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

[StarDust Bum]

TLSA at FRES 04:30 PM

FRES +14.5

O 66.0

VAN at WKU 04:30 PM

WKU -8.0

O 49.5

COLO at ORE 05:30 PM

COLO +10.0

UNT at RICE 06:00 PM

RICE -7.0

LSU at AUB 06:00 PM

AUB +3.5

BALL at FAU 06:00 PM

FAU +3.0


GOOD LUCK.....SEE YOU LATER FOR EVENING SELECTIONS.

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CFB EVENING GAMES:


LT at MTU 07:00 PM

LT +4.5

O 70.0

HOU at TXST 07:00 PM

HOU -31.0

O 63.5

ARMY at BUFF 07:00 PM

ARMY -13.0

GASO at WMU 07:00 PM

GASO +8.0

NEB at NW 07:30 PM

NW +9.5

SOCAR at UK 07:30 PM

SOCAR +2.5

OKST at BAY 07:30 PM

O 73.5

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LATE GAMES:


LOU at MRSH 08:00 PM

MRSH +31.0 ( GAME OF THE MONTH )

SOMIS at UTEP 08:00 PM

UTEP +13.5

ULL at TULN 08:00 PM

TULN -3.0

BGSU at MEM 08:00 PM

MEM -17.5

STAN at UCLA 08:00 PM


IDHO at UNLV 09:00 PM

IDHO +14.5

O 61.5

ARK at TAM 09:00 PM

ARK +7.0

CAL at ASU 10:00 PM

CAL +3.5

O 84.5

AFA at USU 10:15 PM

USU +5.5

WASH at ARIZ 10:30 PM

ARIZ +15.0

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Best
September 24, 2016

STARS

-Dalvin Cook, Florida State, rushed for a career-high 267 yards and two TDs, helping the 13th-ranked Seminoles rout previously unbeaten South Florida 55-35.

-Jerry Louie-McGee, Montana, had a school-record 21 catches for 155 yards and two TDs in a 42-41 loss to Cal Poly.

-Amba Etta-Tawo, Syracuse, caught 12 passes for a school-record 270 yards and two TDs to help the Orange beat UConn 31-24.

-Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee, accounted for five second-half TDs and 399 yards overall, helping the No. 14 Vols overcome a 21-point deficit to beat No. 19 Florida 38-28.

-Jeremy McNichols, Boise, State, ran for 208 yards and scored four TDs in the Bronco's 38-24 win over Oregon State.

-Drew Lock, Missouri, threw for 402 yards and a school record-tying five TD passes in a 79-0 rout of Delaware State.

- Nick Shafnisky, Lehigh, threw for 461 yards and four TDs in a 42-28 win over Princeton.

-Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina, threw for career highs of 453 yards and five TDs to lift the Tar Heels to a 37-36 victory over Pittsburgh.

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STREAK-STOPPING VOL

Tennessee delivered the comeback this time, taking out 11 years' worth of frustration on Florida in the process.

Joshua Dobbs accounted for five second-half touchdowns and No. 14 Tennessee erased a 21-point deficit to beat No. 19 Florida 38-28 and end their 11-game losing streak in the annual series.

It is Tennessee's first win Florida since 2004. The Volunteers had lost to Florida by one point each of the last two years despite leading in the fourth quarter of both games.

Florida was so confident it would continue the streak that Gators cornerback Quincy Wilson boldly said this week that ''nobody has ever seen a duck pull a truck. Florida Gators are going to win, simple as that.''

Tennessee silenced the Gators by reeling off 38 consecutive points.

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GROUNDED WOLVERINES

Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight took a beating last week against Colorado. This week, he spent most of the day standing back and watching his teammates do all the work.

De'Veon Smith led an overwhelming ground game with 107 yards rushing and a touchdown and Karan Higdon ran for two scores and No. 4 Michigan routed Penn State 49-10 in both teams' Big Ten opener.

Michigan (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) finished with 326 yards rushing and scored six of its seven touchdowns on the ground. Five different backs scored on the ground.

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NUMBERS

15-Straight losses to FBS teams by Western Illinois before upsetting Northern Illinois 28-23.

31-Deficit by Tulsa before rallying for a 48-41 victory over Fresno State, the largest comeback in school history.

37-Years since Chattanooga opened a season 4-0 before this year .

47-Completions by Montana's Brady Gustafson in a 42-41 loss to Cal Poly, breaking the school record.

79-Points in Missouri's shutout of Delaware State, beating the school record by 10 points.

100-Career victories by Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall and Wake Forest's Dave Clawson .

