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ACCESS
PICKS FOR TODAY SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 |
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NCAAF |
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9/23/2017 |
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FOUND
52
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+310
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+10.5 (-110)
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Over 50.5 (-110)
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-390
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-10.5 (-110)
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Under 50.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- North Carolina State had better be prepared Saturday when it kicks off against No. 12 Florida State. Because the Seminoles are ready to hit somebody. Still fuming from a 24-7 season-opening loss to Alabama on Sept. 2 -- then seeing its next two games get washed out because of Hurricane Irma -- Florida State (0-1) enters Saturday's contest against the Wolfpack (2-1) having not played a game in three weeks. "It's definitely the oddest start to season I've ever had. It's been tough on everyone," Florida State tight end Ryan Izzo said. "We're anxiously waiting to get out there against N. C. State. " The Seminoles were supposed to follow-up their season opener in Atlanta against the Crimson Tide with a home date against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 9, but that game was canceled when it became clear Hurricane Irma was a threat to Florida. And because of the ongoing recovery effort in Miami last week due to the storm, last Saturday's game against the Hurricanes was moved to Oct. 7. That left N. C. State as Florida State's next opponent on the schedule, and history -- recent or otherwise -- is on the Seminoles' side. Florida State, which enters the game as a 12-point favorite, has won the last four meetings, including 24-20 last year in Raleigh, N. C. The Seminoles also have a big edge in the all-time series at 26-11. But does all that time off mean the Seminoles could come out rusty -- rather than enraged? Perhaps, said star Wolfpack H-back Jaylen Samuels. "I don't know if it's a good thing or bad thing," Samuels told the Charlotte (N. C. ) News Observer when asked about FSU's long layoff. "I don't know if they're going to come out rusty or if they're going to come out fresh. " Fresh or not, the big question for Florida State is at quarterback. Starter Deondre Francois was lost for the season in the opener because of a knee injury. True freshman James Blackman will make his first start Saturday. "(He's) determined. Very focused. That's about the best way I can (describe it)," Fisher said of Blackman's progression. "He grinds. He pushes. He asks questions. He likes to be coached. I like how he's going; we'll just have to wait and see how he plays and hope things go well. " The Wolfpack dropped their opener to South Carolina 35-28 but have won two games in a row against Marshall and FCS opponent Furman. Samuels already has five touchdowns -- three rushing, two receiving -- and he has drawn the attention of Florida State star defensive back Derwin James. The two are likely to match up all afternoon Saturday. James said he respects Samuels' ability, adding he sees an "offensive version" of himself in Samuels, who had 15 receptions in the season-opener. Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher agreed Monday when asked if that comparison was accurate. "That's a great analogy. It really is. That why you like Derwin so much as a player and why he's so good because he can recognize other people who see the game," Fisher said. "Because to do the things that Samuels does, it's not only great physical skills there, there's great mental skills, great intelligence to be able to play two different positions, understand how to play them and play them so effectively. Samuels . . . the guy's a football player. He can do anything. " North Carolina State quarterback Ryan Finley has thrown 192 consecutive passes without an interception. That's the longest active streak in the nation and the eighth-longest mark in ACC history. The Wolfpack's offense also was boosted last week by the return of starting right tackle Will Richardson after a two-game suspension. Beyond James, there are ample potential high draft picks in this game. James is rated the third-best prospect for 2018 by NFLDraftScout. com, while Wolfpack defensive end Bradley Chubb is 11th and FSU cornerback Tarvarus McFadden is 12th. Florida State's 21-day stretch between games is tied for the third-longest layoff between regular-season games in the same season in program history. In 1980, the Seminoles had 28 days between a Nov. 8 game against Virginia Tech and a Dec. 6 game against Florida. In the program's first season of 1947, the Seminoles played their opener on Oct. 18 against Stetson and the second game of the season 27 days later on Nov. 14 at Cumberland. The 1983 team also had a 21-day break, hosting Miami on Nov. 12 before concluding the regular season at Florida on Dec. 3. "I feel like any time you take the field at home, it's something," James said. "So even though it's been a month, I feel like we're going to get that same feeling like it was that first week or second week. "
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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OFF
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+27.5 (-110)
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Over 62 (-110)
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OFF
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-27.5 (-110)
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Under 62 (-110)
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COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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OFF
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-22 (-110)
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Over 71 (-110)
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+1,041
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+22 (-110)
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Under 71 (-110)
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COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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OFF
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+44 (-110)
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Over 56 (-110)
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OFF
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-44 (-110)
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Under 56 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 For No. 19 Louisville, it's pick-up-the-pieces time. For Kent State, it could be a case of wrong place, wrong time. The Golden Flashes' timing for their Saturday trip to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium isn't what one would term ideal. The Cardinals last week, with a chance to score a statement win over defending national champion Clemson and inject themselves into the national championship picture, instead laid a mutant egg. The 47-21 final didn't fully reflect how overmatched Louisville looked at times. Its defense couldn't get a stop when one was needed, and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson was overrun by the Tigers' deep, relentless pass-rushing line. All the Cardinals (2-1) can do now is regroup and reload. "We're not where I thought we were as a football team," Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. "But it's a long season ahead of us, a lot of games ahead of us, and we have a lot of work to do. The most important thing for us is to get better from here on. " While casual fans might focus on Jackson looking harried and harassed last week, the Cardinals' defense isn't holding up its end of the deal very well. A unit that last year seemed to play downhill most of the time and create big plays with aggressive play-calling appears to be having trouble adjusting to the more conservative style of defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon. Louisville is allowing 36. 7 points per game, giving up a spate of big plays in the passing game. Opponents are completing nearly two-thirds of their attempts and rolling up 331 passing yards per game. The Cardinals might get back standout cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has missed the past two games because of a knee injury. He was considered day-to-day early in the week. "We didn't play with a lot of confidence in the secondary the other night," Petrino said. "We gave them free access and let them come off the ball and gave them some easy completions. We've got to tighten up the coverage and challenge them. Make them work harder. " Kent State (1-2) could offer an avenue for a turnaround. The Golden Flashes haven't been prolific passers by any means. They threw for exactly 1 yard in a season-opening 56-3 loss at Clemson, then were blanked last week at Marshall 21-0. In between those games was a 38-31 win over FCS foe Howard, meaning Kent State has scored one field goal in two games against FBS opposition. "We've got to keep our heads up and keep moving forward," Golden Flashes coach Paul Haynes said after the loss to Marshall. "The 21-0 (score) doesn't really reflect this game. We're going to continue to get better. " Kent State has been primarily a running team, throwing on just 21 percent of its plays this year. Reflected in the one-dimensional attack is that quarterback Nick Holley is the team's leading rusher with 207 yards on 35 carries. No running back has even managed 100 yards through three games. One hundred yards is a good half sometimes for Jackson, whose 64 yards against Clemson moved him atop the Atlantic Coast Conference's record book for career rushing yards by a quarterback with 2,834. Joshua Nesbitt held the previous record at 2,806, and he played for Paul Johnson's Georgia Tech, users of an option-based attack. Jackson's heroics aside, the Cardinals need more help for him in the ground game. Seniors Malik Williams and Reggie Bonnafon have combined for 256 yards and a per-carry average of 6. 6 but are averaging only a combined 13 runs per game. The practice field might not be a pleasant place in Louisville this week. Petrino takes pride in having a balanced, explosive offense that piles up the points. Even given the obvious skill of Clemson's front seven, the Cardinals weren't good under the prime-time spotlight. "It may take a while to lift them back up because the first thing we're going to do is work really hard and go back to work -- find out where we're at," Petrino said. "The thing that you need to do is earn the right to win on the practice field. " Jackson's hopes of a repeat Heisman took a major hit, but Louisville's hopes for a big season can still be realized. "My confidence is always high," tight end Charles Standberry said. "I think we just had a bad game. It's football. It happens. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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OFF
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+40 (-110)
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Over 65.5 (-110)
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OFF
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-40 (-110)
