The bum's november college football best bets,news,stats etc. !

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday, November 5

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Buffalo - 8:00 PM ET Buffalo +4.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Ohio - Under 56.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY


Northern Illinois - 8:00 PM ET Ball State +3 500 *****

Ball State - Under 62 500 TRIPLE PLAY

[Dr. Bubba]

>[this whole thread ]

This rocks, thanks!

>Stardust
were you there when they blew the place up? I got hit by the sign

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Week 11

Clemson at Wake Forest
The Tigers head to Winston-Salem tonight to face the Demon Deacons and come into the contest off a 16-6 win over Syracuse and carrying a 1-4 ATS record in their last 5 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game. Wake Forest is the pick (+22 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by only 19 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (+22 1/2). Here are all of this week's NCAA Football picks.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6

Game 111-112: Clemson at Wake Forest (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Clemson 100.683; Wake Forest 81.399
Dunkel Line: Clemson by 19 1/2; 58
Vegas Line: Clemson by 22 1/2; 42
Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (+22 1/2); Over

OTHER GAMES:

Grambling State at Mississippi Valley State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Grambling State 53.564; Mississippi Valley State 29.011
Dunkel Line: Grambling State by 24 1/2
Bethune-Cookman at Norfolk State (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Bethune-Cookman 58.828; Norfolk State 49.685
Dunkel Line: Bethune-Cookman by 9

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 11

Thursday's game
Clemson has struggled on road this year, losing at Georgia/Florida State, slipping by BC 17-13; they've won last five games overall, but scored only 18.7 ppg in last three, winning by 6-4-10 points. Clemson is 5-3 in its last eight games as a road favorite, 0-1 this year; they've won five in a row vs Wake Forest (4-1 vs spread), winning 42-13/30-10 in last couple visits here. Young Deacons are 3-1 as double digit underdogs this season; they lost last four games overall, by 10-40-23-6 points. Since '04, Wake is 19-10-1 as home dog. ACC home dogs are 7-6 in conference play.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Thursday, November 6

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Game of the Day: Clemson at Wake Forest
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Clemson Tigers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+22.5, 42.5)

Wake Forest is winless in the ACC and having some trouble scoring points since moving into conference play. The Demon Deacons hope to solve their offensive problems and play a role in the race at the top of the conference when they host No. 19 Clemson on Thursday. The Tigers are winners of five straight thanks in large part to a defense that has allowed an average of nine points in the last four contests.

That Clemson defense is taking on a Wake Forest rushing attack that ranks last among 128 FBS teams with an average of 34.5 yards on the ground and a scoring offense sitting at 125th with an average of 14.8 points. “We aren't as strong or as physical as we need to be,” Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson told reporters. “We're very young in a lot of our linemen positions, but that is part of a rebuild. We will get a little stronger every year.” Wake Forest was crushed 56-7 at Clemson last season.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: The Tigers opened as 22-point road faves and are now -22.5. The total opened 43 and is down a half-point.

INJURY REPORT: Clemson - QB Deshaun Watson (Probable, finger), WR Charone Peake (Doubtful, knee). Wake Forest - WR Matt James (Questionable, hand), LB Teddy Matthews (Questionable, ankle), CB Deonte Davis (Questionable, knee).

WEATHER FORECAST: There could be rain early as there is a 49 percent chance of showers leading into kickoff. Wind will blow across the field around 12 mph. Temperatures will be in the mid-50s.

ABOUT CLEMSON (6-2 SU, 5-1 ACC, 4-4 ATS, 3-5 O/U): The Tigers are hanging in second place in the Atlantic Division, waiting around in case No. 2 Florida State implodes down the stretch and opens up a spot in the ACC title game. Clemson has been less explosive on offense in three games under quarterback Cole Stoudt, who took over for freshman Deshaun Watson (hand) against Louisville on Oct. 11, but the defense is making up the difference as it held Syracuse to 170 total yards in a 16-6 win on Oct. 25. “As long as we have one more point than the opponent, that’s all that matters,” coach Dabo Swinney told reporters. “We got it done.”

