in limited action and has a number of wideouts back. RB Stevie Scott accounted for over 1,200 yards and 11 scores as a freshman.


Toledo at Kentucky (-11.5/61.5), 12 p.m. ET, SEC: After a dream season that delivered 10 wins for the first time in 41 years and a bowl upset over Penn State, the Wildcats will adjust to life without top rusher Bennie Snell and sack master Josh Allen, justifiably the faces of the program. There’s definitely plenty back, starting with electric QB Terry Wilson, who would make life much easier if he can eliminate mistakes. Mitchell Guadagni won back the QB gig at Toledo and had moments of brilliance as a junior, but this is by far the toughest task Jason Candle has had to open a season since taking over as head coach. The Rockets suffered a major blow when center Bryce Harris (knee) was lost for the season. His presence stabilizing the offensive line will be missed in Lexington. Toledo comes off its first losing season on the road since 2009.


Mississippi State (-19.5/60) vs. Louisiana, 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU: This game is being played at the Superdome in New Orleans and will see Penn State grad transfer Tommy Stevens debut in a system he knows well, giving Joe Moorhead a downfield passing attack that wasn’t feasible under the Tim Tebow-like Nick Fitzgerald, who set an SEC record for all-time rushing yards from a QB. Three NFL first-round picks are gone from last season’s swarming defense, so we’ll see what veteran coordinator Bob Shoop comes up with out of the gate as he looks to keep talented Ragin’ Cajuns RB Trey Ragas from finding a rhythm behind an offensive line dealing with significant attrition since center Cole Prudhomme is out and guard Kevin Dotson is questionable. QB Levi Lewis is the unquestioned starter and has legitimate threats in WRs Ja’Marcus Bradley and “Bam” Jackson, but Louisiana lost last season’s game in Starkville 56-10.


Ole Miss at Memphis (-4.5/64.5), 12 p.m. ET, ABC: The Rebels and Tigers are getting together for the first time since 2016 and the fact Memphis last upset an SEC foe when Ole Miss came through the Liberty Bowl in ’15 makes this all the more interesting. Head coach Mike Norvell nearly beat UCF twice last season and defeated UCLA at home two years ago, but he’s got to replace RB Darrell Henderson, who accounted for over 2,300 yards and 25 touchdowns and made life much easier for QB Brady White. The Rebs have their own offensive concerns considering their top receivers are all gone, which means redshirt freshman QB Matt Corral could have his work cut out for him. He got in four games last season and impressed with his ability to mix it up. Getting senior RB Scottie Phillips off to take some pressure off Corral is head coach Matt Luke’s chief objective.


Boise State at Florida State (-6.5/54.5), 12 p.m. ET, ESPNN: This game was supposed to be played in Jacksonville but was moved to Tallahassee due to the impending threat of Hurricane Dorian, which makes this a true home game for the ‘Noles. Books voided action and have put a new number on this one as a write-in game. For the Broncos, the task gets more difficult since FSU will come out of its home locker room and enjoy more of an edge, but their ability to pull an upset was always going to hinge on how their experienced offensive line holds up against a defense looking to turn the page after an awful 2018. Willie Taggart is already on the hot seat and hired Kendal Briles to help coordinate an offense that was also a disaster in Year 1 but gets QB James Blackman back in addition to elite playmakers in RB Cam Akers and WR Tamorrion Terry.


Afternoon Delights


Georgia State at Tennessee (-26.5/57.5), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU: Jeremy Pruitt is under pressure to keep the Vols from a third straight losing season that would be their seventh in a 10-year span, so winning this one easily would be reassuring. His run started horribly in a 40-14 loss to West Virginia a year ago and his defense faded in surrendering 88 points in season-ending losses to Mizzou and Vandy. QB Jarrett Guarantano is now a junior and should be among the SEC’s top quarterbacks given that the entire offense is back, while the league’s returning sack leader, Darrell Taylor, should team with a talented secondary to get things turned around. It all sounds great, but Tennessee needs to prove it on the field. Georgia State won just twice last season after reaching a bowl in HC Shawn Elliott’s first season. This will be their lone game against a power-five, so they’ll be hyped out of the gate. Senior QB Dan Ellington led the team in passing and rushing, so if you’re on the Panthers to cover, he’ll have to do his part.


Eastern Michigan (-6/53) at Coastal Carolina, 3:30 p.m ET: With two bowl trips rewarding a pair of winning seasons over the last three years, it’s fair to say Chris Creighton has turned around EMU, but building a consistent winner in a program that has notoriously produced little takes even more work. Last season’s upset at Purdue was monumental and sets up a pair of big games for the program at Kentucky and Illinois in the next week. How much momentum they take into that hinges on how well QB Mike Glass picks up where he left off in the Camellia Bowl. The Eagles are 16-3 ATS over their last 19 road games, so keep that in mind before blindly backing the host Chanticleers. Coastal does return a defense featuring many familiar faces. Head coach Jamey Chadwell picked Fred Payton, Jr. to start ahead of Bryce Carpenter in the spread option. Both appeared as true freshmen and put up similar numbers, so look for each to appear against the visiting Eagles.


South Carolina (-11.5/63.5) vs. North Carolina, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium will host Mack Brown’s return to coaching, so we’ll see what he’s come up with in the lab as he tries to help the Tar Heels bounce back from consecutive nine-loss seasons. Improvement may be gradual, but it should come over time with true freshman QB Sam Howell at the helm. The highly-rated recruit won the job and will have RB Javonte Williams in addition to WRs Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown to help stretch the field. UNC wants to push tempo, but it remains to be seen how effective it will be with an SEC defense on tap this week and Miami’s solid group coming through Chapel Hill next week. Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks were blanked by Virginia in the Belk Bowl and are looking for senior QB Jake Bentley to produce his best season yet without the services of Deebo Samuel, who should have a big role with the 49ers as a rookie. RB Rico Dowdle and a number of capable wideouts will look to fill the void.


Duke vs. Alabama (-33.5/57), 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC: You know David Cutcliffe would love to have Daniel Jones back for at least one more game, but he does have a senior in Quentin Harris, who has started a few games in place of the latest N.Y. Giants’ first-round pick over the years. The Blue Devils have posted winning seasons in five of the past six years, so Nick Saban should have no problem putting a scare into his Crimson Tide that they better not collectively overlook the smart kids. It will be a ‘Bama “home” game at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which they’ve played in three times already. Tua Tagovailoa will lead an explosive offense featuring the nation’s highest-regarded WR in Jerry Jeudy and a host of other toys. The Tide may need to put their foot on the gas since a defense that comes off getting sliced up by Oklahoma and Clemson in last season’s playoffs lost multiple key figures. Top tackler Dylan Moses was supposed to lead the way from his linebacker position but injured his knee in practice on Tuesday and is now out for the season.


Northwestern at Stanford (-6/47), 4 p.m. ET, FOX: There certainly isn’t as much buzz surrounding the Cardinal as there has been in recent years, so maybe flying under the radar some will do this group so good. QB KJ Costello, tight end Colby Parkinson and safety Paulson Adebo could be among the best in the country at their positions, but RB Bryce Love, star WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and a number of key offensive linemen are gone. The Wildcats therefore look like a live ‘dog since they bring a streak of wins in eight consecutive true road games into this one and notched an upset of Pac-12 favorite Utah in the Holiday Bowl in their most recent outing. If a talented defense can keep Costello from finding a rhythm, they’ll limit the burden facing Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson, who will likely start ahead of senior TJ Green as Northwestern attempts to replace four-year starter Clayton Thorson, who owns most school passing records.


Virginia Tech at Boston College (-4.5/58.5), 4 p.m. ET, ACCN: The ACC is putting a few of its teams up against each other this opening weekend and has a beauty of a matchup here. Legendary Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster is beginning his final season before retiring and has to worry about how he’s going to contain RB A.J. Dillon, considered one of the league’s top backs alongside Clemson’s Travis Etienne. After a horrible season stopping the run, this will be a great opportunity to see whether a group that returns most guys up front can improve and key a resurgence after a rare losing season in Blacksburg. VA Tech QB Ryan Willis threw 24 TD passes last season after transferring in from Kansas and will take aim at a BC secondary that lost a ton of talent. With Dillon likely to be the focal point of the Hokies’ defensive attention, Eagles QB Anthony Brown will play x-factor given the opportunities that should become available. He’s 1-1 against Virginia Tech, beating them in Blacksburg last season.


Syracuse (-18.5/68) at Liberty, 6 p.m. ET: The Flames moved up to the FBS level last season and blew out Old Dominion 52-10 in finishing 5-1 at home, so this isn’t exactly a gimme for the Orange. With Turner Gill retiring, former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze was hired to help capitalize on the presence of Buckshot Calvert, who threw for over 3,000 yards last season. The Flames saw Auburn transfer Malik Willis get denied immediate eligibility by the NCAA, removing a major wrinkle from Freeze’s toolbox and lightening the load for Syracuse defensive coordinator Brian Ward. Offensively, the Orange will unleash Tommy DeVito as a full-time starting QB after he gained experience behind gutsy dual-threat Eric Dungey, Dino Babers’ first conductor to the high-octane circus that is the SU attack, which helped average 40.2 points last season.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, August 31

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FLA ATLANTIC (5 - 7) at OHIO ST (13 - 1) - 8/31/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 190-147 ATS (+28.3 Units) in all games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 190-147 ATS (+28.3 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
OHIO ST is 172-132 ATS (+26.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.

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

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S ALABAMA (3 - 9) at NEBRASKA (3 - 8) - 8/31/2019, 12:00 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.

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E CAROLINA (3 - 9) at NC STATE (9 - 4) - 8/31/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E CAROLINA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
E CAROLINA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
E CAROLINA is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
E CAROLINA is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.