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Under 65.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State continues a stretch of games in which it will be heavily favored when UNLV comes to Ohio Stadium on Saturday. The 10th-ranked Buckeyes (2-1) will meet the Rebels (1-1) for the first time in history (noon ET on BTN). Kickoff is 9 a. m. PT back in Las Vegas for UNLV, which will travel to Columbus on Thursday to get acclimated for the early start. After facing UNLV, Ohio State travels to Rutgers for its Big Ten opener and then returns home to face Maryland. Not exactly a murderer's row for the Buckeyes. The schedule should prove to be advantageous for the Buckeyes, though, as they try to recover from the stinging loss at home to Oklahoma two weeks ago. Last week, Ohio State began the recovery process with a 38-7 victory over Army. The Buckeyes are still figuring out how to best utilize their talent on offense. Senior quarterback J. T. Barrett didn't have a great game against Oklahoma but bounced back last week with an efficient performance against Army, completing 25 of 33 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns. "Played much better," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. "I think the surrounding cast was much better. Obviously, Oklahoma is one of the top couple teams in America. We didn't play as well. He didn't play as well, but all of us did not play as well or coach as well. " Freshman running back J. K. Dobbins continued to amaze last week with 172 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 13 carries against Army, including a 52-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He is carrying the load while last year's starter, Mike Weber, recovers from a lingering hamstring issue. A gang of receivers led by K. J. Hill (eight catches vs. Army) and Parris Campbell is starting to take shape. The Buckeyes will be looking to break some big plays in the passing game this week. The biggest question on offense involves the choice of a backup quarterback. Redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins saw action last week as the backup against Army and completed all four of his passes, but previous No. 2 Joe Burrow has returned from a hand injury. "So we've got to make some decisions who is the first one in there," Meyer said. With Ohio State favored by nearly 40 points over UNLV, Meyer might be tempted to experiment with some of his young talent this week, but that's not his primary intention. "We're not at that point," he said. "We're not that experienced. "We've got so many issues to fix that were exposed early in the season. And so what am I trying -- we're trying to get better and better and win games. That's all. " The Buckeyes should have ample opportunity to move the ball against the Rebels' defense, which has given up 416. 5 yards per game against two vastly inferior opponents. Defensively, Meyer is looking for improvement in the secondary, which was burned by Oklahoma but untested by Army's triple-option, run-oriented attack. Meyer, who coaches special teams, also has some concerns about kickoffs and punt returns. Both units aren't productive enough yet in his mind. Asked where he'd like to see progress, Meyer said, "Pass defense and continued growth on offense. Punt team I'm very pleased with. Kickoff coverage is a mess right now. " UNLV is coming off a bye week. The Rebels stumbled out of the gate big time with a 43-40 loss to FCS program Howard and then rebounded with a 44-16 win at Idaho. Playing at Ohio State before 100,000-plus fans will be a daunting challenge for UNLV, which visited Michigan two years ago. "We're going to have to be aggressive, take some shots down the field, think outside the box a little bit to give ourselves an opportunity," said UNLV's Tony Sanchez, in his third year as coach after leaving national high school power Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, and current Ohio State players Tate Martell and Haskell Garrett were on his team. "The hardest thing about a team like this is the depth they have. " The Rebels so far have shown a ground-oriented offense. They rank fourth nationally with 350. 5 rushing yards per game. Running back Lexington Thomas leads UNLV, averaging 170. 5 yards per game on the ground. UNLV touts wide receiver Devonte Boyd as an All-American candidate. He has 170 career receptions for 2,838 yards and 17 touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Armani Rogers will make his third career start. "You want to go there for a win, but it's a tough task playing against a team like that," Sanchez said. "It's an Urban Meyer-coached team. But at the end of the day it's still football. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+207
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+6.5 (-105)
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Over 68 (-110)
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-250
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-6.5 (-115)
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Under 68 (-110)
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COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+115
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+2.5 (-110)
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Over 54 (-110)
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-135
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-2.5 (-110)
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Under 54 (-110)
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COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+135
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+3 (-110)
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Over 45 (-110)
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-155
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-3 (-110)
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Under 45 (-110)
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COMING
UP
12:20 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 12:20 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+278
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+9.5 (-110)
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Over 56 (-110)
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-345
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-9.5 (-110)
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Under 56 (-110)
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COMING
UP
1:30 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 1:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+310
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+10.5 (-110)
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Over 68 (-110)
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-390
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-10.5 (-110)
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Under 68 (-110)
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COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+115
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+2.5 (-110)
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Over 52 (-110)
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-135
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-2.5 (-110)
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Under 52 (-110)
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COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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OFF
|
+28 (-110)
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Over 51.5 (-110)
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OFF
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-28 (-110)
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Under 51.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 BLACKSBURG, Va. -- As excitement builds for a potential battle of unbeatens at the end of the month, No. 13 Virginia Tech is even more conscious of the importance of Saturday's home game against Old Dominion. Of course, everyone wants to talk about the Hokies' home contest against No. 2 Clemson on Sept. 30. ABC has tabbed the contest -- a rematch of last year's ACC championship game that the Tigers narrowly won 42-35 -- for its 8 p. m. ET national telecast. But before Tech can set its sights on that game, there's business to take care of this weekend at Lane Stadium. For the matchup of unbeatens to happen as anticipated, Tech (3-0) must get past ODU (2-1), and Clemson must beat visiting Boston College. The Hokies and Tigers are big favorites this weekend, but they'll both be guarded against the possibility of upsets. "(We're) really focusing on the next step that's in front of us," Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said. The Hokies and Monarchs face off for the first time. This is the first of 13 scheduled meetings over the next 16 years. ODU, which began play in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014 as a member of Conference USA, has enjoyed much success under head coach Bobby Wilder. Wilder led the Monarchs to six winning seasons between 2009-16, and coached them to their first-ever bowl victory last season at the Bahamas Bowl. While the program has grown significantly under Wilder's tutelage, it still has major ground to gain in its quest to join college football's elite. After losing to visiting North Carolina 53-23 on Saturday at Foreman Field, ODU's record against Power 5 conference teams dropped to 0-8. While ODU has played difficult road games in recent years against North Carolina State and North Carolina, it's anticipating a different kind of road challenge at Virginia Tech. The Hokies are the first ranked team the Monarchs have faced in their four seasons in the FBS. "We've played some really good ones, but I think Virginia Tech is by far the best team we've ever played," Wilder said. "This will be a monumental task on Saturday but one we'll be excited for. " Tech is coming off a resounding 64-17 road win over East Carolina on Saturday. The Hokies trailed 17-7 in the first quarter before unleashing a staggering run of 57 straight points. It was the Hokies' third-highest scoring output in a game since 1987 and the second-most ever against a team from the FBS. Their 675 total yards matched a single-game school record. After yielding 205 yards and 17 points in the first quarter, Tech buckled down and held the Pirates to 77 yards and no points in the final three quarters. The Hokies won despite the absence of starting cornerback Adonis Alexander, who was suspended for not living up to the team's standards, according to Fuente. The coach did not say early this week whether Alexander, who is still practicing with the team, will be available for Saturday's game. "We will continue to evaluate that throughout the week and see kind of how it goes," Fuente said. The Monarchs allowed 511 total yards to North Carolina in Saturday's loss. While their defense had trouble slowing the Tar Heels' multitude of playmakers, their undermanned offense couldn't seem to get anything going either. With his offense struggling, Wilder decided to pull the redshirt off 17-year old freshman quarterback Steven Williams Jr. , who came in and completed 9 of 20 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Wilder said Williams, a 6-foot-4 lefty, won the job moving forward. "I just felt like the energy lifted up on our sideline," Wilder said. "It felt like everybody rallied around him. " Williams will be tasked with leading an ODU offense that is dealing with a multitude of injuries to critical players. For the second straight week, the Monarchs will be without four offensive starters. ODU's top receiver, Jonathan Duhart, is out for the season with a foot injury, and top running back Ray Lawry is expected to miss significant time with a torn hamstring. Tight end Melvin Vaughan and right tackle Chad Hendricks have missed time with knee injuries but could return for the Conference USA opener against Florida Atlantic on Oct. 7. For Virginia Tech, redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Jackson has gone above and beyond expectations through his first three games, with a 64. 7 completion percentage, 829 yards, eight touchdowns on no interceptions. He passed for a career-high 372 yards and tied a school record with five touchdown passes at East Carolina on Saturday. It was the highest single-game yardage output by a Virginia Tech freshman and the fifth-highest output by any Tech quarterback since 1987. Jackson became the first quarterback to win his first three starts since Logan Thomas in 2011.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
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9/23/2017 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+144
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+3.5 (-115)
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Over 57.5 (-110)
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-165
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-3.5 (-105)
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Under 57.5 (-110)
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COMING
UP
3:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+170
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+4.5 (-110)
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Over 61 (-110)
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-200
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-4.5 (-110)
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Under 61 (-110)
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COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-235
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-6 (-110)
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Over 48.5 (-110)
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+195
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+6 (-110)
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Under 48.5 (-110)
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COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-115
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OFF
|
Over 60 (-110)
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-105
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OFF
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Under 60 (-110)
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COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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OFF
|
+34 (-110)
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Over 52 (-110)
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OFF
|
-34 (-110)
