The Bums 2019 WNBA News - Notes - Picks Thru The Playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

Delle Donne helps Mystics win 26th game
September 8, 2019
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Elena Delle Donne scored 25 points, making WNBA history along the way, and the regular-season champion Washington Mystics raced past the Chicago Sky 100-86 on Sunday.

She became the first player in WNBA history to shoot over 50% from the field (220 of 427), 40% from 3-point range (52 of 121) and 90% from the foul line (114 of 117). Her free throw percent of 97.4 is a record for a player with at least 100 attempts.

The Mystics (26-8), who lost to Seattle in the finals last year), have a double-bye into the semifinals and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Sky (20-14) are the No. 5 seed and play No. 8 Phoenix at home on Wednesday in the single-elimination opening round of the playoffs.

Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot had six assists to become the first player in league history to reach 300 in a season, which she did exactly, and the first player to average at least nine assists a game for a season (9.1).

ACES 98, MERCURY 89

PHOENIX (AP) - Liz Cambage had 21 points and A'ja Wilson scored eight of her 20 points in the final three-plus minutes to help the Aces beat the Mercury, clinching the No. 4 seed in the playoffs for Las Vegas.

The Aces, who missed the playoffs each of the last four years earned a bye in Wednesday's first round and will host a second-round game on Sept. 15.

Wilson hit a jumper to tie the game at 89 and spark an 11-0 closing run by Las Vegas (21-13) as the Mercury went 0 for 5 from the field and committed three turnovers over the final three minutes.

Brittney Griner led Phoenix (15-19) with 24 points.

STORM 78, WINGS 64

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Natasha Howard and Jewell Loyd combined to score 30 of their 38 points in the first half and the Storm beat the Wings, helping Seattle clinch the No. 6 seed in the playoffs.

The Storm, the defending champions, will host No. 7 seed Minnesota in a single-elimination first-round game on Wednesday. The Lynx lost at Los Angeles and the Storm have the tiebreaker between the two teams.

Seattle has won three in a row overall, and four straight at home, against the Lynx.

Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings (10-24) with 25 points to finish the season with 630, the third-highest rookie scoring total in WNBA history.

SPARKS 77, LYNX 68

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Riquna Williams hit four 3-pointers and finished with 15 points to help the Sparks beat Minnesota, ruining the Lynx's chance of hosting a playoff game in the first round.

The Sparks (22-12) have a first-round bye in the playoffs, which begin on Wednesday and will host the worst remaining seed in the second round.

The Lynx (18-16), who had a five-game win streak snapped, will be the No. 7 seed because of their loss and Seattle's win over Dallas. Minnesota has lost three in a row against the Storm overall and four straight in Seattle.

Napheesa Collier led Minnesota with 16 points and career-high tying 11 rebounds.

FEVER 104, SUN 76

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Kelsey Mitchell hit a WNBA regular season record nine 3-pointers, scoring 38 points to help the Fever beat the Sun.

The second-year guard had 30 points in the first half and broke the mark of eight held by five different players. She equaled the nine 3s that Kristi Toliver hit in the 2017 playoffs.

The Fever (13-21) finished the season on a high-note winning their last three games. They have the second best chance to get the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery.

The Sun (23-11), locked into the No. 2 seed and a double-bye in the playoffs, played their starters less than half the game.

Rookie Teaira McCowan added 17 points and nine rebounds. She finished with 304 rebounds on the season, breaking Erlana Larkins' 2014 franchise record by one.

LIBERTY 71 DREAM 63

ATLANTA (AP) - Tina Charles scored 14 points, Amanda Zahui B. added a double-double and the Liberty topped the Dream.

The Liberty (10-24) had an 18-11 advantage in the third quarter to stretch a 44-38 halftime lead to 63-49 and was never seriously challenged by the Dream (8-26).

Atlanta gave a ceremonial start to injured forward Angel McCoughtry, who has been sidelined for the season while recovering from a knee injury she suffered last year. They took her out right after the tip.

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WNBA SEPT. OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

09/08/2019...........3-9-0....25.00%.......-34.50
09/06/2019...........5-3-0....62.50%.......+8.50
09/05/2019...........2-2-0....50.00%.......-1.00
09/04/2019.......... 2-0-0... 100.00%.... +10.00
09/03/2019.......... 3-3-0... 50.00%...... -1.50
09/01/2019.......... 3-3-0... 50.00%...... -1.50


Total..................18-20-0...47.36%.......-20.00


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BEST BETS:

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

09/08/2019.............1 - 5................-22.00..............2 - 4..............-12.00...........34.00
09/06/2019.............2 - 2................-1.00................3 - 1.............+9.50............+8.50
09/05/2019.............2 - 0................+10.00.............0 - 2.............-11.00............-1.00
09/04/2019 ............1 - 0................+5.00...............1 - 0.............+5.00............+10.00
09/03/2019.............1 - 2................-6.00................2 - 1.............+4.50.............-1.50
09/01/2019.............2 - 1 ..............+4.50................1 - 2..............-6.00.............-1.50


Totals.....................9 - 10 ...............-9.50..............9 - 10.............-10.00.............-19.50

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Final WNBA playoff seedings finally set
September 8, 2019
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) The WNBA's playoff bracket is set after a busy final day of the regular season.

Washington, Connecticut and Los Angeles had already sealed up the top-three playoff spots before Sunday's contests. The Mystics and Sun don't play until the semifinals. The Sparks will play Sunday against the worst remaining seed.

Las Vegas, which had clinched the franchise's first playoff berth since 2014 and first since moving to Nevada last year from San Antonio, earned a first-round bye and a home game with a victory over Phoenix on Sunday and a loss by Chicago.