[StarDust Bum]

Top 25 Capsules
September 25, 2016

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Leo Musso returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and No. 11 Wisconsin turned its early showdown with No. 8 Michigan State into a rout, beating the Spartans 30-6 on Saturday.

Redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook threw for 195 yards and a touchdown in his first start for Wisconsin, outplaying fifth-year senior Tyler O'Connor, his Michigan State counterpart. The Badgers (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) were the better team in the first half and outscored the Spartans 17-0 in the third quarter.

Michigan State (2-1, 0-1) was down 13-6 early in the third and had the ball in Wisconsin territory when LJ Scott's fumble bounced to Musso in the secondary. O'Connor was the only player with a decent shot at him on the return, and Musso spun past the quarterback and went all the way to the end zone.

O'Connor finished 18 of 38 for 224 yards with three interceptions.

Corey Clement ran for two touchdowns for Wisconsin.

NO. 7 STANFORD 22, UCLA 13

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - J.J. Arcega-Whiteside caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Burns with 24 seconds left, and No. 7 Stanford rallied on its final drive for its ninth consecutive victory over UCLA.

Christian McCaffrey rushed for 138 yards for the Cardinal (3-0, 2-0 Pac-12), who haven't lost to their downstate rivals since 2008.

After struggling on offense for 3 1/2 quarters at the Rose Bowl, Stanford put together a 70-yard winning drive capped by Burns' fade to Arcega-Whiteside, who got one foot inbounds on an acrobatic play. Solomon Thomas then returned Josh Rosen's fumble 42 yards for a touchdown on the game's final play.

Rosen passed for 248 yards for the Bruins (2-2, 0-1). UCLA's defense faltered late after severely limiting the Cardinal and McCaffrey, who had his 14th consecutive 100-yard rushing game, for most of the night at the Rose Bowl.

NO. 1 ALABAMA 48, KENT STATE 0

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - Jalen Hurts ran and threw for touchdowns and tailback sub Joshua Jacobs scored his first two career touchdowns for Alabama.

The Crimson Tide (4-0) dominated coach Nick Saban's alma mater from the start while scoring on a kickoff return and even a short touchdown throw to freshman linebacker Mack Wilson. Starting tailback Damien Harris went down on the opening drive with a sprained right ankle and didn't return.

Harris was hardly needed in this game, when No. 2 quarterback Blake Barnett played much of the way and the emerging freshman Jacobs ran for 97 yards. It amounted to a respite for the Tide against Kent State (1-3) after a bruising 48-43 comeback victory over No. 23 Mississippi.

Hurts was 16 of 24 for 164 yards and ran for 54 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown dash on the opening drive. He found Wilson, who lines up at fullback in goal line situations, for a 1-yard third-quarter score that was supposed to go to tight end O.J. Howard.

NO. 3 LOUISVILLE 59, MARSHALL 28

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes and ran for two more scores for Louisville.

The sophomore completed 24 of 44 passes for a career-high 417 yards against a Marshall secondary whose most experienced player had five starts. Jackson also ran for 62 yards.

Louisville (4-0) didn't slow down against a nonconference opponent on the road a week after beating Florida State 63-20 at home.

The Cardinals raced to a 35-7 halftime lead and cruised in the second half to break a four-game losing streak to the Thundering Herd. Jackson's scoring passes covered 71, 8, 30, 8 and 51 yards.

Marshall (1-2) was limited to 207 yards of offense.

NO. 4 MICHIGAN 49, PENN STATE 10

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - De'Veon Smith led an overwhelming ground game with 107 yards rushing and a touchdown and Karan Higdon ran for two scores for Michigan in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

The Wolverines (4-0) had six touchdowns on the ground and finished with 326 yards rushing. Wilton Speight threw one touchdown pass. Penn State (2-2) has lost three straight to the Wolverines.

Jabrill Peppers gave the fans an early thrill by returning Penn State's first punt to the 9, although a bench-interference penalty moved the ball to the Nittany Lions 24. Seven plays later, Khalid Hill dove in on 4th-and-goal from the 1. The Wolverines also scored touchdowns on their next two drives. Penn State finally got a couple stops, but the Wolverines took a 28-0 halftime lead on Higdon's 2-yard run.

NO. 6 HOUSTON 64, TEXAS STATE 3

SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) - D'Eriq King caught a touchdown pass, threw one and returned a kickoff for another score in Houston's blowout victory.

King, a freshman recruited to play quarterback, is playing at wide receiver while Greg Ward Jr. directs the offense. Ward passed for two touchdowns and ran for one before leaving the game after playing one series in the third quarter. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 289 yards.