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

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AKRON (4 - 8) at ILLINOIS (4 - 8) - 8/31/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ILLINOIS is 132-173 ATS (-58.3 Units) in all games since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 132-173 ATS (-58.3 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 66-96 ATS (-39.6 Units) in home games since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 66-96 ATS (-39.6 Units) in home lined games since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 66-92 ATS (-35.2 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
ILLINOIS is 89-134 ATS (-58.4 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.

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

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BALL ST (4 - 8) vs. INDIANA (5 - 7) - 8/31/2019, 12:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 1-0 against the spread versus BALL ST over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 1-0 straight up against BALL ST 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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TOLEDO (7 - 6) at KENTUCKY (10 - 3) - 8/31/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KENTUCKY is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
KENTUCKY is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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MISSISSIPPI ST (8 - 5) vs. LA LAFAYETTE (7 - 7) - 8/31/2019, 12:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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OLE MISS (5 - 7) at MEMPHIS (8 - 6) - 8/31/2019, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OLE MISS is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
OLE MISS is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 19-35 ATS (-19.5 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.

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

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GEORGIA ST (2 - 10) at TENNESSEE (5 - 7) - 8/31/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA ST is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

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

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E MICHIGAN (7 - 6) at COASTAL CAROLINA (5 - 7) - 8/31/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E MICHIGAN is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
E MICHIGAN is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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S CAROLINA (7 - 6) vs. N CAROLINA (2 - 9) - 8/31/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S CAROLINA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

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

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DUKE (8 - 5) vs. ALABAMA (14 - 1) - 8/31/2019, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ALABAMA is 81-57 ATS (+18.3 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
DUKE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
DUKE is 24-8 ATS (+15.2 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.

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

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NORTHWESTERN (9 - 5) at STANFORD (9 - 4) - 8/31/2019, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NORTHWESTERN is 50-30 ATS (+17.0 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.
NORTHWESTERN is 115-86 ATS (+20.4 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
NORTHWESTERN is 85-56 ATS (+23.4 Units) in road games since 1992.
NORTHWESTERN is 85-56 ATS (+23.4 Units) in road lined games since 1992.

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

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VIRGINIA TECH (6 - 7) at BOSTON COLLEGE (7 - 5) - 8/31/2019, 4:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON COLLEGE is 2-0 against the spread versus VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON COLLEGE is 1-1 straight up against VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

SYRACUSE (10 - 3) at LIBERTY (6 - 6) - 8/31/2019, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LIBERTY is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games since 1992.
LIBERTY is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
LIBERTY is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
LIBERTY is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
LIBERTY is 16-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.

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

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

BOISE ST (10 - 3) vs. FLORIDA ST (5 - 7) - 8/31/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 147-107 ATS (+29.3 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 147-107 ATS (+29.3 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
BOISE ST is 37-21 ATS (+13.9 Units) in games played on a grass field since 1992.

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

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

SMU (5 - 7) at ARKANSAS ST (8 - 5) - 8/31/2019, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

MIDDLE TENN ST (8 - 6) at MICHIGAN (10 - 3) - 8/31/2019, 7:30 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.

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

MIAMI OHIO (6 - 6) at IOWA (9 - 4) - 8/31/2019, 7:30 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.

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

GA SOUTHERN (10 - 3) at LSU (10 - 3) - 8/31/2019, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LSU is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

GEORGIA (11 - 3) at VANDERBILT (6 - 7) - 8/31/2019, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.

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

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

VIRGINIA (8 - 5) at PITTSBURGH (7 - 7) - 8/31/2019, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VIRGINIA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

MISSOURI (8 - 5) at WYOMING (6 - 6) - 8/31/2019, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

OREGON (9 - 4) vs. AUBURN (8 - 5) - 8/31/2019, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OREGON is 47-24 ATS (+20.6 Units) when the line is +3 to -3 since 1992.

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

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

LOUISIANA TECH (8 - 5) at TEXAS (10 - 4) - 8/31/2019, 8:00 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.

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

NEW MEXICO ST (3 - 9) at WASHINGTON ST (11 - 2) - 8/31/2019, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW MEXICO ST is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO ST is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON ST is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

FRESNO ST (12 - 2) at USC (5 - 7) - 8/31/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FRESNO ST is 21-6 ATS (+14.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 21-6 ATS (+14.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 20-5 ATS (+14.5 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
USC is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
USC is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.

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

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, August 31

Toledo @ Kentucky
Toledo
Toledo is 17-8 ATS in its last 25 games on the road
Toledo is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Kentucky
Kentucky is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kentucky's last 5 games

Mississippi State @ Louisiana-Lafayette
Mississippi State
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Mississippi State's last 10 games
Mississippi State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Lafayette is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisiana-Lafayette's last 6 games

Mississippi @ Memphis
Mississippi
Mississippi is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Memphis
Mississippi is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Memphis
Memphis
Memphis is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home
Memphis is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home

East Carolina @ North Carolina State
East Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 7 of East Carolina's last 10 games on the road
East Carolina is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
North Carolina State
North Carolina State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
North Carolina State is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games

Northern Iowa @ Iowa State
Northern Iowa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Iowa's last 5 games when playing on the road against Iowa State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Iowa's last 5 games when playing Iowa State
Iowa State
Iowa State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Iowa State's last 5 games when playing Northern Iowa

Indiana State @ Kansas
Indiana State
Indiana State is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Indiana State is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Kansas
Kansas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Kansas is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games at home

Akron @ Illinois
Akron
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Akron's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Akron's last 8 games
Illinois
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Illinois's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Illinois's last 15 games at home

Ball State @ Indiana
Ball State
Ball State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ball State's last 5 games
Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing Ball State

Howard @ Maryland
Howard
Howard is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Howard is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Maryland
Maryland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Maryland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

South Alabama @ Nebraska
South Alabama
The total has gone OVER in 5 of South Alabama's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of South Alabama's last 12 games
Nebraska
Nebraska is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Nebraska is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

Florida Atlantic @ Ohio State
Florida Atlantic
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Florida Atlantic's last 11 games on the road
Florida Atlantic is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
Ohio State
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

James Madison @ West Virginia
James Madison
James Madison is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
James Madison is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
West Virginia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of West Virginia's last 6 games
West Virginia is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home

Rhode Island @ Ohio
Rhode Island
Rhode Island is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Rhode Island is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Ohio
Ohio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Ohio is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

Eastern Washington @ Washington
Eastern Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Eastern Washington's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Eastern Washington's last 5 games on the road
Washington
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Bucknell @ Temple
Bucknell
No trends to report
Temple
Temple is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Temple is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

Duke @ Alabama
Duke
Duke is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Duke's last 6 games
Alabama
Alabama is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Alabama's last 5 games

South Carolina @ North Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of South Carolina's last 6 games
North Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 7 of North Carolina's last 10 games
North Carolina is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games

Georgia State @ Tennessee
Georgia State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia State's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Georgia State's last 7 games
Tennessee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tennessee's last 5 games
Tennessee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

Idaho @ Penn State
Idaho
Idaho is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
Idaho is 15-6-1 ATS in its last 22 games
Penn State
Penn State is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Penn State's last 5 games

Colgate @ Air Force
Colgate
Colgate is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Colgate is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Air Force
Air Force is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Air Force's last 6 games

Eastern Michigan @ Coastal Carolina
Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan is 16-3 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Eastern Michigan's last 5 games
Coastal Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Coastal Carolina's last 6 games at home
Coastal Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

Holy Cross @ Navy
Holy Cross
Holy Cross is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Holy Cross is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Navy
Navy is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Navy's last 5 games at home

East Tennessee State @ Appalachian State
East Tennessee State
East Tennessee State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
East Tennessee State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Appalachian State
Appalachian State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Appalachian State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Portland State @ Arkansas
Portland State
Portland State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Portland State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Arkansas
Arkansas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Arkansas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home

Northwestern @ Stanford
Northwestern
Northwestern is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Northwestern is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Stanford
Stanford is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home
Stanford is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Virginia Tech @ Boston College
Virginia Tech
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Virginia Tech's last 5 games
Virginia Tech is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston College
Boston College
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston College's last 5 games
Boston College is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Virginia Tech

Montana State @ Texas Tech
Montana State
Montana State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montana State's last 5 games on the road
Texas Tech
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas Tech's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas Tech's last 6 games

Syracuse @ Liberty
Syracuse
Syracuse is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Syracuse is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Liberty
Liberty is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Liberty's last 6 games

Sam Houston State @ New Mexico
Sam Houston State
Sam Houston State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Sam Houston State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
New Mexico
New Mexico is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
New Mexico is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games at home

Incarnate Word @ Texas-San Antonio
Incarnate Word
Incarnate Word is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Incarnate Word is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Texas-San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas-San Antonio's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas-San Antonio's last 9 games at home

Campbell @ Troy
Campbell
No trends to report
Troy
Troy is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Troy is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games

UC Davis @ California
UC Davis
UC Davis is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
UC Davis is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
California
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of California's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of California's last 5 games at home

VMI @ Marshall
VMI
VMI is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
VMI is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Marshall
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Marshall's last 6 games
Marshall is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Stephen F. Austin @ Baylor
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Stephen F. Austin is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
Baylor
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baylor's last 5 games
Baylor is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games

Boise State @ Florida State
Boise State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boise State's last 5 games
Boise State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Florida State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida State's last 5 games
Florida State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

Nicholls State @ Kansas State
Nicholls State
Nicholls State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Nicholls State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Kansas State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas State's last 6 games at home
Kansas State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

Norfolk State @ Old Dominion
Norfolk State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Norfolk State's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Norfolk State's last 6 games on the road
Old Dominion
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Old Dominion's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Old Dominion's last 10 games

Alcorn State @ Southern Miss
Alcorn State
Alcorn State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Alcorn State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Southern Miss
Southern Miss is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Southern Miss is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

