The Bum's 2016 College Football Best Bets,Trends,Stat, News !!

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Betting Recap - Week 1
September 5, 2016

Overall Notes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 RESULTS

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs

Straight Up 69-15

Against the Spread 39-43-2

WAGER Home-Away

Straight Up 61-16

Against the Spread 33-43-1

WAGER Totals (O/U)

Over-Under 28-42-3

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs

Straight Up (neutral site) 5-2

Against the Spread (neutral site) 3-3-1

Over-Under (neutral site) 3-4

The largest underdogs to win straight up

South Alabama (+28, ML +3000) at Mississippi State, 21-20
Eastern Washington (+27.5, ML +2750) at Washington State, 45-42
Albany (+21, ML +1125) at Buffalo, 22-16

The largest favorites to cover

Miami-Florida (-52) vs. Florida A&M, 70-3
Oklahoma State (-49) vs. SE Louisiana, 61-7
Middle Tennessee (-47.5) vs. Alabama A&M, 55-0

Top 25 Notes

-- The first full weekend of college football was tremendously exciting, as the marquee games mostly lived up to their billing. Top-ranked Alabama was expected to get a much bigger test from Southern California, but that game turned out to be a laugher. The Trojans outscored the Crimson Tide 3-0 after the first quarter, but then the Tide took over and blasted USC 52-6. ... No. 2 Clemson ended up getting a much bigger challenge than expected at Auburn, winning 19-13. See the 'bad beat' section for more on how this one played out. ... At Lambeau Field in Green Bay it was defensive slog and great game between Louisiana State and Wisconsin, although the result was overshadowed by an ugly cheap shot by LSU's Josh Boutte. The Badgers weren't ranked in the Top 25, but after toppling the No. 6 team in the nation it appears Wisconsin is headed for the rankings. ... Top 25 teams went 17-5 SU through Saturday's action, but finished 9-13 ATS with two of the games featuring ranked teams on each side. Florida State capped off the weekend with a stunning comeback in Orlando against Mississippi, as the Rebels blew a 28-6 lead. At one point, FSU outscored the Rebs 33-0 before Ole Miss put a stop to the bleeding with a fourth quarter TD. It was too little, too late, though, as FSU improved to 7-0 in their past seven when trailing at halftime.

-- In Thursday's action, Appalachian State came over the Great Smoky Mountains to face Tennessee, losing 20-13 in overtime. The Volunteers have high expectations, but they started the season on a sour note with a near upset.

-- Houston was invited to the party last season, upending Florida State in the Peach Bowl. This season, they're the favorite from the Group of Five to crash the New Year's Day bowls again. Their bid got off to a great start with a 33-23 win over Oklahoma at NRG Field in Houston, which was technically a neutral-site game.

-- North Carolina and Georgia had a classic battle in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. It appeared the ACC underdog was going to win, but then a strange safety seemed to turn the tide and get the Bulldogs rolling. Speaking of rolling, Nick Chubb showed why he is in the early Heisman conversation with a stellar perhaps to trample the Tar Heels and help the Dawgs cover.

Big Five Conference Report (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC)

-- The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is off to an impressive start, as Clemson won 19-13 at Auburn, and Louisville looked the part of Top 25 team with a 70-14 thrashing and cover against Charlotte. ... Wake Forest's offense appeared to be stuck in neutral yet again, mustering just seven points in Thursday's game against Tulane. The good news is that they had a suffocating defense on display in a 7-3 win. ... North Carolina State picked up a win over William & Mary, and fellow Triangle team Duke pushed North Carolina Central aside in the Bull City Battle, covering a big number in the process. ... It wasn't all good, as Virginia tasted defeat at home against Richmond of the FCS, a team which led 30-7 at hone point before a couple of late scores made it look semi-respectable.

-- Ohio State and Michigan looked strong in the opening weekend, pushing aside inferior opponents while racking up plenty of points in the process. The Buckeyes (-27.5) easily covered against Bowling Green of the MAC, 77-10. Ohio State is 32-1 against the MAC all-time, losing to Akron back in 1894. The Wolverines spanked Hawaii 63-3, as the Rainbow Warriors slipped to 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS. ... Michigan State was rather sluggish, beating FCS Furman by a 28-13 count, never comin close to cover as 37 1/2-point favorites. ... Northwestern had high hopes entering the season, but P.J. Fleck's Western Michigan squad had other ideas in a 22-21 victory in Evanston.

-- Kansas State was on the short end of a 26-13 loss at Stanford Friday night. Depending on the time of your wager, you either covered, lost or pushed, with the line fluctuating from 12 to 15 during the week. ... Disaster struck in Houston for the Sooners, and to make matters worse they have to share the state with Oklahoma State, who pounded FCS Southeast Louisiana 61-7 to look mighty impressive in their opener. ... One Big 12 team which did not have good luck against an FCS squad was Iowa State, as they were shocked at home by Northern Iowa, 25-20. ... Texas Christian had their hands full with South Dakota State, as they were tied 24-24 at halftime, and they were tied 31-31 midway through the third quarter before the light went off for the Horned Frogs.

-- USC's loss was a black eye for the Pac-12, and UCLA was unable to come away from Texas A&M with a victory, although they certainly were scrappy. The Bruins erased a 24-9 Aggies' lead in the fourth quarter, forcing overtime. However, UCLA ended up losing 31-24 for the non-cover. ... Oregon usually starts off slow in these cupcake games against FCS teams, and Saturday was no different. UC-Davis easily covered a 48-point number in their 53-28 loss in Eugene. ... For the second straight season, Washington State was dumped by an FCS team in the opening weekend. Last year it was Portland State, this time it was Eastern Washington doing the honors.

-- The SEC had a difficult time this weekend, as LSU lost its marquee battle, while Mississippi State started off the post-Dak Prescott Era with a 21-20 setback to South Alabama of the Sun Belt. ... Arkansas didn't look particularly sharp, slipping by Louisiana Tech by a 21-20 score. ... Kentucky held a 35-10 lead at one point, but they were outscored 34-0 since the end of the second quarter against Southern Mississippi in a 44-35 stunner at Commonwealth Stadium. ... Missouri opened with a loss and non-cover at West Virginia, slipping 26-11. The offensive woes which plagued the Tigers last season reared their ugly head in Morgantown.

Mid-Major Report

-- Temple didn't get off to a very impressive start, falling 28-13 to Army. The Owls lost just three games all season before their bowl loss, and they only suffered one setback at home all of last year. ... Tulsa was favored by just four points, but they thrashed San Jose State by a 45-10 score thanks to Dane Evans, Keevan Lucas and friends. ... Cincinnati was sluggish in a 28-7 win against Tennessee-Martin of the FCS. The Bearcats will look for better results at Purdue next Saturday. ... Southern Methodist looked sharp, winning 34-21 at North Texas as touchdown favorites.

-- Outside of the Southern Mississippi comeback, Conference USA didn't have a whole lot to crow about in the opening stanza. Louisiana Tech also had a signature win at Arkansas, but the Razorbacks fought back for a 21-20 win thanks to a touchdown with 6:37 remaining. ... App State also scored a big upset in Knoxville against a Top 10 team, but they came up just short in overtime against the Vols.

-- The Mid-America Conference went 1-3 SU and 2-2 ATS against the Big Ten. Western Michigan stunned Northwestern 22-21 to cover a 3 1/2-point spread, while Kent State held on for the cover as a 24-point underdog. ... The game of the day might have been in Athens, as Ohio slipped against visiting Texas State in triple-overtime, 56-54. ... Akron was a bit rusty to start, leading just 26-24 through three quarters against VMI. The Zips outscored the Keydets 21-0 in the final quarter to score a 47-24 victory.

-- It was ugly in Denver for the Mountain West, as Colorado State was spanked 44-7 by rival Colorado at Mile High. The underdog had been 3-0-1 ATS in the past four meetings, but this one wasn't close. ... Boise State looks ready to return to prominence, and they kicked off their sseason with a 45-10 shellacking of Louisiana-Lafayette on the road. ... Nevada got all it could handle against Cal Poly SLO, winning 30-27 in double-overtime. ... UNLV covered a 40-point number against FCS Jackson State, treating Walter Payton's alma mater rather rudely.

