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NC State carries 4-0 start into ACC play

September 28, 2015

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) North Carolina State had no troubles romping through an opening stretch of overmatched opponents. Things are about to get tougher for the Wolfpack with the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Heading into Saturday's home game against Louisville, North Carolina State is 4-0 for the second straight season. Along the way, Wolfpack players have put up big numbers and the team ranks among the national leaders both in offensive and defensive statistics.

But it's a stretch that hasn't revealed a lot about whether this team can make good on its goal of contending in the league's Atlantic Division, either.

''I think it's natural when you're in a conference game for the hair to stand up on your neck maybe a little bit more,'' Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said Monday. ''We don't approach it that way as coaches and we try to train our players to not care who's on the other side, to really care about yourself and your performance.''

North Carolina State has won seven straight dating to last season and is one of 17 teams at 4-0 in the Bowl Subdivision ranks, according to STATS. It's also the only ACC team at 4-0 in the ACC, though Clemson, Florida State and Miami are also unbeaten.

The Wolfpack rank ninth nationally in scoring offense (46.3 points) and 16th in rushing offense (259 yards), while the defense ranks No. 8 in scoring (12 points) and No. 3 in total defense (205.8 yards).

Individually, Matt Dayes ranks 17th nationally in total rushing yards with four straight 100-yard games and is tied for the national lead with nine rushing scores to lead a ground game that got stronger when Shadrach Thornton returned from a two-game suspension.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett leads the nation by completing nearly 78 percent of his passes.

But that production came against two teams picked to finish sixth or lower in the Sun Belt Conference (Troy and South Alabama), another team picked to finish next to last in its Conference USA division (Old Dominion) and Eastern Kentucky of the Championship Subdivision. North Carolina State won those games by an average of more than 34 points.

''You never know how all that plays out: whether you play the early hard schedule and feel like you're more prepared or you play the schedule like they had and you get more guys experience and grow in confidence as you go,'' Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. ''I guess we're about to find out.''

North Carolina State at least has some experience in this position. The Wolfpack started 4-0 last year against another soft nonconference schedule, then lost a shootout to Jameis Winston and No. 1 Florida State to start a four-game skid that nearly derailed the season.

But the Wolfpack regrouped late and won a bowl game to cap a five-win improvement from Doeren's first season, and N.C. State's seven-game winning streak is the longest active run among ACC teams.

''Every game is a test,'' Brissett said. ''We've passed every test so far.''

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Clemson hopes to change its history vs. ND

September 28, 2015

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) An undefeated start, a sold-out stadium and much of the college football world locked on Clemson: That combination has not worked out in recent years for the 12th-ranked Tigers.

Too often the past few seasons, Clemson (3-0) has seen its chances for bigger things halted in marquee games. It happened in 2011 when the 8-0 Tigers were routed by Georgia Tech, 31-17. Then again, two years later when 6-0 Clemson was run out of Death Valley by Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and Florida State, 51-14.

Clemson's latest opportunity to mark itself a playoff contender comes Saturday night against No. 6 Notre Dame (4-0).

''I've been around since probably my (high school) freshman year,'' Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson said. ''From what I've been seeing, we've never kind of had that respect or gotten over that hump. I really don't care about the polls. We're going to do what we've got to do.''

It figures to be another mega-watt week on Clemson's campus.

ESPN College GameDay will broadcast from the school for the first time since the Florida State defeat in 2013. Tickets are nearly impossible to get yet requests continue to pour in. Co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said he has received so many inquiries he's ceded those duties to his wife - who's eight-and-half months pregnant and due to have the couple's second child in early October.

''She got a little bit of pub, so I guess I can throw a little responsibility on her plate,'' Elliott said, laughing.

Elliott said the coaches will not talk much about the Florida State defeat, in part because 17 of the Tigers' 22 starters for Saturday's game were on the sidelines for that loss.

''We're just focusing on the opportunity that we have and making sure that we have our guys prepared to execute at a high level,'' Elliott said. ''And letting them understand that regardless of the atmosphere, it's about Clemson and how we play.''

Clemson was the preseason picked to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title with Watson the favorite for player of the year. While Tigers are 3-0 for the fourth time in five years, the showing so far has left many questions with unsatisfying or incomplete answers.

Clemson's defense is ranked ninth nationally in allowing 260 yards a game - same as a year ago when it led the country - but has not yet been truly tested in wins over FCS opponent Wofford, Appalachian State and Louisville.

The Tigers' 1,000-yard receiver Mike Williams broke a bone in his neck in the season's first quarter and hasn't played since, robbing Watson of his primary deep threat. The result is many of Watson's completions have been short tosses as opponents take away the long ball.

And given the chance to shine on national TV in a Thursday night game at Louisville, Heisman Trophy contender Watson played a solid yet unspectacular game in the Tigers 20-17 victory when many fans were waiting for the sophomore to put up eye-popping numbers.

Elliott thinks the drama will bring out Watson's best. ''He came to Clemson to compete against the biggest programs on the biggest stage,'' he said. ''I'm pretty sure he'll be excited and ready.''

Notre Dame comes into Clemson off a 62-27 win over Massachusetts. The contest, though, was another game where new quarterback DeShone Kizer and running back, C.J. Prosise, could grow in the offense and prove the team would not slow down with injuries to starters in quarterback Malik Zaire and tailback Tarean Folston.

Their play, coach Brian Kelly said, helps the rest of the offense readjust instead of focusing on injured starters.

''As long as the entire team knows that each player is valued for who they are, there's initial disappointment, but you don't lose morale,'' Kelly said.

Clemson safety Jayron Kearse said Notre Dame's receivers, particularly Will Fuller, have been a bit mouthy this week, trash-Tweeting on social media. The Tigers, Kearse said, are ready to shut down the Irish.

''They obviously don't know what we do down here in Death Valley,'' Kearse said.

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Thursday's Top Action

September 29, 2015


MIAMI HURRICANES (3-0) at CINCINNATI BEARCATS (2-2)

Nippert Stadium - Cincinnati, OH
Kickoff: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Miami -4.5

Well-rested Miami looks to remain unbeaten when it visits Cincinnati on Thursday night.