''The season kind of went how I expected it to. A lot of ups and downs, trying to understand each other and learn how to win,'' Aces coach Bill Laimbeer said. ''We had our moments we looked very good, and moments where we looked really bad. All in all, to take the fourth seed and have a bye in the first round and a home game. We will take it.''

While the Aces have a bye, Chicago will have to play Wednesday against Phoenix. The Mercury are no stranger to the single-elimination postseason format, going 6-0 in it since the league changed to it in 2016. Chicago swept the three games during the regular season between the two teams.

''In a one game knockout situation as long as we can limit what they want to do and make them feel uncomfortable anything is possible. We didn't win at Connecticut last year and we went in there and won,'' Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said. ''We've been in these situations before so we're not looking at it like ''Oh we haven't won,'' because you just go and play. We're going to believe. We know we can do this. It's not easy, no game is easy. Anyone can beat anyone in this league so we just have to make sure that it's our night.''

Minnesota had a chance to get a home game, but a loss to Los Angeles on Sunday and a win by Seattle in Dallas gave the Storm the home matchup against the Lynx on Wednesday night in the opening round. Seattle won three of the four meetings between the teams this season, including the last three.

''We know how to be good, and now we need to do that on the road. That's the hardest thing, and that's why the home games are so coveted,'' Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. ''We are going to see if we can win a hard road game. We need to play a lot better than we did today.''

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The WNBA regular season came to an end on September 8. See below for more information on where all teams stand and the opening-round matchups. The Playoffs begin September 11.

The Playoff Picture Is Set

(NOTE: Updated through games played on 9/8)

First Round (Single Elimination)
– No. 8 Phoenix Mercury at No. 5 Chicago Sky
– No. 7 Minnesota Lynx at No. 6 Seattle Storm

Second Round (Single Elimination)
– Lowest-Seeded First-Round Winner at No. 3 Los Angeles Sparks
– Highest-Seeded First-Round Winner at No. 4 Las Vegas Aces

Semifinals (Best-of-Five Series)
– Lowest Remaining Seed at No. 1 Washington Mystics
– Highest Remaining Seed at No. 2 Connecticut Sun

Finals (Best-of-Five Series)
– Tip Off September 29

The Playoff Field

(NOTE: Updated through games played on 9/8)

Washington Mystics (26-8)
– Clinched No. 1 seed, double bye to semifinals, and home-court advantage throughout the Playoffs

Connecticut Sun (23-11)
– Clinched No. 2 seed and double bye to semifinals

Los Angeles Sparks (22-12)
– Clinched No. 3 seed and first-round bye

Las Vegas Aces (21-13)
– Clinched No. 4 seed and first-round bye

Chicago Sky (20-14)
– Clinched No. 5 seed and first-round home game

Seattle Storm (18-16)
– Clinched No. 6 seed and first-round home game

Minnesota Lynx (18-16)
– Clinched No. 7 seed

Phoenix Mercury (15-19)
– Clinched No. 8 seed

Tiebreak Procedure

The following tiebreak procedure shall be used to break ties for playoff eligibility and home-court advantage.

a. Two-Way Tie Between Teams. In order to break a tie, the following criteria will be utilized in the order set forth:
(1) Better record in head-to-head games.
(2) Better winning percentage against all teams with .500 or better record at the end of the season.
(3) Better point differential in games net result of total points scored less total points allowed head-to-head.
(4) Better point differential net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents.

b. More Than Two Teams Tied. As many teams as possible will be eliminated at each step. As soon as one or more teams are eliminated at any step, the process must begin again from step (1).

Playoff Format

Effective with the 2016 season, the WNBA implemented changes to playoff seeding and qualification procedures as well as the postseason format. Under the new postseason structure, the eight teams with the highest winning percentages regardless of conference qualify for the playoffs and are seeded based on their record.

Additional features of the reconfigured playoff structure are as follows:

The number of playoff rounds increased from three to four. The top two seeds receive a bye to the semifinals (third round), and the third and fourth seeds receive a bye to the second round.

Teams will be re-seeded after each postseason round.

The first and second rounds are single elimination. In the first round, the No. 5 seed hosts the No. 8 seed and the No. 6 seed hosts the No. 7 seed. In the second round, the No. 3 seed hosts the lowest-seeded first-round winner and the No. 4 seed hosts the other first-round winner.

The semifinals feature a best-of-five format, with the No. 1 overall seed playing the lowest remaining seed and the No. 2 overall seed meeting the remaining team. The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds will host Games 1, 2 and 5, and the lower-seeded teams will host Games 3 and 4 in their respective series. The WNBA Finals remain best-of-five and follow the same 2-2-1 format.

Playoff Schedule

Below is the complete list of 2019 WNBA playoff dates. All times and broadcast information to be announced. Schedule subject to change.

DAY DATE PLAYOFF ROUND GAME

Wednesday Sept. 11 First Round Elimination

Sunday Sept. 15 Second Round Elimination

Tuesday Sept. 17 Semifinals Game 1

Thursday Sept.19 Semifinals Game 2

Sunday Sept. 22 Semifinals Game 3

Tuesday Sept. 24 Semifinals Game 4*

Thursday Sept. 26 Semifinals Game 5*

Sunday Sept. 29 Finals Game 1

Tuesday Oct. 1 Finals Game 2

Sunday Oct. 6 Finals Game 3

Tuesday Oct. 8 Finals Game 4*

Thursday Oct. 10 Finals Game 5*

* – If Necessary

[StarDust Bum]

Cheat Sheet - First Round
September 8, 2019
By VI News

The first round of the WNBA playoffs begins on Wednesday, Sept. 11 with a a single-elimination format. The winners of these games will travel to either No. 3 Los Angeles or No. 4 Las Vegas for second round matchups on Sunday.