Bad Beats

-- Clemson was covering 19-6 midway through the fourth quarter at Auburn. On 3rd and 10, Auburn threw incomplete for what should have been a fourth down play. However, senior Ben Boulware had a roughing the passer call to give Auburn a chance. They cashed in on the very next play to go up 19-13. After a failed onside kick attempt and favorable situation with timeouts, it appeared Clemson would cover with a field goal in the final minute. But head coach Dabo Swinney elected to go for it on fourth down, stunning bettors of Clemson everywhere.

-- If you were laying the 3 1/2 points with Kentucky, then you need a drink. They were up 35-10 and there looked like no way Southern Mississippi could get back into the game. But they closed to 35-17 by halftime, and outscored the Wildcats 27-0 in the second half for the amazing 44-35 victory.

-- It was like losing twice for UCLA side bettors. The Bruins fought back from a 24-9 deficit in the final 4:19 to force overtime at 24. But A&M scored a touchdown, and the Bruins were unable to answer. If you had the 'under' (55), it was also a bad beat. Therew were just 33 points in the first 55:41 of regulation, and 22 points in the final 4:19 of regulation and overtime.

-- It wasn't a bad beat in the sense there was a backdoor cover in the final minute, etc. However, Ole Miss held a 28-6 lead, and side bettors (+4 1/2), as well as moneyline bettors (ML +180), were feeling pretty good about themselves. Even at halftime, it was Mississippi 28 Florida State 13. Then, the bottom fell out and Rebels bettors were left shaking their heads with an 11-point loss.

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Strong maybe happiest Big 12 coach
September 5, 2016

Texas coach Charlie Strong went home and sat around for a couple of hours after the Longhorns opened their season with a double-overtime victory over No. 10 Notre Dame. Then, without any sleep, he went back to work Monday morning.

''It was just an impressive win and I was just so happy for the players. It was hard to just rest your mind after that win,'' Strong said during the Big 12 coaches teleconference, often clearing his throat while sounding excited and exhausted after the 50-47 victory Sunday night.

''I was rooting for Texas to be able to win that game,'' West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said, knowing that big wins like that are good for the conference overall.

That was also a great way for the league to finish the opening weekend after falling in other big games. The Longhorns, coming off consecutive losing records in Strong's first two seasons, were the only winner among the three Big 12 teams with non-conference openers against top-15 opponents, though West Virginia did win over Missouri, now in the SEC after previously being in the Big 12.

Kansas State lost 26-13 at No. 8 Stanford on Friday night before No. 3 Oklahoma, the overwhelming preseason favorite to win its 10th Big 12 title, fell 33-23 to No. 15 Houston.

''Both sides of the ball were inconsistent,'' said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, whose team gets a chance to correct things at home Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe before sixth-ranked Ohio State visits Norman the following week.

The Longhorns started last season with a 38-3 loss at Notre Dame, and then went 5-7 while beating Oklahoma and Baylor away from home and losing three games by a field goal or less. In this opener, they went ahead by 17 points before the Irish regained the lead and then, immediately after Texas went back ahead late, returned a blocked PAT for a two-point conversion that tied the game.

''This game, it does so much for the confidence when you have a young team. You just want to make sure that it builds and that we don't allow them to get full of themselves,'' Strong said. ''Last year, we probably would have lost this game.''

Some other notes from the Labor Day edition of the Big 12 coaches teleconference:

- For the first time since the 2014 season, Kansas is coming off a victory.

Jayhawks coach David Beaty said it was great to see how players and students reacted after a 55-6 win over FCS Rhode Island. That snapped a 15-game losing streak, including a 0-12 debut last season under Beaty.

The Jayhawks, who host Ohio next, haven't won consecutive games since starting 2-0 in 2011 and then losing their last 10 games that season. They won their 2012 opener before finishing 1-11, and had opening wins in 2013 and 2014 on the way to 3-9 records.

- Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked five times by Houston, and the Sooners finished with only 70 yards rushing even with the running duo of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. But when questioned about the offensive line Monday, Stoops defended the big men up front.

''Actually, the offensive line was one of our better groups. They actually played pretty well,'' said Stoops, adding how things changed in the third quarter after Houston returned a missed field goal for a touchdown and the Sooners were suddenly down 16 points after fumbles on consecutive drives after that. ''Maybe we still could have (run) some, but in the end, when you're down 16, it doesn't lend itself to having a lot of patience.''

- Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the national leader in total yards last season, got off to an impressive start with 540 total yards and six touchdowns against Stephen F. Austin. Coach Kliff Kingsbury was impressed by the junior quarterback for more than his 483 yards passing and 57 yards rushing.

''His vision seeing the field, his operation,'' Kingsbury said. ''He checked us into some things early in the game on Saturday he wouldn't have gotten to last year. It's just becoming second nature. Everything's slowed down for him. He's healthy again, so he's running really well, and so he's playing at a high level. Much higher than last year.''

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Oklahoma QB Mayfield takes blame
September 5, 2016

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield entered the season high on many Heisman Trophy watch lists.

After week one, he'd settle for just winning a game.

Mayfield put up big numbers in the season opener against Houston, but the third-ranked Sooners lost 33-23 to the 15th-ranked Cougars last Saturday. Mayfield took much of the blame and vowed to improve before Oklahoma opens its home slate Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe.

''I've just got to be better,'' he said. ''I know what to expect of myself, and knowing how the team reacts to my play, it's even more important.''

Though Mayfield passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns, he was sacked five times and he missed open receivers at times and forced throws in other cases.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Mayfield got greedy.

''I think probably pressing trying to make the big play instead of the simple play and the obvious play,'' Stoops said of some of the miscues.

Mayfield went 9 for 9 for 162 yards and a touchdown in the first half and wasn't sacked. In the second half, he connected on 13 of 24 passes for 161 yards and a score, but he was sacked five times and he lost a fumble.

''I didn't get the ball out as quick as I wanted,'' Mayfield said of his second-half effort. ''They brought a couple different blitzes. Missed some holes where they left people open. Just decision making, knowing when they're going to blitz and what kind of gaps they're going to leave in their defense -- you've got to take advantage of it.''

It's a challenge for Mayfield to rein in his tendency to go for the big play. With his strong arm and ability to improvise, he believes he can make something big out of nothing every time.

''That's not how the offense operates,'' Stoops said. ''We had guys in certain spots that would have been easier throws and would have helped us.''

It was Mayfield's first time in a pressure situation at Oklahoma without Sterling Shepard, his star receiver and security blanket last season. Mayfield at times looked hesitant to throw, and in one instance, he was sacked on a fourth-and-16 in the fourth quarter.

''A guy like Sterling always stepped up in big moments, so yeah, it hurts to lose him, but we have guys that should be able to step up,'' Mayfield said. ''I've just got to get the ball out of my hands. At certain points, there were people open. I've just got to get the ball out of my hands instead of scrambling around a little too much or just not taking a chance on them -- trusting what they're doing and getting it in their hands.''

On the next drive, Mayfield trusted Mark Andrews, and the tight end made a spectacular grab in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown. Andrews' catch ended an 8-play, 80-yard drive.

''It was kind of more of getting back to what we did in the first half - tempo and doing what we do best, getting the ball out of my hand, not taking any sacks, not doing anything dumb,'' Mayfield said. ''Just moving the chains and keeping it moving.''

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Wisconsin looks to build on upset
September 5, 2016

MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst liked what he heard from the stream of players who filed into his office over the weekend to discuss the team's upset win over No. 5 LSU.

The Badgers aren't satisfied.

''They see we can be a lot better,'' Chryst recounted Monday.

No signs of a letdown following the emotional 16-14 victory over the Tigers. After a ballyhooed opener at Lambeau Field against an SEC power, Wisconsin hosts Akron this Saturday in its home opener at Camp Randall Stadium.

''Didn't need to prod the guys, didn't need to tell them what to think,'' Chryst said.

The enthusiasm from the victory was also a little tempered on Monday after the team announced that starting inside linebacker Chris Orr would miss the rest of the season with a right ACL injury. The sophomore was injured on the Badgers' first defensive play against LSU.