The Hurricanes last played on Sept. 19 when they beat Nebraska 36-33 in overtime at home, which improved their season record to 3-0 SU and 2-0-1 ATS. The Bearcats lost a wild 53-46 game at 8-point favorite Memphis last Thursday, which was their first ATS win (1-3 ATS) but dropped them to 2-2 SU for the season. Turnovers have been a huge part of both records this year, as Miami holds a +8 turnover margin (10 takeaways, 2 giveaways), while Cincinnati is a dreadful minus-10 with 14 turnovers and only four takeaways.

The 'Canes have completely dominated this series with 11 straight victories since the Bearcats won the first-ever meeting back in 1947. The average score in the series is Miami 39, Cincinnati 12, and the 'Canes have scored 38+ points in eight straight meetings. Last year's matchup was the highest-scoring game between the two, as the Bearcats dropped 34 points but also committed three turnovers in a 55-34 defeat.

The good news for Cincinnati is that Tommy Tuberville is 13-3 ATS as a college head coach after two straight games where his team committed 3+ TO, and his opponent is 4-13 ATS after gaining 475+ total yards in two straight contests since 1992. But Miami also has positive betting trends with an 8-1 ATS record after playing a non-conference game since 2013, and the fact that road teams after two straight games of forcing 3+ TO facing an opponent after two straight games of a negative turnover margin are 24-5 ATS over the past five seasons.

The Bearcats will likely be without starting QB Gunner Kiel (head) again, and they also lost DB Adrian Witty (ankle) indefinitely last week. The bye week allowed the Hurricanes to likely get back two players upgraded to probable (WR Braxton Berrios and LB Jeremaine Grace), but WR Stacy Coley (hamstring) is doubtful to play, and LB Marques Gayot (neck) is questionable.

Miami sophomore QB Brad Kaaya has had a solid season so far with 839 passing yards (280 YPG, 8.3 YPA) on a 61% completion rate with 5 TD and 1 INT. He lit up Nebraska for 379 passing yards, 2 TD and 1 INT, and was outstanding in the win over Cincinnati last season when he completed 17-of-24 throws for 286 yards (11.9 YPA), 3 TD (plus 1 rushing TD) and 0 INT. Senior WR Rashawn Scott already has two 100-yard games this season including 151 yards on nine catches versus the Cornhuskers. Miami's ground game has also been potent in 2015 with 184 rushing YPG on a hefty 5.4 YPC.

Sophomore RB Joseph Yearby has been a terrific replacement for departed star RB Duke Johnson, who is now in the NFL. The explosive Yearby has rushed for 311 yards on 7.6 YPC and has added 110 receiving yards on six catches (18.3 avg), totaling 4 TD. He ran right past Nebraska's defense last game for 125 yards on 17 carries (7.4 YPC) and a touchdown, and against the Bearcats last year he sprinted for 113 yards on just eight carries (14.1 YPC), which included a 62-yard run.

Miami's defensive season numbers look pretty good (17.7 PPG, 310 total YPG), but the team allowed 462 total yards to the Huskers last game, including 309 through the air. Considering its Thursday opponent just threw for more than twice that (620 yards), the Hurricanes will certainly have their work cut out for them this week.

Cincinnati QB Gunner Kiel left last Thursday's game in the first quarter when he was hit in the head on a Memphis tackle. Kiel threw for 355 yards and 3 TD against Miami last year, but averaged a mere 6.2 YPA and also tossed three interceptions. If Kiel is unable to return this week, the Bearcats have supreme confidence in backup QB Hayden Moore who torched the Tigers for 557 passing yards (10.5 YPA) and 4 TD, as he completed 31-of-53 throws, but also tossed two interceptions.

All three of Cincinnati's senior WR trio gained at least 120 yards through the air last week -- Max Morrison (9 rec, 162 yds, 2 TD), Chris Moore (5 rec, 153 yds, 1 TD) and Shaq Washington (9 rec, 120 yds, 1 TD). All three of these players contributed nicely at Miami last year too, as Morrison caught six passes for 84 yards and 1 TD, Moore went for 74 yards on six grabs and Shaq Washington finished with six receptions for 65 yards and 1 TD.

While the Bearcats are averaging 412 passing YPG, they are also running very well with 210 rushing YPG on a whopping 4.9 YPC. And just like the passing game, Cincy does a great job of sharing the wealth on the ground with three players above 200 rushing yards already -- Tion Green (293 yds, 4.8 YPC), Hosey Williams (271 yds, 4.8 YPC) and speedster Mike Boone (220 yds, 9.6 YPC), who hopes to play Thursday after missing last week with an ankle injury.

The Bearcats defense was shredded by Memphis for 53 points and 570 total yards, and is facing another talented offense in Miami. Despite being on the field for an average of 26:59 this season, Cincinnati is still allowing 217 passing YPG (7.5 YPA) and 173 rushing YPG (4.6 YPC). The Bearcats have yet to force multiple turnovers in a game in 2015, but do have exactly one takeaway in all four contests so far.

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Fournette made Heisman 'chalk'

September 28, 2015

LSU running back Leonard Fournette continues to turn heads on the gridiron this season.

The sophomore has looked unstoppable in his first three games, rushing for 159, 228 and 244 yards.

Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag have made him the top betting choice at 1/1 odds (Bet $100 to win $100) to win this year’s Heisman Trophy.

After two weeks of action this season, Fournette was a 15/1 betting choice.

If the bruising runner puts up another monster game this weekend versus Eastern Michigan, his odds will likely be adjusted again before he gets into SEC play.

Odds to win 2015 Heisman Trophy - per Sportsbook.ag

Leonard Fournette (LSU) 1/1
Nick Chubb (Georgia) 9/1
Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio St) 10/1
Seth Russell (Baylor) 10/1
Trevone Boykin (TCU) 10/1
Cody Kessler (USC) 18/1
Derrick Henry (Alabama) 18/1
Cardale Jones (Ohio St) 20/1
Deshaun Watson (Clemson) 20/1
Josh Rosen (UCLA) 28/1
Kyle Allen (Texas A&M) 28/1
Connor Cook (Michigan St) 30/1
Paul Perkins (UCLA) 30/1
Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) 35/1
Dalvin Cook (Florida St) 35/1
C.J. Prosise (Notre Dame) 40/1
Jared Goff (California) 40/1
Chad Kelly (Ole Miss) 50/1
Dak Prescott (Mississippi St) 50/1
Jordan Howard (Indiana) 50/1

Odds Subject to Change - Updated 9.28-15

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Florida State's Fisher: Offensive struggles not just Golson

September 28, 2015

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Most everyone around the Florida State program knew there would be growing pains with the offense. The learning curve, however, has been steeper than imagined.