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Under 52 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Sep 20, 2017 CLEMSON -- Kelly Bryant continues to prove that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made the right decision when he tabbed the junior to be the Tigers' starting quarterback this season. Bryant is coming off a strong performance in the first road start of his career -- a career-high 342 yards of total offense in Clemson's 47-21 victory at Louisville. "It was another opportunity for him to mature and grow," Swinney said. "He's growing up right before our eyes. " Bryant's fast start has the Tigers (3-0, 1-0 ACC) off to a fast start as well. The defending national champions are ranked No. 2 and are the only team in the nation with victories against two Top 15 teams this season. Bryant and Clemson will attempt to keep that perfect record intact Saturday when the Tigers host Boston College (1-2, 0-1) in an Atlantic Division clash at Memorial Stadium. Clemson has won 18 consecutive games against division opponents and owns a six-game winning streak against Boston College. "They've got playmakers all over the field," Boston College coach Steve Addazio said. Clemson's early success this season had hinged on the play of Bryant, who played sparingly in the past two seasons as Deshaun Watson's understudy. But given his chance to shine, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has embraced the challenge. "He has put in the work, so it's awesome to see him having the success that he's having," Swinney said. "He's put the time in, he's learned, he has complete ownership in what we're doing. " While Bryant's running ability has never been in question, his passing ability has. So, it's no surprise that he has rushed for 162 yards and five touchdowns in Clemson's first three games. But he also has exhibited a nice touch in the passing game, completing 68. 7 percent of his passes for 733 yards and two scores. "I think the quarterback, Kelly Bryant, is a very athletic guy," Addazio said. "He runs the ball. He reminds me of how (Boston College quarterback) Tyler Murphy used to run the ball. Throws the ball well. " Clemson also showed a strong running game at Louisville, amassing 297 yards on the ground, which is likely to concern a Boston College team that ranks last in the ACC in rushing defense, surrendering 279 yards per game. The Tigers continue to get yardage from multiple backs. Freshman Travis Etienne showed his potential by rushing for 98 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown, last week. Sophomore Tavien Feaster chipped in with a career-high 92 yards on only 10 carries. C. J. Fuller, the most experienced of Clemson's backs, is the likely starter for a fourth straight game. "Being able to run the football is really what makes us go," Swinney said. To add to the Eagles' concerns, Clemson's defense leads the nation in sacks (16) and is ranked eighth in total defense. Linebacker Dorian O'Daniel has emerged as the Tigers' leading tackler behind an all-star line. He had five tackles at Louisville last week and returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown. "On defense they've always been outstanding, and they continue to be," Addazio said. "Their front is big and athletic. Their linebackers run well. Their secondary is one of the better secondaries I've seen. They rally to the ball as good as any defense I have ever seen. " Despite a seemingly overwhelming advantage in Clemson's favor, Swinney expects nothing to come easy. "They're 1-2, but you've got to look beyond that," Swinney said. "They beat a Northern Illinois team that just beat Nebraska, lost to a really good Wake Forest team that is sitting there at 3-0 right now and then played Notre Dame and in the third quarter it was really tight before it got away from them in the fourth quarter. "Boston College is a tough, hard-nosed physical team. . . . You're going to have to win the physical matchup because they're going to force the issue. " Anthony Brown, a freshman, will get his fourth straight start at quarterback for the Eagles and is coming off his best passing performance of the season -- a 24-for-40 effort for 215 yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame. "They're playing really fast, a lot of tempo, and I'm impressed with their quarterback," Swinney said. "He's a young player, but he has a good feel for what they're doing. " Junior Jon Hilliman, one of the top running backs in the ACC, and has rushed for 203 yards in three games, while the Eagles' defense is led by consensus preseason All-American Harold Landry, a defensive end who led the nation in sacks last year with 16. 5.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+281
|
+9 (-110)
|
Over 53 (-110)
|
|
|
-350
|
-9 (-110)
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Under 53 (-110)
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-140
|
-2 (-110)
|
Over 51.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+120
|
+2 (-110)
|
Under 51.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+24 (-110)
|
Over 52.5 (-110)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-24 (-110)
|
Under 52.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+341
|
+11 (-110)
|
Over 47 (-110)
|
|
|
-435
|
-11 (-110)
|
Under 47 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+400
|
+13.5 (-110)
|
Over 62 (-110)
|
|
|
-525
|
-13.5 (-110)
|
Under 62 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 Miami will be virtually starting the season over when the No. 14 Hurricanes host Toledo on Saturday. With Hurricane Irma causing the cancelation of Miami's Sept. 9 game at Arkansas State and the postponement of the trip to Florida State from Sept. 16 to Oct. 7, the Hurricanes will be three weeks between games when they take the field against the Rockets. That will be the longest stretch ever between regular-season games in program history, a span of 21 days that goes back to the season-opening win over Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 2. "From a football aspect, it's very frustrating," senior wide receiver Braxton Berrios said. "Never in my life, since I started playing football at 7 or 8, have I had a period of time where we do nothing and are just sitting around on Thursday, on Friday and on Saturday, and we are just watching all those games and knowing that could be you. "It's frustrating, to say the least. " After the storm passed through the state, the Miami players were reunited in Orlando to conduct practices at the Disney athletic complex. One of the games they watched last weekend was Toledo's 54-51 comeback win over Tulsa, the unbeaten Rockets' third victory of the season. "We streamed it in the team room," coach Mark Richt said. "It was actually our dining area. We had some snacks, so it wasn't like everybody had to sit in a chair and watch, but everybody was watching the game as we were grabbing some snacks. We watched a good bit of the first half together. " His first impression? "Obviously, offensively they're very, very good at what they do," he said. "They can put a lot of points on the board. " Senior quarterback Logan Woodside has completed 65. 9 percent of his passes for nearly 335 yards a game while running backs Terry Swanson (276 rushing yards), Art Thompkins (236) and Shakif Seymour (150) share the workload in Toledo's running game. "This is a very fast-paced offense," said Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, who hopes depth will give Miami's an edge. "They're going to come after us. We have the ability to play multiple people at every position, which is going to help us regardless of if we have played or have not played over the last couple weeks. " Toledo coach Jason Candle is concerned about Miami's speed. "I see a team that's built on players from South Florida," he said. "Lot of speed. They play fast on defense. They're running to the football and getting to you with bad intentions when they do get to the ball. "And on offense there's a multitude of guys that can score from anywhere. They've got a tremendous back in Mark Walton and some good receivers on the perimeter that can score it. "I think the quarterback is going to continually get better as the year goes on. " That would be junior Malik Rosier, who won the starting job for Miami after going through a four-way competition in fall camp. Rosier was 17-of-28 passing for 217 yards and three touchdowns in the opener. "I'm really a fan of how he handles the game and what it looks like," Candle said. "I think he's going to be a good one. " In addition to win over Tulsa, Toledo has beaten Elon and won at Nevada. Defensively, the Rockets held Elon to just 175 yards of total offense and Nevada to just 109 yards rushing before giving up 548 yards in total offense -- 423 on the ground -- to Tulsa. Walton, who rushed for 148 yards against Bethune-Cookman, has to like the looks of that number. "I think the biggest challenge for us is trying to figure out who they're going to be," Miami offensive coordinator Thomas Brown said. "They've played three games, and in the three games they've been somebody different. "I think they're more of a 'flavor of the week'-type team. They kind of base what they do blitz-wise and some stuff coverage-wise based on who they're playing. We kind of have to prepare for everything they showed last year, everything they've shown this year, which kind of makes it tough when you're getting a certain amount reps in versus all your looks, run-game and protection-wise. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+341
|
+11.5 (-110)
|
Over 53 (-110)
|
|
|
-435
|
-11.5 (-110)
|
Under 53 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-18.5 (-110)
|
Over 42.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+837
|
+18.5 (-110)
|
Under 42.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Back at SEC Media Days in July, Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said he and his team would be ready when Alabama came to town. Mason made it clear that he respected Alabama coach Nick Saban and what he's built in Tuscaloosa. He praised Saban for "the way he handles himself" and "the way he coaches his football team. " But Mason wanted everyone to know that he wouldn't be afraid. "But here's what I tell you. I don't fear anybody, and our team as well," Mason said in the summer. "So when we line up to play Alabama, we got to line up to play Alabama. . . . When we face Alabama, we're going to be ready to play. " Now, Mason and the Commodores (3-0) must do more than talk. They have to show no fear when No. 1 Alabama (3-0) travels to Vanderbilt Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p. m. ET. This is Alabama's first trip to Vanderbilt since 2007, and the first meeting between the teams since 2011. While the coaches have never faced each other, Saban can see the growth Vanderbilt has made during Mason's tenure. "They do a great job of executing on both sides of the ball," Saban said. "I think the results that they've gotten so far this season certainly bear that out. The quarterback's a really good player and he's very efficient in what he does with the offense, run and pass. They make some explosive plays. They run the ball effectively. They're physical. Same way on defense. "There's no question about the buy-in to the program and the job that he's (Mason) done there. " Commodores quarterback Kyle Shurmur has completed 49 of 69 passes for 703 yards, with eight touchdowns and no interceptions. He leads the SEC and is sixth nationally in passing efficiency (194. 9 rating). The Commodores are riding high off a 14-7 upset over then-No. 18 Kansas State on Saturday. Vanderbilt fields a stifling defense powered by Mason's play-calling. Vanderbilt leads the SEC in scoring defense (4. 3 points per game), passing defense (95. 3 yards per game) and total defense (198. 3 yards per game). The Commodores allow only 3. 44 yards per play. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts has struggled with his accuracy in the past, but this season he has thrown four touchdowns with no interceptions in 53 attempts, which have gone for 472 yards. He has rushed for 100 yards in each of the past two games and accounted for seven touchdowns this season, with no turnovers. Vanderbilt safety LaDarius Wiley is one of the key players on the defense. He earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors against Kansas State after he contributed 11 tackles, intercepted a pass and knocked down two other pass attempts. Vanderbilt's front seven lines up in a lot of odd fronts to give opposing offenses different looks. "Most of the stuff that they do that is exotic is on loose play downs," Saban said. "But I think what they're trying to do is create issues in the offensive line. All offensive linemen want to know who the four down linemen and the Mike (linebacker) are; that's who we have to block. When they're doing these kinds of things, it makes it much more difficult for them to ID the front and know who to block. "So it's creating confusion to some degree but also they do a good job from a schematic standpoint of being able to attack you out of those things and get pressure and they've got some really good players to do it. " On the other side, Alabama is coming off a 41-23 win over Colorado State in which it surrendered 391 yards of offense. Colorado State also converted 10 of 17 third-down attempts. While Saban didn't like the way the team finished, he doesn't want anyone to panic about Alabama's defensive struggles. It will help if linebackers Rashaan Evans (groin), Anfernee Jennings (ankle) are Dylan Moses are able to play this week after missing game time. They each returned to practice, even if in a limited basis, early in the week. "I think sometimes you lose sight of the fact that we are 3-0," Saban said. "We have improved in a lot of areas of our team and will continue to focus on the technical aspects of what we need to do to improve in some other areas. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+361