Southern Methodist @ Arkansas State
Southern Methodist
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Southern Methodist's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Southern Methodist's last 6 games on the road
Arkansas State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arkansas State's last 5 games
Arkansas State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

Monmouth-New Jersey @ Western Michigan
Monmouth-New Jersey
Monmouth-New Jersey is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Monmouth-New Jersey is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Western Michigan
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Western Michigan's last 5 games
Western Michigan is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home

Illinois State @ Northern Illinois
Illinois State
Illinois State is 3-20 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Illinois State is 3-20 SU in its last 23 games
Northern Illinois
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Northern Illinois's last 5 games at home
Northern Illinois is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home

Oregon @ Auburn
Oregon
Oregon is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oregon's last 8 games
Auburn
Auburn is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Auburn is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games

Georgia @ Vanderbilt
Georgia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Georgia's last 5 games on the road
Georgia is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Vanderbilt's last 13 games

Georgia Southern @ Louisiana State
Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Georgia Southern is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Louisiana State
Louisiana State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
Louisiana State is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games

Missouri @ Wyoming
Missouri
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Missouri's last 6 games
Missouri is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Wyoming
Wyoming is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Wyoming is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Virginia @ Pittsburgh
Virginia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Virginia's last 7 games on the road
Virginia is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Virginia

Miami-OH @ Iowa
Miami-OH
Miami-OH is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Miami-OH is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Iowa
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Iowa's last 6 games
Iowa is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

Middle Tennessee @ Michigan
Middle Tennessee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Middle Tennessee's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Middle Tennessee's last 5 games
Michigan
Michigan is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Michigan is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games

Abilene Christian @ North Texas
Abilene Christian
Abilene Christian is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Abilene Christian is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
North Texas
North Texas is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of North Texas's last 11 games

Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Texas Christian
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Arkansas-Pine Bluff is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Arkansas-Pine Bluff is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Texas Christian
Texas Christian is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Texas Christian is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home

Louisiana Tech @ Texas
Louisiana Tech
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisiana Tech's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisiana Tech's last 5 games on the road
Texas
Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Houston Baptist @ Texas El Paso
Houston Baptist
No trends to report
Texas El Paso
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas El Paso's last 6 games
Texas El Paso is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

Grambling State @ Louisiana-Monroe
Grambling State
Grambling State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Grambling State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Louisiana-Monroe
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 6 games
Louisiana-Monroe is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

Weber State @ San Diego State
Weber State
Weber State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Weber State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
San Diego State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego State's last 5 games at home
San Diego State is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games at home

New Mexico State @ Washington State
New Mexico State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Mexico State's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of New Mexico State's last 12 games on the road
Washington State
Washington State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Washington State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

Southern Utah @ Nevada-Las Vegas
Southern Utah
Southern Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Southern Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Nevada-Las Vegas
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Nevada-Las Vegas's last 23 games at home
Nevada-Las Vegas is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games

Fresno State @ Southern California
Fresno State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Fresno State's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Fresno State's last 5 games
Southern California
Southern California is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home
Southern California is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, August 31

South Alabama @ Nebraska

Game 163-164
August 31, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
South Alabama
58.177
Nebraska
98.318
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nebraska
by 40
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nebraska
by 36
64
Dunkel Pick:
Nebraska
(-36); Over

Florida Atlantic @ Ohio State

Game 161-162
August 31, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Florida Atlantic
76.921
Ohio State
108.920
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ohio State
by 32
68
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ohio State
by 27
63 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Ohio State
(-27); Over

Akron @ Illinois

Game 167-168
August 31, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Akron
67.025
Illinois
73.258
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Illinois
by 6
61
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Illinois
by 16 1/2
56 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Akron
(+16 1/2); Over

Indiana @ Ball State

Game 169-170
August 31, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
87.243
Ball State
64.989
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 22 1/2
55
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 16 1/2
59
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-16 1/2); Under

Toledo @ Kentucky

Game 171-172
August 31, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toledo
73.887
Kentucky
97.717
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kentucky
by 24
50
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kentucky
by 12
59
Dunkel Pick:
Kentucky
(-12); Under

Mississippi @ Memphis

Game 175-176
August 31, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mississippi
82.776
Memphis
91.693
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 9
77
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 6
68
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(-6); Over

Mississippi St @ LA-Lafayette

Game 173-174
August 31, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Mississippi St
102.505
LA-Lafayette
71.278
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Mississippi St
by 31
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Mississippi St
by 22 1/2
57
Dunkel Pick:
Mississippi St
(-22 1/2); Over

East Carolina @ NC State

Game 165-166
August 31, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
East Carolina
72.848
NC State
88.201
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NC State
by 15 1/2
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NC State
by 17 1/2
55 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
East Carolina
(+17 1/2); Over

Eastern Michigan @ Coastal Carolina

Game 179-180
August 31, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Eastern Michigan
74.775
Coastal Carolina
72.143
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Eastern Michigan
by 2 1/2
43
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Eastern Michigan
by 5 1/2
55
Dunkel Pick:
Coastal Carolina
(+5 1/2); Under

Duke @ Alabama

Game 183-184
August 31, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Duke
84.896
Alabama
122.054
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Alabama
by 37
64
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Alabama
by 34
58
Dunkel Pick:
Alabama
(-34); Over

South Carolina @ North Carolina

Game 181-182
August 31, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
South Carolina
95.042
North Carolina
84.613
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
South Carolina
by 10 1/2
67
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
South Carolina
by 7 1/2
63
Dunkel Pick:
South Carolina
(-7 1/2); Over

Georgia State @ Tennessee

Game 177-178
August 31, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia State
63.089
Tennessee
84.443
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tennessee
by 21 1/2
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tennessee
by 26
57 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Georgia State
(+26); Under

Northwestern @ Stanford

Game 185-186
August 31, 2019 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Northwestern
95.624
Stanford
95.927
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Northwestern
Even
47
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Stanford
by 6 1/2
49
Dunkel Pick:
Northwestern
(+6 1/2); Under

Virginia Tech @ Boston College

Game 187-188
August 31, 2019 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Virginia Tech
87.114
Boston College
89.288
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston College
by 2
53
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia Tech
by 3
57
Dunkel Pick:
Boston College
(+3); Under

SMU @ Arkansas St

Game 193-194
August 31, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
SMU
77.086
Arkansas St
76.994
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
SMU
Even
64
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas St
by 3
57 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
SMU
(+3); Over

Boise State @ Florida State

Game 191-192
August 31, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boise State
90.204
Florida State
98.748
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida State
by 8 1/2
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida State
by 5
53 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Florida State
(-5); Under

Georgia Southern @ LSU

Game 199-200
August 31, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia Southern
75.620
LSU
107.308
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LSU
by 31 1/2
75
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LSU
by 27
53
Dunkel Pick:
LSU
(-27); Over

Miami of Ohio @ Iowa

Game 197-198
August 31, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami of Ohio
78.347
Iowa
101.820
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Iowa
by 23 1/2
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Iowa
by 21 1/2
49 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Iowa
(-21 1/2); Over

Virginia @ Pittsburgh

Game 203-204
August 31, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Virginia
93.958
Pittsburgh
94.695
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Virginia
by 3
47 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(+3); Under

Oregon @ Auburn

Game 207-208
August 31, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oregon
95.714
Auburn
96.345
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Auburn
by 1
63
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Auburn
by 3 1/2
57
Dunkel Pick:
Oregon
(+3 1/2); Over

Middle Tennessee St @ Michigan

Game 195-196
August 31, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Middle Tennessee
80.415
Michigan
98.126
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Michigan
by 17
62
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Michigan
by 33 1/2
54
Dunkel Pick:
Middle Tennessee
(+33 1/2); Over

Georgia @ Vanderbilt

Game 201-202
August 31, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia
107.532
Vanderbilt
89.968
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Georgia
by 17 1/2
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia
by 21
57 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Vanderbilt
(+21); Under

Missouri @ Wyoming

Game 205-206
August 31, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Missouri
89.726
Wyoming
85.340
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Missouri
by 4 1/2
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Missouri
by 18
54
Dunkel Pick:
Wyoming
(+18); Over

New Mexico St @ Washington St

Game 211-212
August 31, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Mexico St
59.399
Washington St
100.074
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington St
by 40 1/2
57
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington St
by 32
64 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington St
(-32); Under

Fresno State @ USC

Game 213-214
August 31, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Fresno State
97.589
USC
88.902
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Fresno State
by 8 1/2
59
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
USC
by 13 1/2
52
Dunkel Pick:
Fresno State
(+13 1/2); Over

 

[CNOTES]

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.

 

[CNOTES]

Auburn vs. Oregon
August 30, 2019
By Brian Edwards


College Football Week 1 Saturday Night Preview


No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn from Arlington, TX (ABC, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Bo Nix has been dreaming about this moment for his entire life. The son of Patrick Nix, who threw for 4,957 career yards with a 31/16 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 32 career games, including 22 as Auburn’s starter in 1994 and 1995, Bo made up his mind – while still in elementary school – he would be the next great Auburn quarterback while watching Cam Newton lead the Tigers past Oregon in the 2011 BCS Championship Game.


Nix was a five-star prospect, one who led his high school to back-to-back state titles while becoming the state of Alabama’s all-time prep leader in career passing yards. He won the starting job by beating out redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood.


For his first career snaps as the Auburn QB, Nix will lead his team up against Oregon for a Saturday night showdown at Jerry World in Arlington, TX. The Tigers and Ducks will collide at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC.


As of Friday afternoon, most betting shops had Auburn installed as a 3.5 or four-point favorite, with the total at 55.5 points. As you can see in VI’s line history, bettors had plenty of chances in the last five weeks to get the Tigers at -2.5 or -3.