Coach Jimbo Fisher hopes being off last week has helped

Fisher said he was encouraged what he saw from Everett Golson and the offense. Whether the offense will be more consistent is one of the major questions going into Saturday's game at Wake Forest.

The struggles on offense after losing seven starters, including overall No. 1 NFL draft pick quarterback Jameis Winston, is also a why there are questions nationally about Florida State (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Despite not playing last Saturday, the Seminoles dropped a spot in the Top 25.

Fisher said during the week off he saw signs of progress by Golson.

After throwing for 302 yards and four touchdowns in the opener against Texas State, Golson has thrown for 282 yards and two touchdowns the past two against South Florida and Boston College. Fisher though wasn't about to put most of the blame on the shoulders of the graduate transfer.

''We've got to make good throws. But we've also got to run a route better, got to catch better,'' Fisher said on Monday. ''There's a block or two we've missed when he's had an opportunity to make a big play or two.''

The offensive line has struggled with pass protection the past two games. The sacks allowed number would be higher if it wasn't for Golson's elusiveness. With the passing game inconsistent, Dalvin Cook leads the ACC in rushing with 476 yards and is averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

Golson's status as the starter does not appear to be in jeopardy but Fisher said he was encouraged by the progress of Sean Maguire as the backup. When Golson was named the starter on Aug. 31, Fisher did say that he thought Maguire would be called upon at some point during the season.

The one thing Golson has made improvements on is taking care of the football, which led to him being benched at Notre Dame late last season. The Seminoles don't have a turnover in their first three games.

Despite winning the past three meetings against Wake by a combined score of 154-6, Fisher believes the Demon Deacons (2-2) will be a challenge defensively due to the number of different blitzes they bring. They are 11th in the nation in pass defense, allowing only 145 yards per game.

The only significant injury for the Seminoles is to backup running back Mario Pender, who remains hospitalized due to a collapsed lung suffered during practice last week, and has been ruled out. Fisher said that Pender could be released on Monday or Tuesday.

Jacques Patrick and Johnathan Vickers will get carries with Pender out. Pender, a junior, has struggled with injuries. He missed the 2012 season due to a groin injury and missed five games last year due to a concussion and ankle injury.

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No. 21 Mississippi State regains momentum after big road win

September 28, 2015

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) Mississippi State's season is back on the upswing after a crucial road win against Auburn.

Now the 21st-ranked Bulldogs (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) are back in the national rankings and have a little momentum heading into another tough road game against No. 14 Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday.

''I'm sure everyone wants to win the SEC West undefeated, but that doesn't happen very often,'' Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. ''But if you get two losses early in the season, that's really hard to come back from.''

Mississippi State doesn't have to worry about that after a hard-fought 17-9 win over the Tigers last Saturday. Dak Prescott threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns to help the Bulldogs build a 14-0 lead and then the defense held Auburn to just three field goals.

Now Mississippi State is trying to sort through a strange offensive start to the season.

Mullen has earned the reputation of a coach who likes to run the ball during his seven-year tenure, but the Bulldogs have the fewest running attempts in the league through four games. They had just 56 yards rushing against Auburn.

Yet Mullen scoffed at the idea that Mississippi State needed more balance.

''You know one thing that hasn't been brought up in our offensive meetings? Balance,'' Mullen said. ''The thing that's brought up is how do we get first downs, how do we move the ball and how do we get into the end zone? I'm good with whatever's working.''

It's safe to say Mississippi State will need to score more than 17 points to beat Texas A&M.

The Aggies are third in the league with 41.5 points per game and have averaged 40 points over their last three games against the Bulldogs.

Prescott appears well-suited to lead the Bulldogs if the game turns into a touchdown bonanza. The senior has thrown for 1,069 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

He's thrown 191 passes without an interception dating back to last year's loss to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. The streak is currently the longest in the nation and the sixth longest in SEC history.

Prescott's passing numbers are up from last season, but his running stats are trending down with 121 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The current pace would give him less than half of his 986 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns from last season.

Brandon Holloway, who stands just 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, is the team's leading rusher with 134 yards.

Prescott believes the Bulldogs can turn back into a running team if needed.

''We're built for whatever,'' Prescott said. ''We've just got to score more points than the other team. Doesn't matter if it's 50 points or 20.''

Mullen said the switch to more passing is simply a product of what opposing defenses are giving the Bulldogs. He said teams are still trying to stop Mississippi State's running game so the coaching staff is using its veteran quarterback to make plays.

In the end, he says run-pass mix doesn't matter. The results on the scoreboard do.

''What we want is to score one more point than they score,'' Mullen said.

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NC State carries 4-0 start into ACC opener vs. Louisville

September 28, 2015

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) North Carolina State had no troubles romping through an opening stretch of overmatched opponents. Things are about to get tougher for the Wolfpack with the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Heading into Saturday's home game against Louisville, North Carolina State is 4-0 for the second straight season. Along the way, Wolfpack players have put up big numbers and the team ranks among the national leaders both in offensive and defensive statistics.

But it's a stretch that hasn't revealed a lot about whether this team can make good on its goal of contending in the league's Atlantic Division, either.

''I think it's natural when you're in a conference game for the hair to stand up on your neck maybe a little bit more,'' Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said Monday. ''We don't approach it that way as coaches and we try to train our players to not care who's on the other side, to really care about yourself and your performance.''

North Carolina State has won seven straight dating to last season and is one of 17 teams at 4-0 in the Bowl Subdivision ranks, according to STATS. It's also the only ACC team at 4-0 in the ACC, though Clemson, Florida State and Miami are also unbeaten.

The Wolfpack rank ninth nationally in scoring offense (46.3 points) and 16th in rushing offense (259 yards), while the defense ranks No. 8 in scoring (12 points) and No. 3 in total defense (205.8 yards).

Individually, Matt Dayes ranks 17th nationally in total rushing yards with four straight 100-yard games and is tied for the national lead with nine rushing scores to lead a ground game that got stronger when Shadrach Thornton returned from a two-game suspension.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett leads the nation by completing nearly 78 percent of his passes.