|
+12.5 (-110)
|
Over 70.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-465
|
-12.5 (-110)
|
Under 70.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State faced no resistance in romping to a 3-0 start and rising up the rankings. TCU also stands 3-0, yet has arrived at the mark much differently, more strenuously, with a tough win at Arkansas and a rally past SMU last week. So, which Big 12 team's start is more impressive? No need to wonder long, with the teams set for a Saturday meeting at Boone Pickens Stadium for one of just two weekend matchups pairing Top 25 teams: the No. 6 Cowboys against the No. 16 Horned Frogs in the conference opener for both squads. "I think it's the best group we will have played up to this point," said Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. "And they're always going to challenge you. "TCU is going to hold its defensive call until the last second and they're going to run with you. They recruit well. Their guys can tackle and move well, so it'll be a challenge for all of us. It'll be a good game. " The Cowboys haven't been in a good game yet, outscoring their opponents 162-52 while emptying the bench each weekend. Quarterback Mason Rudolph hasn't played in a fourth quarter, yet he ranks fourth nationally in passing yards per game (387. 3) and second in touchdown passes (11). Overall, Oklahoma State ranks third nationally in total offense, averaging 607 yards per game, and fourth in scoring with a 54. 0 average. "They've been at a high level," said TCU coach Gary Patterson. "For me, it's how do I stop it and how do I slow it down? But (Rudolph's) doing a great job and that's what you get with a senior quarterback. " Patterson recognizes Rudolph's weaponry, too. In last week's 59-21 rout at Pitt -- a game the Cowboys had in hand at the half -- four receivers topped the 100-yard mark. "They've got great guys on the outside, they've got good guys on the inside who can work the middle," Patterson said. "They can run by you vertically. They throw the jump ball. And they've got good running backs. " TCU comes off a 56-36 win over SMU at just the right time, heading confidently into a matchup with the explosive Cowboys that may require a shootout for the Frogs to win. "You're going to have to score some points against Oklahoma State to be able to win the ball game," Patterson said. "We know that. " So, can the Horned Frogs keep up? Quarterback Kenny Hill has played well in TCU's fast start, yet may need to do even more to outduel Rudolph. Hill's career has seen a range of ups and downs. He tossed a Big 12-worst 13 interceptions a year ago, with 17 touchdowns, as the Frogs finished a disappointing 6-7. In a 31-6 loss to Oklahoma State in Fort Worth, he was picked off twice as the offense's only score came after the Cowboys gave the ball away with a fumble at their own 6. Through three games this season, however, Hill is completing 75 percent of his passes and has eight touchdowns against two interceptions. "I see a way different Kenny Hill," said Cowboys safety Tre Flowers. "He's making throws and it seems like he's leading them right now. They've rallied together and they're making plays. " Hill is benefitting from a better supporting cast, too. Wide receiver KaVontae Turpin, hampered by injuries a year ago, looks more like the explosive playmaker he was in 2015. Other receivers are producing as well, while steady running back Kyle Hicks continues to churn out yards and touchdowns behind an improved offensive line. And still, the Horned Frogs are a decided underdog. "That's the Big 12," Patterson said. "They're a very good offense right now. They play well in Stillwater and we have to get ourselves ready to go. " TCU doesn't have history on its side, either, having never won a Big 12 game in the state of Oklahoma. "TCU's a good team," Gundy said. They're a legit, top-20 team. So you'll have two good football teams playing Saturday. "They're better on offense, they've got more skill. They're better on defense; they're better tacklers. And they have skill on special teams. In all phases, this will be the best team we've played up to this point. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
3:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 3:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-850
|
-17 (-110)
|
Over 64.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+588
|
+17 (-110)
|
Under 64.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 Fifth-ranked USC plays its first road game of the season against California in Berkeley on Saturday night in a game between 3-0 teams that don't yet know how good they are. The Trojans were impressive in their 42-24 victory over Stanford, but their other two games against unranked foes were less awe-inspiring. They were tied with Western Michigan midway through the fourth quarter before pulling that one out, and they trailed Texas with just 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter before winning in double overtime. "That's the best two-minute drive I've ever been associated with," USC coach Clay Helton said after the game. The game-tying drive might have been a thing of beauty, but Helton later added: "Ugly wins count too. " Another issue is the rash of injuries on the Trojans' defense. Defensive end Rasheem Green (high ankle sprain), outside linebacker Porter Gustin (toe, shoulder), defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu (knee) and linebacker John Houston Jr. (neck stinger) missed all or part of the Texas game and are questionable for this week. Although quarterback Sam Darnold demonstrated his ability to make big plays when USC needed them most, the Trojans have not been nearly as dominant as expected. And all three games were at home at the Los Angeles Coliseum. This week the Trojans have to travel to Berkeley to take on a Cal team that has exceeded expectations so far and will be excited to face one of its chief rivals in its conference opener. The Bears pulled off a road win against a pretty good North Carolina team in their opener, then, after struggling more than they should against Weber State, made a statement with a 27-16 home win over Mississippi on Saturday. First-year head coach Justin Wilcox, who was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin last year, seems to have transformed a Cal team that had little defensive initiative under previous head coach Sonny Dykes into a defensive force. Inside linebacker Devante Downs, who leads the Pac-12 in tackles, had 14 tackles, two sacks and an interception as the Bears shut out Ole Miss in the second half and held the Rebels to fewer than 100 yards after halftime. "Justin is a brilliant defensive-minded coach," Helton said. "You see a team that is playing with great confidence. " The Bears are 3-0 for the first time in six years. "We set pretty high standards," Wilcox said. "We feel we can play a lot better and need to play a lot better. " There is certainly familiarity among the coaches as Wilcox was USC's defensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015. Helton was the Trojans' offensive coordinator those two seasons and was interim head coach for much of the 2015 season. It may not mean much during Saturday's game, though. "I don't think there's any intimate knowledge that gives you an edge," Wilcox said. Questions regarding Cal's defense remain. Although Cal has significantly reduced the points it has allowed from 42. 6 last season to 22. 0 through three games this season, Cal still ranks 114th of 129 FBS schools in total defense this week and has not faced a ranked team. "Seeing how we're not ranked, we need to get respect," Downs said. Although there may be questions about how good these teams are this season, there is no uncertainty about which team has had the upper hand in this series. USC has beaten Cal 13 times in a row. The last time Cal beat the Trojans, in 2003, Aaron Rodgers was Cal's starting quarterback, and it still took three overtimes to finish it off. Cal does not have someone like Rodgers on its roster this year. Bears quarterback Ross Bowers has been good, not great, completing 60. 2 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Darnold, meanwhile, has completed 66. 7 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns, although his six picks are a bit troubling. USC running back Ronald Jones II is averaging 107. 3 yards per game, and his sidekick, freshman Stephen Carr, has rushed for 72. 0 yards per game. But they combined for just 75 yards against Texas. Patrick Laird leads Cal in rushing, averaging 92. 7 yards per game and 7. 5 yards per attempt. USC's big-play man is wide receiver Deontay Burnett, who has 24 catches for 386 yards and four TDs. Meanwhile, Cal's top receiving threat, Demetris Robertson, is a mystery. He sat out the Mississippi game with an unspecified injury, and the Bears do not plan to update his status until Saturday. Robertson had seven catches for 70 yards and two carries for 40 yards and a touchdown in Cal's first two games. He had 57 receptions for 837 yards and seven touchdowns last season as a freshman.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 4:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-385
|
-10.5 (-110)
|
Over 50.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+306
|
+10.5 (-110)
|
Under 50.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh sang the praises of first-year Purdue coach Jeff Brohm at his weekly press conference Monday, calling Brohm a "favorite for coach of the year. " Saturday's Big Ten opener between the Boilermakers and Harbaugh's eighth-ranked Wolverines could be Brohm's best opportunity all season to stake that claim. It's the Boilermakers' homecoming and Brohm's first glimpse of Big Ten competition. Purdue (2-1) has already gained national attention by winning back-to-back games for the first time since 2012, including a dominant 35-3 road victory against Missouri last Saturday. It was Boilermakers' largest road win since Sept. 4, 1999, when they defeated Central Florida 47-13. Michigan (3-0) seeks its second 4-0 start in three seasons under Harbaugh, and will rely heavily on its defense and special teams to get there. Purdue leads the Big Ten in red zone efficiency, having scored on all 13 of its trips, 10 of which ended in touchdowns. The Boilermakers rank third in the conference in passing, averaging 298. 7 yards per game, and fourth in scoring at 35. 7 points per game. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Jackson Anthrop is one to watch. He has scored a touchdown in each of his first three games, emerging as quarterback David Blough's favorite target. The Wolverines defeated Air Force 29-16 last Saturday but only had to defend nine passes from the Falcons' run-heavy offense, which rushed 49 times for 168 yards. Still, Michigan boasts the second-best passing defense and total defense in the conference, making Saturday's matchup a intriguing clash of football ideologies. "You just change the channel," Harbaugh said of the difference in game plans. "One scheme to another. Change our scheme to adapt. Improvise. Adjust. " Brohm knows what he's up against in facing Harbaugh's gritty, NFL-style defense, and stressed a balanced offensive attack as the key to victory. "Coach Harbaugh is as good as it gets when it comes to knowing football and how to coach," Brohm said. "Right now, in order to succeed and win, we've got to have balance. "They're very good," Brohm added about the Wolverines. "Those defenses, you're probably not going to be able to work the ball down the field. You're going to have to find a way to make a big play here and there to spark you, get something going, otherwise you're going to be punting real fast. " Despite its record and top-10 ranking, Michigan has been a strange and somewhat stagnant team offensively, particularly in the red zone. Although the Wolverines rank fifth in the conference in overall red zone efficiency at 90 percent, they have managed just one touchdown in 10 trips, converting on 8-of-9 red zone field-goal attempts. Against Air Force, kicker Quinn Nordin tied a school record with five field goals, four of which came from inside the red zone. "(Air Force) was doing a really good job of disguising coverages," Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight said. "Often in the red zone, they would show one thing, and at the last second, they would bring another look or bring the house. They fooled us. We just have to push forward in the red zone. " Speight has yet to find a groove and the Michigan offense has scored only five of the team's nine total touchdowns. The junior is completing just 54. 6 percent of his passes with three touchdowns against two interceptions, and the threat of being replaced by senior backup John O'Korn still looms. It doesn't help that true freshman wideout Tarik Black (team-best 11 grabs for 149 yards) is potentially lost for the season with a foot injury. Michigan running back Ty Isaac has 336 rushing yards through three games, the best start by a Wolverines back since Mike Hart totaled 502 at the start of the 2007 campaign. While Purdue's defense in recent years has arguably been the weakest link -- the Boilermakers ranked 126th nationally in rushing yards allowed in 2016 -- Brohm's impact on the program appears to be felt on both sides of the ball. "This is one of the best defenses I've been around," Purdue defensive end Gelen Robinson said. "I think that's clear to a lot of fans. They're seeing a defense that plays hard, runs to the ball, and really wants to compete to win, not just to stay in the game. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
5:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 5:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+207
|
+6.5 (-105)
|
Over 60 (-110)
|
|
|
-250
|
-6.5 (-115)
|
Under 60 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
6:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 6:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+105
|
+2 (-110)
|
Over 51 (-110)
|
|
|
-125
|
-2 (-110)
|
Under 51 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
6:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 6:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+506
|
+15 (-110)
|
Over 54.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-700
|
-15 (-110)
|
Under 54.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
6:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 6:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+29 (-110)
|
Over 67.5 (-110)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-29 (-110)
|
Under 67.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 Washington State coach Mike Leach, trying to lead his team to its first 4-0 start in 16 years, is looking mostly for consistency when the Cougars finish nonconference play Saturday. No. 18 Washington State (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) will play Nevada (0-3) at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. Washington State is a four-touchdown favorite against a team that has true freshman quarterback Kaymen Cureton starting his first road game. "I think we've been pretty resilient, but we haven't been as consistent as I would have liked," Leach said. "We did some good things, but I think we're still battling consistency on every side of the ball. " The defense must find its identity and become consistent without senior leader Peyton Pelluer at middle linebacker. Pelluer reportedly is out for the remainder of the season because of a broken bone in his left foot suffered in last week's win over Oregon State. He was coming off a 14-tackle performance against Boise State that earned him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Leach did not want to comment about Pelluer's status in his Monday press conference, although the linebacker's family acknowledged to reporters -- and the linebacker himself took to social media -- to say that he won't be able to play the rest of the season. Leach's potent "Air Raid" passing game is among those "consistency" concerns, although senior quarterback Luke Falk has the Cougars No. 6 nationally at 408. 3 passing yards per game. Leach noted that outside receivers Tavares Martin Jr. , Isaiah Johnson-Mack and Dezmon Patmon finally produced as a whole against Oregon State, combining for five receiving touchdowns, 25 receptions and 341 receiving yards. "I figured it would happen eventually," Leach said. "Now we've got to consistently keep it happening. I guess my thought is that it's about time. With young guys, there's always an 'about time' quality to it. It'll eventually happen, but you see it in practice weeks before it happens. " Although Pullman and Reno are about 700 miles apart -- and the Cougars are in the Pac-12 while Nevada is in the Mountain West -- the program share several bonds. "We're pretty inbred with Nevada. . . . You can't throw a dead cat without hitting somebody from Nevada here," Leach said. Leach coached with Nevada offensive coordinator Matt Mumme's father, Hal Mumme. Back in the 1990s, they conceived the "Air Raid" offense that both programs run. Washington State running backs coach Jim Mastro spent 11 years at Nevada from 2000 to 2010 during Chris Ault's tenure as head coach. Mastro was one of Ault's top assistant coaches, until the architect of the pistol offense retired in 2012. Cougars' inside linebackers coach Ken Wilson also worked under Ault at Nevada from 1989 to 2012 and was the associate head coach by the time Ault retired. WSU outside receivers coach Derek Sage got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Nevada in 2003. Nevada receiver Kaleb Fossum transferred from Washington State, where he started his career as a walk-on. Fossum, a junior, has a knee injury and is questionable to return to Pullman to play. Cureton will start for Nevada in place of struggling junior Ty Gangi for the second consecutive game. Cureton started in last week's 30-28 home loss to FCS Idaho State, a game in which he completed 19 of 33 passes for 205 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. He also fumbled four times, losing none. Nevada coach Jay Norvell, a former Arizona State assistant, was most pleased with Cureton's performance on third down against Idaho State. Nevada converted 8-of-17 third-down opportunities. Cureton completed 8 of 10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as he nearly rallied the Wolf Pack to victory after trailing by 23 points. "KC's going to start," Norvell was quoted as saying in the Reno Gazette-Journal after Monday's practice. "He's a wild horse back there running around. He should learn a lot from his first start. He really did a good job on third down. "He made some plays with his feet and he scrambled, pulled up and threw and hit open receivers. That's by far the best we've been on third downs. That was a real improvement. He threw for a high percentage and we had a couple of drops. We feel like he will continue to improve and handle his opportunity well. " Nevada has experienced its share of difficult injury news of late with starting nose tackle Jarius McDade out of the season after sustaining a knee injury in practice and starting running back Jaxson Kincaide out indefinitely after suffering a concussion in the loss to Idaho State.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 6:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-27.5 (-110)
|
Over 61.5 (-110)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+27.5 (-110)
|
Under 61.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 WACO, Texas -- It's hard to imagine a game between two more divergent programs than the one between Baylor and Oklahoma on Saturday evening at the Bears' McLane Stadium. On the visiting sideline, there's the No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, winners of their first three by an average margin of 35 points. Included in that is a game in which Oklahoma went to Ohio State and handed the then-No. 2 Buckeyes a 31-16 defeat. Oklahoma has an experienced and proven quarterback in Baker Mayfield, who has plenty of quality offensive weapons at his disposal. On the home sideline, things have developed much differently for Baylor. After wandering through the wilderness in 2016 while the school sorted out its sexual assault scandal, Baylor has a new coach in Matt Rhule this season. And Rhule has a new set of problems as leader of the Bears. In two years, Baylor has gone from a Big 12 championship contender with cultural problems within the program to a thin team struggling to find its footing in an 0-3 start. The alarms sounded when FCS opponent Liberty handed the Bears a 48-45 defeat in the season opener. Then came a home loss to Texas-San Antonio. One small similarity is that Oklahoma also has a first-year coach in former Sooners offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. He did a good job of talking up Baylor during the Big 12 teleconference on Monday. "I know they've had certainly some tough things that they've been through," Riley said. "I think that's clear for everybody to see. I know the quality of coach that Matt Rhule is. That's been a good program and they've still got a lot of good players. We've got a lot of respect for them. " During the Art Briles era at Baylor, the Bears notched their first three wins against Oklahoma in program history. Baylor defeated the Sooners in 2011, 2013 and 2014. The last time Oklahoma visited Baylor, Riley was Bob Stoops' offensive coordinator. The Bears entered the 2015 game with a No. 6 national ranking, an 8-0 record and College Football Playoff hopes. But No. 12 Oklahoma left with a 44-34 victory on its way to the CFP. "It came right down to the end and it was certainly a big win for our program," Riley said. "I'm not saying it was the win that kind of got this latest run started here, but it was certainly one of the more important games we've played here over the last couple of years. " This game lacks a huge portion of the hype and intrigue that was present just two years ago. But it's still both teams' Big 12 opener. "I know our kids are competitive. They want to play against good teams," Rhule said. "We've got to continue to try to get them to get better. That's all we can do. " For Baylor, just raising its third-down conversion rate above 20 percent against Oklahoma would be a significant mark. Last week, the Bears moved the chains on third down just once in 12 chances in a loss at Duke as quarterback Zach Smith took over as the starter from Arizona graduate transfer Anu Solomon. Smith did hit touchdown throws of 73, 79 and 44 yards, but those plays weren't enough. "Unfortunately, we're in third-and-long way too much," Rhule said. "We haven't really made a contested catch yet. We haven't jumped up over top of someone and caught the football. We haven't made a catch where we got hit and come down with the ball. I think the third thing is too much pressure. That's more so when you're in (third-and-long) because we're not really running the football the way we need to. " Meanwhile, Oklahoma has the luxury of simply tinkering with its running back lineup. No Sooner running back has more than 31 rushes on the season. Abdul Adams has the most yards with 166 on 21 totes, while Trey Sermon has rushed 31 times for 135 yards. Two other more backs, Marcelias Sutton and Rodney Anderson, have figured in the running game. "We're still learning more about those guys," Riley said. "They're all performing well. They've all got some roles on special teams and they've all done a nice job for us there. I think it will depend on our health. I don't know that we've got a preconceived notion of we have to whittle it down or we want to keep playing all four. We appreciate the fact that we've got four that we think can play. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 6:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+384
|
+13 (-110)
|
Over 61.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-500
|
-13 (-110)
|
Under 61.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+150
|
+3.5 (-110)
|
Over 48 (-110)
|
|
|
-170
|
-3.5 (-110)
|
Under 48 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 ATHENS, Ga. -- When the season began, not many saw Saturday night's matchup between Mississippi State and Georgia as a red-letter game in the SEC. Yet, that's exactly what it is. Both sets of Bulldogs enter play at Sanford Stadium with 3-0 marks, with Mississippi State ranked 17th and 1-0 in the SEC after last week's 37-7 rout of LSU. No. 11 Georgia will be playing its SEC opener. "I think they're a very physical team. They always are," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. "(Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen) seems to always find really good quarterbacks, especially dual-threat guys. He's known for developing those type of guys. He's done a good job with their overall program. " Mullen's Bulldogs are first in scoring (47. 7 points) and scoring defense (9. 3 points per game) in the SEC. Junior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald leads an offense that has outscored its opponents 143-28, completing 43 of 70 passes for 543 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 240 yards and five scores. "He's very smart, very knowledgeable, knows how to attack protections. He's a guy that's constantly working on getting better. He's got these guys believing and playing really hard, really physical," Smart said. "They've got some good players. Got some big guys up front. They're playing hard. He's got some fast guys. They just seem like they have a lot of guys they play. They use them well. They use them to their strengths. " Aeris Williams paces the Mississippi State ground game with 336 yards on 48 carries and one touchdown, but the focus is on Fitzgerald, a Georgia native who will have to be able to handle his emotions playing in his home state for the first time. "We'll see. I'll see if he looks weird or gives me silly looks," Mullen said. "He better get his emotions in check because we're playing a very athletic defense. Watching the film will straighten out those emotions pretty quickly. " Defense has certainly been Georgia's calling card. The Bulldogs are allowing 14. 