Those games will be single-elimination as well with the winners advancing to the semifinals against either No. 1 Washington or No. 2 Connecticut for a five-game series before the WNBA Finals, which is also a best-of-five matchup.

(Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under - O/U)

No. 8 Phoenix at No. 5 Chicago (ESPN2, 8:00 p.m. ET)

-- The Sky went 3-0 both SU and ATS versus the Mercury this season.

-- The pair met twice in Chicago and the home squad captured an 82-75 victory on June 10 and a 105-78 blowout win on Sept. 1.

-- The 'over' went 2-1 in the three encounters and the totals ranged from 165 ½ to 169 ½.

-- Phoenix enters the playoffs as the lowest seed and the worst record (15-19 SU, 17-16-1 ATS).

-- The Mercury closed the season with four consecutive losses and setbacks in six of their final eight games. In Sunday's finale, the club was outraced 98-89 to Las Vegas at home.

-- Phoenix went 6-11 away from home but it did manage to produce a 9-7-1 record versus the number.

-- Versus the Eastern Conference, the Mercury went 10-8 SU and 11-7 ATS. That includes a 4-5 SU and 6-3 ATS mark on the road.

-- The 'under' went 19-15 for the Mercury this season and that include a 7-10 mark on the road.

-- Since the WNBA created the first and second round elimination matchups in 2016, the Mercury have been involved each of the last three seasons.

-- Phoenix has gone 6-0 in those games, going 3-0 at home in the first round and 3-0 in the second round.

-- Unfortunately for the club, they’ve never captured a semifinal matchup after winning the elimination games. They dropped a 3-2 series to Seattle last season, which was an improvement after getting swept in the 2016 and 2017 semifinal matchups.

-- Chicago earned the third seed in the Eastern Conferenec with a 20-14 overall record but for our purposes, the club was the most profitable team (21-12-1 ATS) in the league.

-- At home, the Sky went 12-5 SU and 11-6 ATS.

The team went 9-9 SU and 11-8-1 ATS versus the Western Conference this season. At home, the Sky went 6-3 both SU and ATS at home.

-- Chicago closed the season with a 100-86 loss at Washington on Sunday. Prior to that setback, the Sky had won two straight and five of the last eight.

-- The offense has been on fire of late, averaging 107 points per game in the two recent wins and that pushed the averaged up to 84.6 PPG on the season, ranked second in the league.

-- Along with covering numbers, the Sky were also beasts for 'over' bettors. The high side went 22-10-2 but make a note that the 'under' was 8-7-2 at Wintrust Arena.

-- After watching the 'under' cash in five straight games for Chicago, the club saw the 'over' go 4-0 their final four matchups versus the West.

-- This will be the first trip to the playoffs for Chicago since 2016 when Los Angeles eliminated the Sky in four games (3-1). Chicago went 1-3 ATS in that series and the 'over' was 3-1 with the lone 'under' connecting in its only win versus the Sparks.


No. 7 Minnesota at No. 6 Seatlte (ESPN2, 10:00 p.m. ET)

-- The Storm went 3-1 both SU and ATS versus the Lynx in the regular season.

-- At home, Seattle went 2-0 by capturing an 84-77 win on June 4 and an 82-74 victory on Aug. 18.

-- The 'over' went 3-1 in those games and the totals ranged from 148 ½ to 152 ½.

-- Minnesota (18-16 SU, 18-15-1 ATS ended the regular season on Sunday with a 77-68 loss at Los Angeles. Prior to that defeat, the Lynx had won five in a row while covering four of those games.

-- On the road, the Lynx went 7-10 both SU and ATS.

-- The club went 3-1 both SU and ATS down the stretch away from home and that included Sunday's loss at Los Angeles.

-- Total bettors saw Minnesota post a stalemate (17-17) in its 34 games, with the 'under' go 9-8 on the road.

-- Minnesota played in its first playoff elimination game last season and the club dropped a 75-68 decision to Los Angeles as six-point underdogs.

-- Despite getting sent home early last year, the Lynx have won the WNBA Finals in each of the last four odd years (2017, 2015, 2013, 2011).

-- While that trend could have you leaning to Minnesota, the Storm are the defending WNBA champions.

-- Seattle went 6-2 SU and 4-4 ATS in last year's postseason and that included a 5-0 record (2-3 ATS) at home.

-- At home this season, Seattle went 11- 6 SU and 9-7-1 ATS.

-- The Storm closed the regular season with a 3-1 record and that included a 78-64 road win over Dallas on Sunday.

-- Seattle produced the second best 'under' record (20-13-1) in the regular season but the 'over' closed the season with a 5-3 record.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s 6-pack

Top six picks for Week 1 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Panthers +2.5, 845- L

5) Broncos even, 856

4) Buccaneers even, 862- L

3) Texans +7, 904

2) Colts +6.5, 1,052- W

1) Ravens -6.5, 1,080- W

2019 record: 2-2

News Item of the Day
Boston Red Sox fired president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski Sunday night, less than a year after Boston won the World Series. Not a lot of loyalty in this world.

Monday’s quiz
Who holds the record for the longest field goal in NFL history?

Sunday’s quiz
Sam Elliott played Bradley Cooper’s brother in A Star is Born.

Saturday’s quiz
Montgomery, AL hosts the Camellia Bowl every December.

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Monday’s Den: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday……

Eagles 30, Redskins 27:
— Washington led 20-7 at the half.
— Redskins threw 45 passes, ran ball only 13 times.
— Washington is 1-6 vs spread in last seven NFC East road games.