Likewise, just as gamblers might have missed the best number on Auburn, those that are bullish on the ‘under’ could’ve got that wager down when the total was more than 56, a key number for ‘over/unders’ in that it’s a multiple of seven. William Hill and the Wynn were at 57 less than two weeks ago.


Oregon is around +150 on the money line. Caesars was showing the best money-line payout in Las Vegas (+160) early Friday afternoon. For first-half bets at the Westgate SuperBook, Auburn is -3 with a total of 27.5 points. The Ducks are +140 on the money line.


Auburn finished 2018 with an 8-5 straight-up record and a 5-8 against the spread, firmly placing seventh-year head coach Gus Malzahn on the hot seat after he inked a lucrative contract extension in December of 2017. Making matters worse for Malzahn, school president Steven Leath was fired (paid to go away) by AU’s Board of Trustees in June just two years into a five-year contract. Leath was Malzahn’s biggest supporter, pushing hard for his contract in ’17.


With his job on the line, Malzahn is taking offensive call-playing duties back over. His team brings back 14 starters, seven apiece on each side of the ball.


I believe Auburn has the best defensive line in the nation. The trio of senior DE Marlon Davidson, senior Derrick Brown (second-team All-SEC in ’18) and Junior DE Nick Coe (third-team All-SEC in ’18) combined for 15 sacks and 20 QB hurries last season.


DC Kevin Steele’s unit has allowed 19.2, 18.5 and 17.1 points per game in the past three seasons. Phil Steele’s magazine has Brown as a preseason first-team All-American and Coe as a third-teamer.


Auburn didn’t have a 1,000-yard rusher last season for the first time since 2009. However, all five starters return on the offensive line. The Tigers are three-deep in the backfield with JaTarvious Whitlow (787 yards, six TDs and a 5.2 yards-per-carry average), Kam Martin (458-1 TD-4.4 YPC) and Shaun Shivers (371-3 TDs-5.3 YPC).


Auburn gets back two WRs that had to redshirt due to injuries last year in Eli Stove and Will Hastings. Stove has 12 career starts and had 489 combined receiving yards in ’16 and ’17. Seth Williams returns after catching 26 balls for 534 yards and five TDs in ’18. Anthony Schwartz is also back, but he’s ‘questionable’ vs. Oregon after breaking a bone in his hand that required surgery in early August. Schwartz had 22 receptions for 357 yards and two TDs last year, in addition to rushing for 211 yards and five TDs with a 7.8 YPC average.


Oregon went 9-4 SU and 5-8 ATS in Year 1 of the Mario Cristobal Era, edging Michigan State 7-6 in a complete snoozer as a 1.5-point favorite at the Redbox Bowl. The Ducks posted other notable victories at 24th-ranked California 42-24, vs. seventh-ranked Washington (30-27 in OT) and vs. Arizona State (31-29).


They lost to Stanford at home in overtime after blowing a 24-7 lead. Their other defeats came at 25th-ranked Washington State (34-20), at Arizona (44-15) and at Utah (32-25).


Oregon returns 10 starters from an offense that averaged 34.8 points per game. Senior QB Justin Herbert elected to return to school even though he was projected as a high first-round draft choice in the 2019 NFL Draft.


Herbert completed 59.4 percent of his passes last season for 3,151 yards with a 29/8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has made 28 career starts, throwing for 7,070 career passing yards and 63 TDs compared to only 17 interceptions.


Herbert’s favorite receiver Dillon Mitchell (75 catches, 1,184 yards & 10 TDs) is gone and several other wideouts are dealing with injuries. WR Brenden Schooler, who has 22 career starts, including 10 at safety in 2016 and 12 more at WR the past two seasons, is out indefinitely with a foot injury. Schooler had 21 catches for 203 yards and one TD in ’18.


True freshmen WRs Mycah Pittman (shoulder) and JR Waters (foot) are also ‘out’ vs. Auburn. Back-up TE Cam McCormick, who has three career starts to his credit, is ‘questionable’ with an ankle injury. On the bright side, Penn State grad transfer Juwan Johnson (cramps) was upgraded to ‘probable’ on Thursday. Johnson started 21 career games for the Nittany Lions in three seasons, amassing 1,123 career receiving yards.


Steele’s magazine ranks Oregon’s offensive line as the nation’s best. According to Steele, the Ducks’ 153 combined starts are the most for an FBS o-line since SMU had 158 in 2011.


This group will be expected to protect Herbert, especially since all three back-ups on scholarship are freshmen. The Oregon o-line needs to create holes for sophomore RB C.J. Verdell, who ran for 1,018 yards and 10 TDs while averaging 5.0 YPC as at true freshman last season. RB Travis Dye also returns after rushing for 739 yards and four TDs with a 5.3 YPC average.


Oregon’s defense brings back seven starters from a unit that allowed 25.4 PPG. Senior LB Troy Dye is a preseason second-team All-American in Steele’s magazine. Dye has started 35 career games and produced 313 tackles. He garnered second-team All-Pac-12 honors in ’17 and was a first-team selection last year, when he tallied 115 tackles, six tackles for loss, seven passes broken up, four QB hurries, two sacks and one interception.


Oregon opened the 2011 season at Jerry World, where LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu dominated to propel the Tigers to a 40-27 win over the Ducks. Oregon is 8-6 SU and 6-8 ATS in 14 neutral-site games since 2009. The Ducks were underdogs four times in Cristobal’s first season, going 1-3 both SU and ATS.


Meanwhile, Malzahn is 5-5 both SU and ATS in 10 games at neutral sites as Auburn’s HC. The Tigers are 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS in their last eight spots as single-digit ‘chalk.’


**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
-- After losing 24-14 at Cincinnati on Thursday, Chip Kelly is 3-10 at UCLA since returning to college coaching. Florida was interested in hiring Kelly, but he preferred to move back to the West coast. Dan Mullen is 11-3 since taking over at UF.


-- Northwestern, 6.5-point underdog at Stanford, is 10-0 ATS with eight outright wins in its past 10 games as a road underdog. -- Kentucky is mired in a 0-10 ATS record in its last nine games as a home favorite. The Wildcats are favored by 11.5 points for Saturday’s opener vs. Toledo in Lexington.


-- Tulane QB Justin McMillan stole the show Thursday night in the Big Easy, leading Tulane to a 42-14 win over FIU as a three-point home favorite. The Green Wave dominated a solid Conference USA team that Butch Davis has done a great job with since taking over. Tulane had a 557-252 advantage in total offense. McMillan completed 14-of-18 throws for 199 yards and two TDs without an interception. He also had 63 rushing yards and one TD on merely nine attempts. This Just In: Willie Fritz can coach some football, ya’ll.


-- Clemson covered as a 37-point home favorite in its 52-14 victory over Ga. Tech thanks to a 51-yard field goal midway through the final stanza. With Trevor Lawrence getting intercepted twice, it was RB Travis Etienne who stole the show with 205 rushing yards and three TDs on only 12 carries. Etienne had 22/1 odds to win the Heisman Trophy coming into the year, but that number will get reduced going to Week 2.


-- The Florida Gators had 10 sacks in last Saturday’s 24-20 non-covering win over Miami in Orlando. The sacks were the most by an SEC defense since 2008.


-- Was I appalled to see Oscar Meyer wearing my orange and blue colors last week? You can't even imagine!! Since I was wrapped up in the UF-UM game, I only had time to send out a G-rated tweet:

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday Night's Essentials
Tony Mejia


Here’s a look at what must be considered before wagering on Saturday's slate in all FBS vs. FBS matchups:


Primetime Matchups


SMU at Arkansas State (-2.5/56.5), 7 p.m. ET: Mustangs head coach Sonny Dykes didn’t reach a bowl with the school’s all-time leading passer, Ben Hicks, who transferred to Arkansas after learning his job wouldn’t be guaranteed and should start there. Former Longhorns starter Shane Buechele will start and has an impressive receiving corps that should put up numbers and will look to match the production the RedWolves should come up with through impressive WRs Kirk Merritt and Dahu Green. An inexperienced line needs to buy time for QB Logan Bonner, who takes over for reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year Justice Hansen. Veteran head coach Blake Anderson has taken a leave of absence due to the unfortunate death of his wife less than two weeks ago. New defensive coordinator David Duggan will fill in as the interim.

Middle Tennessee State at Michigan (-34.5/54.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, BTN: Jim Harbaugh has won 10 games in three of the last four seasons but has nonetheless not lived up to expectations. He’s kept exceptional defensive coordinator Don Brown but has rehauled the offense, bringing in Alabama co-coordinator Josh Gattis to install a no-huddle spread that will hopefully get the most out of Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson, who came up short in the Wolverines’ biggest games. Although RB Karan Higdon is now with the Texans, there is still plenty of offensive talent that includes a loaded line expected to win most battles up front. The Blue Raiders arrive with a new quarterback since head coach Rick Stockstill’s son Brent, who threw for over 10,000 yards, graduated. He won’t tip his hand as to who will start, but sophomores Asher O’Hara and Chase Cunningham have experience in the system and will likely both see time.

Miami (OH) at Iowa (-22/47), 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1: The Hawkeyes have won 16 of 18 home openers but did lose to a MAC school the last time they were upset, falling to Northern Illinois in ’13. With Nate Stanley back at QB, hopes are high that this group can compete for another Big Ten title if it can rebuild its defensive line with around standout pass-rusher AJ Epenesa. Tight ends TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant, both Top-20 NFL Draft picks, must also be replaced. The Redhawks are replacing long-time QB Gus Ragland and will be on the road against a disciplined team, so Chuck Martin will have his work cut out for him after not finishing with a losing record for the first time in his five-year tenure last season.