3 points per game and an average of just 71 yards on the ground. No team has rushed for more than 100 yards against Georgia through three games. Defensive tackle Trenton Thompson is a force in the middle of the line, with outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter (three sacks) and middle linebacker Roquan Smith (team-high 19 tackles) being key playmakers. "They've got big, athletic guys on defense. They can play in multiple fronts on the defensive line and play you with personnel that fits each of those fronts," Mullen said. "They can play in 3-4 with 3-4 personnel, 4-3 with 4-3 personnel or nickel with nickel personnel with a five-star player at each of those positions. They're pretty darn good. " Offensively for Georgia, true freshman quarterback Jake Fromm is expected to start for the third straight week, although Game 1 starter Jacob Eason is back practicing after returning to workouts on Monday. Fromm has completed 34 of 57 passes for 449 yards, with five touchdowns and one interception. More good news for the Bulldogs: Smart is expected to welcome back running back Sony Michel, who was held out of Saturday's game against Samford after tweaking his ankle late in the contest at Notre Dame. He'll team with fellow senior Nick Chubb, who is coming off a 131-yard effort against Samford and leads Georgia in rushing with 44 carries for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Although Saturday's game marks just the second meeting between the schools since 2011, Georgia and Mississippi State are relatively familiar with each other. Mississippi State defensive coordinator Todd Grantham served in the same capacity at Georgia from 2010-2013. Former Bulldog letterman Christian Robinson is a graduate assistant inside linebackers coach at MSU, while offensive line coach D. J. Looney worked as a grad assistant at Georgia last year. Adding to the intrigue, Mississippi State safety Jonathan Abram played with Georgia in 2015 before transferring and ultimately joining MSU before this season. Advantage Mississippi State? Mullen doesn't necessarily believe so. "You watch the film and say they're running this defense, and he says, 'Yeah, they're running that defense. ' You say, 'Thanks, I saw that on film already,'" Mullen said. "I don't think it gives us a big advantage. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+105
|
+2 (-110)
|
Over 61.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-125
|
-2 (-110)
|
Under 61.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+1,041
|
+22 (-110)
|
Over 56 (-110)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-22 (-110)
|
Under 56 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 BATON ROUGE, La. -- Reality hit LSU like a downhill freight train last week in a 37-7 wipeout loss at Mississippi State, dropping the Tigers to No. 25 in the national rankings and shaking the swagger they had developed in two relaxed wins over BYU and Tennessee-Chattanooga. That heaping dose of SEC humility may be exactly what a flag-happy and inconsistent LSU team needs to rebound against Syracuse on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. "Mississippi State played as good as they can play, and we played as bad as we can play," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said in assessing the Tigers' 30-point upset loss last week. "We didn't prepare (the players) as well as we should. I think this is going to be a turning point. It better be. " LSU (2-1) is more than a three-touchdown favorite over the Orange (2-1), who have played three "directional" schools -- Central Connecticut State (50-7 victory), Middle Tennessee (30-23 loss) and Central Michigan (a 41-17 victory) -- before entering the meat of their schedule. Over the next eight weeks, in addition to LSU, the Orange will play five nationally ranked teams -- No. 2 Clemson (Oct. 13), No. 14 Miami (Oct. 21), No. 12 Florida State (Nov. 4) and No. 19 Louisville (Nov. 19) -- and three of those will be on the road. Syracuse coach Dino Babers said his team isn't shrinking from that challenge. "I'm looking forward to going down there and hitting that tiger with that microphone," Babers said, referring to the practice of LSU cheerleaders getting the caged Mike the Tiger to roar on cue. "I think everyone else is too. This team is ready. We understand what the schedule is, and we're ready to play it. " Babers said his team won't be able to line up against LSU and beat the Tigers physically at the point of attack as Mississippi State did on both sides of the ball last week. "We're not Mississippi State," Babers said. "Our left tackle can't do (what they did). Our tailback can't do (what they did). It's two different teams, so we have to attack them a different way. We've got to do what we do, and hopefully things will work out. " LSU probably will get back to basics. Running back Derrius Guice, considered a Heisman Trophy candidate before the season, has battled several nagging injuries. He has rushed for 300 yards on 57 carries (5. 3-yard average) with four touchdowns, but he has yet to break off the long gainers that were his signature last season. Guice did not practice Tuesday, but Orgeron expects him to play after leaving the Mississippi State game with what he called "a minor injury. " "It's just a thing about them not wanting me to exceed 30 carries a game," Guice said Monday. "That's why we have five running backs, got to get them going and get them in the game, get them playing and just kind of limit how many carries I get a game. . . . Big runs will come. It will happen, got to stick with it, get the 4-5 yards. Ain't nothing wrong with getting the dirty, tough yards. " LSU continued a worrisome trend against the Bulldogs as two touchdowns were nullified by penalty. Through three games, the Tigers have committed 30 penalties for 272 yards, and several more penalties were declined. Linebacker Donnie Alexander and defensive end Neil Farrell were ejected for targeting calls against Mississippi State and will have to sit out the first half of the Syracuse game. "It starts with the penalties," quarterback Danny Etling said. "When it's second-and-28, there's not much on the play sheet for that situation," Tiger center Will Clapp said. Orgeron gave extra laps to the players who committed the penalties this week. LSU may get a boost on the offensive line with the possible return of defensive end Rashard Lawrence, who has been battling an ankle injury. Lawrence was in full pads in Tuesday's practice. Babers said he believes his team can stick with LSU. "They're a good football team," he said. "They're different than us, their home field advantage is real. All of their players are five-star guys. . . . It's football; you always have a chance. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+170
|
+4 (-110)
|
Over 73 (-110)
|
|
|
-200
|
-4 (-110)
|
Under 73 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+317
|
+10.5 (-110)
|
Over 51 (-110)
|
|
|
-400
|
-10.5 (-110)
|
Under 51 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-155
|
-3 (-115)
|
Over 46.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+135
|
+3 (-105)
|
Under 46.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Once the celebration subsided following San Diego State's 20-17 defeat of Stanford last Saturday night, the Aztecs were left with no time to reflect on the accomplishment. The Mountain West opener awaits two-time defending conference champion San Diego State, which is eager to move forward after a pair of wins against Pac-12 opponents. The Aztecs play Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. , on Saturday. "We're playing an Air Force team that is more aggressive on defense as far as blitzing and stunting than either (Stanford or Arizona State) were," said Aztecs coach Rocky Long, whose team jumped into the rankings this week at No. 22. "And we're playing against a triple-option team, which neither of those teams were. So it's a short week preparing for both things. " The option attack Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun carried over from Hall of Fame predecessor Fisher DeBerry places Air Force near the top of rushing production every year. This season is no exception, with the Falcons seventh in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 320. 5 yards per game. "It's tricky," said cornerback Kameron Kelly of defending the option. "If you try to make a play that's not your assignment, they can pop a touchdown on you. They played with Michigan, so it proves the triple option's tricky, and that they're a good team. " A hard-fought loss at Michigan last Saturday isn't the only evidence of Air Force's solid play under Calhoun. The Falcons won a combined 28 games from 2014 through 2016, and they reached the Mountain West Championship Game in 2015. That was the last time these two programs faced. Air Force's approach is unique, both in terms of execution and the manner in which a defense must prepare. "We like to blitz a lot, stunt a lot, and most of the time when you blitz, you're reacting to the blocker," Long said. "Against a triple option when you blitz, you have to react to the action of their backfield. You're not reacting to the blockers; you're looking at the quarterback, fullback and pitch man. "You don't get the same look in practice as you're going to get in the game," he added. "In practice, you don't get near the speed they do in it, so you have to have solid principles. Then, it takes your players a while to get used to the speed. " Michigan limited Air Force (1-1) to 3. 43 yards per carry, primarily on the Wolverines' ability to deny quarterback Arion Worthman opportunities to pitch to leading rusher Tim McVey (168 yards). The Air Force rush defense also faces a huge task Saturday. The Falcons are tasked with trying to do what three previous defenses this season were unable to achieve: stop Rashaad Penny. The running back leads the FBS in rushing and all-purpose yardage, producing 196 and 258 per game, respectively. He combined for 175 yards rushing and 31 receiving in the win over Stanford, following up on a 216-yard rushing performance in Week 2 at Arizona State. Penny's nation-leading pace headlines San Diego State's return to the Top 25, a spot in which the Aztecs resided after finishing last season 11-3. They also earned a ranking at this juncture in the 2016 regular season, but a loss at South Alabama in their next game kept the Aztecs out until November. Upon their return, they lost at home to Wyoming and fell out once more. "It's great to be in it, be recognized, but honestly, I don't like it because of past experiences," Penny said. "But we don't focus on it as much now as we did last year. Last year, we were excited because we really never had the chance of being in the Top 25. " Last season's final Top 25 ranking was the program's first time finishing in the polls since 1986. Now that it's no longer new territory, Penny said San Diego State has the capacity to "keep it going. " How the Aztecs establish their rushing game while limiting Air Force's should determine if they keep their place in the Top 25 beyond Week 4.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+218
|
+7 (-105)
|
Over 55.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-265
|
-7 (-115)
|
Under 55.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-435
|
-11 (-110)
|
Over 52.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+341
|
+11 (-110)
|