Orr showed promise as a freshman after making seven starts and playing in 11 games. Now, depth is becoming an issue at inside linebacker with T.J. Edwards also likely out at least another couple weeks with a left foot injury.

Sophomore Ryan Connelly will take over for Orr alongside fellow inside linebacker Jack Cichy. Connelly had seven tackles after replacing Orr against LSU.

''Nothing's guaranteed. You saw that with Chris Orr. He spent a ton of time (working) and now he'll be done for the season'' Chryst said. ''You want kids to be able to enjoy each and every opportunity they get.''

Orr has relayed a similar message to his teammates.

''Chris would never want us to lose a step because he's out,'' Cichy said. ''He's going to be in our ears.''

The defense is off to a strong start after allowing just a touchdown to LSU, and that was only after Wisconsin receiver George Rushing fumbled in his own territory. LSU's other score on Saturday came on defense, after a poor throw by quarterback Bart Houston was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

Allowing 138 yards on 23 carries to LSU running back Leonard Fournette isn't that bad considering that he's a Heisman Trophy candidate. The Badgers kept him out of the end zone and finished strong after safety D'Cota Dixon picked off LSU's Brandon Harris with 57 seconds left to seal the victory.

The offense is the area that the Badgers could use the most improvement. The running game grinded out yards with the tailback tandem of Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale, and the young line more than held its own against LSU's athletic defense. Tight end Troy Fumagalli had a breakout game with seven catches for 100 yards.

But the Badgers had trouble in the red zone, including another Houston interception that was picked off in the end zone.

Making his first collegiate start, Houston finished 19 of 31 for 205 yards. He did show toughness on scrambles, including two runs that he finished off by plowing head-first into tacklers.

Wisconsin doesn't run a system for running quarterbacks, though.

Houston said he planned to concentrate on situational awareness and ball security ahead of the Akron game.

''When I was in the pocket trying to run, I was kind of carrying (the ball) around like a loaf of bread,'' said Houston, a triple-option quarterback in high school. But that was a while ago for the fifth-year senior.

NOTE: LSU announced on Monday the school had suspended OL Josh Boutte for one game for leveling Dixon with a big hit after the safety's game-clinching interception . Coach Les Miles said that Boutte hit Dixon by mistake, and that he called Dixon to apologize. When asked for his reaction, Chryst said that he was proud of the way his players responded after the play. Words were exchanged between players, but the Badgers mainly attended to Dixon.

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Navy QB Smith lost for season with ACL
September 5, 2016

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Tago Smith, who replaced Keenan Reynolds as Navy's starting quarterback, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Smith tore his right ACL in Navy's 52-16 victory over Fordham on Saturday.

The injury occurred on the third play of the second quarter during a 22-yard run by Smith. He finished the game with 97 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 10 carries and completed his only pass for 45 yards.

Smith, a senior, was elevated to the starting position after Reynolds enjoyed a record-setting run during his four years at the school.

Senior Will Worth now takes over at quarterback for Navy. Sophomore Zach Abey is the backup and freshman Malcolm Perry is third on the depth chart.

Worth rushed for 22 yards against Fordham and completed all three of his passes for 78 yards.

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Florida loses Dre Massey for season
September 5, 2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) No. 25 Florida will be without its most versatile player for the rest of the season.

Coach Jim McElwain said Monday that receiver Dre Massey will have season-ending knee surgery, a big blow considering the Gators were counting on the junior college transfer to make an immediate impact this fall.

Massey injured his right knee during the opening kickoff in Florida's 24-7 victory over UMass on Saturday night. He continued to play until halftime.

''There's obviously disappointment any time something like that happens,'' McElwain said. ''And yet the beautiful thing about teammates, family, is they're there to support, elevate, pick him up. That's what we saw. He had a lot of family members here, too, for the first (game).

''I know it was disappointing for him and yet he's got a lot of ball in front of him. He'll get this thing handled.''

Massey is capable of lining up at receiver, running back, quarterback, returner and even punter. He did it all at Holmes (Mississippi) Community College last year. He caught 21 passes for 548 yards and six touchdowns, and carried 59 times for 452 yards and three scores. He also punted three times (averaged 22.3 yards) and threw three passes (all incomplete).

The Gators (1-0) had planned to get him on the field alongside fellow speedsters Antonio Callaway and Brandon Powell. Now, though, Massey will have to wait until 2017 to make an impact at the major college level. He will have two more years of eligibility remaining.

''That's a hard injury to have happen to him, but I think he showed how tough he is,'' quarterback Luke Del Rio said. ''It's going to be tough to lose a great player like Dre, but we're talented in that room and we'll rally around him and support him through the rehab process.''

Florida will turn to several freshmen to fill the void. Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond caught passes in the opener, and Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells are back after serving one-game suspensions. Cleveland and Well were suspended for firing BB guns inside a residence dorm in July. The legal case is still pending.

Cornerback Jalen Tabor and tight end C'yontai Lewis also are returning from one-game suspensions for fighting in practice.

All four could play when the Gators open Southeastern Conference play Saturday against Kentucky (0-1).

Lewis is expected to bolster the team's receiving corps in Massey's absence, and Tabor should solidify a secondary that allowed receptions of 24, 30 and 53 yards against the Minutemen.

''We're going to have a lot more exciting plays,'' linebacker Jarrad Davis said. ''I think a lot of guys are going to be able to really let their guard down and go play now. We're locked tight back there, and it's going to be really exciting to see what goes down when he's there.''

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UCLA QB Josh Rosen doesn't regret comments
September 6, 2016

LOS ANGELES (AP) UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has no regrets over his interactions with Texas A&M fans, including remarks about crowd noise at Kyle Field or encouraging them to get louder in the fourth quarter as the 16th-ranked Bruins staged a late rally. His performance in the 31-24 overtime loss to the Aggies, however, left the sophomore with second thoughts.

''Like I said right after the game, my play is unacceptable,'' Rosen said Monday. ''It was a pretty bad first half and I can't let it happen again.''

Rosen was 26 of 46 for 343 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. The offense had too many ''if only'' plays, as coach Jim Mora described them, where Rosen failed to find open receivers or couldn't deliver the ball accurately while under pressure from the talented Texas A&M pass rush.

When Rosen could get the pass off, the inexperienced UCLA wide receivers dropped some sure touchdowns.

''Sometimes you can trump anything good or bad on a play by making a good decision and I didn't. Three very specific plays in particular that I very easily could have thrown to the end zone and scored and hopefully turned the tide of the game,'' Rosen said. ''Everyone had their issues.''

They were especially evident in the red zone, where UCLA only scored one touchdown in six trips including overtime. Rosen failed to complete any of his six pass attempts inside the 20-yard line and was intercepted early in the fourth quarter when UCLA trailed 24-9. Center Scott Quessenberry said the execution in the red zone was ''not even close to our standard.

''We come away with two touchdowns instead of two field goals we win that game,'' Quessenberry said.

In spite of those breakdowns, UCLA had a chance to win the game in regulation if not an interception that Rosen threw after Quessenberry snapped the ball early. Left guard Kenny Lacy had been tapping Quessenberry to let him know Rosen was ready for the snap as part of UCLA's silent count, but a Pac-12 official touched Quessenberry and the redshirt junior mistook it for the signal. Mora has requested an explanation from the conference, describing the sequence as a ''weird deal.''

UCLA's focus now turns to its home opener against UNLV on Saturday, hoping to build on what the offense did well. Kenneth Walker had six receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown, hinting the redshirt senior has shed his label as an explosive but inconsistent receiver. Tight end Austin Roberts added five receptions for 61 yards and frequently found space down the seams. Running backs Soso Jamabo and Bolu Olorunfunmi combined to rush for 139 yards and one touchdown.

''As the game progressed I think we showed what we can be as an offense,'' Quessenberry said. ''We were running the ball effectively and we can pass protect with one of the best D-lines in the country. We just got to take those grains of salt going forward and build on them.''

What won't change is Rosen's willingness to engage opposing fans. Rosen praised Texas A&M fans and seemed to enjoy the back-and-forth, which included chants of ''50,000,'' a reference to his remarks that any crowd larger than 50,000 has the same effect on the offense.