Georgia Southern at LSU (-27.5/52.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC: The Eagles won 10 games last season after losing 10 and should be able to compete for a Sun Belt title given the offensive line they’ve got returning and the fact QB Shai Werts to run the show. A triple-option attack doesn’t figure to do well against LSU’s monstrous defensive front, especially when you consider they’ve had weeks to prepare, but the Tigers could get caught looking ahead to next week’s visit to Austin to battle Texas in the game all eyes will be on. QB Joe Burrow will have a new offense to run with a host of receivers expected to get touches and freshman RB John Emery is likely to be the future and the truth, but it remains to be see how much Ed Oregeron is willing to put on film with next week’s road trip being what it is.

Georgia (-22.5/57.5) at Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: Vandy is still seeking its first winning season under Derek Mason but has beaten Tennessee three straight years and reached a bowl in two of those seasons. RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, WR Kalija Lipscomb and TE Jared Pinkney are among the nation’s best at their positions, but being able to seriously threaten the visiting ‘Dawgs hinges on QB play. Ball State grad transfer Riley Neal and dual-threat Deuce Wallace will look to move it against a fearsome defense. The Commodores have been pretty solid defensively over the past few years but have a lot of talent to replace, which gives UGA QB Jake Fromm and RB D’Andre Swift a great chance to put up gaudy numbers. Left tackle Andrew Thomas may be the first non-QB drafted next April. Head coach Kirby Smart lost to the ‘Dores 17-16 in his first season but has beat them twice since by a combined margin of 86-27.

Virginia (-2.5/46.5) at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. ET, ACC: This would be a pick’em if not for the fact UVa closed last season so strong. Apparently oddsmakers forgot the Panthers won last season’s meeting 23-13 and haven’t lost to the Cavaliers since 2014. Bronco Mendenhall will want to get even, but he’s lost multiple key defensive players that helped shut out South Carolina in the Belk Bowl and also saw top receiver Olamide Zaccheaus and 1,000-yard rusher Jordan Ellis graduate. QB Bryce Perkins is back for his senior year. Virginia has dropped its last three road openers but is hoping to take advantage of the fact Pitt lost two 1,000-yard rushers and its best big-play receiver. Junior QB Kenny Pickett is prone to inconsistency but has a QB whisperer in place with veteran coach Mark Whipple on staff. This one could come down to field position and special teams, which favor Pitt given the presence of stud returner Maurice Ffrench and kicker Alex Kessman.

Missouri (-16.5/54) at Wyoming, 7:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN: QB Kelly Bryant didn’t get his championship ring despite starting four games at Clemson last season, but he’s looking to resurface and pick up some hardware and increase his draft profile in the SEC by filling standout Drew Lock’s shoes. There are certainly a ton of weapons and after back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since reaching consecutive league title games in ’13 and ’14, but this first month looks tricky. This appears to be a trap game given the altitude in Laramie and a well-disciplined Cowboys team waiting to pull a major home upset after falling to Oregon and Washington State when they came through town. Wyoming lost to Mizzou 40-13 in Columbia last season but feel good about the development of redshirt freshman Sean Chambers, who has a little Josh Allen.

Oregon at Auburn (-3.5/55), 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC: This is the game set to captivate the nation’s attention unless there’s a high-profile upset. The Ducks welcome back QB Justin Herbert, who would’ve been a first-round pick but opted to return to try and become more polished. He won’t have top target Dillon Mitchell back and will be looking for targets to step up and help move the ball against an experienced Auburn secondary. The Tigers may have the nation’s defensive line and Oregon is loaded up front, so the battle up front should be tremendous. Finally, there’s true freshman QB Bo Nix making his debut as he attempts to ensure Gus Malzahn sees an eighth year on the Plains. The son of former Auburn standout Patrick Nix is considered the real deal. We’ll find out whether that’s true immediately.

Louisiana Tech at Texas (-20/55), 8 p.m. ET, LHN: Pulling a Sugar Bowl upset of Georgia in January’s Sugar Bowl to pull off the school’s first 10-game win season since ’09 means Texas is back right? The Longhorns won’t be able to answer that question until next week’s home date with LSU, which means we probably won’t see much out of their bag of tricks as they try to get past the visiting Bulldogs and get to next week. Keontay Ingram will play coming off a bone bruise but freshmen Jordan Whittington and true freshman Roschon Johnson, a highly-rated QB, will get carries. Sam Ehlinger, a Heisman frontrunner if he indeed can bring Texas back, has a lot of receiving options. La Tech HC Skip Holtz called him Tebow-like in his impact and is 1-12 against power-fives, but he’s 7-4 ATS over the past five years, beating Illinois outright in a bowl game. QB J’Mar Smith is a veteran who threw for 330 on LSU last season and has an excellent primary target to work with in junior Adrian Hardy. If Texas is too vanilla, veteran defensive coordinator Bob Diaco may find a way to keep this closer than expected.


Late-night Snacks


New Mexico State at Washington State (-31.5/64.5), 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12: Replacing Gardner Minshew has been the big story in Pullman since top candidates Anthony Gordon and Gage Gubrud staged one great battle to fill Mike Leach’s vacancy. Gordon won but Guburd, a grad transfer from FCS power Eastern Washington, will also get time. That should be the case here so long as the Cougs handle their business on defense and are able to work on their precision passing game with little game pressure. The visiting Aggies are in their second season back in the Indy ranks and get Alabama next week, so it’s unlikely head coach Doug Martin will be playing his regulars trying to earn a backdoor cover late if this is a blowout. If it’s not, it means sophomore Josh Adkins has found a way to generate points against a legitimate defense, something the Aggies struggled with last season. Baylor grad transfer WR Tony Nicholson will be a top target.

Fresno State at USC (-13.5/52/5), 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: Jeff Tedford’s Bulldogs crushed UCLA last season and handled Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl the last time they took the field, so the Trojans can’t possibly come into this overconfident. Of course, most of the guys responsible for the success Tedford has enjoyed in his return to coaching (22-6 SU) are gone, so we’ll see whether he’s had enough to coach up a new group in order to improve to 3-1 against the Pac-12 with Fresno. Jorge Reyna takes over for Marcus McMaryion and is familiar with the system but won’t have a target like KeeSean Johnson to deal with since he’ll have a huge role alongside Kyler Murray in Arizona. USC has a lot of young talent that is projected to reach the next level and will be looking to try and wipe the stench of last season’s 5-7 disaster off them. Sophomore QB J.T. Daniels has Clay Helton’s employment in his hands and has reportedly looked more decisive in camp.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's Essentials
Tony Mejia


Here’s a look at what must be considered before wagering on Saturday's slate in all FBS vs. FBS matchups:


Early Starts


Florida Atlantic at Ohio State (-27.5/63.5), 12 p.m. ET, FOX: Lane Kiffin’s Owls have been outscored 105-34 in his first two season-openers at the school. Since Deondre Francois wound up at Hampton, QB Chris Robison is expected to see the majority of the snaps despite a student-newspaper story dropping this week alleging that a complaint against him for sexual assault wasn’t properly investigated. The Oklahoma transfer likely won’t be the only FAU player to line up under the center but is expected to do the bulk of the work. How quickly will the Buckeyes overcome any jitters as Georgia transfer Justin Fields takes his first snaps at quarterback as head coach Ryan Day settling in full-time? With Cincinnati in town next week, Ohio State wouldn’t want to see RB JK Dobbins overloaded with work behind an offensive line that must be patched together since multiple starters went off to the NFL.

South Alabama at Nebraska (-36/66), 12 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Huskers still haven’t divulged if top RB Maurice Washington will play after pleading not guilty to a revenge porn charge in California back in April, so former Georgia Tech standout Dedrick Mills might be worth the fantasy nod. After an 0-6 start to ‘18, Scott Frost won’t have his team looking ahead to next weekend’s visit to Colorado but probably will withhold any real wrinkles unless it’s necessary. South Alabama’s chances hinge on QB Cephus Johnson being more accurate since he completed just 36.8 of his passes last season.

East Carolina vs. NC State (-17.5/52), 12 p.m. ET, ACCN: Ryan Finley lit it up for the NFL’s Bengals all preseason and the Wolfpack’s two 1,000-yard receivers are also gone, so it will be interesting to see what this offense looks like with co-coordinators replacing Eli Drinkwitz, who took over as Appalachian State’s head coach. Sophomore Matt McKay beat out ex-FSU commit Bailey Hockman for first crack at replacing Finley. ECU’s Holton Ahlers impressed before being hurt last season and will open under center as a sophomore after leading the team rushing yards, rushing scores and TD passes despite making only five starts. Mike Houston, who had a great run at FCS-member James Madison, lost to N.C. State 24-13 in last season’s opener when he was with the Dukes, so the entire coaching staff will be familiar with the Pack. ECU won 33-30 in 2016 at home but fell in Raleigh 58-3 to close out last year’s disastrous season.

Akron at Illinois (-18/61), 12 p.m ET, BTN: Lovie Smith is 3-0 in lid-lifters since taking over the Illini but hasn’t covered the past two against MAC foes. With Michigan transfer Brandon Peters in to run the show, Smith has the most talented quarterback he’s had at the position since he returned to the college game. The schedule lays out for Illinois to open 3-0 for the first time since 2011 if they take care of business as a favorite. Akron moved on from Terry Bowden, so we’ll see what things look like under Tom Arth, a former QB tasked with upgrading an offense that was held to single-digits in three of last season’s final four game. Defensively, Illinois will likely stay away from dangerous DB Alvin Davis, the unquestioned leader of a revamped secondary.

Ball State vs. Indiana (-18/60.5), 12 p.m. ET, CBSSN: This game is being played at Lucas Oil Stadium. For Ball State, it’s an opportunity to knock off the first power-five of the Mike Neu era, which is entering an important fourth year. The Cardinals have covered at Indiana, Illinois and Notre Dame during his tenure but fell 38-10 at the Hoosiers last season. Junior QB Drew Plitt threw more picks than TD passes last season but has a lot of receiving weapons. Indiana will start redshirt freshman QB Michael Penix, who tore his ACL last season but showed real promise in limited action and has a number of wideouts back. RB Stevie Scott accounted for over 1,200 yards and 11 scores as a freshman.