But that production came against two teams picked to finish sixth or lower in the Sun Belt Conference (Troy and South Alabama), another team picked to finish next to last in its Conference USA division (Old Dominion) and Eastern Kentucky of the Championship Subdivision. North Carolina State won those games by an average of more than 34 points.

''You never know how all that plays out: whether you play the early hard schedule and feel like you're more prepared or you play the schedule like they had and you get more guys experience and grow in confidence as you go,'' Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. ''I guess we're about to find out.''

North Carolina State at least has some experience in this position. The Wolfpack started 4-0 last year against another soft nonconference schedule, then lost a shootout to Jameis Winston and No. 1 Florida State to start a four-game skid that nearly derailed the season.

But the Wolfpack regrouped late and won a bowl game to cap a five-win improvement from Doeren's first season, and N.C. State's seven-game winning streak is the longest active run among ACC teams.

''Every game is a test,'' Brissett said. ''We've passed every test so far.''

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Wolverines hit Top 25 behind stingy D

September 28, 2015

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Michigan is back in the Top 25 largely because of a defense that is steadily improving under coach Jim Harbaugh.

The Wolverines beat then-No. 22 BYU 31-0 on Saturday, holding the Cougars to 105 total yards. No. 22 Michigan now ranks second in the nation in average yards allowed at just 204 per game heading into Saturday's game at Maryland to open Big Ten play.

''We saw (BYU's) tendencies and what they like to do, and the way (defensive coordinator D.J.) Durkin orchestrated a game plan, it kind of took away what they like to do,'' said freshman safety Jabrill Peppers.

Michigan has been taking away its opponents strengths ever since its season-opening loss to Utah on Sept. 3.

Against Oregon State, the Wolverines limited Seth Collins, a capable runner at the quarterback position. Collins gained just 28 rush yards against Michigan. On Saturday, big-armed quarterback Tanner Mangum threw for just 55 yards for the Cougars.

Michigan's pass defense, which ranks fifth in the nation in allowing 121.8 pass yards per game, has stiffened greatly from past seasons.

In 2014, Michigan gave up 193.7 yards per game through the air, somewhat better than the 231.3 the previous season. Players say that change is at least partially due to a more aggressive approach from defensive backs coaches Mike Zordich and Greg Jackson.

''They always want us to stamp our impression on how we play,'' said senior safety Jarrod Wilson. ''They just want us to play aggressive, physical, and they don't mind aggressive penalties. So pass interference calls, we obviously don't want them, but if you were playing aggressive and playing hard, you can always accept those.''

The Wolverines' secondary has been crucial to the defense's success, wiping out big gains with their physical style.

Through four games, Michigan has broken up 13 passes and intercepted three more, all while giving up just two passing touchdowns this season.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines rush defense has held up as expected. Michigan's defensive line has been a strong suit in recent seasons, and that has continued with Greg Mattison taking over as defensive line coach. Led by junior Chris Wormley and senior Mario Ojemudia, the Wolverines have 32 tackles for loss, which puts them on track to surpass last season's total of 82.

Most important, Michigan has given up just 38 points this season, 24 of which came at Utah in the first game of the season.

Some of the defense's workload has been alleviated thanks to longer, sustained drives by the Michigan offense. Even when the Wolverines' drives don't result in points, they usually have been able to pin opponents deep in their own territory.

''A lot of rest on the sidelines as compared to years in the past,'' Wilson said. ''It just feels good when you go out there and the opposing offense has a long field to drive. It's pretty tough.''

And with a signature win over a ranked opponent now in its pocket, Michigan and its defense are in a position to keep on rolling.

''We definitely played way better than anybody expected (against BYU), but right now, we're just trying to keep the momentum going,'' Peppers said. ''Keep getting better week to week.''

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Georgia Tech looking to fix offense after 2 straight losses

September 28, 2015

ATLANTA (AP) Georgia Tech has a bigger concern than just preparing for North Carolina.

''This week we've got to fix ourselves,'' coach Paul Johnson said Monday. ''... North Carolina will have a good team, but I'm more worried about fixing our problems.''

Poor special teams play hurt in last week's 34-20 loss at Duke. Poor production from the running game was a bigger surprise. The Yellow Jackets were held to their lowest rushing total in two years.

Injuries have complicated Georgia Tech's search for new running backs after losing Synjyn Days, Zach Laskey and Charles Perkins from last year's Orange Bowl team. The Yellow Jackets also lost top receivers DeAndre Smelter and Darren Waller.

The Yellow Jackets (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) will take a two-game losing streak into Saturday's home game against North Carolina (3-1, 0-0), which has won three straight.

With no proven skill players around him, quarterback Justin Thomas has pressed to create big plays instead of playing within the spread-option offense.

''He tries to push and when you do that, you have to play within the system,'' Johnson said. ''There's nothing wrong with the system. We've done it for 35 years. It works.''

Duke's tough run defense held the Yellow Jackets to 173 yards rushing, about 200 yards below their average. It was their low mark since running for 151 yards in a loss to Mississippi in the 2013 Music City Bowl.

Georgia Tech was expected to lean on Thomas and four returning starters on the offensive line while new starters emerged at running back and wide receiver. Johnson said the experienced linemen have played no better than the freshmen running backs.

''I'm really hard on those guys because they are the guys who have played and it's ridiculous for them to be screwing it up,'' Johnson said.

''They shouldn't be the problem. They should be the solution.''

The visit from the Tar Heels could come at the perfect time for Georgia Tech's offense. The teams have played a series of high-scoring games the last five years, combining to average almost 75 points in that stretch.

The Tar Heels have alternated quarterbacks this season. On Monday, Marquise Williams again was listed as the starter. Mitch Trubisky, who passed for 312 yards and four touchdowns in a relief role in last week's 41-14 win over Delaware, remains Williams's backup.

''I don't want to start some type of controversy because there's not'' one, coach Larry Fedora said.

Williams, a senior, did not play in the second half last week.

Fedora said he switched quarterbacks because he ''was looking for a spark offensively'' and that as Trubisky ''got rolling, he got hot.''

Even though Thomas has pressed to move Georgia Tech's offense, Johnson emphasized there is no quarterback controversy in Atlanta.

''I don't want to even suggest remotely that's the problem, that he's pressing,'' Johnson said. ''He can play better. We can coach better. But he's not the issue. He's the guy who gives you a chance. He keeps things alive.''

Johnson said freshman running back Mikell Lands-Davis will make his debut. ''I said that last week,'' Johnson said. ''I thought he'd play, but he's definitely going to play this week.''