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (2-6 SU, 0-4 ACC, 4-4 ATS, 1-7 O/U): The 23-17 home loss to Boston College on Oct. 25 marked the Demon Deacons’ highest-scoring effort since a 24-21 win over Army on Sept. 20, which matched their best output of the season. Freshman quarterback John Wolford has one touchdown pass and six interceptions in conference play and gets little help from a ground game that totaled 19 yards in the loss to Boston College. “We've got a lot of things to clean up,” Clawson told reporters. “We're early in this process, and if we can establish effort as a starting point, then we are headed in the right direction."

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Favorite is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Demon Deacons are 0-5 ATS in their last five Thursday games.
* Under is 4-0 in Tigers last four conference games.

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 57 percent of bettors are backing visiting Clemson.

[StarDust Bum]

Clemson at Wake Forest

November 5, 2014

After last week’s thrilling ACC clash between Florida State and Louisville featured great drama and national implications, this week’s Thursday night TV game features much less fanfare. Clemson visits Wake Forest in an ACC Atlantic battle with the Tigers looking to bolster its claim as the second best team in the conference while the Demon Deacons are in search of their first conference win.

Match-up: Clemson Tigers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Venue: BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Date: Thursday, November 6, 2014
Time/TV: 7:30 PM ET – ESPN
Line: Clemson -21
Last Meeting: 2013, Clemson (-29.5) 56-7 at Clemson

Clemson lost two of its first three games this season, but the Tigers sit at 6-2 and with both losses coming on the road against quality teams, the Tigers could still build an impressive season resume by season’s end. Next week’s game at Georgia Tech will be a tough test as will the annual rivalry game with South Carolina, but winning out is not out of the question for this team. A 10-2 record would not likely be enough to get the Tigers into the national playoff conversation, but it would mean a fourth 10-win regular season in the last five years for Dabo Swinney and the Tigers.

Clemson lost several big name playmakers from last season on offense, but the defense was expected to carry the team. After allowing 45 points with a second half collapse in the opener at Georgia, some major questions were raised, but the Clemson defense has been very tough since, including allowing a total of just 36 points over the last four games in ACC play. The Clemson offense has been limited especially after the injury to freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson. Senior Cole Stoudt has been more of a game manager for the Tigers, but it seems likely that Watson may return in some fashion this week.

The Clemson defense is allowing just 18.3 points per game on the season, but the offensive numbers have been inflated with 73 points against South Carolina State and 50 points against North Carolina early in the season. In three road games, Clemson has scored only 61 points and this will be a big test for the focus of the team coming off a bye week and with a much bigger game ahead next week.

Dave Clawson did an excellent job at Bowling Green, but he opted to take the Wake Forest job last winter, taking over for long-time head coach Jim Grobe in Winston-Salem. This was not a ready-to-go team built by a coach that left for a bigger job, this was a complete rebuild and it has been a difficult first season for the new coaching staff, which was not unexpected. Only 10 returning starters remained for Clawson to start the season and this was a 4-8 team in 2013 and a program with just one bowl appearance in the last five years after making three straight bowl games from 2006 to 2008, actually winning the ACC championship in 2006.

Early season losses to Louisiana-Monroe and Utah State on the road were close games on the scoreboard, but not in the box score and the lone wins this season have come at home against FCS Gardner-Webb and at home against Army with the Wake Forest offense posting only 47 points in those games. Only two teams at the FBS level have scored fewer points per game than Wake Forest this season and in four ACC games, the Demon Deacons have scored just four touchdowns and 37 total points.

The defense for the Demon Deacons has been respectable and freshman quarterback John Wolford has shown some improvement. Wolford has been the starter all season and after throwing 10 interceptions in his first five games, he has just three in his last three games, passing for at least 60 percent completions in each of those games despite facing solid competition. His last game was his best with 242 passing yards on 73 percent completions against Boston College and his last two games have featured by far his highest adjusted quarterback ratings as there is some promise moving forward. Wolford has been sacked 28 times this season as the offensive line has not provided great protection and that should be a problematic matchup for Wake Forest on Thursday night against a formidable Clemson defensive line.

The running game has provided absolutely no help as well and while the average has been hurt by so many sacks allowed, Wake Forest has averaged just over 34 yards rushing per game, easily the worst mark nationally. Through eight games the leading rusher for Wake Forest has a grand total of 143 yards, a good single game average for the top running back on many teams. Wake Forest has been overmatched this season, but a primetime opportunity coming off a bye week may bring out the team’s best.