Toledo at Kentucky (-11.5/61.5), 12 p.m. ET, SEC: After a dream season that delivered 10 wins for the first time in 41 years and a bowl upset over Penn State, the Wildcats will adjust to life without top rusher Bennie Snell and sack master Josh Allen, justifiably the faces of the program. There’s definitely plenty back, starting with electric QB Terry Wilson, who would make life much easier if he can eliminate mistakes. Mitchell Guadagni won back the QB gig at Toledo and had moments of brilliance as a junior, but this is by far the toughest task Jason Candle has had to open a season since taking over as head coach. The Rockets suffered a major blow when center Bryce Harris (knee) was lost for the season. His presence stabilizing the offensive line will be missed in Lexington. Toledo comes off its first losing season on the road since 2009.

Mississippi State (-19.5/60) vs. Louisiana, 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU: This game is being played at the Superdome in New Orleans and will see Penn State grad transfer Tommy Stevens debut in a system he knows well, giving Joe Moorhead a downfield passing attack that wasn’t feasible under the Tim Tebow-like Nick Fitzgerald, who set an SEC record for all-time rushing yards from a QB. Three NFL first-round picks are gone from last season’s swarming defense, so we’ll see what veteran coordinator Bob Shoop comes up with out of the gate as he looks to keep talented Ragin’ Cajuns RB Trey Ragas from finding a rhythm behind an offensive line dealing with significant attrition since center Cole Prudhomme is out and guard Kevin Dotson is questionable. QB Levi Lewis is the unquestioned starter and has legitimate threats in WRs Ja’Marcus Bradley and “Bam” Jackson, but Louisiana lost last season’s game in Starkville 56-10.

Ole Miss at Memphis (-4.5/64.5), 12 p.m. ET, ABC: The Rebels and Tigers are getting together for the first time since 2016 and the fact Memphis last upset an SEC foe when Ole Miss came through the Liberty Bowl in ’15 makes this all the more interesting. Head coach Mike Norvell nearly beat UCF twice last season and defeated UCLA at home two years ago, but he’s got to replace RB Darrell Henderson, who accounted for over 2,300 yards and 25 touchdowns and made life much easier for QB Brady White. The Rebs have their own offensive concerns considering their top receivers are all gone, which means redshirt freshman QB Matt Corral could have his work cut out for him. He got in four games last season and impressed with his ability to mix it up. Getting senior RB Scottie Phillips off to take some pressure off Corral is head coach Matt Luke’s chief objective.

Boise State at Florida State (-6.5/54.5), 12 p.m. ET, ESPNN: This game was supposed to be played in Jacksonville but was moved to Tallahassee due to the impending threat of Hurricane Dorian, which makes this a true home game for the ‘Noles. Books voided action and have put a new number on this one as a write-in game. For the Broncos, the task gets more difficult since FSU will come out of its home locker room and enjoy more of an edge, but their ability to pull an upset was always going to hinge on how their experienced offensive line holds up against a defense looking to turn the page after an awful 2018. Willie Taggart is already on the hot seat and hired Kendal Briles to help coordinate an offense that was also a disaster in Year 1 but gets QB James Blackman back in addition to elite playmakers in RB Cam Akers and WR Tamorrion Terry.


Afternoon Delights


Georgia State at Tennessee (-26.5/57.5), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU: Jeremy Pruitt is under pressure to keep the Vols from a third straight losing season that would be their seventh in a 10-year span, so winning this one easily would be reassuring. His run started horribly in a 40-14 loss to West Virginia a year ago and his defense faded in surrendering 88 points in season-ending losses to Mizzou and Vandy. QB Jarrett Guarantano is now a junior and should be among the SEC’s top quarterbacks given that the entire offense is back, while the league’s returning sack leader, Darrell Taylor, should team with a talented secondary to get things turned around. It all sounds great, but Tennessee needs to prove it on the field. Georgia State won just twice last season after reaching a bowl in HC Shawn Elliott’s first season. This will be their lone game against a power-five, so they’ll be hyped out of the gate. Senior QB Dan Ellington led the team in passing and rushing, so if you’re on the Panthers to cover, he’ll have to do his part.

Eastern Michigan (-6/53) at Coastal Carolina, 3:30 p.m ET: With two bowl trips rewarding a pair of winning seasons over the last three years, it’s fair to say Chris Creighton has turned around EMU, but building a consistent winner in a program that has notoriously produced little takes even more work. Last season’s upset at Purdue was monumental and sets up a pair of big games for the program at Kentucky and Illinois in the next week. How much momentum they take into that hinges on how well QB Mike Glass picks up where he left off in the Camellia Bowl. The Eagles are 16-3 ATS over their last 19 road games, so keep that in mind before blindly backing the host Chanticleers. Coastal does return a defense featuring many familiar faces. Head coach Jamey Chadwell picked Fred Payton, Jr. to start ahead of Bryce Carpenter in the spread option. Both appeared as true freshmen and put up similar numbers, so look for each to appear against the visiting Eagles.

South Carolina (-11.5/63.5) vs. North Carolina, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium will host Mack Brown’s return to coaching, so we’ll see what he’s come up with in the lab as he tries to help the Tar Heels bounce back from consecutive nine-loss seasons. Improvement may be gradual, but it should come over time with true freshman QB Sam Howell at the helm. The highly-rated recruit won the job and will have RB Javonte Williams in addition to WRs Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown to help stretch the field. UNC wants to push tempo, but it remains to be seen how effective it will be with an SEC defense on tap this week and Miami’s solid group coming through Chapel Hill next week. Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks were blanked by Virginia in the Belk Bowl and are looking for senior QB Jake Bentley to produce his best season yet without the services of Deebo Samuel, who should have a big role with the 49ers as a rookie. RB Rico Dowdle and a number of capable wideouts will look to fill the void.

Duke vs. Alabama (-33.5/57), 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC: You know David Cutcliffe would love to have Daniel Jones back for at least one more game, but he does have a senior in Quentin Harris, who has started a few games in place of the latest N.Y. Giants’ first-round pick over the years. The Blue Devils have posted winning seasons in five of the past six years, so Nick Saban should have no problem putting a scare into his Crimson Tide that they better not collectively overlook the smart kids. It will be a ‘Bama “home” game at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which they’ve played in three times already. Tua Tagovailoa will lead an explosive offense featuring the nation’s highest-regarded WR in Jerry Jeudy and a host of other toys. The Tide may need to put their foot on the gas since a defense that comes off getting sliced up by Oklahoma and Clemson in last season’s playoffs lost multiple key figures. Top tackler Dylan Moses was supposed to lead the way from his linebacker position but injured his knee in practice on Tuesday and is now out for the season.

Northwestern at Stanford (-6/47), 4 p.m. ET, FOX: There certainly isn’t as much buzz surrounding the Cardinal as there has been in recent years, so maybe flying under the radar some will do this group so good. QB KJ Costello, tight end Colby Parkinson and safety Paulson Adebo could be among the best in the country at their positions, but RB Bryce Love, star WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and a number of key offensive linemen are gone. The Wildcats therefore look like a live ‘dog since they bring a streak of wins in eight consecutive true road games into this one and notched an upset of Pac-12 favorite Utah in the Holiday Bowl in their most recent outing. If a talented defense can keep Costello from finding a rhythm, they’ll limit the burden facing Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson, who will likely start ahead of senior TJ Green as Northwestern attempts to replace four-year starter Clayton Thorson, who owns most school passing records.

Virginia Tech at Boston College (-4.5/58.5), 4 p.m. ET, ACCN: The ACC is putting a few of its teams up against each other this opening weekend and has a beauty of a matchup here. Legendary Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster is beginning his final season before retiring and has to worry about how he’s going to contain RB A.J. Dillon, considered one of the league’s top backs alongside Clemson’s Travis Etienne. After a horrible season stopping the run, this will be a great opportunity to see whether a group that returns most guys up front can improve and key a resurgence after a rare losing season in Blacksburg. VA Tech QB Ryan Willis threw 24 TD passes last season after transferring in from Kansas and will take aim at a BC secondary that lost a ton of talent. With Dillon likely to be the focal point of the Hokies’ defensive attention, Eagles QB Anthony Brown will play x-factor given the opportunities that should become available. He’s 1-1 against Virginia Tech, beating them in Blacksburg last season.

Syracuse (-18.5/68) at Liberty, 6 p.m. ET: The Flames moved up to the FBS level last season and blew out Old Dominion 52-10 in finishing 5-1 at home, so this isn’t exactly a gimme for the Orange. With Turner Gill retiring, former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze was hired to help capitalize on the presence of Buckshot Calvert, who threw for over 3,000 yards last season. The Flames saw Auburn transfer Malik Willis get denied immediate eligibility by the NCAA, removing a major wrinkle from Freeze’s toolbox and lightening the load for Syracuse defensive coordinator Brian Ward. Offensively, the Orange will unleash Tommy DeVito as a full-time starting QB after he gained experience behind gutsy dual-threat Eric Dungey, Dino Babers’ first conductor to the high-octane circus that is the SU attack, which helped average 40.2 points last season.