NOTES:

Johnson said RB Qua Searcy (ankle) will miss ''eight weeks or so, so he's done'' and WR Michael Summers (shoulder) will be out ''a while.'' DE Rod Rook-Chungong (shoulder) is expected to play this week. ... LB Beau Hankins, who had three tackles in two games, has given up football following a second concussion. Johnson said the fourth-year player is on track to graduate in May.

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Wisconsin finds its offense as Iowa looms in Big Ten opener

September 28, 2015

MADISON, Wis. (AP) No. 19 Wisconsin has its running game going again, piling up a season-best 326 yards in 54 attempts in last week's 28-0 victory over Hawaii.

The timing couldn't have been any better with the Badgers (3-1) opening the Big Ten season against Iowa (4-0) at Camp Randall Stadium this weekend.

''We've got some young guys running the ball behind us. We've got some young guys on the O-line,'' starting left tackle Tyler Marz said of the running attack, which entered the game against Hawaii with the lowest rushing average in the Big Ten. ''Reps is the most important thing and they're getting that whether it's in practice or in the game settings.''

Freshman tailback Taiwan Deal earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after rushing for a career-high 147 yards and two touchdowns against Hawaii in his first starting assignment.

Deal capped the Badgers' longest scoring drive of the season of 97 yards on the opening drive with a 2-yard plunge. It marked the Badgers' longest scoring drive since Montee Ball finished a 97-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run against Northern Illinois on Sept. 17, 2011.

Deal and junior tailback Dare Ogunbowale, who ran for 85 yards and a touchdown, helped the Badgers gain a season-high 512 yards of total offense against Hawaii.

That one-two punch helped take the sting out of the loss of No. 1 tailback Corey Clement, who will miss four to six weeks with a sports hernia that required surgery.

''I think the running game is just getting better every week,'' quarterback Joel Stave said. ''We did a good job really sticking to it the past couple of weeks and kind of pushing it and eventually getting some big runs.''

The Badgers' running game will face a tough test against an Iowa defense that is one of two schools yet to allow a rushing touchdown (Navy is the other).

Iowa has allowed an average of 84.0 rushing yards per game, fourth best in the Big Ten and 12th nationally.

''I think they've got very good players and I think that they understand and know their scheme, and I think the scheme is a good scheme,'' Badgers coach Paul Chryst said. ''Any time you've got a good scheme with good players, it makes a good defense.''

Stave said the renewal of the rivalry with Iowa - with the winner earning the Heartland Trophy -- presents a great challenge to open Big Ten play.

''They're physical. They're always in the right spot. They're running hard to the ball,'' Stave said. ''They're a hard-nosed physical team and we are, too. That's what's fun about conference play and what's fun about playing these guys.''

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Big 12 teams now going head-to-head rest of regular season

September 28, 2015

The preliminary contests are over. The entire Big 12 will now be reuniting on weekends, and going head to head until early December.

While a couple of games last weekend counted in the Big 12 standings, the final non-conference games were also played. Now the full focus is on trying to win a conference title.

Six of the league's 10 teams are still undefeated, though that number will be trimmed by at least two Saturday when No. 23 West Virginia (3-0) plays at No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0), and Kansas State (3-0) goes to No. 20 Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0 Big 12).

Sooners coach Bob Stoops feels his team did what it needed to do in non-conference play.

''Yeah, we've had probably a more challenging one going to Tennessee than most everybody else, so it's worked so far,'' Stoops said Monday on the weekly Big 12 coaches teleconference.

Along with their comeback double-overtime victory at Tennessee, the Sooners had home wins over Akron and Tulsa. Kansas State's non-conference wins came over South Dakota, UTSA and Louisiana Tech, the last game in triple overtime.

K-State coach Bill Snyder said his team is rested and healthier heading into its Big 12 opener after an open date. But are they where they need to be for the start of conference play?

''Well, probably not,'' Snyder said. ''But we have made improvement and we have gotten some things corrected that were issues for us.''

The other undefeated teams are defending co-champions TCU and Baylor.

The fourth-ranked Horned Frogs (4-0, 1-0) are home against Texas (1-3, 0-1), and the fifth-ranked Bears (3-0) play Texas Tech (3-1, 0-1) in Arlington, Texas.

ADMIRATION SOCIETY: David Beaty was first at Kansas as a receivers coach in 2008-09. After being a high school coach and then two seasons at Rice, he was on the staff of then-Jayhawks head coach Mark Mangino.

Mangino is now offensive coordinator at Iowa State, where Kansas plays its Big 12 opener.

''I obviously have a dear spot in my heart for Coach Mangino and his family,'' said Beaty, in his first season as the Kansas head coach. ''They gave me an opportunity when I'm not sure I even deserved it. ... He saw something in me that I'm not sure I had even seen in myself.''

No. 23 West Virginia plays at No. 15 Oklahoma, where Lincoln Riley is in his first season as offensive coordinator.

Riley was a Texas Tech quarterback in 2002, then a student assistant for three seasons and an Red Raiders assistant from 2007-09. West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen was on Tech's staff from 2000-07 and Riley's wife was once the nanny for Holgorsen's children.

''It's been fun to watch him to develop as a coordinator to a point where he's doing a good job,'' Holgorsen said. ''I'm proud of his accomplishments.''

Some other notes from the Big 12 call:

- Oklahoma State never trailed at Texas, but traded scores until Ben Grogan's two field goals in the final 1:33 finally gave the Cowboys a 30-27 victory. ''It was a rollercoaster, and I'm not sure that I want to make that ride again,'' Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said.

- When Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury was asked if his greatest challenge was physical or emotional after the Red Raiders' closing-seconds home loss to No. 4 TCU, he quickly responded, ''It shouldn't be either.'' Kingsbury said players should be good to go physically going into only the fifth game, and that mentally his team is excited about playing No. 5 Baylor in the Dallas Cowboys' NFL stadium on Saturday.

- Paul Rhoads said Iowa State had a positive open date and will have its healthiest team so far this season after getting back several guys that either haven't played or have been banged up the first three games.

[StarDust Bum]

Arizona State reeling after lopsided loss to USC

September 28, 2015

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) Arizona State coach Todd Graham said at Pac-12 media days that this is the best team he's had. He reiterated it numerous times heading into the season and again after the Sun Devils lost to Texas A&M in the season opener.