''At the same time, if we came out on top at the end I probably would have given them something at the end, maybe a salute or something,'' Rosen said.

NOTES: DE Takkarist McKinley (groin) is ''day-to-day,'' Mora said, adding that he would exercise caution with the injury so it does not linger all season. . Mora was hopeful rush end Deon Hollins (concussion) would be available after not playing against Texas A&M. . RB Nate Starks will practice this week and his playing status will be a game-time decision. Starks did not travel with the team to Texas A&M, and his absence was described as a coach's decision.

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4th Quarter Covers - Week 1
September 6, 2016


Glancing at the scoreboard won’t tell you the whole story in most games. Here are some of the games that went down to the wire relative to the spread in the fourth quarter last week in the opening college football weekend. Each week there are several teams that cover despite not necessarily deserving it, as well as other teams that played much better than the final score shows.

Indiana (-10) 34, Florida International 13: After a slow start, Indiana took a 12-3 lead with its first touchdown of the season coming on a 34-yard interception return. With a touchdown before the half, double-digit underdog Florida International was able to answer to trail by just two points. Defense controlled the third quarter, but in the final minute, Florida International kicked a field goal to take a 13-12 lead heading into the final frame. Indiana’s offense finally provided a few big plays and built a 20-13 lead early in the fourth quarter and despite reaching Hoosier territory on its next possession, the Panthers had to punt the ball back. Indiana got past the spread for the first time in the game with a nine-play scoring drive to lead by 14 with less than seven minutes to go in the game. FIU was stopped on downs in Indiana territory on its next possession, but the defense held to get the ball back only to watch Indiana return another interception for a touchdown as the Hoosiers outscored FIU 22-0 in the fourth quarter to go from trailing in the game to comfortably covering the hefty road favorite spread in a very misleading final score.

South Carolina (+5) 13, Vanderbilt 10: The Commodores have had little success in this series, but with a 10-0 lead at the half, Vanderbilt was in a great position. South Carolina got on the board with a field goal in the third quarter, but Vanderbilt still held a seven-point lead going into the fourth quarter to sit ahead of the home favorite spread. Behind senior Perry Orth, South Carolina delivered an 84-yard drive to tie the game about halfway through the final quarter and in an attempt to get the lead back, Vanderbilt failed on a 45-yard field goal try. South Carolina managed to deliver a successful kick from 55 yards with 35 seconds on the clock to steal a big SEC road win for Will Muschamp in his debut leading the Gamecocks.

Stanford (-11½) 26, Kansas State 13: Stanford’s season got off to a strong start with a 17-0 lead, but Kansas State hit a field goal just before halftime to get on the board, leaving the margin right in the middle of Stanford’s home favorite spread that was as high as -16 and dropped down to just -11½ by kickoff. Kansas State trimmed the lead to just 11 points with a third quarter field goal as neither team was able to deliver much offense in the second half. Pinned deep, Kansas State suffered a safety with just over four minutes to go to put the margin back to 13. The Wildcats then delivered their best offensive drive of the day with a seven-play touchdown drive and with just over two minutes to go it was a six-point game. The on-side kick attempt failed and Christian McCaffrey needed just one carry to put Stanford back up by 13, again right in the middle of the potential spreads on the game. Kansas State threatened to score again late reaching the Stanford 26-yard line, but eventually went backwards with a penalty and a sack as Stanford held on despite rather modest yardage production.


Georgia Tech (-3) 17, Boston College 14: The early start ACC game in Ireland proved to be a great game with a dramatic fourth quarter after the teams were knotted up at 7-7 through three quarters. The Boston College running game picked up some momentum and finally took the lead with a touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter, following up the second missed field goal of the game for the Eagles. Down seven, the Yellow Jackets settled for a field goal with about six minutes to go and then forced the punt it needed to get the ball back. With an 11-play drive that included a 4th-and-19 conversion, Georgia Tech punched into the end zone with 35 seconds to go to score the win though they wound up with a push or loss on the spread as +3½ did become available at some outlets for the Eagles.

Iowa (-27½) 45, Miami, OH 21: Early in the second half, an Iowa touchdown put the margin at 28 with the Hawkeyes leading 35-7 and in complete control, but Miami would score the next two touchdowns to climb within 14 with about 10 minutes to go in the game. The Hawkeyes wound up settling for a 22-yard field goal on its next possession, perhaps the key play in the game relative to the spread as when Iowa added another touchdown following a turnover late in the game the margin only reach 24 instead of 28 and the Redhawks wound up an underdog winner. Despite the sizable edge on the scoreboard, Miami had 20 more net yards and eight more first downs in the game, but also three more turnovers.

Western Michigan (+3) 22, Northwestern 21: The spread on this game fell all week and while Northwestern jumped out to a 7-0 lead Western Michigan was in front 13-7 early in the third quarter. By the end of the third quarter, the lead was 16-14 as the Broncos could not pull away with three of the four scores being just field goals. Justin Jackson scored his third touchdown of the game to give the Wildcats a five-point edge in the fourth quarter, enough to cover the late week numbers for the home favorite. Western Michigan ate over six minutes of clock for a great drive, but they wound up with fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, successfully rushing in to take a one-point lead. Northwestern drove right down the field and was a threat to take the lead back and even possibly still cover with a touchdown. On first-and-goal from the Western Michigan 6-yard line, Clayton Thorson fumbled just on the edge of the goal line, the ball went into the end zone heading out of bounds where it was inexplicably batted back into play by a Western Michigan defender and appeared to have been recovered by Northwestern for what would have been the go-ahead score. After review it was ruled out of bounds for touchback and the Broncos picked up two first downs to ice the game in a wild finish.

Southern Miss (+3) 44, Kentucky 35: Knowing a tough SEC schedule is waiting, this was a critical opening game for Kentucky and the Wildcats appeared more than ready with a 35-10 lead in the final minute of the first half. Southern Miss took a bit of momentum into the break with a 71-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds of the second quarter to cut the deficit to just 18 points. In the second half, the Golden Eagles took over, eventually taking the lead with just over a minute to go in the third quarter and eventually out-scoring Kentucky 27-0 in the second half as Kentucky’s offensive drives after the break resulted in two punts and three turnovers.

Clemson (-8) 19, Auburn 13: In the big Saturday night matchup, defense led the way in a surprise as the game had a total listed above 60. After a scoreless first quarter, Clemson took a 10-3 lead into the break with both sides missing some opportunities. Clemson hit a field goal in the third quarter to surpass the road favorite spread but that result was matched early in the fourth quarter to keep the margin at seven. With 10 minutes to go in the game, Clemson scored its second touchdown on Deshaun Watson’s first touchdown pass of the season to complete a 75-yard drive, pulling ahead by 13 as the extra-point was missed. Auburn looked poised to get back within the spread as they quickly moved into Clemson territory and then converted a key fourth down play, but in four cracks from inside the 10, Auburn came up empty with the drive ending in a fourth down interception. Ben Boulware catching that pass cost Clemson seven yards in field goal position and pinned deep Clemson punted the ball back with Auburn getting great field position. This time Auburn cashed in with a touchdown to cut the margin to six points with fewer than four minutes remaining in the game. Those on the favorite had some hope late as Clemson was looking to run out the game clock, but eventually stalled on the Auburn 17-yard line with 40 seconds to go, opting to go for it on fourth down rather than kicking a field goal that would have put Clemson up by nine, a move that puzzled many, especially those laying points in this game. Auburn had the underdog cover in hand, but also created a major scare in the final seconds as two Hail Mary shots from the Clemson 40 were on target.

Texas A&M (-4½) 31, UCLA 24: The Bruins led early and had a yardage edge, but Texas A&M took control in the third quarter with two touchdown drives to lead 24-9. In the final five minutes, UCLA made a great late charge with back-to-back scoring drives, getting touchdowns instead of the field goals as they did early in the game. On the second score with less than three minutes to go, UCLA got the two-point conversion to tie the game, which was good news for Bruins fans, but bad news for Bruins backers on a spread that had a late climb from +3 to as high as +4½. In the final minute, UCLA got the ball back near midfield but quarterback Josh Rosen had his third interception of the game though the Bruins held on defense to force overtime. Texas A&M went first and while it took eight plays the Aggies found the end zone, going for it on fourth-and-goal rather than kicking a field goal in another play that cost those on the Bruins. UCLA looked poised to answer reaching the Texas A&M 5-yard line, but back-to-back drops ended the game as Texas A&M escaped with the win and a very fortunate home favorite cover.