 

[CNOTES]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BSU at FSU 12:00 PM
BSU +6.5
O 54.0


ECU at NCST 12:00 PM
ECU +17.5
O 52.0


MISS at MEM 12:00 PM
MISS +3.5


IND at BALL 12:00 PM
BALL +18.0
O 61.0


FAU at OSU 12:00 PM
FAU +27.0


AKR at ILL 12:00 PM
AKR +18.0
O 59.0


TOL at UK 12:00 PM
TOL +9.5
O 60.5


MSST at ULL 12:00 PM
MSST -19.0
U 59.5


USA at NEB 12:00 PM
NEB -35.5
U 65.5


SOCAR at UNC 03:30 PM
SOCAR -11.0


GSU at TENN 03:30 PM
GSU +24.5


DUKE at ALA 03:30 PM
ALA -33.5
O 56.0


EMU at CC 03:30 PM
CC +6.0


NW at STAN 04:00 PM
NW +6.5
U 47.5


VT at BC 04:00 PM
BC +4.5
U 58.0


SYR at LIB 06:00 PM
LIB +19.5
O 68.0

 

[CNOTES]

EVENING SELECTIONS


UVA at PITT 07:30 PM
UVA -2.5
U 46.5


MIZZ at WYO 07:30 PM
MIZZ -16.5
O 53.5


MTU at MICH 07:30 PM
MTU +36.0
U 56.5


M-OH at IOWA 07:30 PM
M-OH +25.0
O 47.5


ORE at AUB 07:30 PM
ORE +4.0
O 55.0


UGA at VAN 07:30 PM
UGA -23.0
U 56.5


GASO at LSU 07:30 PM
GASO +27.0
U 51.0


LT at TEX 08:00 PM
TEX -19.0
O 55.5


NMSU at WSU 10:00 PM
WSU -33.0
O 65.5


FRES at USC 10:30 PM
USC -14.0
U 51.0

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday's best
August 31, 2019
By The Associated Press


STARS


-Hank Bachmeier, Boise State, threw for 407 yards and two TDs, helping the Broncos rally from an 18-point deficit to beat Florida State 36-31.


-Jacob Eason, Washington, threw for 349 yards and four TDs in his first game in nearly two years, and the No. 13 Huskies opened the season with a 47-14 win over Eastern Washington.


-Trey Lance, North Dakota State, threw for four TDs and ran for two more and the defending FCS champion Bison rolled to a 57-10 victory over Butler.


-Jon Wassink, Western Michigan, threw for 368 yards and five TDs in a 48-13 Monmouth.


-Dalton Sneed, Montana, threw for a career-high 430 yards and accounted for four TDs in a 31-17 win over South Dakota.


-Justin Fields, Ohio State, accounted for five TDs in his first game for the fifth-ranked Buckeyes in a 45-21 win over FAU.


-Mike Glass III, Eastern Michigan, accounted for four TDs in a 30-23 victory over Coastal Carolina.


---


PANTHERS KNOCK OFF VOLS


Georgia State finally beat a Power Five opponent.


Dan Ellington threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score as 26-point underdog Georgia State upset Tennessee 38-30 on Saturday in one of the first stunners of the college football season.


Georgia State beat a Power Five opponent for the first time since this Sun Belt Conference school launched its program in 2010. The Panthers' closest call before this had come in 2016, when they lost 23-17 to Wisconsin after leading in the fourth quarter.


Tennessee suffered one of the more embarrassing setbacks in its history, the latest blow for a storied program attempting to bounce back from two straight losing seasons.


---


CYCLONES SURVIVE


Iowa State's first preseason in 41 years was put to a big test against an FCS school.


Croney Jr. scored from a yard out a play after Brock Purdy grabbed a potential game-losing fumble, helping and the 21st-ranked Cyclones rally past Northern Iowa 29-26.


La'Michael Pettway had a pair of touchdown catches for the Cyclones, who barely survived a massive upset after entering the year ranked for the first time since 1978.


Croney fumbled just shy of the end zone on the second-to-last play of the game. But Purdy saw the ball bounce out, and he sprinted from the backfield to recover it at the 1 in perhaps the biggest play of his impressive young career.


---


NUMBERS


22-Years since North Carolina beat a Power Five team in its season opener until beating South Carolina 24-20.


24-Wins by Air Force against FCS opponents without a loss after beating Colgate 48-7.


56-First-half points by Maryland in a 79-0 win against Howard, breaking the school record for points in a half.


79-Points by No. 15 Penn State in its 72-point win over Idaho, the Nittany Lions' most since scoring 81 against Cincinnati in 1991.


---


HOSPITAL BED DEBUT


Hugh Freeze made his coaching debut at Liberty in a hospital bed set up in the coaches' box to support his healing back.


The Flames hosted No. 22 Syracuse in what is arguably the biggest game in Liberty history.


Freeze missed nearly two weeks of practice because of a herniated disk in his back. He had surgery six days after first missing practice, and doctors discovered he also had a serious staph infection.


Freeze arrived at the stadium in a wheelchair a little more than an hour before kickoff. The school set up cameras and audio equipment in the coaches' box that allow him to watch practice from several camera angles and communicate with coaches and players.

 

[CNOTES]

Tua helps Alabama rout Duke 42-3
August 31, 2019
By The Associated Press


ATLANTA (AP) Tua Tagovailoa threw for 336 yards and four touchdowns as No. 2 Alabama overcame a sluggish start to blow out Duke 42-3 Saturday in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.


Returning to the stadium where they won the Southeastern Conference title last December and the national championship two seasons ago, the Crimson Tide (1-0) was held scoreless in the first quarter - which happened only one time in 2018.


But the Blue Devils (0-1) merely delayed the inevitable.


Tagovailoa put his tight ends to good use. The left-hander hooked up with Miller Forristall on a 27-yard touchdown pass and then went to Major Tennison for a 1-yard score


Alabama's dynamic receiving corps also got in on the fun. DeVonta Smith hauled in an 8-yard TD pass and Jerry Jeudy broke loose for a 21-yard score.


Jerome Ford and Brian Robinson Jr. ran for the Tide's other TDs.


No. 16 AUBURN 27, No. 11 OREGON 21


ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Auburn true freshman quarterback Bo Nix threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Seth Williams with 9 seconds remaining to cap the Tigers' comeback.


Nix barely converted a fourth-and-3 at midfield on the final drive when he tucked and ran. Only the nose of the ball was past the chain when officials measured. Then on third-and-10 from the Oregon 39 with no timeouts, Nix hit Williams for 13 yards, and then found him again on the next play to put Auburn ahead for the first time.


The Tigers, who trailed 21-6 late in the third quarter, delivered another opening-weekend blow to the Pac-12. They beat the Pac-12's highest-ranked team in a season opener for the second year in a row - No. 6 Washington lost to them 21-16 in Atlanta last year.


Nix finished 13-of-31 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran seven times for 42 yards. JaTarvious Whitlow ran 24 times for 110 yards for the Tigers.


Justin Herbert, who bypassed early entry in the NFL draft to return to Oregon, was 28-of-37 passing for 242 yards with a touchdown.


NO. 3 GEORGIA 30, VANDERBILT 6


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Jake Fromm threw for 156 yards and a touchdown, and Georgia won its 20th opener in 23 seasons and stayed perfect to kick off coach Kirby Smart's fourth season.


The Bulldogs also easily won their 14th straight against the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division in their first league game to open a season since 1995.


It sure didn't feel like a road trip with fans taking advantage of a holiday weekend to paint the stadium Georgia red. The Bulldogs rewarded them by scoring a touchdown on their first three possessions, giving the fans plenty to start celebrating early.


D'Andre Swift ran 16 times for 149 yards, and Brian Herrien added 65 and a TD run as the Bulldogs rolled up 326 yards rushing. Georgia finished with a 481-225 edge in total offense, and the Bulldogs also had two sacks and recovered a fumble.


Vanderbilt debuted a new starting quarterback in Riley Neal, a graduate transfer from Ball State, along with new offensive coordinator Gerry Gdowski.


Neal finished 15 of 25 for 85 yards before being replaced by Deuce Wallace for the final possession. Vaughn was held to 74 yards on 15 carries.


Vanderbilt managed only a pair of field goals by Ryley Guay of 26 and 46 yards.


No. 5 OHIO STATE 45, FAU 21


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Justin Fields threw four touchdown passes and ran for a score to lead Ohio State in his Buckeyes debut.


Fields, the five-star transfer from Georgia, made it look easy early, engineering touchdowns on Ohio State's first four drives. Despite some occasional rookie mistakes that caused the Buckeyes' offense to sputter in the second and third quarters, Fields finished 18 for 25 for 234 yards and a 51-yard touchdown run.


Tight end Jeremy Ruckert caught two touchdown passes, and Binjimen Victor and Chris Olave also had scoring grabs.


Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic had trouble generating anything good until putting together a 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter for its first touchdown of the game.


Chris Robison finished 22 for 34 for 178 yards for the Owls. FAU was held to just 22 yards on the ground by a revamped Ohio State defense that was coming off a down season.


No. 6 LSU 55, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 3


BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Joe Burrow tied an LSU single-game record with five touchdown passes before halftime and the Tigers cruised to a win.


The Tigers (1-0) scored 21 points in the first quarter - something they never did in any quarter last season. Their point total was the most in a non-overtime game since scoring 63 against New Mexico State in 2014.


Burrow completed 23 of 27 passes for 278 yards without an interception before being subbed out after LSU's first possession of the second half, which ended with a field goal. That drive marked Burrow's last chance to break the LSU mark of five touchdowns in a game set by Zach Mettenberger in 2013.


LSU threw 39 times and ran 33, with more rushes coming in the second half as the Tigers ran down the clock. Ed Orgeron has said throughout August that he finally has the offense he wanted. Designed largely by new passing-game coordinator Joe Brady and overseen by incumbent offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, the up-tempo, no-huddle scheme routinely features five receiving targets on a given play, some of whom give Burrow the option to unload the ball quickly if under pressure.


Georgia Southern (0-1), which won 10 games last season, was confronted with an LSU defense well prepared to stop its triple-option.


No. 7 MICHIGAN 40, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 21


ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Shea Patterson threw three touchdown passes in the first half to lead Michigan.


The Wolverines unveiled their new-look offense and showed they have a lot of work to do with the ball. Patterson lost a fumble on the first play of the game and the senior quarterback had one of the team's two fumbles in the second half.