Under 52.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- With all the focus on Penn State's prolific offense and Heisman candidates, it might be easy to overlook the Nittany Lions' defense. That could be a mistake as No. 4 Penn State (3-0) opens Big Ten play Saturday at Iowa. For all the stats for him to ponder, one is most important to Penn State safety Marcus Allen: Takeaways. "Get the ball back for our offense," Allen said. "However we get it done, that's how we're gonna get it done. " Penn State has generated nine takeaways, is plus-seven in turnover margin and has scored 49 points off turnovers, boosting its already-dangerous offense. The Nittany Lions picked off three passes last week in a shutout of Georgia State, and Allen, in his 42nd game, snagged the first interception of his career. Now, Allen will look for another at Kinnick Stadium against a quarterback who has thrown just one this season -- Nate Stanley, who helped guide Iowa to a 3-0 in nonconference play. Iowa will be trying to avenge last season's 41-14 loss at Penn State. "We realize we have to play at our best and our highest possible level if we're going to be competitive in this football game," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "That's where we're focused right now. " With Heisman Trophy candidates in quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley, Penn State also has seen big contributions from tight end Mike Gesicki and receivers DaeSean Hamilton and DeAndre Thompkins. Barkley is second nationally with 218. 3 all-purpose yards per game. McSorley was 18 of 23 with five touchdowns last week. Wide receiver Brandon Polk and backup quarterback Tommy Stevens, who has been used as a runner/receiver at times, each caught touchdown passes last week and should play bigger roles moving forward. "Offensively, one of our issues last year was starting out slow," Penn State coach James Franklin said. "We've been able to be better in that area. " The Hawkeyes avoided a major injury to their top back but lost another on Saturday in a win over North Texas. Starter Akrum Wadley will play this week after leaving that game early, but his counterpart, James Butler, will be out until at least mid-October. Wadley will be joined by Ivory Kelly-Martin and Toren Young as the Hawkeyes try to crack Penn State's defense. The Nittany Lions have only given up one touchdown all season. "We overworked Akrum a little bit in that (Iowa State) game," Ferentz said. "Our plan will be to use all three guys. And the good news is the other two guys did a good job Saturday. It was a good chance for them to get their feet wet and do some good things. " Although Penn State has handfuls of big plays under its belt already, its running game sputtered against Georgia State as Barkley managed just 47 yards on the ground in limited action. Ferentz is preparing for the dynamic back to have a bounce-back game. "We're talking about Barkley being one of the guys that's going to be I would imagine a top five (NFL draft) pick," Ferentz said. "I don't know all the seniors in the country, but my guess is he would have been pretty high last year. Akrum is a really good football player, too. But you look at their surrounding cast, their entire offense, man for man, 11 guys, there's a reason why they won the championship last year and why they had such a good year. "There's a reason why they're in the top five right now. They're a team that's really loaded right now. They're playing well. " This will be Franklin's first visit to Iowa State, and the coach was asked several questions this week about getting his team ready in Kinnick Stadium's famous visiting locker room, slathered in a shade called "innocence pink. " Penn State's last visit was in 2012, when the Nittany Lions won 38-14. "I think it's awesome," Franklin said. "I'm not going to make a big deal out of it with our guys. I'm actually going to talk to our guys about it being a really, really nice gesture by the University of Iowa to welcome Penn State, since our original school colors are pink and black, and what a wonderful gesture it is that they painted their locker room pink for us. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-140
|
-2.5 (-110)
|
Over 43.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+120
|
+2.5 (-110)
|
Under 43.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 The last time Kentucky beat Florida on the football field, Ronald Reagan was approaching the halfway mark of his second term. Gas was 89 cents a gallon, and you could buy a new Ford Mustang for less than $7,500. The year was 1986, and the Wildcats, then coached by Jerry Claiborne, scored the only touchdown on running back Mark Higgs' short plunge for a 10-3 victory over the Gators. The next year Florida beat Kentucky 27-14 in Gainesville to start what has become a stretch of 30 consecutive victories for the Gators in the series, the longest active winning streak over a major college opponent and the fifth-longest such streak of all-time. The 20th-ranked Gators (1-1, 0-1 SEC) will be looking to extend their dominance, while the Wildcats (3-0, 1-0 SEC) seek to end their frustrations Saturday night in Lexington, Ky. Though on decidedly opposite sides of the issue, both coaches seem to be taking a similar approach to the impact of the streak. "Every year it's different," Florida coach Jim McElwain said. "You've got two different teams playing, so right now, it's 0-0. " Kentucky's Mark Stoops certainly isn't going to dwell on it either. "I haven't addressed that before," he said. "It's never been my approach. These kids haven't been here for 30 years. " Still, it can be useful. "If it gives somebody a little bit of motivation, I hope it gives them motivation on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday," Stoops said. "I want them getting motivation to prepare. If that does something for you, then good. " Both teams are coming off significant victories, but few in college football -- and we're talking history here -- could be considered more dramatic than Florida's 26-20 win over Tennessee. It came on a 63-yard Hail Mary pass from quarterback Feleipe Franks, who scrambled to his right to avoid a pass rush before launching a prayer to wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland, who slipped behind a defender. As Cleveland cradled the ball as he skidded on the end zone turf, the home crowd of more than 87,000 went into a wild frenzy. The play came shortly after the Gators had surrendered a 10-point lead in the closing minutes. "Victories are hard to come by," McElwain said. "You celebrate them and learn from them, just like you do defeats. " The Gators have plenty to clean up. They had three turnovers against the Vols, missed several tackles in the fourth quarter and didn't record an offensive touchdown until there was 5:13 remaining, when Franks found senior receiver Brandon Powell for a 5-yard touchdown pass. "There's a couple throws here and there I should have completed, should have been easy throws," Franks said. "But I try not to dwell on the past. You know, our team got the win which is obviously the most important thing. Defensively, the missed tackles irked McElwain. The Gators allowed Tennessee to gain 231 yards in the fourth quarter after allowing 211 yards in the first three periods. Florida is likely to be without standout cornerback Duke Dawson, who suffered a head injury last week. "Late in the game we didn't tackle worth a hill of beans," McElwain said. "What bothered me was the secondary tackling, especially from some of our, quote, good guys, veterans. That's been pointed out and will continue to be pointed out. " Kentucky is looking to go 4-0 for the first time since 2008. The Wildcats won last week's league opener, 23-13 at South Carolina, showing grit early when the Gamecocks scored on a 68-yard pass on the first play of the game, and quarterback Stephen Johnson threw an interception on the Wildcats' second play. Johnson made up for his early gaffe by ripping off a 54-yard run that put the Wildcats in position for Austin MacGinnis' clinching field goal with just over two minutes left. Kentucky running back Benny Snell, who can take handoffs or direct snaps in the wildcat formation, rushed for 102 yards against South Carolina. The sophomore has seven career games with 100-plus yards rushing. Even if he is ignoring the three decades of frustrations against Florida, Stoops acknowledges he will show tape of last year's 45-7 loss to the Gators. It was one of the most discouraging performances of their season. "We do watch that because it's very recent and we can't make the same mistakes," Stoops said. "The game film should be no problem motivating us because we didn't play very good. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-17.5 (-110)
|
Over 60.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+711
|
+17.5 (-110)
|
Under 60.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 No. 15 Auburn travels to Columbia, Mo. , on Saturday to take on struggling Missouri in a battle of SEC Tigers looking to jump-start their seasons after uneven starts. Missouri (1-2) is surrendering 442. 7 yards per game, worst in the SEC and 102nd in the nation. Coach Barry Odom fired defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross after the Tigers gave up 31 points to South Carolina two weeks ago. It didn't solve Missouri's defensive woes, and now the offense is coming off back-to-back subpar performances. Purdue marched up and down the field, running and throwing for 477 yards in a 31-3 rout of Missouri last week. The Tigers' offense wasn't any better. Quarterback Drew Lock completed 12 of 28 passes for 133 yards, with two interceptions. Missouri managed just 70 rushing yards on 24 carries. Running back Damarea Crockett was limited to 19 yards on 10 carries, not starting because of a bruised tailbone, but he is expected to see regular time Saturday. "We know that three games in, there's plenty of negativity," Odom said"We haven't played well enough to win the ones we've wanted to, and you look at the things that they're probably hearing outside of our walls here -- I told them last night, it's the same thing if we're sitting here 3-0. I would be hearing how great we were, and really we're not. We're 1-2 and we're hearing probably how terrible we are. "It's always a little bit of life in between there on never being as good or as bad as it seems. " Auburn (2-1) has its own issues. One week after failing to do much of anything offensively in a loss at No. 2 Clemson, the Tigers committed five turnovers in last week's 24-10 win over homecoming opponent Mercer. Auburn led by only seven in the fourth quarter, and Mercer had the ball. The Tigers, thanks to stalwart defense, were able to finish off Mercer, an FCS program, but the victory did little to reduce the concern over coach Gus Malzahn's offense. Four of Auburn's five turnovers were fumbles, and they marred what was sophomore quarterback Jarrett Stidham's best performance in his three-game War Eagle career. Stidham completed 32 of 37 passes for 364 yards but failed to throw a touchdown pass and also tossed one interception. Stidham's 86. 5 completion percentage was second-best by an SEC quarterback with a minimum of 30 attempts in a game. Stidham, a sophomore transfer from Baylor, will be making his SEC debut on Saturday, when Auburn makes its first ever trip to Columbia. "We're excited," Stidham told reporters Tuesday. "Obviously, we're about to go on a long run with all the SEC teams, so it's going to be a challenge each week. Our defense, they're playing lights out. Hats off to them. They're truly a great defense. I know offensively, we just want to help a little bit more -- obviously with turnovers and whatnot. "But I know offensively, defensively, special teams, we're really excited for this stretch we're about to get into. " Having running back Kerryon Johnson, a versatile sparkplug, back in the lineup will help. Johnson missed the last two games with a hamstring injury but is expected to play Saturday. "I'm not going to say he's 100 percent, but he practiced some last week," Malzahn said of Johnson in a Tuesday press conference. "He practiced Sunday, and he's ready to play. " Johnson will add an element to Auburn's running game, alongside All-SEC back Kamryn Pettway, who has a modest 202 yards on 56 carries this season. Missouri has allowed 172. 0 yards on the ground per game to this point. Odom says despite that early struggles, his team remains confident and ready to turn things around starting with Saturday's game. Missouri is an 18. 5-point underdog. "We need to focus on what we can control, prepare, stay tight as a team and enjoy the opportunity to go compete," Odom said. "You worry about a lot of things. The only thing we can really do about that is stay close together as a team, which, I like the way our team has responded in the last couple weeks as far as practicing, the way it feels around the climate of the locker room. "
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-500
|
-13 (-110)
|
Over 45 (-110)
|
|
|
+384
|
+13 (-110)
|
Under 45 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+115
|
+2.5 (-110)
|
Over 52.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-135
|
-2.5 (-110)
|
Under 52.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 7:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-115
|
-1 (-110)
|
Over 55.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-105
|
+1 (-110)
|
Under 55.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+837
|
+19 (-110)
|
Over 61 (-110)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-19 (-110)
|
Under 61 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-155
|
-3 (-110)
|
Over 54 (-110)
|
|
|
+135
|
+3 (-110)
|
Under 54 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
10:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 10:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-465
|
-12.5 (-110)
|
Over 52.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+361
|
+12.5 (-110)
|
Under 52.5 (-110)
|
|
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GAME PREVIEW