Clemson won 56-7 last season at home in this matchup, a game that was 21-0 halfway through the first quarter with Tajh Boyd having a big game and not needing to play in the second half. Clemson out-gained Wake Forest 573-222 in that game with only one of 15 Wake Forest drives resulting in more than 37 yards.

Clemson Historical Trends: Clemson is just 8-15-1 ATS vs. Wake Forest since 1990, though they have covered in five of the last seven meetings. The Tigers have won and covered in the last two trips to Wake Forest, but had gone just 1-7-1 ATS in the previous nine. Clemson is just 24-36-2 ATS as a road favorite since 1990, going 7-14-1 ATS as a double-digit road favorite in that span. This will be the largest road favorite spread for Clemson since 1990 at Duke and Clemson is just 5-9 ATS as a favorite of 20 or more points in any venue since 2007.

Wake Forest Historical Trends: The Demon Deacons are 18-11 ATS as a home underdog since 2004 but just 17-21-1 ATS as a double-digit home underdog since 1997. Wake Forest is 3-5 ATS as a home underdog of 20 or more points since 1994 and Wake Forest is 2-8 ATS as an underdog of 20 or more points in any venue since 2010, splitting two instances this season. Wake Forest has covered once in the last five meetings with Clemson while going just 6-28 S/U in this series since 1980.

[StarDust Bum]

RATED PLAYS:

6 - 7 ..................................*****

3 - 7 ..................................DOUBLE PLAY

8 - 5 ..................................TRIPLE PLAY

4 - 3 ..................................BLOW OUTS

RATED PLAYS AND OPINONS:

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

11/05/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail

11/04/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail

11/01/14 26-*23-*0 53.06% +*350 Detail

Totals 30-*27-*0 52.63% +150

[StarDust Bum]

RATED PLAYS:

6 - 7 ..................................*****

3 - 7 ..................................DOUBLE PLAY

8 - 5 ..................................TRIPLE PLAY

4 - 3 ..................................BLOW OUTS

RATED PLAYS AND OPINONS:

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

11/05/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail

11/04/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail

11/01/14 26-*23-*0 53.06% +*350 Detail

Totals 30-*27-*0 52.63% +150

Thursday, November 6

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Clemson - 7:30 PM ET Wake Forest +21 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Wake Forest - Over 43.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

RATED PLAYS:

6 - 7 ..................................*****

5 - 7 ..................................DOUBLE PLAY

8 - 5 ..................................TRIPLE PLAY

4 - 3 ..................................BLOW OUTS


Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

11/06/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

11/05/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail

11/04/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail

11/01/14 26-*23-*0 53.06% +*350 Detail

Totals 32-*27-*0 54.24% +1150

[StarDust Bum]

Boykin, TCU face huge test vs K-State

November 6, 2014

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin finished the last game by encouraging the kicker before the game-winning field goal and apologizing to teammates in the locker room for his subpar performance.

''He was unbelievable,'' Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson said of the 31-30 victory over West Virginia. ''He's come a long way when it's come to that. .... He did a great job with that, because nobody prompted him to do that.''

Now solely a quarterback this year after time at receiver, running back and behind center his first two seasons, Boykin keeps improving - from his performance as the Big 12 leader in total offense (362 yards a game) to how he leads the playoff-contending No. 6 Horned Frogs on and off the field.

''He's the vocal leader, then he goes on the field and he plays,'' receiver Kolby Listenbee said. ''He goes out and stands up for everybody. He apologizes when he makes mistakes. He talks to everybody. He respects everybody. ... It's cool having somebody with a personality like that that leads you. He gives everybody else confidence, so everybody else believes in him too.''

After playing four ranked opponents the past five games, the Horned Frogs (7-1, 4-1 Big 12, No. 6 CFP) face their biggest test of the season Saturday night, against Big 12-leading and No. 9 Kansas State. There are implications in the races for a league title and a spot in the new four-team College Football Playoff.

''This will be the game that he'll be judged on,'' Patterson said of Boykin, who hasn't been made available to reporters this week.