Graham said it again Saturday night, even after Arizona State was blown out at home by Southern California.

If this truly is the best team Graham has had, the Sun Devils better get rolling quick if they're going to live up to their coach's expectations.

''Obviously our guys know that our backs are against the wall,'' Graham said Monday. ''And everything, every issue we have is self-inflicted and we've just got to get those things corrected and take it upon ourselves to go to work and get it done.''

Arizona State (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) took a hit out of the gate with the loss to then-unranked Texas A&M, but bounced back with victories over Cal Poly and New Mexico and their tough-to-prepare-for triple options.

That gave the Sun Devils new hope heading into their Pac-12 opener, a highly anticipated game against the Trojans. A crowd of nearly 62,000 showed up to cheer on Arizona State in what they hoped would be the first step on the road to the Pac-12 Championship game.

Instead, they watched the Sun Devils implode.

Plagued by a whirlwind of mistakes, Arizona State never gave itself a chance, falling behind 35-0 by halftime. The Sun Devils had four turnovers, including a fumble on the 1-yard line that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown. Their defense gave up too many big plays, starting with JuJu Smith-Schuster's 52-yard reception on the game's first play.

Arizona State also had a hard time getting off the field on defense, allowing USC to convert 10 of 16 third downs.

And it doesn't get any easier for the Sun Devils. Next up is a road game against UCLA, which jumped two spots to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 after blowing out Arizona 56-30 in Tucson a few hours before Arizona State's loss to USC.

''I know it's disappointing,'' Graham said. ''I was very disappointed that we self-destructed that way and, you know, we're going to work and we've had positive meetings and we need to go respond.''

A big issue for the Sun Devils so far this season is something they didn't have a problem with in their first three years under Graham: Turnovers.

A year ago, Arizona State was one of the best in the nation at taking care of the ball, fumbling 15 times and losing four. So far this season, the Sun Devils have been one of the worst, fumbling 13 times and losing seven.

The fumbles against USC were crucial. Demario Richard lost one at USC's 24-yard line in the first half, a few plays after breaking off a 61-yard run. Quarterback Mike Bercovici had the fumble at the 1 on a botched handoff with Richard, which Trojans safety Chris Hawkins scooped up for the 94-yard score.

De'Chavon Hayes also lost a fumble on a kickoff and lost the ball on ASU's 10, setting up another touchdown that put the Trojans up 35-0 at halftime.

Arizona State's turnover margin this season is minus-3 after being a combined plus-29 the past two seasons.

''There's not much to talk about,'' Graham said. ''I went and looked at the film and we are self-destructing turning the football over.''

There is some good historical news on the Sun Devils' side: They seem to respond well after suffering a difficult loss.

In 2013, Arizona State suffered a tough loss to Stanford and scored 62 points in a rout over USC the next week. The Sun Devils followed a blowout loss to UCLA last season by beating USC on a Hail Mary the following week.

''The biggest thing is no questioning, no doubt in what we are doing,'' Graham said. ''We don't doubt each other. These kids believe in each other and respond like the teams before you have.''

With the season in danger of getting away from them, the Sun Devils need to do it soon.

[Dr. Bubba]

Thanks Stardust !!

[StarDust Bum]

Big Ten Report - Week 5

September 29, 2015


Purdue at Michigan State (ESPN2, 12:00 PM EST)
Current Line: Spartans (-22)
Opening Line: Spartans (-23)

As poor as Purdue has been the last two years (1-15 Big Ten record) they have given Michigan State some problems. Last season they played host to Sparty and lost 45-31 as a 21-point dog (cover for Boilers). That contest was a down to the wire situation as MSU led just 38-31 with under 2:00 remaining in the game. Two years ago they went into East Lansing as a 4 TD underdog and that was also a nailbiter for the Spartans as they led just 7-0 in the 4th quarter before winning 14-0 which included a defensive TD (another easy cover for Purdue). The last time Purdue lost by more than 20 points to MSU was back in 1996. The oddsmakers seem to have MSU over valued a bit right now as they have yet to cover a game this year (0-4 ATS) despite having a 4-0 record. What’s a bit alarming if you are an MSU fan is that this team has been outgained in 3 of their 4 games this year. They were out yarded by Oregon, Air Force, and Central Michigan.

Despite their 4-0 record, for the year Michigan State has gained 1,489 yards and allowed 1,583 yards. And that’s against fairly marginal competition with the exception of Oregon and that win is now not as impressive as it may have looked a few weeks ago after the Ducks were destroyed at home by Utah last Saturday. Turnovers have been a big problem for the 1-3 Boilers. In their first 3 games they coughed the ball up 9 times. Because of that head coach Darrell Hazell made a switch at QB last week putting freshman David Blough under center and benching Austin Appleby. Blough had a solid opening performance completing 29 of 39 for 340 yards and 2 TD’s with only one turnover. They lost 35-28 to a solid Bowling Green team but the game was tied a 28 late and Purdue missed a 32 yard FG that would have given them the lead. They could be sitting with a much better record as last week’s game was in reach and their season opener was lost at Marshall due to two pick 6’s thrown by Appleby.

Minnesota at Northwestern (BTN, 12:00 PM EST)
Current Line: Wildcats (-4)
Opening Line: Wildcats (-5)

Not surprising this initial total was set at 40 with two solid defense and two offense that struggle to score. Minny ranks 119th in scoring averaging just 19 PPG. NW is 94th in scoring at 25 PPG. The Gophers have scored a total of 8 offensive TD’s in 4 games. Northwestern has put up just 5 offensive TD’s in 3 games (minus Eastern Illinois game vs FCS opponent). Defensively the Gophs are 31st nationally in scoring holding opponents to 22 PPG while the Wildcats are 3rd allowing just over 8 PPG. Speaking of the low total, this has been a low scoring series as of late with none of the last 4 meetings topping 41 points.

Minnesota has covered this series 11 of the last 15 meetings dating back to 1996. Last year these two met in Minneapolis and the Gophers were a 3.5 point favorite. Minny won and covered 24-17 however the Cats actually outplayed Minnesota and it was particularly close. NW was +14 in first downs, +119 in total yardage, and they ran 30 more offensive plays. With the game tied late Minnesota had a 100 yard kickoff return for a TD to ice in and win by 7. The Gophers have won each of the last two meetings (won at NW 20-17 in 2013) and they’ve relied heavily on their ground game attempting only 29 passes the last two years combined!