Georgia (-3½) 33, North Carolina 24: North Carolina got a kickoff return touchdown to start the second half and then delivered another touchdown drive later in the third quarter to take a 10-point lead in Atlanta. Georgia cut the deficit to three points with a 75-yard scoring drive and then got a safety to get within one-point heading into the final frame. After trading punts, Georgia took the lead with a field goal but still sat short of the favorite spread up by two with just over five minutes to go. After forcing a punt, Georgia needed just one play from scrimmage to find the end zone as Nick Chubb broke a 55-yard touchdown run to put the Bulldogs up nine. North Carolina had a chance to spoil the cover late as they reached the Georgia 29-yard line in the final minutes before running out of downs.

Nebraska (-29) 43, Fresno State 10: After having a lot of close calls last season, Nebraska saw a 14-0 lead slip to just 14-10 in the final minutes of the first half. In the third quarter, Nebraska added another touchdown to lead by 11, but covering an over four touchdown spread looked quite unlikely. Nebraska kept its first team offense on the field and added two touchdowns to lead by 26 with still almost 10 minutes to go in the game. The next Fresno State drive went well into Nebraska territory before turning over on down and the Cornhuskers got the score they needed for the late cover as backups delivered a touchdown drive to put the margin at 33 points with less than five minutes to go. The favorite cover looked short-lived as Frenso State moved into the red zone in the final minutes eventually reaching first-and-goal from the Nebraska 4-yard line before an interception sealed the win and cover for Nebraska.

BYU (-1) 18, Arizona 16: The line on this game was near-even all week though for most flipping from Arizona as a slight favorite to BYU as a slight favorite with that spread even hitting -2½ for a few moments before closing at -1 for the road team. With both teams featuring great potential on offense, there were no points in the first quarter and through three quarters BYU led 9-3 before an exciting final frame. BYU seemed to pull away with another touchdown, but they again failed on the conversion and led just 15-3 to keep Arizona within two scores. Arizona delivered a touchdown drive to climb within five with fewer than 10 minutes to go and then Arizona took the lead with 1:26 to go as Nick Wilson broke a 49-yard run. The two-point conversion attempt failed over to keep the lead at just one-point and a 33-yard field goal in the final seconds gave BYU the win as well as the cover for most.

Texas (+3½) 50, Notre Dame 47: The Sunday night game looked like a breakout performance for Texas taking a 31-14 lead early, but Notre Dame climbed to within three heading into the fourth quarter. The Irish took the lead and got just past the small favorite spread with a touchdown with 11 minutes to go in the game but Texas answered to go up by two. On the extra-point attempt the kick was blocked and incredibly returned to the end zone to give Notre Dame two points and the tie with just over three minutes to go. Both teams had possessions in the final minutes but overtime was needed. Texas went first and scored on four plays and Notre Dame only needed one play to tie it up. Going first in the second overtime, the Irish stalled and settled for a field goal while the Longhorns hit the end zone for the upset.

Florida State (-3½) 45, Mississippi 34: In a weekend with a lot of tough outcomes for the SEC, Ole Miss appeared ready to get a big win for the conference Monday night. Chad Kelly had a great start to lead the Rebels to a 28-6 lead late in the second quarter as an underdog in Orlando. The Seminoles trimmed the deficit to 15 points just before the half and then came alive in the third quarter aided by turnovers, out-scoring Mississippi 23-0 in the quarter to take an eight-point lead into the final frame. The Rebels would score early in the fourth quarter to close to within five points after missing the two-point conversion attempt and that would have been enough for some on the underdog as the spread climbed as high as -6 over the weekend. Florida State added two more field goals in the final 10 minutes however to seal the win and cover for the favored Seminoles.

[StarDust Bum]

CFB ACTION TRENDS

ATS

7:30 pm 9/10/2016
(315) E MICHIGAN @(316) MISSOURI
Play AGAINST MISSOURI against the spread in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 1 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (-8.9 units)
BET NOW!
7:00 pm 9/10/2016
(337) N ILLINOIS @(338) S FLORIDA
Play ON S FLORIDA against the spread in All games in games played on a grass field.
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!

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

CFB MONEYLINE


10:30 pm 9/10/2016
(391) CALIFORNIA @(392) SAN DIEGO ST
Play AGAINST SAN DIEGO ST using the money line in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 23 Wins and 52 Losses since 1992 (-53.6 units)
BET NOW!
7:00 pm 9/10/2016
(325) LA MONROE @(326) OKLAHOMA
Play ON OKLAHOMA using the money line in All games in all games.
The record is 11 Wins and 8 Losses for the last three seasons (-33.3 units)
BET NOW!
7:00 pm 9/10/2016
(325) LA MONROE @(326) OKLAHOMA
Play ON OKLAHOMA using the money line in All games in all lined games.
The record is 11 Wins and 8 Losses for the last three seasons (-33.3 units)
BET NOW!
4:00 pm 9/10/2016
(323) BALL ST @(324) INDIANA
Play AGAINST BALL ST using the money line in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 16 Wins and 26 Losses since 1992 (-36.4 units)
BET NOW!
4:00 pm 9/10/2016
(349) UTSA @(350) COLORADO ST
Play AGAINST UTSA using the money line in All games when playing with 6 or less days rest.
The record is 6 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (-22.75 units)
BET NOW!
12:30 pm 9/10/2016
(335) TROY @(336) CLEMSON
Play ON CLEMSON using the money line in All games as a favorite vs. the money line.
The record is 16 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+14.7 units)
BET NOW!
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(305) BOSTON COLLEGE @(306) MASSACHUSETTS
Play AGAINST BOSTON COLLEGE using the money line in All games in all games.
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.25 units)
BET NOW!
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(309) RICE @(310) ARMY
Play AGAINST ARMY using the money line in Home games in September games.
The record is 9 Wins and 23 Losses since 1992 (-28.25 units)
BET NOW!
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(305) BOSTON COLLEGE @(306) MASSACHUSETTS
Play AGAINST BOSTON COLLEGE using the money line in All games in all lined games.
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.25 units)
BET NOW!
7:30 pm 9/9/2016
(301) MARYLAND @(302) FLA INTERNATIONAL
Play AGAINST FLA INTERNATIONAL using the money line in Home games in September games.
The record is 3 Wins and 8 Losses since 1992 (-17.35 units)
BET NOW!

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

CFB HALFTIME

10:15 pm 9/10/2016
(385) WASHINGTON ST @(386) BOISE ST
Play ON BOISE ST in the first half in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 11 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+11 units)
BET NOW!
7:30 pm 9/10/2016
(371) IOWA ST @(372) IOWA
Play ON IOWA in the first half in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!
7:30 pm 9/10/2016
(373) N CAROLINA @(374) ILLINOIS
Play AGAINST ILLINOIS in the first half in All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 0 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (-8.8 units)
BET NOW!
7:00 pm 9/10/2016
(337) N ILLINOIS @(338) S FLORIDA
Play ON S FLORIDA in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!
7:00 pm 9/10/2016
(337) N ILLINOIS @(338) S FLORIDA
Play ON S FLORIDA in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!
3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(339) WAKE FOREST @(340) DUKE
Play ON DUKE in the first half in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 19 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+13.5 units)
BET NOW!
3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(339) WAKE FOREST @(340) DUKE
Play ON DUKE in the first half in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 18 Wins and 4 Losses for the last three seasons (+13.6 units)
BET NOW!
2:30 pm 9/10/2016
(311) OHIO U @(312) KANSAS
Play AGAINST KANSAS in the first half in All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 4 Wins and 18 Losses for the last three seasons (-15.8 units)
BET NOW!
12:30 pm 9/10/2016
(335) TROY @(336) CLEMSON
Play ON CLEMSON in the first half in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(313) UCF @(314) MICHIGAN
Play ON UCF in the first half in All games in a road game where the first half total is between 26.5 and 28.
The record is 12 Wins and 1 Losses since 1992 (+10.9 units)
BET NOW!