The Wildcats (7-1, 5-0, No. 7 CFP) also happen to be the Big 12's best defense, allowing only 321 yards and 18.6 points a game. Texas and Oklahoma State combined for 456 total yards against K-State the last two weeks.

Boykin had a record seven touchdown passes in TCU's 82-point performance against Texas Tech that started to generate some Heisman Trophy buzz for the junior quarterback. But he then completed only 12 of 30 passes for a season-low 166 yards with an interception at West Virginia, though he had a big 40-yard completion to Listenbee on the final drive before Jaden Oberkrom's 37-yard field goal for the one-point win last Saturday.

''Before that final field goal, (Boykin) walked out to him, and told him we love you either way, just do your job,'' Patterson said.

Two years ago against K-State, Boykin went 17 of 30 for 164 yards, was sacked five times and his only touchdown pass came in the final minute as the Wildcats won 23-10 to take over the No. 1 spot in the BCS rankings.

Boykin wasn't the quarterback in last season's game, when he instead caught four passes for 25 yards, ran five times for 17 yards with a score and threw a 1-yard TD on his only pass before Kansas State won 33-31 on a field goal with 3 seconds left.

Both of those games were before the Horned Frogs switched to an up-tempo offense this season.

''The system fits Boykin. He is a very gifted athlete,'' Wildcats coach Bill Snyder said. ''He can run the ball and do the option with it. He can do the quarterback run stuff, and he is throwing the ball extremely well and throwing it down the field.

''It just is not the short stuff. I think that is a major element in the great improvement that they have made and the progress and success that they have had this year.''

[StarDust Bum]

Pac-12 leaders Oregon, ASU face big tests

November 6, 2014

The Pac-12's division leaders, Oregon and Arizona State, can pad their playoff resumes with big wins this week in what figures to be the toughest test left for both teams.

GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 8 Notre Dame at No. 11 Arizona State. So what if it's a non-conference game? It's one of the biggest in Arizona State's history. The Sun Devils climbed to No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings and can make another major move up if they knock off Notre Dame, whose only loss came at undefeated Florida State. The Fighting Irish outlasted Arizona State 37-34 last year in Arlington, Texas. The Sun Devils are playing the best they have defensively under third-year coach Todd Graham, and they'll need to be in top form to slow down quarterback Everett Golson, who did not play in last season's game.

BEST MATCHUP: No. 5 Oregon at No. 20 Utah. The Ducks solved their Stanford problem last week, crushing the two-time defending Pac-12 champion Cardinal 45-16 in Eugene. Oregon, which moved into the fourth spot in the playoff standings, can clinch the North Division and claim a spot in the conference championship game with a win at raucous Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Ducks found success against physical defenses like Michigan State and Stanford, and the Utes present a similar challenge. Utah's offense has been no slouch, either, averaging 33.4 points while alternating between Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson at quarterback.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Oregon State's Sean Mannion (12,454) eclipsed Southern California's Matt Barkley (12,327) for the most yards passing in Pac-12 history last week. The next mark in Mannion's sights is Barkley's conference record for total offense. Barkley ended his career with 12,214 yards, while Mannion is at 11,755 yards. ... Utah's Travis Wilson is the only quarterback in the Football Bowl Subdivision to attempt at least 150 passes without an interception this season. He's completed 93 of 165 passes for 1,084 yards and 9 TDs. ... Arizona State is playing its fifth ranked opponent in six games, the most in that span in school history.

IMPACT PLAYER: Washington's two-way star Shaq Thompson rushed for 174 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a win at Colorado. The converted linebacker, who has scored four defensive touchdowns this season, is also a defensive player of the year candidate. The Huskies host UCLA this week. The Bruins feature another two-way talent in linebacker and running back Myles Jack.

[StarDust Bum]

Marshall winning big with little attention

November 6, 2014

Marshall has rolled through its schedule this season in impressive fashion, winning eight games by an average of nearly 30 points and scoring the third-most points in the country.

National respect has proven much harder to obtain.

No. 23 Marshall (8-0, 4-0 Conference USA) is one of three remaining undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision - along with No. 1 Mississippi State and No. 2 Florida State - yet wasn't even listed in the top 25 in the latest edition of the College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday.