— Eagles had TD plays of 51-53 yards, both on 3rd and 10 passes.
— Philly converted 11-17 third down plays.
— Eagle offense in 2nd half: four drives, 43 plays, 272 yards, 25 points.

Bills 17, Jets 16:
— Buffalo’s first seven drives: 35 plays, 165 yards, outscored 8-0 by Jet defense.
— Buffalo’s last four drives: 28 plays, 220 yards, 17 points.
— 38-yard pass from Allen to Brown with 3:00 left was the game-winner.

— Jets were outgained 370-223; they averaged only 3.4 yards/pass attempt.
— Jets’ new kicker missed a PAT and a 45-yard FG.
— Not many teams are +3 in turnovers and lose; Jets had four takeaways (+3).

Vikings 28, Falcons 12:
— Atlanta turned ball over three times, was only 2-8 on third down.
— Falcons had punt blocked on first series, threw INT on second series.
— Last 2+ years, Atlanta is now 4-13 vs spread on road (1-7 as road dog).

— Under Zimmer, Minnesota is 23-7-1 vs spread as a HF, 17-2-1 outside NFC North.
— Minnesota threw only 10 passes the whole game; that doesn’t happen much.
— Vikings won/covered their last five home openers.

Ravens 59, Dolphins 10:
— Baltimore had ball 10 times, scored eight TD’s, kicked a FG.
— Jackson was 17-20/324 passing; he is 7-1 as an NFL starter.
— Ravens won last four Week 1 games by combined score of 139-20.

— Miami ran only 12 times for 21 yards; they were -3 in turnovers.
— Dolphins gave app 643 yards, were down 42-10 at halftime.
— 2020 NFL Draft begins April 23rd in Las Vegas.

Chiefs 40, Jaguars 26:
— McCoy carried ball 10 times for 81 yards in his KC debut.
— KC had a 14-yard advantage in starting field position.
— Five of KC’s seven plays of 20+ yards came on first down.

— Foles got hurt; backup Minshew was 22-25/275 passing, with two TD’s.
— Jaguar defense gave up TD plays of 68, 49 yards.
— Both teams averaged 10+ yards/pass attempt, which doesn’t happen much.

Titans 43, Browns 13:
— Tennessee defense scored nine points, gave up only 13.
— Titans were +3 in turnovers (3-0), had 11-yard edge in field position.
— Tennessee won/covered six of last seven road openers.

— Cleveland were called for 18 penalties for 182 yards.
— Since re-joining NFL in 1999, Browns are 1-19-1 SU in Week 1
— Last 9+ years, Cleveland is 7-15-2 as a home favorite.

Rams 30, Panthers 27:
— 89 of Gurley’s 97 rushing yards came in second half.
— LA converted 9-17 third down plays.
— Rams had one punt blocked, another deflected; no bueno.

— McCaffery had 29 touches for 209 yards; their WR’s caught only 11 passes.
— Newton ran ball only three times, for minus-2 yards.
— First time in six years that Carolina lost its home opener.

49ers 31, Buccaneers 17—
— Five TD’s in this game: three scored by the defenses, two by offenses.
— Teams who were +2 or better in turnovers this week are 7-2-1 ATS.
— First time in five years 49ers won their road opener.

— Tampa Bay scored only 10 points in four drives into red zone.
— Last 5+ years, Bucs are now 16-25 vs spread at home.
— TB started eight drives 75+ yards from goal line; on those eight drives, their offense was outscored 14-7 by SF’s defense.

Lions 27, Cardinals 27, OT:
— Detroit led 24-6 with 11:30 left in the game.
— Stafford threw for 385 yards, had two guys with 100+ receiving yards.
— Last 5+ years, Lions are 11-5-4 vs spread when laying 3 or fewer points

— First three quarters, Murray was 9-25 passing for 70 yards.
— 4th quarter and OT, Murray was 20-29 passing for 239 yards.
— Last 3+ years, Cardinals are 8-16-1 SU at home.

Seahawks 21, Bengals 20:
— Cincy threw ball for 395 yards but lost three fumbles (minus-2 in turnovers).
— Bengals scored only six points in three trips to the red zone.
— Since ’11, Bengals are 23-14-4 vs spread as road underdogs.

— Seattle was outgained 429-273 but pulled out the win.
— Seahawks won their last 11 home openers (8-3 vs spread).
— Under is 16-2-1 in Seattle’s last 19 home openers.

Chargers 30, Colts 24 OT:
— Indy ran ball for 203 yards, threw for 173; they converted 7-13 on 3rd down.
— Colts start season 0-1 for the sixth year in a row.
— Viniatieri missed two FG’s and an extra point.

— Chargers led 17-6 at half; they took opening kick of OT and drove 75 yards for a TD.
— 14 of Chargers’ last 17 home openers went over the total.
— Bolts had eight plays of 20+ yards, 2nd-most in NFL on Sunday (Ravens).

Cowboys 35, Giants 17:
— Giants lost eight of their last nine season openers.
— Total yardage was 494-470 Dallas; NYG was only 2-11 on third down.
— Teams that were -2 or worse in turnovers are 2-8 SU this week.

— Cowboys have now won five games in a row against the Giants.
— Dallas averaged 12.7 yards/pass attempt; Prescott threw for 405 yards
— Elliott ran ball 13 times for 53 yards a couple days after he reported.

Patriots 33, Steelers 3:
— Steelers were only one of 24 teams that played Sunday who didn’t score a TD.
— Since 1997, Steelers are 1-9-1 vs spread when an underdog in their road opener.
— Pittsburgh ran ball 13 times, dropped back to pass 48 times, a losing ratio.