Sep 19, 2017 Washington might experience a test for the first time this season when it opens Pac-12 play at Colorado on Saturday. The No. 7 Huskies (3-0) played three overmatched opponents, so it is hard to gauge the readiness of the team heading into the more demanding part of the schedule. The Buffaloes are also 3-0 and appear to be a much more fearsome challenger than Washington's first three opponents: Rutgers, Montana and Fresno State. Even Huskies coach Chris Petersen had to admit the first three games weren't of the arduous variety. "Away we go and now we start the hard part of our season," Petersen said Monday. "The one thing that you notice for the most part is everybody realizes league has started now and the intensity of those games kind of feel a little bit different. "It's not like kids play harder or don't play harder depending on the game . . . but maybe leading up to it there is a little more focus. Everybody understands how competitive this league is that we play in. " The contest with Colorado also is a rematch of last season's Pac-12 championship game. The Huskies rolled to a 41-10 victory in that meeting. Petersen regularly states that nothing that occurred last season matters during this season; he stayed true to form this week. "It's not that I want them to remember or forget, has nothing to do with that," Petersen said. "I've said this many times: the lessons that we've learned, good and bad, from last year's season, we always want that to carry over so we can learn. "But this is a completely new season, early in the year, completely different energies and rhythms. " Colorado certainly wouldn't mind erasing the Pac-12 title contest from the memory banks. The Buffaloes are looking to start 4-0 for the first time since winning five straight to open the 1998 campaign, and coach Mike MacIntyre doesn't plan to say much about last December's disappointing defeat. "You can't ever forget it. Our young men will use it as motivation," MacIntyre said. "I won't have to say much about it at all. " One player Colorado will discuss -- a lot -- is Washington receiver Dante Pettis, who doubles as the nation's top punt returner. The senior returned a punt for a score in each of Washington's first three games to tie the NCAA record for consecutive games with a punt-return touchdown, shared by Kansas State's David Allen (1998) and North Carolina's Ryan Switzer (2013). His 77-yard touchdown return in last Saturday's victory over Fresno State was the eighth of his career, tying the NCAA mark shared by Texas Tech's Wes Welker (2000-03) and Oklahoma's Antonio Perkins (2001-04). MacIntyre witnessed Pettis' first punt-return score -- from the sidelines as Pettis sailed 87 yards in a 2014 contest in Boulder. "He's a guy we have to know where he is on the field, offensively and punt returns," MacIntyre said. "We're working hard at that and hopefully we can corral him. " The ability of Colorado junior punter Alex Kinney to prevent returns could be a key factor in the contest. Kinney has punted 15 times in the first three games and only two of them were returned for a total of nine yards. Keeping Pettis in check is crucial for Colorado in its bid to halt its seven-game skid against the Huskies. Also pivotal will be the performance of sophomore quarterback Steven Montez. The first-year starter has been poised so far while completing 68. 3 percent of his passes for 858 yards and six touchdowns against three interceptions. Senior tailback Phillip Lindsay leads the ground game with 378 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, junior inside linebacker Drew Lewis (35 tackles), senior defensive end Leon Jackson III (four sacks) and junior cornerback Isaiah Oliver (two interceptions) are off to solid starts. Lewis is the first Colorado player to post 10 or more tackles in each of his first three career starts since former standout Greg Biekert recorded four in a row to start the 1990 season. Though the Buffaloes were routed by the Huskies last December, they did harass Washington quarterback Jake Browning into a 9-of-24 performance. Browning threw two touchdown passes but accumulated just 118 yards. "I played awful against them last year in the Pac-12 championship," Browning told reporters. "That's something that I remember but I don't think it motivates me more. If you always need stuff to motivate you, you won't play well in all the games. " Browning's junior senior is off to a good start. He has completed 74. 4 percent of his passes for 798 yards and eight touchdowns against one interception. The Huskies' running game has been virtually non-existent and ranks just 95th nationally at 129. 7 yards per game. Junior Myles Gaskin -- a 1,300-yard rusher each of the past two seasons -- has just 153 through three games. Washington holds a 10-5-1 series lead against Colorado.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:00 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 10:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-650
|
-14.5 (-110)
|
Over 75 (-110)
|
|
|
+477
|
+14.5 (-110)
|
Under 75 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Sep 20, 2017 TEMPE, Ariz. -- After almost exactly a year away, No. 24 Oregon is back in the national rankings. The Ducks have given their FBS-shredding offense a defense it can work with. Now comes the first test of the rest of the year, when Pac-12 Conference play begins Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium with a game against an Arizona State team that is 1-2 and has struggled to make defensive stops. Oregon (3-0) enters the game ranked second among FBS schools with 609 yards of total offense per game and third with an average of 56 points a game. But it has run those types of numbers before. Perhaps most significantly, the Ducks have given up only 303 yards per game, tied for 33rd nationally. They held Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, considered a top NFL draft candidate, to 9-of-24 passing for 64 yards in a 49-13 road victory last Saturday. The Ducks gave up 518. 9 yards per game, 126th among 128 teams in the FBS last season, and ranked last in first downs allowed (28. 1). The "O" can stand for obstruction, not just offense. "That's something we have to fight against every day -- people's perceptions," first-year coach Willie Taggart said after a victory over Wyoming last week. "But they can't let anyone else define them. They have to define themselves. We know we can play defense. It's about pride, and playing together. And that's what we're seeing. " That, and blistering starts. Oregon has scored exactly 42 points in the first half in each of its three victories -- against Southern Utah, Nebraska and Wyoming -- while allowing only 45. The running game has played a significant role. Senior Royce Freeman has 460 yards rushing and an FBS-high nine rushing touchdowns. His backup, Kani Benoit, has six rushing scores, tied for second in the nation. Freeman had three touchdowns against Wyoming and tied LaMichael James for the school record for career touchdowns (53). Freeman has 785 rushing attempts, the most in school history. "The first half of all these games is probably what I want our football program to look like," Taggart said. "Our challenge each week is to show how well we can play. So far we haven't shown that yet. We've got to continue to get better. It's great when you can win big and still have a lot to improve on. " Quarterback Justin Herbert has completed 60 of 83 passes for 897 yards, with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Charles Nelson leads the team with 15 pass receptions for 243 yards and a touchdown, but he is questionable to play after suffering a sprained ankle in the Wyoming game. Taj Griffin replaced him at wide receiver after the injury. The Ducks are back in the AP poll for the first time since the third week of 2016, dropping out after a defeat at Nebraska that started a five-game losing streak. They have won 10 in a row in the series against ASU, including the last six at Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins leads an offense that is averaging 34 points and 412 yards a game, but defense has been an issue, as it was a season ago. The Sun Devils have given up 37. 7 points and 505. 3 yards per game. Texas Tech had 615 yards, 543 passing, in a 52-45 victory over Arizona State last Saturday. The Sun Devils, who beat New Mexico State in the season opener before losing at home to San Diego State, are off to their worst since 1999. "Everything starts this week," Arizona State coach Todd Graham said. "You look at the history (of conference games), it usually comes down to one score. " Wilkins completed 27 of 41 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions at Texas Tech, when the Sun Devils recovered from an 18-point deficit only to see the Red Raiders go 90 yards for a tiebreaking touchdown in the final minutes. Wilkins has not thrown an interception in his last 149 pass attempts dating to last season. Wide receiver N'Keal Harry had a career-high 13 receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown against Texas Tech, and the Sun Devils rushed for a season-high 168 yards while welcoming back halfback Demario Richard after starter Kalen Ballage was injured. Ballage will be back. "We have to play better and coach better," Graham said. Senior linebacker Koron Crump, a significant part of the Sun Devils' defense, suffered a left leg injury in the first half of the Texas Tech game and is considered doubtful, Graham said.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:15 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 10:15 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+180
|
+5 (-110)
|
Over 56.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-215
|
-5 (-110)
|
Under 56.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
10:30 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 10:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+234
|
+7.5 (-115)
|
Over 59 (-110)
|
|
|
-285
|
-7.5 (-105)
|
Under 59 (-110)
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
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|
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MLB |
|
|
9/23/2017 |
|
FOUND
14
GAMES |
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
1:05 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 1:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-140
|
OFF
|
Over 9 (-120)
|
|
|
+126
|
OFF
|
Under 9 (+100)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
1:05 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 1:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+149
|
OFF
|
Over 9.5 (+107)
|
|
|
-165
|
OFF
|
Under 9.5 (-128)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Astros' Morton faces slumping Angels 1h ago• 2 min read HOUSTON -- Astros manager A. J. Hinch long ago reached the point of visible frustration in discussing the health status of right-hander Lance McCullers, but with the postseason approaching and McCullers' role dependent upon his availability, the questions kept coming.Hinch announced on Friday that McCullers will start on Sunday in the series finale against the Angels. An All-Star during the first half of the season, McCullers has largely watched the second half from the dugout, undermined by back discomfort and arm fatigue. The latter ailment has limited McCullers to one start this month, but given his talent and potential as a rotation hammer behind Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel, McCullers is vitally important.A healthy McCullers provides the Astros (94-59) the rotation depth they need to challenge for a championship. If McCullers is limited in any way, the unknown of his being moved to the bullpen could reshape expectations for him individually and for Houston as a whole."Everybody is telling me that he's strong, he bounced back from his bullpen and the next test is a game," Hinch said. "We really don't have another option with the timeline that we have. We'll put him in there and see how it goes."We want to see him pitch a couple times; he only has time for two spots. It's important, very important, especially for him." Meanwhile, right-hander Charlie Morton (12-7, 3.75 ERA) will start for the Astros on Saturday. Morton is 2-0 with a 3.74 ERA over four career starts against the Angels, including two this season where he has worked 10 combined innings while allowing three runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts.Right-hander Bud Norris (2-5, 4.53 ERA) will make his second start of the season for the Angels (76-77). Norris, who worked primarily as the closer for a long stretch of this season, started against the Texas Rangers on Sept. 15 and allowed one hit over two scoreless innings.Norris has 19 saves this season and is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in seven games (one start) against Houston, the franchise that selected him in the sixth round of the 2006 amateur draft.Seeking something to spark his lagging offense, Angels manager Mike Scioscia tweaked his batting order on Friday, dropping second baseman Brandon Phillips to fifth in the lineup while replacing Phillips atop the order with right fielder Kole Calhoun. Friday marked the first time since his acquisition from the Atlanta Braves that Phillips batted someplace other than first.Over those 16 games Phillips slashed .268/.278/.338. The Angels, meanwhile, were just 6-10 in those games and totaled just 11 runs over the four-game skid they carried into Houston. Calhoun, who most frequently bats second, hit atop the order for the fourth time this season."Just a comfort level for some guys," Scioscia said. "Although Brandon has led off before, getting him into a position hopefully in an RBI mix will be helpful. Kole's really comfortable at the top and we'll just see if it's something that can (get the offense going)."There's some data that says it makes sense. Sometimes we're just going to reshuffle and hopefully get a little bit of a look."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:07 PM EST |
|
9/23/2017 4:07 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-175
|
OFF
|
Over 9 (-105)
|
|
|
+157
|
OFF
|
Under 9 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
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| | | | | |
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