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

CFB HALFTIME TOTALS

10:30 pm 9/10/2016
(361) VIRGINIA @(362) OREGON
Play OVER OREGON on the first half total in Home games in non-conference games.
The record is 23 Overs and 5 Unders since 1992 (+17.5 units)
BET NOW!
7:00 pm 9/10/2016
(375) GA SOUTHERN @(376) S ALABAMA
Play OVER S ALABAMA on the first half total in All games as an underdog of 6 to 11.5 points vs. the first half line.
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders since 1992 (+8 units)
BET NOW!
3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(369) SMU @(370) BAYLOR
Play OVER SMU on the first half total in All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 16 Overs and 4 Unders for the last three seasons (+11.6 units)
BET NOW!
2:00 pm 9/10/2016
(379) UTAH ST @(380) USC
Play OVER UTAH ST on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 11 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.8 units)
BET NOW!
2:00 pm 9/10/2016
(379) UTAH ST @(380) USC
Play OVER UTAH ST on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 11 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.8 units)
BET NOW!
12:30 pm 9/10/2016
(335) TROY @(336) CLEMSON
Play OVER TROY on the first half total in Road games in non-conference games.
The record is 27 Overs and 9 Unders since 1992 (+17.1 units)
BET NOW!
8:00 pm 9/9/2016
(303) LOUISVILLE @(304) SYRACUSE
Play OVER LOUISVILLE on the first half total in All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line.
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+7.9 units)
BET NOW!

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

CFB HALFTIME UNDER

7:30 pm 9/10/2016
(315) E MICHIGAN @(316) MISSOURI
Play UNDER MISSOURI on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 6 Overs and 20 Unders for the last three seasons (+13.4 units)
BET NOW!
7:30 pm 9/10/2016
(345) ARKANSAS ST @(346) AUBURN
Play UNDER AUBURN on the first half total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 1 Overs and 10 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!
7:30 pm 9/10/2016
(315) E MICHIGAN @(316) MISSOURI
Play UNDER MISSOURI on the first half total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 4 Overs and 18 Unders for the last three seasons (+13.6 units)
BET NOW!
4:00 pm 9/10/2016
(359) MIDDLE TENN ST @(360) VANDERBILT
Play UNDER VANDERBILT on the first half total in All games in September games.
The record is 11 Overs and 33 Unders since 1992 (+20.9 units)
BET NOW!
3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(351) KENTUCKY @(352) FLORIDA
Play UNDER FLORIDA on the first half total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 2 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.8 units)
BET NOW!
3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(351) KENTUCKY @(352) FLORIDA
Play UNDER FLORIDA on the first half total in All games when playing with 6 or less days rest.
The record is 1 Overs and 10 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(319) PENN ST @(320) PITTSBURGH
Play UNDER PENN ST on the first half total in Road games in non-conference games.
The record is 7 Overs and 24 Unders since 1992 (+16.3 units)
BET NOW!

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

CFB OVERS

10:30 pm 9/10/2016
(391) CALIFORNIA @(392) SAN DIEGO ST
Play OVER CALIFORNIA on the total in Road games against Mountain West conference opponents.
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders since 1992 (+8 units)
BET NOW!
10:30 pm 9/10/2016
(361) VIRGINIA @(362) OREGON
Play OVER OREGON on the total in Home games in non-conference games.
The record is 24 Overs and 4 Unders since 1992 (+19.6 units)
BET NOW!
8:00 pm 9/10/2016
(381) NEW MEXICO @(382) NEW MEXICO ST
Play OVER NEW MEXICO ST on the total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 18 Overs and 5 Unders for the last three seasons (+12.5 units)
BET NOW!
8:00 pm 9/10/2016
(381) NEW MEXICO @(382) NEW MEXICO ST
Play OVER NEW MEXICO ST on the total in All games in September games.
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+8 units)
BET NOW!
4:00 pm 9/10/2016
(323) BALL ST @(324) INDIANA
Play OVER INDIANA on the total in All games when playing on a Saturday.
The record is 11 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.8 units)
BET NOW!
3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(357) W KENTUCKY @(358) ALABAMA
Play OVER W KENTUCKY on the total in Road games off a win against a conference rival.
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+8 units)
BET NOW!
12:30 pm 9/10/2016
(335) TROY @(336) CLEMSON
Play OVER TROY on the total in All games in non-conference games.
The record is 37 Overs and 14 Unders since 1992 (+21.6 units)
BET NOW!
12:30 pm 9/10/2016
(335) TROY @(336) CLEMSON
Play OVER TROY on the total in Road games in non-conference games.
The record is 30 Overs and 8 Unders since 1992 (+21.2 units)
BET NOW!

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

CFB UNDERS

7:30 pm 9/10/2016
(315) E MICHIGAN @(316) MISSOURI
Play UNDER MISSOURI on the total in All games in all games.
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.9 units)
BET NOW!
7:30 pm 9/10/2016
(315) E MICHIGAN @(316) MISSOURI
Play UNDER MISSOURI on the total in All games in all lined games.
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.9 units)
BET NOW!
7:00 pm 9/10/2016
(337) N ILLINOIS @(338) S FLORIDA
Play UNDER N ILLINOIS on the total in All games as an underdog of 10.5 to 21 points.
The record is 2 Overs and 13 Unders since 1992 (+10.8 units)
BET NOW!
4:00 pm 9/10/2016
(359) MIDDLE TENN ST @(360) VANDERBILT
Play UNDER VANDERBILT on the total in All games in all games.
The record is 1 Overs and 11 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)
BET NOW!
4:00 pm 9/10/2016
(359) MIDDLE TENN ST @(360) VANDERBILT
Play UNDER VANDERBILT on the total in All games in games played on turf.
The record is 0 Overs and 9 Unders for the last two seasons (+9 units)
BET NOW!
3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(341) CONNECTICUT @(342) NAVY
Play UNDER CONNECTICUT on the total in All games as an underdog.
The record is 3 Overs and 14 Unders for the last three seasons (+10.7 units)
BET NOW!
3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(341) CONNECTICUT @(342) NAVY
Play UNDER CONNECTICUT on the total in All games as an underdog.
The record is 0 Overs and 8 Unders for the last two seasons (+8 units)
BET NOW!
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(313) UCF @(314) MICHIGAN
Play UNDER UCF on the total in Road games in September games.
The record is 4 Overs and 17 Unders since 1992 (+12.6 units)
BET NOW!
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(377) WYOMING @(378) NEBRASKA
Play UNDER WYOMING on the total in All games as a road underdog of 21.5 or more points.
The record is 4 Overs and 18 Unders since 1992 (+13.6 units)
BET NOW!
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(313) UCF @(314) MICHIGAN
Play UNDER UCF on the total in All games in September games.
The record is 8 Overs and 28 Unders since 1992 (+19.2 units)
BET NOW!

[StarDust Bum]

CFB POWER LINES

8:00 pm 9/9/2016
(303) LOUISVILLE @(304) SYRACUSE
Play Line: SYRACUSE 14

BTB PowerLine: SYRACUSE +9
Edge On: SYRACUSE 5
12:00 pm 9/10/2016
(331) NC STATE @(332) E CAROLINA
Play Line: E CAROLINA 4.5
BTB PowerLine: E CAROLINA -1
Edge On: E CAROLINA 5.5

2:30 pm 9/10/2016
(311) OHIO U @(312) KANSAS
Play Line: OHIO U 3
BTB PowerLine: OHIO U -3
Edge On: OHIO U 6

3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(339) WAKE FOREST @(340) DUKE
Play Line: DUKE -5
BTB PowerLine: DUKE -14
Edge On: DUKE 9

3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(369) SMU @(370) BAYLOR
Play Line: BAYLOR -32
BTB PowerLine: BAYLOR -40
Edge On: BAYLOR 8

3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(341) CONNECTICUT @(342) NAVY
Play Line: NAVY -4
BTB PowerLine: NAVY -21
Edge On: NAVY 17

3:30 pm 9/10/2016
(333) TULSA @(334) OHIO ST
Play Line: OHIO ST -29
BTB PowerLine: OHIO ST -36
Edge On: OHIO ST 7

4:00 pm 9/10/2016
(359) MIDDLE TENN ST @(360) VANDERBILT
Play Line: MIDDLE TENN ST 5.5
BTB PowerLine: MIDDLE TENN ST -1
Edge On: MIDDLE TENN ST 6.5

5:00 pm 9/10/2016
(355) IDAHO @(356) WASHINGTON
Play Line: WASHINGTON -36.5
BTB PowerLine: WASHINGTON -45
Edge On: WASHINGTON 8.5

7:00 pm 9/10/2016
(363) S CAROLINA @(364) MISSISSIPPI ST
Play Line: MISSISSIPPI ST -6.5
BTB PowerLine: MISSISSIPPI ST -14
Edge On: MISSISSIPPI ST 7.5

[StarDust Bum]

Kirk Ferentz re-signs with Iowa through 2025 season
September 6, 2016

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Iowa has signed coach Kirk Ferentz to a six-year contract extension through the 2025 season.