— NE averaged 9.6 yards/pass attempt, outgained Steelers 465-308.
— Since ’13, Patriots are 29-13-3 as home favorites, 18-8-1 outside AFC East.
— Last six Super Bowl champs are 4-1-1 vs ATS in their season opener the next year.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Six more interesting pointspreads for this week’s college football:

— North Carolina @ Wake Forest (-3)

— Kansas State @ Mississippi State (-7.5)

— Maryland (-7) @ Temple

— Pittsburgh @ Penn State (-17)

— Eastern Michigan @ Illinois (-8)

— Akron @ Central Michigan (-3)


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Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings…….

13) ESPN football analyst Brian Griese is very good; Monday night he produced an old set of notes he had as a player, when his coach was Jon Gruden, back when he played for the Buccaneers in 2004-05, 08. Gruden would hand-write the notes and distribute them to players.

Griese said “…..I never felt more prepared as a player than when I played for Gruden” which is obviously high praise from a guy who spent 11 years playing QB in the NFL, and whose dad was also a really good QB in the NFL.

12) Virginia is -7 over Florida State in Charlottesville Saturday; since 1997, Seminoles are 11-2 SU vs Virginia, 8-5 vs spread— FSU was favored in all 13 games, eight times by 12+ points. 10 of their 11 wins over the Cavaliers were by 14+ points. Teams haven’t met since 2014.

11) Actor Matthew McConaughey is apparently the Texas Longhorns’ new Minister of Culture, which means that he is a prominent celebrity booster who helps pump people up when it comes to all things Texas Longhorn. People are impressed by celebrities.

From The Athletic: “McConaughey once thought he would be a college or pro athlete — he jokes he only gave up the dream about eight years ago — and he believes if he hadn’t found the acting thing, he might have become a coach. Now he has the chance to speak with, influence and encourage college kids.”

Four years ago McConaughey started teaching a course at Texas, Script to Screen, in which film students receive a script from a film he’s working on and follow through all of its edits and iterations until production. The Moody College of Communications named him a professor of practice last week.

10) Carolina RB Christian McCaffrey had 29 touches for 209 yards in the Panthers’ 30-27 loss to the Rams LW; great production if you have him in your fantasy league, but Carolina better find some other weapons, because 29 touches a week isn’t sustainable, especially in a week like this one, when the Panthers are playing on three days’ rest.

9) Sunday afternoon in Queens, the Phillies had Andrew Knapp at bat with two men on and the pitcher (reliever Mike Morin) due up next; the Mets walked Knapp intentionally to get to the pitcher’s spot, because they wanted Morin out of the game, either that or they didn’t think the Phillies would hit for him. This strategy had one glaring problem.

Bryce Harper wasn’t in the game yet, so they walked Knapp to pitch to pinch-hitter Harper, and strategy does not get much dumber than that; it is baseball malpractice. Harper walked to force in a run. Philly won the game 10-7.

8) Mets’ P Noah Syndergaard doesn’t want to throw to catcher Wilson Ramos; he pleaded his case to pitching strategist Jeremy Accardo, manager Mickey Callaway, and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, then got annoyed when word of the private conversation became public.

7) Mets’ bullpen has a 7.62 ERA in 80.1 IP in Jacob deGrom’s starts this season.

In totally unrelated news, Milwaukee star OF Christian Yelich fouled a ball off his knee Tuesday night and fractured his kneecap; he is done for this season.

6) Cleveland Browns had 19 snaps on 1st-and-10 Sunday; on 15 of those 19 plays, they were penalized and wound up with 1st or 2nd down and more than 10 yards to go. Not good.

5) Kentucky QB Terry Wilson is out for the season after hurting his left knee last week.

4) Jets signed K Sam Ficken and cut K Kaare Vedvik, who has been traded twice, cut once in the last six weeks. Vedvik missed a PAT and a field goal in Sunday’s 17-16 loss to Buffalo.

Jets also acquired WR DeMaryius Thomas from New England for a 6th round draft pick.

3) Houston Texans released veteran CB Aaron Colvin, just over a year into a 4-year, $34M contract; he gets $7.5M this year- that was guaranteed.

2) If you live in the Albany area and like pro wrestling, you will be interested to know that Ric Flair is doing an appearance at Colonie Center Sunday, at a hobby shop that is upstairs by the food court. They’re expecting a big crowd; get there early.

1) Patriots at Dolphins opened at New England -14.5, but as I type this, it is up to -18.5 or -19. Takes lot of onions to back a Dolphin squad that lost 59-10 last week, while New England was killing the Steelers, but Patriots have lost SU in five of their last six visits to south Florida.

CG Technology got a $55,000 bet Tuesday on the Patriots (-18) to cover; if that person read this site, he/she would know that over the last decade, Week 2 teams who won by 28+ points in Week 1 are 1-10 vs spread in their Week 2 game. We’ll see what happens.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, September 11

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PHOENIX (15 - 19) at CHICAGO (20 - 14) - 9/11/2019, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-4 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (18 - 16) at SEATTLE (18 - 16) - 9/11/2019, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 7-3 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 6-4 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Wednesday, September 11

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Trend Report
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Chicago Sky
Chicago is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
Chicago is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Chicago is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games at home
Chicago is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Phoenix is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games on the road
Phoenix is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Phoenix is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago

Seattle Storm
Seattle is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Seattle is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games at home
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Seattle is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games when playing Minnesota
Seattle is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
Minnesota is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games when playing Seattle
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
Minnesota is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle


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WNBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, September 11


Phoenix @ Chicago

Game 601-602
September 11, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
104.054
Chicago
113.400
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 9 1/2
185
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 6
169
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-6); Over

Minnesota @ Seattle

Game 603-604
September 11, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
102.777
Seattle
112.803
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 10
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 2 1/2
151
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-2 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PHO at CHI 08:00 PM
CHI -6.0
O 170.0

MIN at SEA 10:00 PM
MIN +2.5
O 151.0

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA postseason gets underway
September 11, 2019
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) After a wild regular season, the WNBA postseason gets underway with a pair of first-round games.