Asher O'Hara ran for an 18-yard TD after Patterson's early fumble to give the Blue Raiders a 7-0 lead. O'Hara threw a 2-yard pass for a score to Jarrin Pierce after Lavert Hill fumbled on a punt return to pull them within 10 points late in the first half.


Michigan made it 40-14 with Dylan McCaffrey's 6-yard run late in the third quarter and Ben Van Sumeren's 1-yard run with 6:37 left.


Patterson was 17 of 29 for 203 yards with TD passes to Tarik Black, Nico Collins and Sean McKeon. McCaffrey completed both of his passes for 17 yards and ran for 42 yards along with a score.


Michigan's Zach Charbonnet ran for 90 yards on eight carries in his college debut.


O'Hara was 22 of 32 for 217 yards with two TDs, an interception and a score on the ground.


No. 10 TEXAS 45, LOUISIANA TECH 14


AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Sam Ehlinger threw four touchdown passes and Texas rolled past Louisiana Tech to give coach Tom Herman his first season-opening victory in three years with the Longhorns.


Ehlinger was coolly efficient from the start with scoring passes on three of Texas' first four possessions.


Devin Duvernay caught nine passes and Ehlinger's first touchdown, and Brennan Eagles caught touchdowns of 28 and 25 yards in the second and third quarters.


Texas is one of the favorites to challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 title as long as Ehlinger can keep delivering touchdowns like he did last season and Saturday night. The junior passed for 25 TDs and ran for 16 more last season, and his four scoring thrown against the Bulldogs tied his career high. Ehlinger left the game at 38-0 and did not play in the fourth quarter.


No. 13 WASHINGTON 47, EASTERN WASHINGTON 14


SEATTLE (AP) - Jacob Eason threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns in his first game in nearly two years in his Washington debut.


Taking his first snaps since the 2017 season when he lost the starting job at Georgia to Jake Fromm, Eason showed no rust, carving up one of the top FCS programs in the country. Eason completed 27 of 36 passes and led Washington (1-0) on touchdown drives on four of its first five possessions.


Eason's fourth pass in purple was a 50-yard touchdown strike to Andre Baccellia. Eason added a 7-yard TD pass to Aaron Fuller, who made a stunning one-handed catch while getting a foot inbound, and capped his first-half with a 10-yard TD strike to Chico McClatcher late in the first half.


Fuller caught his second TD on the opening drive of the second half on a perfect back-shoulder throw from Eason, tapping his toes as he fell out of bounds.


Richard Newton rushed for a 23-yard touchdown on Washington's first possession and Salvon Ahmed added a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter to give the Huskies a 42-7 lead.


Eastern Washington (0-1) quarterback Eric Barriere was 21 of 35 for 211 yards, but was sacked four times.


No. 15 PENN STATE 79, IDAHO 7


STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Sean Clifford completed 14 of 23 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns to lead Penn State.


Making his first career start, Clifford chipped in 57 rushing yards on seven carries and hooked up with receiver KJ Hamler for scoring strikes of 36 and 21 yards.


Journey Brown and Noah Cain both added a pair of touchdown runs while Ricky Slade, Devyn Ford and Nick Eury each ran for scores. Jake Pinegar kicked two field goals and Jordan Stout made another for Penn State (1-0). Will Levis threw a touchdown pass to tight end Brenton Strange in the fourth quarter.


The Nittany Lions overcame early sloppiness before coasting the rest of the way to their biggest point total since an 81-0 win against Cincinnati in 1991.


Idaho didn't cross midfield until halfway through the second quarter, managed just one first down in the first half, went 1 for 15 on third down and finished with just 145 yards, compared with Penn State's 673.


Mason Petrino got the Vandals on the board with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Logan Kendall in the fourth quarter.


No. 20 IOWA 38, MIAMI (OHIO) 14


IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Nate Stanley threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, Mekhi Sargent ran for 91 yards and a score, and Iowa won its season opener.


The Hawkeyes got off to a slow start, but that was erased by the consistent ground game and some big plays from Stanley, who finished 21 of 30 in Iowa's sixth straight season-opening win.


Iowa opened the scoring with a 21-yard field goal by Keith Duncan, but trailed in the second quarter after RedHawks quarterback Brett Gabbert - brother of NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert - picked apart the Iowa secondary on a 77-yard scoring drive. Gabbert finished 17 of 27 for 186 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.


The Hawkeyes used a combination of Sargent and Toren Young on the ground and Stanley finding 10 different receivers to counter and slowly pull away.


No. 21 IOWA STATE 29, NORTHERN IOWA 26, 3 OT


AMES, Iowa (AP) - Sheldon Croney Jr. scored from a yard out in triple overtime and Iowa State rallied to beat Northern Iowa.


La'Michael Pettway had a pair of touchdown catches for the Cyclones (1-0), who barely survived the season's first major upset after entering the year ranked for the first time since 1978.


Croney fumbled near the goal line on the second-to-last play of the game. But quarterback Brock Purdy sprinted from the backfield to recover it at the 1 and set up the game-winning plunge.


After the teams traded field goals in the first overtime, Purdy found Pettway - a graduate transfer from Arkansas in his Iowa State debut - in the back of the end zone. But Northern Iowa pulled even at 23-all after freshman Will McElvain scrambled long enough to free up Trevor Allen for a 7-yard TD catch.


Iowa State forced Northern Iowa into a field goal to start triple overtime, and Purdy completed three straight passes before pulling off what might end up being remembered as a season-saving recovery.


McElvain finished with 228 yards passing and a touchdown in his collegiate debut.


Purdy threw for 278 yards, and Deshaunte Jones caught 14 passes for 126 yards for Iowa State.


NO. 22 SYRACUSE 24, LIBERTY 0


LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) - Abdul Adams, Jarveon Howard and Moe Neal ran for touchdowns and Syracuse spoiled a most unusual debut for Hugh Freeze as Liberty's coach.


Still recovering from back surgery for a herniated disk on Aug. 16 and a staph infection, Freeze coached from a hospital bed in the coaching box. The school said he was in communication with his coaches and players during the game and that the bed was used to support his healing back.


Stephen Calvert threw two interceptions, as many as Freeze had said the fourth-year starter had thrown in all of fall camp, and was sacked eight times by a defense that returned players responsible for 34 sacks last season, the most in the football subdivision.


With quarterback Tommy DeVito taking over the Syracuse offense, the Orange led just 10-0 at halftime thanks to Andre Szmyt's 45-yard field goal and Adams' 2-yard run. An interception by Andre Cisco in the third quarter set Syracuse up at the Flames' 37 and Howard capped a five-play drive with a 1-yard run. Neal's 42-yard burst capped the scoring in the final quarter.


No. 23 WASHINGTON STATE 58, NEW MEXICO STATE 7


PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) - Anthony Gordon completed his first 15 passes, threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns in the first half, and Washington State rolled past New Mexico State.


Gordon made his first college start memorable throwing touchdowns of 41, 48, 19 and 54 yards in the first half as the Cougars (1-0) built a 35-7 lead and coasted to an easy opening victory. Gordon finished 29 of 35 for 420 yards and five TD passes before checking out late in the third quarter.


Max Borghi added 128 yards rushing on 10 carries, including a 12-yard touchdown. Borghi became the first Washington State running back to rush for 100 yards since Gerard Wicks against California in 2016.


The Aggies (0-1) were limited to 317 total yards, a big chunk coming in the fourth quarter.


New Mexico State quarterback Josh Adkins was 28 of 42 for 221 yards and two interceptions, and scored on a 3-yard run in the first quarter when he recovered a fumble and took the loose ball into the end zone to tie the score at 7-7.


No. 24 NEBRASKA 35, SOUTH ALABAMA 21


LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska scored two defensive touchdowns and one on special teams to bail out a sluggish offense.


The five-touchdown favorite Huskers led only 14-7 at halftime and totaled just 66 yards in the second half. But their defense had five takeaways, the biggest one Eric Lee Jr.'s 38-yard interception return for a touchdown, and JD Spielman ran back a punt 76 yards to make it a three-touchdown game early in the third quarter.


Any easing of the anxiety at Memorial Stadium was temporary. South Alabama converted two straight turnovers into touchdowns to cut it to 28-21 and had the ball heading into the fourth quarter.


Things started turning for Nebraska when Cam Taylor hammered Jaguars quarterback Cephus Johnson, popping the ball loose, and Alex Davis picked it up at the goal line and stepped into the end zone for a touchdown.


Then, with South Alabama threatening from the Nebraska 12, Taylor stepped in front of Johnson's pass and ran in back to midfield.


No. 25 STANFORD 17, NORTHWESTERN 7


STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - K.J. Costello threw a 2-yard touchdown pass before getting knocked out of the season opener on a late hit and Stanford went on to beat Northwestern.


Costello completed 16 of 20 passes for 152 yards and the TD pass to Michael Wilson that capped a 90-yard drive in the second quarter for the Cardinal (1-0). But his day ended early when he was hit with a forearm to the facemask while sliding on a scramble by Earnest Brown IV with just 2 seconds remaining in the first half.


Brown was called for a late hit that set up Jet Toner's 51-yard field goal but wasn't ejected for targeting. Costello stayed down on the turf for a few minutes before being helped to the locker room. He didn't return to the game and there was no immediate word on his condition.


Northwestern also lost a quarterback with TJ Green leaving with a leg injury in the third quarter after being sacked and losing a fumble on a play in the red zone. Green had replaced the ineffective former Clemson five-star recruit Hunter Johnson late in the first half.


Johnson came back in to finish and went 6 for 17 for 55 yards and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble that Stanford's Jordan Fox recovered in the end zone for a touchdown that sealed the game with 20 seconds remaining.