Ferentz, who is in his 18th season leading the Hawkeyes, will see his salary jump to $4.5 million per year under the new deal announced Tuesday.

Ferentz's last contract, which was for 10 years at roughly $40 million, was set to expire in 2020. Ferentz's massive buyout was subject to scrutiny under his previous deal, but a 12-2 season capped with a trip to the Rose Bowl quieted that talk.

Ferentz and Oklahoma' Bob Stoops are the nation's longest-tenured coaches, having been hired within days of each other in 1999.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Top Action
September 6, 2016


Louisville Cardinals (1-0 SU; 1-0 ATS) vs. Syracuse Orange (1-0 SU; 1-0 ATS)

It was a highly entertaining opening weekend of college football as we saw a little bit of everything. There were massive blowouts, back-and-forth OT games, huge upsets – with two of those being Top 5 teams. If Week 1 was any indicator of how the rest of the 2016 CFB season will play out, college football bettors will have their hands full this year as we will see tremendous competition the entire way.

Week 2 kicks off on Friday, and two ACC rivals that were on the right side of massive blowouts meet. Louisville, off their 70-14 drubbing of Charlotte, heads into Syracuse, New York to take on an Orange team that won 33-7 in their opener.

Sportsbook.ag Line: Louisville (-14.5) vs. Syracuse (+14.5)

There wasn't much Louisville could do wrong in their opener as QB Lamar Jackson set a record with 8 TD's in the first half en route to a 56-0 lead at the break. It was smooth sailing from there for the Cardinals as the reserves saw plenty of the field, and that experience could end up paying dividends down the road. This week will be much tougher for Louisville as they aren't likely to dominate from start to finish like they did last week (Louisville held Charlotte to 0-for-13 on 3rd down), but they are expected to win handily given this double digit spread they are laying on the road.

Syracuse's 33-7 win wasn't nearly as impressive, but QB Eric Dungey was a stellar 34-for-40 and 355 yards throwing the ball. He and the rest of the Orange will need to be able to conjure up a similar performance this week if they want to have a chance at pulling off the huge upset.

Louisville has dominated this rivalry recently with a 28-6 win in 2014 and a 41-17 win last season. You'd have to go back to 2012 to find the last time Syracuse beat the Cardinals (45-26), but Syracuse was a much better team then and only +1 point dogs in that matchup. Things are much different this time around, but we could still see the same ATS winner at the window.

That's because this is a very tough scheduling spot for Louisville in Week 2. They are coming off a dominant performance where nearly everything went right for them and now have to go on the road to a tough environment as double-digit favorites with a HUGE game on deck. Next week Louisville hosts #4 Florida State and after listening to all the praise this week after Week 1's dominance, it's going to be nearly impossible for Louisville to not look past Syracuse here and ahead to that game vs the Seminoles. 14.5 points is a lot to lay on the road for any team, and the Orange do have a reputation for being tough outs at home when getting these kind of points early in the year.

It was Week 4 last year when Syracuse were 23.5-point home underdogs to LSU and did enough to keep that one close in a 34-24 loss. Two year's ago it was Florida State's turn to visit Syracuse as 23-point road favorites and the Orange kept that one within the number as well (38-20 L). There is a history here with the Orange being able to play some of their best football against elite opponents, and with the underdog being 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings between these two schools, and the big Louisville/Florida State game on deck, grabbing the points with the home dog is the play.

Take Syracuse +14.5

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Longhorn Leap: Texas in AP Top 25 for 1st time under Strong
September 6, 2016

Texas is ranked for the first time under coach Charlie Strong, coming in at No. 11 in the latest Associated Press college football rankings after a rousing opening victory against Notre Dame.

The last time the Longhorns were ranked was November 2013, Mack Brown's last as coach.

No. 10 Wisconsin also made a big jump into the Top 25 after beating LSU. The Tigers and Fighting Irish were among seven ranked teams that lost during the first weekend of the season.

Alabama is still No. 1. The Crimson Tide picked up 21 first-place votes to total 54 after its 52-6 victory against Southern California. Clemson remained No. 2. Florida State moved up to No. 3. Ohio State is No. 4 and Michigan is No. 5. Houston is No. 6.

POLL POINTS

IN

- Wisconsin, which beat LSU 16-14 at Lambeau Field, matched a record for the best season debut in the Top 25 with its No. 10 ranking. Arizona also went from unranked to No. 10 in 2014 after the Wildcats won at Oregon.

- Texas A&M is in at No. 20 after beating UCLA, then No. 16, in overtime.

- Miami slipped in at No. 25.

OUT

- USC, UCLA and North Carolina dropped out after loses.

- Florida, which was No. 25, fell out after beating Massachusetts 24-7.

UP

- No. 6 Houston and No. 9 Georgia had the biggest jumps for preseason ranked teams. Each moved up nine spots after victories over ranked teams.

DOWN

- LSU fell from No. 5 to No. 21. The 16-spot drop is the fourth largest in poll history.

- No. 14 Oklahoma dropped 11 spots from No. 3 after losing 33-23 to Houston

- No. 17 Tennessee, No. 18 Notre Dame and No. 19 Mississippi all fell eight spots. The Volunteers dropped after an overtime victory against Appalachian State.

MILESTONES

- No. 6 Houston has its highest ranking since Nov. 4, 1990 (No. 3).

- No. 8 Washington has its highest rank since Nov. 4, 2001 (No. 8).

CONFERENCE CALL

SEC - 6

Big Ten - 5

Big 12 - 5

ACC - 4

Pac 12 - 3

American - 1

Independent - 1

RANKED VS. RANKED

None. This will definitely not be regarded as the greatest second weekend of the college football season ever.

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Malzahn: Auburn's QB rotation didn't work
September 6, 2016

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) Gus Malzahn is sorting out a quarterback situation that appeared oddly chaotic in Auburn's opening game.

The Tigers played all three QBs, at times on the same series, in a 19-13 loss to No. 2 Clemson. The frequent switch-ups led to an offense that appeared disjointed at times and struggled to get into the end zone. Now, it's on to Plan B.

Sean White will remain the starter, John Franklin III is now No. 2 and Jeremy Johnson will be the third-teamer after seeing considerable action.

''Offensively, our plan going in was to be aggressive,'' Malzahn said Tuesday. ''Our plan was to play all three quarterbacks. We thought it would be successful. Obviously it wasn't.''

Auburn (0-1), which hosts Arkansas State on Saturday, produced just 38 yards and three points in the first half.

That led Malzahn to scrap that plan going forward. The offense struggled to get into a rhythm or build up a consistently fast tempo with the revolving door of quarterbacks. White led the final drive across midfield.

White was 10-of-21 passing for 140 yards and the only two offensive plays of 20-plus yards. Johnson attempted only six passes, completing four for 38 yards. Both threw an interception, while Franklin's only attempt went for negative yardage.

Franklin is the biggest running threat of the three but didn't have a carry while handing off on a few of the zone read plays that have been staples of Malzahn's offenses with mobile quarterbacks.

''He's very coachable, he's got a good attitude and he moved the football when he was out there,'' Malzahn said.