''Undefeated is undefeated,'' Marshall quarterback Rakeem Cato said. ''That's a hard thing to do in any sport against any competition.''

The College Football Playoff committee apparently doesn't agree.

The main problem is Marshall's schedule, especially in a weakened Conference USA. Victories over programs like Old Dominion and Florida International have been greeted with a collective yawn, and there are no high-quality opponents on the horizon to change the soft-schedule narrative.

The Thundering Herd travel to face Southern Mississippi (3-6, 1-4) on Saturday.

Mississippi State, the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings, will be playing a few hours down the road in Starkville, hosting UT Martin. It will probably be the closest Marshall gets to a chance at knocking off one of college football's titans all season.

Even so, Marshall coach Doc Holliday insists the program's apparent glass ceiling isn't frustrating.

''We just worry about what we can control,'' Holliday said. ''And the one thing we can control is becoming a better football team. All those teams that won championships, they got better every week as a football team. We try to eliminate the noise and become a better team.

''If you start worrying about what other people think, your goals can go out the window really fast.''

Holliday, who is in his fifth season at Marshall, has managed to keep his team focused even against lesser opponents. Marshall faced a rare deficit two weeks ago, down 16-14 to Florida Atlantic at halftime, but roared back with 21 unanswered points in the second half for a 35-16 victory.

It all starts with Cato, a 6-foot-1 senior from Miami who has thrown for 2,130 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He's also run for 255 yards and five touchdowns.

Holliday said Cato is typical of Marshall's overhauled roster since he arrived in 2009. He says he obviously looks for talented players during recruiting, but equally as important are ''guys with big hearts who love football.''

The coach believes Cato fits that description perfectly.

''It's his competitive nature,'' Holliday said. ''He loves to play the game and competes in practice on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the same way he plays on Saturdays. That's what makes him special. Intangibles are so critical when you're a quarterback.''

The offense isn't all about Cato.

Devon Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 243-pound junior, has run for 1,203 yards, which ranks seventh in the country. He's also averaging 8.8 yards per carry.

After three decent seasons, the 57-year-old Holliday has built Marshall into a C-USA power the past two years. The Herd finished with a 10-4 record last season, beating Maryland in the Military Bowl.

This year, they haven't been seriously challenged.

Holliday, who was a longtime assistant and played at West Virginia, also worked as an assistant coach at Florida under Urban Meyer for three seasons alongside current Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen.

During those three seasons, Florida won one national championship.

''You knew he'd be a good coach,'' Mullen said. ''He's a great recruiter and a great rapport with his players. Really good motivator. You could just tell that when he was a head coach, he would have that presence.''

Mullen said Marshall's playoff predicament might be a by-product of a new system.

''I still think everybody's trying to figure out how the selection committee picks everything - what their criteria are for everything,'' Mullen said. ''I certainly have no complaints at this point how they're selecting teams, I like what they're doing so far, but there's a lot of football to be played.''

[StarDust Bum]

National implications for TCU, K-State

November 6, 2014

Things to watch in Week 11 of the Big 12 Conference season, when two huge games Saturday will impact the upper half of the standings.

GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 9 Kansas State at No. 6 TCU. The game matching Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson against his alma mater will have huge implications in the Big 12 race - and the College Football Playoff rankings. While K-State (7-1, 5-0) tops the league standings ahead of TCU (7-1, 4-1), the Frogs are sixth in the latest playoff rankings, a slot above the Wildcats. This will be TCU's fifth ranked opponent in its last six games, and their only loss was 61-58 loss at Baylor four weeks ago when they blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter. K-State beat TCU 33-31 last year after a field goal with 3 seconds left - just more than 2 minutes after the Frogs kicked a go-ahead field goal. This is the first of three road games against ranked teams for the Wildcats to end the regular season. They also have to go to No. 24 West Virginia and No. 10 Baylor, with a home game against Kansas.