Top seeds Washington and Connecticut don't play for another week, as the teams earned double byes to the semifinals. Los Angeles and Las Vegas don't play until Sunday against the winners of Wednesday night's games.

The first round, single elimination round matches Chicago welcoming Phoenix, and Seattle hosting Minnesota.

The Mercury will head into the Windy City short-handed as they will most likely be without Diana Taurasi. Phoenix's star guard has missed most of the season with back and hamstring injuries. She's listed as doubtful for the opening game.

''Hopefully we can win and get her ready for Sunday,'' Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said on Tuesday. ''But at this stage, I don't envision Diana playing.''

Taurasi has been the ultimate competitor in do-or-die WNBA playoff elimination games, going 13-1 in her career, with her lone loss coming against Seattle in the semifinals last season. The Mercury have gone 6-0 in the single elimination format since the WNBA first introduced it in 2016. Phoenix is used to playing without Taurasi this season, and Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner have had outstanding seasons, as well as guard Leilani Mitchell.

Chicago is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Sky are led by guard Courtney Vandersloot, who became the first player in WNBA history to have 300 assists in a season. While experience is on the Mercury's side, the Sky have won all three games between the teams this season. That includes a 27-point win last week.

In the second game of the night, Minnesota will visit the defending champion Storm. Both teams have been a bit surprising this season considering the players they've been missing. Seattle has played this season without reigning MVP Breanna Stewart, who has been out with a ruptured Achilles' tendon. The Storm have also been missing Sue Bird for the entire year after she had knee surgery in May.

Seattle has found other players to step up in the absence of the two stars. Natasha Howard has had an incredible season, playing well at both ends of the court.

Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve had to find a way to restructure the franchise after four key pieces to the Lynx's dynasty were missing. Lindsay Whalen retired, Rebekkah Brunson sat out because of a concussion and Maya Moore decided to take the year off. Add to that Seimone Augustus missed the first half of the season while recovering from knee surgery and Reeve had a mostly new roster this season.

The one mainstay from the championship run was center Sylvia Fowles, who had another strong season. She was complemented by first-round pick Napheesa Collier, who is a leading candidate for rookie of the year.

Here are a few things to watch for in the playoffs:

RESTING TIME: Washington and Connecticut will have time to heal up and be ready for the semifinals. For the Mystics, it's a chance to get a few more days for Kristi Toliver to recover from a bone bruise that has sidelined her for the last few weeks. For the Sun, it's a chance to play a best-of-five series in the playoffs instead of a single-elimination game in which the team hasn't fared well, losing the last two years to Phoenix.

PLAYOFF NEWBIES: The Las Vegas Aces were the preseason pick by the WNBA's general managers and coaches to win the league this year. Coach Bill Laimbeer has said all along it's a three-year plan for the team and this is just the second year. The Aces earned a bye on the final day of the regular season and have the talent to make a deep playoff run. They are led by the dominant front court of A'ja Wilson and Liz Cambage.

ROUNDING INTO FORM: The Los Angeles Sparks have been nearly unbeatable at home this season, winning 15 of 17 contests. With Candace Parker, Chelsea Gray and the Ogwumike sisters leading the way, the Sparks have playoff experience and depth. The key though might be the play of Riquna Williams. Los Angeles' guard was suspended for 10 games because of a domestic violence arrest. She provides the team with a consistent outside shooting presence and has the ability to create her own shot.

[StarDust Bum]

Sky and Storm advance to second round
September 12, 2019
By The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) Diamond DeShields scored 25 points and the fifth-seeded Chicago Sky used a dominating second half for a 105-76 win over the eighth-seeded Phoenix Mercury in a first-round, winner-take-all playoff game on Wednesday night.

Astou Nadour and Stefanie Dolson added 16 points apiece for the Sky, who play at fourth-seeded Las Vegas on Sunday in the single-elimination second round. Allie Quigley had 15 points, Cheyenne Parker had 11 off the bench and Courtney Vandersloot had nine points to go with 11 assists as Chicago was making its first playoff appearance since 2016.

Phoenix only trailed 44-41 at halftime despite losing league-leading scorer Brittney Griner with a left knee injury with 8:18 left in the second quarter. Griner was called for an offensive foul setting a screen on Quigley, and it appeared there was knee-to-knee contact. Griner went to the locker room with the help of injured star Diana Taurasi, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Griner returned to start the third quarter with a knee brace, playing briefly before going to the bench for good. She had six points, more than 14 below her average. Chicago used a 12-0 to start the second half and the Sky didn't look back.

STORM 84, LYNX 74

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - Jordin Canada scored a career-high 26 points and the defending WNBA champion Storm beat the seventh-seeded Lynx.

With Jewell Loyd adding 22 points, the No. 6 Storm, who play at third-seeded Los Angeles on Sunday in the single-elimination second round, got 48 out of their backcourt. Minnesota had one point from starting guards Odyssey Sims and Danielle Robinson. Mercedes Russell contributed 13 points for Seattle.

Sylvia Fowles scored inside with 5:52 to play in the fourth quarter to pull Minnesota within 71-67. The Lynx then went nine straight possessions without scoring. By the time Napheesa Collier made a free throw with 1:11 to play, Seattle was up 76-68.

Damiris Dantas led the Lynx with 20 points, Collier had 19 and Fowles 11. Fowles also had 11 rebounds and Collier 10. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Collier is the third rookie in WNBA history to produce a double-double in their playoff debut, joining Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings.