Both teams are really banged up coming into this one. Minnesota could be without all conference CB Boddy-Calhoun who injured his knee last week. They will also most likely be without both starting safeties Darmarius Travis (hamstring) and Antonio Johnson (concussion). Northwestern lost starting safety Godwin Igwebuike to an upper body injury and his back up Kyle Queiro broke his arm vs Ball State. Also starting LT Mogus also left with a head injury. Northwestern comes in 4-0 with impressive wins over Stanford and Duke but had to hold on last week to get by Ball State. Minnesota is 3-1 and after losing their opener to TCU, they’ve gone on to win their next three games by just 3 points each. Cats are 0-9 ATS their last 9 overall as a favorite while Gophs are 10-2 ATS their last 12 overall as an underdog.

Iowa at Wisconsin (ESPN, 12:00 PM EST)
Current Line: Badgers (-7)
Opening Line: Badgers (-8)

Wisconsin has been without top RB Corey Clement for most of the season (carried it just 8 times vs Alabama) and after an MRI revealed a sports hernia, they will be without him for at least another month. Coming into last week’s game vs Hawaii, the Wisconsin running game was ranked dead last in the Big Ten at 142 YPG. They are not used to seeing that in Madison. They got back on track last week as Freshman Taiwan Deal stepped in and started his first game last week and rumbled for 147 of the Badgers 326 rushing yards. The defense was stellar again holding Hawaii scoreless. Since giving up 35 points to Bama in the opener, the Badger top unit has allowed at TOTAL of 3 points in their last 3 games! In those 3 games the UW defense has allowed their opponent to get inside the red zone (inside the 20) just TWICE.

The competition obviously jumps up a few notches this week with Iowa’s offense playing very well right now. The Hawkeyes have scored 30+ in 3 of their 4 games including 62 last week vs North Texas. Iowa was +130 in total yardage vs UNT despite running 25 fewer offensive plays. An impressive effort in a letdown spot coming off wins over rival Iowa State and a last second win vs Pitt. They leave the state of Iowa for the first time this season traveling 3 hours (by car) northeast to Madison. Iowa dominated this series between 1980 and 1996 going 14-0-1 SU vs Wisconsin. Since then the Badgers are 10-6 including a tight 26-24 win last year in Iowa City. The road team has won 4 straight in this series and this is the first time since 2009 that the Hawkeyes have played in Madison. Since 2000, Iowa has been a big money maker as an underdog with a 44-26-3 ATS record (63%). If they are getting a TD or more (line here is currently Wisconsin -7) those numbers improve to 20-9 ATS (69%).

Nebraska at Illinois (BTN, 3:30 PM EST)
Current Line: Cornhuskers (-6.5)
Opening Line: Cornhuskers (-7.5)

The Huskers have been through a season’s worth of emotional rides all in the first month of the year. After a hail-mary loss to BYU and an OT setback to Miami, they had to hold on at home last week vs Southern Miss winning 36-28. The Nebraska offense has been very good averaging a Big Ten best 6.8 yards per play. They have gained at least 445 yards in all four games this season. On the flip side, the defense has been poor giving up a Big Ten worst 6.4 yards per play. They have allowed 450 yards or more in 3 of their 4 games this year. Head coach Mike Riley said they were very thin at LB to begin with and now a cluster of injuries at that spot (Banderas, Newby, and Rose-Ivey) have left them with very little remaining players at that spot. He did say that top WR and returner De’Mornay Pierson El, who has missed all 4 games with a foot injury, might return on Saturday.

There is some rare excitement surrounding the Illinois football program as they come in at 3-1. This is a program that has had ONE winning regular season record in the last decade. However, they have played only one Power 5 team thus far and they were destroyed 48-14 in that game at UNC. They had the same building excitement last year starting 3-1 only to go 3-5 in the Big Ten and then they were whipped by La Tech in their first bowl appearance since 2011. Much of the offensive load has fallen on the shoulders of QB Wes Lunt because the Illini struggling to run the ball (162 YPG which is 13th in the Big Ten). Lunt and his receivers have not been on the same page the last two games according to head coach Bill Cubit.

After starting the first two games with 478 yards passing, 67% completion rate, 93 total points, and 5 TD passes, Lunt has fallen in his last two games to just 378 yards passing, 54% completion rate, 41 total points and 1 TD pass. This week he faces the Big Ten’s worst pass defense with Nebraska allowing 380 YPG through the air so we’ll see if the Illinois passing attack can get back on track. Since joining the Big Ten Nebraska has won both of their meetings with Illinois by an average score of 42-16.

Ohio State at Indiana (ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 PM EST)
Current Line: Buckeyes (-21)
Opening Line: Buckeyes (-21)

Ohio State continues to be overvalued in the betting markets. After covering their first game vs Virginia Tech, the Bucks are 0-3 ATS their last 3 games. Not only are they 0-3 ATS, they have failed to cover the spread by 37.5 points and if it weren’t for 3 OSU non-offensive TD’s during that stretch it would have been worse. The offense and the QB battle has been the main discussion nationally, however head coach Urban Meyer is concerned with the Bucks rush defense. They are currently 9th in the Big Ten in stopping the rush (121 YPG) and just allowed Western Michigan to run for 168 yards last week. While that may not seem like a big deal, WMU rushed for 43 yards combined in their other 2 games vs FBS opponents (Mich St and Georgia Southern).

The Hoosiers are trying to get back to a bowl game for the first time since 2007. They are well on their way with a perfect 4-0 mark to start the season. They need to win just 2 Big Ten games to be bowl eligible. It hasn’t been easy as their wins have come by margins of 1, 14, 3, and 7 points against a less than impressive list of opponents (Southern Illinois, FIU, Western Kentucky, and Wake Forest). IU currently has the #1 offense in the Big Ten averaging 522 YPG. The problem is, they also have the worst defense in the league allowing 499 YPG. An Indiana outright win would obviously be a stretch as OSU has won 20 straight in this series by an average margin of +21 PPG. Only 3 of those 20 games have been decided by last than 10 points. However, IU had covered 4 in a row in this series.