BEST MATCHUP (OK, the other big game in the Big 12): No. 10 Baylor at No. 16 Oklahoma. The defending Big 12 champion Bears (7-1, 4-1, No. 12 CFP) have won two of the last three games against the Sooners (6-2, 3-2, No. 15 CFP), the eight-time league champion who before that had won all previous 20 games in the series. Baylor has never won at Oklahoma, and can't afford another loss if the Bears want to stay in playoff contention. The game features the league's top two rushers - Baylor's Shock Linwood (97.1 yards per game) and Oklahoma's Samaje Perine (95.9 ypg) - against two of the league's best rushing defenses. The Bears allow only 99.9 yards per game, while Oklahoma is third, giving up 117.9 a game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Since opening the season with seven consecutive 100-yard games and being the first receiver in the nation over 1,000 yards, West Virginia senior Kevin White has only six catches for 55 yards the past two games. ... Five of the league's 10 teams have already reached bowl eligibility. ... As Big 12 foes, West Virginia and Texas have played two close, high-scoring games won by the road team. WVU won 48-45 two years ago, and Longhorns won 47-40 in overtime at WVU last year.

LONG SHOT: Iowa State or Kansas (both 2-6 overall, 0-5 Big 12) avoiding a losing record. One team will get its first Big 12 victory Saturday since they play each other in Lawrence, Kansas. The loser is guaranteed a losing season. After that, both still have to play No. 6 TCU and another ranked opponent - Iowa State also has West Virginia, while Kansas plays its instate regular-season finale against No. 9 Kansas State.

IMPACT PLAYER: Oklahoma junior Sterling Shepard leads the Big 12 with 119.6 yards receiving a game, and is only 43 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. Shepard has accounted for 46 percent of the Sooners' receiving yards.

[StarDust Bum]

Gamecocks' Spurrier looks for strong finish

November 6, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Steve Spurrier plans to return to South Carolina next season, although his focus is on the team's remaining schedule and the hope his players can shake off their disheartening season for a strong finish.

Spurrier sent the Gamecocks (4-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) off in their bye week, drawing inspiration from singer Taylor Swift's latest hit, ''Shake It Off.''

''Yeah, that's what I told the guys,'' Spurrier said.

There's little else left for South Carolina to try after Saturday's stunning, 45-42 overtime loss to Tennessee - the third time in its last four SEC games it led by double-digits in the fourth quarter yet collapsed.

South Carolina gave up two touchdowns in the final seven minutes to fall to Missouri, 21-20; gave up three touchdowns in the last 12 minutes to fall to Kentucky, 45-38; and were up on Tennessee 42-28 with less than five minutes left before losing the first overtime game in Williams-Brice Stadium history.

''Obviously, I like to beat teams that look like you're supposed to beat them. I have had some losses I am not used to having, especially all together here this year,'' Spurrier said.

The criticisms have fallen squarely on South Carolina's defense. The unit was among the SEC's best in the past three seasons led by NFL No. 1 draft pick Jadeveon Clowney. Yet without the star defensive end and four other starters, the Gamecocks are last in league yards allowed and points given up.

''Guys just got to be able to maintain focus throughout fatigue, not have any slip up and be able to execute,'' said linebacker Skai Moore, the team's second leading tackler who missed the Tennessee game with an ankle injury. ''We've just got to finish every game.''

Much of the defensive's struggles have come up front on the line where the Gamecocks had to replace three of four starters from last year. South Carolina is last in the SEC with just eight sacks this season after notching 25 a year ago.

''Everybody was expecting to have the exact same type group as we had last year and a Jadeveon Clowney-type kid only comes around once every 10 years or so,'' defensive line coach Deke Adams said. ''Losing that talent makes a big difference.''

The frustration is evident. Spurrier spent less than a minute discussing the game before walking off.

''I don't need to take any questions,'' he said as he left.

A few days later, Spurrier was in better spirits and concentrating on how to get his one-time SEC Eastern Division favorites into the postseason. It won't be easy. After taking their final bye week, the Gamecocks must face Florida in The Swamp where they've won just once in 15 visits. After closing its home season against South Alabama, South Carolina plays at No. 19 Clemson, its state rival eager to end the Gamecocks five-game series win streak.

Spurrier's only one losing season as a college head coach, going 5-6 in his first year at Duke in 1987. He was 6-6 in 2007, his third season with the Gamecocks.

Spurrier said he wouldn't concern himself about any fixes for next season or discuss possible staff shake ups. He said his coaches have multi-year deals and are safe.