Seattle led 29-21 after one quarter as Canada and Loyd scored 11 points each. Minnesota stayed close because of its frontcourt production but never led after the opening minutes.

Trailing 64-59 entering the fourth quarter, Minnesota got an early basket but Seattle reserves Shavonte Zellous and Sami Whitcomb combined for seven points to push the lead to 10. The Lynx answered with six points but then went cold with six turnovers and four missed shots before Dantas hit a 3 in the final minute.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:05 PM Seattle Storm Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center
5:05 PM Chicago Sky Las Vegas Aces Mandalay Bay Events Center


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

WNBA SEPT. PLAYOFFS OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


09/11/2019 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

Total................3-1-0........75.00%.....+9.50


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

BEST BETS:

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


09/11/2019..............1 - 1................-0.50................2 - 0............+10.00..........+9.50

Totals......................1 - 1 ...............-0.50................2 - 0.............+10.00..........+9.50

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

Props for tonight’s NFL game:

— Over/under passing yards for Jameis Winston: 275.5

— Will Mike Evans score a TD? Yes +$120, No -$140

— Over/under receiving yards for Chris Godwin: 59.5

— Over/under completions for Cam Newton: 22.5

— Over/under rushing yards for Christian McCaffrey: 80.5

— Over/under receiving yards for DJ Moore: 60.5

Quote of the Day
“The greatest Cowboy of them all has taken his last ride. It will never be the same again. We could never thank him enough for all that he did for our university. He gave us everything he had and all that he asked in return was that we play by the rules and dream big. He was living proof that anything is possible if you’re wearing orange. “
Oklahoma State AD Mike Holder, talking about billionaire booster T. Boone Pickens, who passed away Wednesday

Thursday’s quiz
What is the only division in the NFL where none of their teams lost last week?

Wednesday’s quiz
Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne played the little kid’s chess mentors in the excellent movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.

Tuesday’s quiz
Oakland Raiders are only NFL team that shares their stadium with a major league baseball team; when the Raiders move to Las Vegas next year, there will be none.

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

Thursday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) Current Washington State football coach Mike Leach became the Texas Tech coach back in 2000; on his Tech team that first year were 23 guys who later became either college or NFL coaches, eight have been I-A head coaches, another eight have been coordinators.

Very impressive coaching tree he has: Kliff Kingsbury, Dana Holgorsen, Sonny Dykes, Art Briles, Dave Aranda (LSU’s DC), Lincoln Riley.

12) A’s 5, Astros 3— 21-year old Jesus Luzardo made his MLB debut and threw three innings, allowing only a solo home run. Very impressive debut.

11) Every time I watch Marcus Semien play shortstop for the A’s, I’m reminded what a great infield coach Ron Washington is; his hard work helped make Semien the player he is today.

10) NFL teams that impressed me in losses last week: Panthers, Colts, Texans.

9) Purdue LB Markus Bailey, team’s top tackler last season, is out for the year (knee).

8) NFL injury stuff:
— Chargers’ TE Hunter Henry (broken leg) is out for the year.
— Raiders’ S Johnathan Abram (shoulder) is out for the year.

7) Two pitchers on the Pittsburgh Pirates got into a fight with each other before Monday night’s game; one of them hurt his hand and needed surgery on that hand. Not good.

Sometimes I lose sight of just how long the baseball season is; 162 games in 182 days, and if you’re having a cruddy year, tensions can run high.

6) This nugget from Ralph Michaels:

Last 25 times Oklahoma was a road favorite, that game went over the total 22 times.

5) There were 90 touchdowns scored in NFL’s Week 1, the most in an opening week of the NFL in the Super Bowl era.

4) United States lost to France 89-79 Wednesday, in quarterfinals of the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, snapping a streak of 58 straight wins in international competition.

3) Dodgers clinched their 7th straight division title Tuesday, but they haven’t won a World Series since 1988, and until they do, lot of their fans won’t be happy.

2) Jorge Soler’s season over/under for home runs back in the spring was 14.5; he hit his 43rd homer Wednesday night.

1) RIP to T. Boone Pickens, 91, the billionaire who donated over $500M to Oklahoma State; their football stadium is named after him.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

Props for tonight’s NFL game:

— Over/under passing yards for Jameis Winston: 275.5

— Will Mike Evans score a TD? Yes +$120, No -$140

— Over/under receiving yards for Chris Godwin: 59.5

— Over/under completions for Cam Newton: 22.5

— Over/under rushing yards for Christian McCaffrey: 80.5

— Over/under receiving yards for DJ Moore: 60.5

Quote of the Day
“The greatest Cowboy of them all has taken his last ride. It will never be the same again. We could never thank him enough for all that he did for our university. He gave us everything he had and all that he asked in return was that we play by the rules and dream big. He was living proof that anything is possible if you’re wearing orange. “
Oklahoma State AD Mike Holder, talking about billionaire booster T. Boone Pickens, who passed away Wednesday

Thursday’s quiz
What is the only division in the NFL where none of their teams lost last week?

Wednesday’s quiz
Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne played the little kid’s chess mentors in the excellent movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.

Tuesday’s quiz
Oakland Raiders are only NFL team that shares their stadium with a major league baseball team; when the Raiders move to Las Vegas next year, there will be none.

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

Thursday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) Current Washington State football coach Mike Leach became the Texas Tech coach back in 2000; on his Tech team that first year were 23 guys who later became either college or NFL coaches, eight have been I-A head coaches, another eight have been coordinators.

Very impressive coaching tree he has: Kliff Kingsbury, Dana Holgorsen, Sonny Dykes, Art Briles, Dave Aranda (LSU’s DC), Lincoln Riley.