The offense had new pieces all over the place.

They included a new center in Xavier Dampeer with Austin Golson moving from center to left tackle and Robert Leff taking over at right tackle. Plus, Kerryon Johnson made his first turn as the featured tailback and freshman receivers Nate Craig-Myers and Kyle Davis played for the first time.

''When you can't get that pace going, you can't get a rhythm going, you can't get first downs, you can't gain yards,'' Johnson said. ''As an offense, you just look around, you're so stagnant. You've just got to keep hoping the defense gives you chances. They did. But, I mean, we couldn't put together drives in the first half.''

NOTE: Defensive back Stephen Roberts is back for the Arkansas State game after serving a one-game suspension. Roberts was contending for a starting job at free safety before his arrest on misdemeanor charges of attempting to elude a police officer and possession of a firearm without a license. ''We're going to bring him along,'' Malzahn said. ''I'm not ready to say where and how many reps and all that, but we reinstated him.''

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LSU's Miles hopeful after first-game flop
September 6, 2016

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Les Miles is back in damage-control mode while he tries to fix LSU's offense.

The embattled 12th-year coach can only hope he gets the Tigers' problems straightened out soon. His team plummeted in the national rankings from fifth to 21st, and his support among fans and boosters is fading fast.

''There's a lot that can be said about a lot of things,'' Miles said Tuesday in reference to the criticism that has been dogging him, quarterback Brandon Harris and his offensive line since Saturday's mistake-marred, 16-14 upset loss to then-unranked Wisconsin . ''Certainly, I'm aware of what's going on.''

Miles insisted that Harris' performance against Wisconsin - which was punctuated by a game-losing interception thrown directly to a defender and several yards from the nearest receiver - belied the betterment that the junior QB displayed in practices last spring and throughout August. Miles made it clear he's not ready to give up on Harris, but also left little doubt that Harris' margin for error is shrinking.

''Decision-making and really relaxing and letting the game come to him - at times, he struggles there,'' Miles said. ''By the makeup of the talent that's there, we're in pretty good shape. It's just that maturation process.''

Miles asserted that Harris has been ''just tremendous'' in scrimmages, ''so I know what the capability is.''

''I recognize that he's got to still (improve); we all do,'' Miles added. ''But he doesn't have a lifetime to do it and there are other quarterbacks.''

Next in line would be Danny Etling, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound junior transfer from Purdue who fans could be calling for when LSU plays its home opener against Jacksonville State this Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.

Miles said he is eager to see Etling play, too, but added, ''Hopefully it'll not have to be done for the necessity of victory. Hopefully it'll be done because Brandon has really improved and done well, and let's give Danny some snaps.''

Etling has been praised for his arm strength and ability to scramble when needed, but he does not necessarily represent a panacea for the Tigers' offense, based on his experience with the Boilermakers.

He started seven games for Purdue as a freshman and five as a sophomore, but often struggled. He left Purdue having completed 55.5 percent of his passes for 2,490 yards and 16 TDs against 12 interceptions.

Yet Harris on Saturday struggled to even meet his production standard from a year ago.

In 12 starts last season, Harris completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 180.4 yards per game and 13 touchdowns against six interceptions.

Against Wisconsin - which shot up to 10th in the AP Top 25 - Harris completed 12 of 21 passes (57.1 percent) for 131 yards and one touchdown while being sacked twice and throwing two interceptions, the second of which extinguished LSU's comeback hopes after the Tigers had moved into game-winning field goal range.

Harris was not made available to speak with reporters after the Wisconsin game or on Tuesday.

Regardless of who plays quarterback, one change will be noticeable: offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will move from the sideline to the press box to call plays.

Center Ethan Pocic said the offensive line was to blame for some of Harris' troubles against Wisconsin.

''Brandon, in the locker room, he thought it was all on him, but it's not,'' Pocic said. ''There are so many things that play into it. Like I told him, the o-line has got to give him more time.''

LSU players apparently have been briefed on how to handle the fall-out from their first-game flop, which only looked worse in the context of rival Alabama, which has a freshman at quarterback, consolidating its No. 1 ranking with a 52-6 demolition of Southern California.

When questioned about the psyche of the team, several LSU players made available to reporters on Tuesday afternoon repeated cliches about ''taking it one game at a time'' and ''improving day by day.'' They also noted that all their main goals regarding Southeastern Conference and national championship remains ''in front of us.''

Technically, that's true. LSU won't play its SEC opener until Sept. 18 against Mississippi State and teams have rebounded from season-opening losses to win the national championship before - as Ohio State did just two seasons ago.

''It's not the end of the world,'' Pocic said, ''as long as we learn from it and improve.''

Notes: Miles said star running back Leonard Fournette was rested during Monday's practice but reiterated, as he said after Saturday's game, that Fournette is fine after initially being hobbled by a fourth-quarter hit to his lower leg. ... Miles said guard Josh Boutte, who has been suspended one game for leveling Wisconsin's D'Cota Dixon after the defensive back's game-sealing interception, called Dixon to express remorse and ask if he was OK. ''He didn't want to hurt him,'' Miles said, adding that Boutte was blocking on ''the back side'' of the play and did not initially realize Dixon had been ruled down because he did not see the defensive back fall to the ground after the interception.

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ASU's Graham irritated by criticism
September 6, 2016

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) In the middle of discussing his offense's performance against Northern Arizona, Arizona State coach Todd Graham mentioned his team's 1-0 record for about the fourth time.

Talking about the record seemed to trigger something in the coach's mind and he shifted gears to a new topic, emphasizing words to counter the criticism his team faced following its 44-13 win over the Lumberjacks.

''You know, it AMAZES me,'' Graham said during his weekly news conference Monday. ''We're 1-0. We won 44-13. We gave up THIRTEEN points, so we're going on to the next week. That's kind of how I feel about that. I just don't get it.''

The criticism stemmed from Arizona State's uneven performance against the lower-tier Lumberjacks on Saturday.

The Sun Devils scored quickly to open the game, but labored the rest of the half to lead 10-3. Arizona State found a rhythm in the fourth quarter to run away from Northern Arizona, looking more like a Power 5 program is supposed to against an FCS school.

When it was over, much of the focus was on what the Sun Devils had not done right and not the overall outcome, which left Graham a bit irritated.

''We're 1-0. That's what I told our players: Half the teams in the country would like to be 1-0 right now,'' he said.

Arizona State had a disappointing 2015 season and plenty of questions heading into this one, including at quarterback, depth on defense and a rebuilt offensive line.

Sophomore Manny Wilkins earned the starting quarterback nod after a prolonged competition with redshirt freshman Brady White.

Wilkins was good at times against NAU, giving Arizona State a run option at the quarterback spot that it didn't have with Mike Bercovici last season. Wilkins hit 20 of 27 passes for 180 yards and made the highlight reels by hurdling a Northern Arizona defender on a 28-yard run in the second quarter.

Wilkins made a few mistakes that come with being a first-time starter and threw an interception.

''We wanted to run the football and I think he made some good decisions when he did run the ball,'' Graham said. ''I think for his first game, he learned a lot and I think he did a solid job. His poise was what I was most impressed with.''

Arizona State had depth issues defensively due to injuries and suspensions heading into the Northern Arizona game, and could have continued problems, particularly at linebacker.

Senior Salamo Fiso was suspended for violating team standards and could also miss Saturday's game against Texas Tech. Junior Christian Sam suffered a foot injury against NAU and may not be available against the Red Raiders. Junior Marcus Ball also will have to sit out the first half Saturday after being ejected for a targeting penalty against the Lumberjacks.

The injuries and suspensions left Arizona State vulnerable against Northern Arizona, which passed for 369 yards and a touchdown last weekend.

Texas Tech's Air Raid offense could present an even bigger problem. The Red Raiders rolled over Stephen A. Austin 69-17 in their opener behind Patrick Mahomes II, who threw for 483 yards and four touchdowns in 3 1/2 quarters

''We know we've got a really good challenge coming in here,'' Graham said. ''(Texas Tech has) as good a quarterback as there is out there. He's got to be one of the best, if not the best, in the Big 12. He is a phenomenal player.''