''They were the same coaches around here when we were winning,'' Spurrier said.

The Gamecocks had gone 11-2 each of the previous three seasons.

Spurrier's also not worried about the Gamecocks letting past meltdowns affect them when they return to action against Florida.

''We have picked up pretty well after Kentucky, after Missouri, after Auburn. Our guys are pretty resilient,'' Spurrier said. ''One thing I think you can say positive about the entire team, the guys did come to the ballpark ready to give it their best effort.''

Defensive tackle J.T. Surratt said team leaders would again insure the players are on the same page so past mistakes don't continue to affect the Gamecocks.

''We're not giving up,'' he said. ''We can still do some good things to salvage our season. So we're going to come together.''

[StarDust Bum]

Tide takes on LSU's stingy secondary

November 6, 2014

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - Blake Sims' most memorable moment at LSU's Tiger Stadium came when he was exuberantly celebrating the winning touchdown two years ago from the sidelines.

No. 4 Alabama's quarterback is hoping to build more happy memories on the field Saturday night against the 14th-ranked Tigers, some of them presumably involving prolific receiver Amari Cooper.

The Crimson Tide's passing duo face probably their biggest test of the season in the LSU secondary. Ditto for the LSU defensive backs.

The Tigers (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) have scarcely given up more passing yards than Cooper is producing on average, setting up a major confrontation in a rivalry known more for punishing runners and tenacious defenses.

''Our confidence level is pretty high,'' LSU cornerback Jalen Collins said. ''We stepped it up the past couple games and kind of shut down the Ole Miss offense, so we're feeling great.''

So are Sims and Cooper after a record-setting connection against Tennessee in another challenging road environment.

Sims was a bystander on the last visit for Alabama (7-1, 4-1). That's when he was captured celebrating T.J. Yeldon's winning touchdown catch from starter AJ McCarron.

Then a backup, Sims' animated celebration included turning toward the fans and pointing at his ring finger.

''I looked down and there was a camera right there in my face and I was like, `Man, I'm about to get in trouble,''' Sims said, smiling.

He'll be in the spotlight for what he does between the white lines this trip.

LSU is leading the nation in pass defense efficiency, giving up just 158.4 yards per game and six passing touchdowns.

Cooper is the nation's No. 2 receiver, averaging 141.5 yards with nine touchdown catches. He had a school-record 224 receiving yards in the Tide's last game against the Volunteers.

Only Arkansas has managed to shut Cooper down, holding him to two catches and 22 yards on a day when Alabama's offense managed season-lows of 227 yards and 14 points. The team that beat Alabama, Mississippi, is the only other defense to hold him under 100 yards (91 on nine catches).

''He's awfully smooth,'' LSU coach Les Miles said. ''If you look at that receiver that has real speed and ball skills and can run the route, it's a talented man.''

LSU's secondary led by Tre'Davious White, Ronald Martin, Jamal Adams and Jalen Collins has contained No. 12 Mississippi's Bo Wallace and Kentucky's Patrick Towles in its past two games.

Only Auburn's Nick Marshall and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott - both of whom are drawing Heisman Trophy buzz - have topped 200 yards against the Tigers. Both also ran for 100-plus yards.

''They play a lot of man to man and they've got very good players,'' Alabama coach Nick Saban said. ''They're very athletic. They've got nice-sized corners. They like to pressure. The combination of pressure and the man to man has affected people's ability to have any kind of efficiency in the passing game. Obviously it's going to be important for us to be able to do that, because I don't think you can be one-dimensional against them.''

For LSU defenders, it's a change-up from recent meetings with Alabama's offense. The Tide still has a strong backfield led by Yeldon and Derrick Henry, but first-year offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has found ways to get the ball in Cooper's hands early and often. He caught an 80-yard touchdown on Alabama's first play from scrimmage against Tennessee and added a 41-yard TD catch a few minutes later, a fairly effective way of quieting a hostile crowd.

LSU's defensive backs are looking forward to the challenge.

''What DB wouldn't want to go up against a team that's throwing it more?'' Collins said. ''It's always an honor to go out there and play but this is a really big game for us so I'm excited.''