12) A’s 5, Astros 3— 21-year old Jesus Luzardo made his MLB debut and threw three innings, allowing only a solo home run. Very impressive debut.

11) Every time I watch Marcus Semien play shortstop for the A’s, I’m reminded what a great infield coach Ron Washington is; his hard work helped make Semien the player he is today.

10) NFL teams that impressed me in losses last week: Panthers, Colts, Texans.

9) Purdue LB Markus Bailey, team’s top tackler last season, is out for the year (knee).

8) NFL injury stuff:
— Chargers’ TE Hunter Henry (broken leg) is out for the year.
— Raiders’ S Johnathan Abram (shoulder) is out for the year.

7) Two pitchers on the Pittsburgh Pirates got into a fight with each other before Monday night’s game; one of them hurt his hand and needed surgery on that hand. Not good.

Sometimes I lose sight of just how long the baseball season is; 162 games in 182 days, and if you’re having a cruddy year, tensions can run high.

6) This nugget from Ralph Michaels:

Last 25 times Oklahoma was a road favorite, that game went over the total 22 times.

5) There were 90 touchdowns scored in NFL’s Week 1, the most in an opening week of the NFL in the Super Bowl era.

4) United States lost to France 89-79 Wednesday, in quarterfinals of the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, snapping a streak of 58 straight wins in international competition.

3) Dodgers clinched their 7th straight division title Tuesday, but they haven’t won a World Series since 1988, and until they do, lot of their fans won’t be happy.

2) Jorge Soler’s season over/under for home runs back in the spring was 14.5; he hit his 43rd homer Wednesday night.

1) RIP to T. Boone Pickens, 91, the billionaire who donated over $500M to Oklahoma State; their football stadium is named after him.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Top six picks for Week 2 in Westgate Super Contest:

6) Falcons, +1.5 (729)

5) Rams, 2.5 (785)

4) Bengals, -2 (804)

T2) Steelers, -4 (966)
T2) Cowboys, -5 (966)

1) Browns, -2.5 (2,053)— Spread posted before Darnold declared out

2019 record: 3-3


**********

Armadillo: Sunday's Den: Wrapping up a college football Saturday

13) Virginia 31, Florida State 24— Cavaliers had three TD drives of 72+ yards in the 4th quarter, as they handed FSU a loss that made the Seminoles 13-15 SU in their last 28 games.

12) Iowa 18, Iowa State 17— Game was delayed twice by lightning for total of almost three hours; Hawkeyes won 5th straight game in this rivalry, despite being outgained by 105 yards. Cyclones lost two fumbles, were 3-9 on 3rd down; Iowa was 10-19.

11) Temple 20, Maryland 17— Weird game; Terrapins were 5-21 on 3rd down, 1-6 on 4th down, failing to score on three drives where they had 1st-and goal. Maryland scored two safeties, was +2 in turnovers but still lost- they completed only 16-39 passes.

10) BYU 30, USC 27 OT— Cougars win in OT for second week in a row; they won at Tennessee LW. Trojans were minus-3 in turnovers; total yardage was 452-430, fun game to watch.

9) Air Force 30, Colorado 23 OT— Buffaloes started LY 5-0, then lost their last seven games and fired coach MacIntyre, who I think is a good coach (DC at Ole Miss now).

Colorado beat Nebraska LW, in the renewal of an old rivalry, then they get beat in OT here by an Air Force team that ran ball for 289 yards. Buffs have a senior QB; this is their year to make some noise, but this is a bad loss.

8) Wake Forest 24, North Carolina 18— Demon Deacons are 3-0, and appear headed to their 4th straight bowl, which would be the first time Wake Forest has done that. Thats the good news.

Bad news for Wake Forest will be when a big $$$ school comes calling for coach Dave Clawson, who appears headed for greener pa$ture$ fairly soon. Very good coach.

7) Upsets:
— Kansas (+19) 48, Boston College 24
— Arizona State (+15.5) 10, Michigan State 7
— Kansas State (+7.5) 31, Mississippi State 24
— West Virginia (+7) 44, NC State 27
— Temple (+7) 20, Maryland 17
— Eastern Michigan (+7) 34, Illinois 31
— Liberty (+6) 35, Buffalo 17

6) I-A team losing to a I-AA team:
— Citadel 27, Georgia Tech 24— Citadel runs the option, making things worse for Tech.

Close call, red flag:
— Virginia Tech 24, Furman 17
— Nevada 19, Weber State 13
— Wyoming 21, Idaho 16

5) Eastern Michigan 34, Illinois 31— Was impressed by EMU senior QB Mike Glass III, who was 23-36/316 passing in the Eagles’ upset win.

4) Arizona State 10, Michigan State 7— Spartans didn’t score until there was 8:37 left to play; Sun Devils went ahead 10-7 with 0:50 left, then Michigan State tied it on a FG with 0:06 left, but they had 12 men on the field- when they tried the kick again, they missed badly.

Big win for Herm Edwards’ Sun Devils, who were 15.5-point underdogs; ASU is 6-2 ATS as an underdog under Edwards.

3) Arizona 28, Texas Tech 14— Wildcats ran ball for 314 yards, converted 15-21 third down plays. Arizona QB Tate threw for 185 yards, ran for 129 more.

2) Southern Miss 47, Troy State 42— Both teams threw for 500+ yards; there were six TD’s scored in 4th quarter, including back/back kick returns for TD’s— shortest play of the six TD’s was 34 yards. 12 TD’s, no turnovers, wild game.

1) A gambler put $1,000 on Auburn to beat Kent State (with no pointspread) at a Caesars sportsbook Saturday night. Auburn won 55-16; the bettor wins $5, so he basically got a free drink for his trouble.