Michigan at Maryland (BTN, 8:00 PM EST)
Current Line: Wolverines (-16)
Opening Line: Wolverines (-16)

Michigan is getting a lot of run in the media after destroying BYU 31-0 last week. We were on the Wolverines for our Top Play last week and truth be told, they caught BYU in a terrible spot. We expected a tired and flat Cougar team and they proved us correct. Don’t forget the Cougs played a brutal early schedule and had three consecutive VERY physical and emotional games. They beat Nebraska on the road with a hail-mary, beat Boise in similar fashion, and then had a chance to upset UCLA a week before traveling to Michigan. BYU was out of gas and it was obvious shortly after kickoff. Michigan is improved but we’re not going to over react quite yet. This week probably won’t tell us much as they are playing an overmatched Maryland team.

The Terps have been an all or nothing team thus far with their two wins coming by 29 and 18 points (vs Richmond and USF) and their two losses have come by 21 and 39 points (vs Bowling Green and West Virginia). They were obviously toasted last week at WVU is what is a big rivalry game. Terp QB Rowe threw 4 more interceptions and now has a whopping 9 picks in just 64 pass attempts. That’s a HORRIBLE 1 interception thrown for every 7 pass attempts. Rowe was replaced by Oklahoma State transfer Daxx Garman and now there is a full blown QB controversy in College Park. As of this writing head coach Randy Edsall is still leaning toward starting Rowe on Saturday but that’s not yet set in stone.

Maryland’s rush defense is the worst in the Big Ten allowing 200 YPG. They have given up over 500 yards combined on the ground in their two losses to BG and WVU. That could be a problem as the Wolverines have gotten their running game rolling on all cylinders with 225, 254, and 254 yards rushing their last 3 games. However, they might be without starting RB De’Veon Smith who left last week’s game with an ankle injury – listed as probable. These two have met once since Maryland joined the league and that was last year when the Terps (+6.5) pulled the 23-16 upset in Michigan.

[StarDust Bum]

Miami at Cincinnati

September 29, 2015

Cincinnati returns to the Thursday night primetime slot this week hosting Miami in non-conference action. Last week, the Bearcats lost narrowly on Thursday night at Memphis in a very exciting game that featured 99 points. Here is a look at this week’s intriguing battle in the spotlight to start off college football in the month of October.

Match-up: Miami, FL Hurricanes at Cincinnati Bearcats
Venue: Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio
Time/TV: Thursday, October 1, 7:30 PM ET – ESPN
Line: Miami, FL -6, Over/Under 68
Last Meeting: 2014, at Miami, FL (-16½) 55-34

Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel was knocked out of his second straight game last week. After struggling with turnovers in his first live action in the narrow win over Miami (OH), freshman back-up Hayden Moore had a monster game on national TV last week, passing for 557 yards. Cincinnati posted 38 first downs and 752 yards, but wound up losing a fourth quarter lead with Memphis scoring a touchdown in the final minute to win.

Cincinnati is third nationally in total offense posting 622 yards per game including being the second most prolific passing offense, but the Bearcats are second-worst in the nation with 14 turnovers while featuring the nation’s worst turnover margin at -10. As a result a team that has scored 161 points in four games is just 2-2. Both losses came in conference play and even in the new division format in the AAC, an 0-2 start will be tough to overcome for one of last season’s three co-champions in the league. Cincinnati has not lost more than two conference games in any of the last four seasons and they will need to win out in league play to likely even have a chance at making the first AAC championship game.

Cincinnati is playing out of conference in its next two games with this home date with Miami, an off week next week and then a game at BYU in mid-October. A program that has won at least nine games in each of the last of the last four seasons will have a challenging time getting there this season unless they can hold serve at home in this marquee non-conference game that is also a revenge game.

Last season, Cincinnati also started 2-2 and Miami made it a 2-3 start for the Bearcats with a 55-34 win in Coral Gables. Cincinnati scored three fourth quarter touchdowns to make the score more respectable as the Hurricanes led by 28 heading into the fourth quarter. Cincinnati put up 422 yards in the game, but they allowed 621 yards with more than half of that total coming on the ground with the Hurricanes averaging 9.6 yards per rush. Miami actually had 13 penalties for 155 yards as the result might have been even more lopsided.

In a season with grounded expectations coming off a 6-7 season, Miami is quietly off to a 3-0 start. The Hurricanes had a comfortable win over Bethune-Cookman in the opening week and then labored in an eventual 44-20 win at Florida Atlantic in the second week in a game that was tied several minutes into the second half before the Hurricanes pulled away. In the first marquee game of the season, Miami jumped out to a 27-3 lead early in the second half against Nebraska. The Hurricanes led by 23 well into the fourth quarter, but Nebraska rallied to force overtime in a wild finish. Miami escaped with the win and has had nearly two weeks to prepare for this game. Next on the schedule is a season-making opportunity in Tallahassee.

After an erratic freshman season, quarterback Brad Kaaya has played well for Miami with just one interception though he has completed just 61 percent of his passes against less than impressive competition. Replacing 1,600-yard rusher Duke Johnson at running back has been a committee approach this season with sophomore Joseph Yearby and freshman Mark Walton combining for 461 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

With a win this week, the Hurricanes could crack into the top 25 after receiving some votes the past two weeks before heading into next week’s huge game at Florida State. The schedule the rest of the season is difficult with all eight ACC games packed into eight straight weeks with tough road games and a difficult Atlantic draw with both the Seminoles and Clemson on schedule. It is thought by many that Al Golden in his fifth season leading the Hurricanes could be in trouble after four mostly unremarkable seasons and no postseason wins and October will be a big month in determining the future for Golden and the future of the program.

Miami has had great balance on offense, but they will need to keep pace with a Cincinnati offense that seems likely to put up big numbers on everyone. While turnovers have burned Cincinnati this season, the Miami defense is +8 in turnover margin for the second best rate in the nation as the Miami offense has only committed two turnovers while picking up three fumbles and seven interceptions in three games.

Historical Trends:

Miami is on a 10-5 ATS run as a road favorite going back to 2009, but the program is on a 37-51-1 run as a favorite overall since 2005. Miami is 3-5-1 in the last eight games as a single-digit favorite while going 3-7 ATS in the last 10 road games. Cincinnati is 7-2 in the last nine games as a home underdog going back to 2006, but the Bearcats have only been a home underdog twice in the past two seasons. Cincinnati is 30-9 S/U at home but just 17-21 ATS in that span, covering in just four of the last 12 home games.