King made a mistake by calling for a fair catch on the Houston 5 during a first-quarter Texas State punt. He soon compensated for that, however, catching a short pass from Ward on a bubble screen and taking it in for a touchdown from 48 yards out. Early in the second quarter, King took a handoff from Ward and threw a high pass to the end zone that Steven Dunbar pulled in for a 15-yard touchdown.

King began the second half by returning the kickoff 99 yards for another touchdown.

Houston (4-0) gained 563 yards and limited Texas State (1-2) to 142.

NO. 10 TEXAS A&M 45, NO. 17 ARKANSAS 24

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Trevor Knight had two long touchdowns runs for Texas A&M before halftime and threw a 92-yard pass to Josh Reynolds right after Arkansas was stopped three times from the 1.

Reynolds caught the ball in stride just short of midfield, and quickly shed defensive back DJ Dean on his way to the end zone to break a 17-all tie and put the Aggies (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) ahead to stay. Texas A&M has won five straight against the Razorbacks (3-1, 0-1), all since joining the SEC.

The long catch-and-run by Reynolds came two plays after Keon Hatcher was tackled for a 5-yard loss on fourth down, ending a 19-play drive for the Razorbacks that took 10 minutes after Texas A&M had fumbled from the Arkansas 2.

NO. 23 MISSISSIPPI 45, NO. 12 GEORGIA 14

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Chad Kelly threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to help Mississippi break a 10-game losing streak in the series dating to 1996.

The Rebels (2-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) dominated every phase, building a lead of 31-0 by halftime and 45-0 by midway through the third quarter.

Georgia (3-1, 1-1) lost for the first time under new coach Kirby Smart and looked overmatched. To make matters worse, star running back Nick Chubb injured an ankle in the second quarter and didn't return.

It was an impressive win for the Rebels, who finally built a big lead they didn't give away. Ole Miss led Florida State by 22 points and Alabama by 21 this season before losing both games.

Kelly was 18 of 24 and had a 41-yard touchdown run through the middle of the defense.

NO. 9 WASHINGTON 35, ARIZONA 28

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Jake Browning hit Dante Pettis on a 4-yard touchdown in overtime, Lavon Coleman ran for 181 yards and Washington held off Arizona in both teams' Pac-12 opener.

Pettis made a tough grab in traffic on the first possession of overtime and Washington's defense forced a turnover on downs to eke out the victory.

The Huskies (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) had a hard time shaking Arizona (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12), which was down to its fourth-string running back after J.J. Taylor left in the third quarter with a left ankle injury.

Brandon Dawkins kept the Wildcats in it, dazzling with 176 yards and two touchdowns rushing, 167 yards and another score passing. He escaped what appeared to be a sack to hit Shun Brown on a 54-yard pass , then hit Josh Kern on a 3-yard TD pass with 17 seconds left to tie the game at 28.

Coleman kept the Huskies moving with Browning limited to passes underneath and scored on a 55-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Browning finished 14 of 21 for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

NO. 13 FLORIDA STATE 55, SOUTH FLORIDA 35

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Dalvin Cook rushed for a career-high 267 yards and two touchdowns and Florida State rebounded from the most lopsided loss in school history to beat South Florida.

Cook scored on a 75-yard run on the Seminoles' first play from scrimmage, an immediate response to USF starting the game with Quinton Flowers and Rodney Adams teaming on an 84-yard catch-and-run for a 7-0 lead. The 213-pound junior's rushing total on 28 carries topped his previous best of 266 yards against South Florida last year.

Florida State (3-1) bounced back from being trounced 63-20 by Louisville, a road shellacking that dropped the Seminoles 11 spots in the AP Top 25 from No. 2. South Florida (3-1) is off to its fastest start since 2011, however the Bulls were no match for a talented bunch that began the season with expectations of contending for its second national title in four years.

NO. 14 TENNESSEE 38, NO. 19 FLORIDA 28

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Joshua Dobbs accounted for five second-half touchdowns and Tennessee overcame a 21-point deficit to beat Florida and end an 11-game losing streak in the series.

Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) beat Florida (3-1, 1-1) for the first time since a 30-28 victory in 2004. The Volunteers lost by a single point each of the last two years.

This time, Tennessee delivered the comeback by scoring 38 consecutive points.

Dobbs threw four touchdown passes and ran for a fifth score - all in the second half. He was 16 of 32 for 319 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Dobbs also ran for 80 yards and a touchdown.

NO. 16 BAYLOR 35, OKLAHOMA STATE 24

WACO, Texas (AP) - Seth Russell threw four touchdown passes, including an 89-yarder to Chris Platt for the go-ahead score in the third quarter, and Baylor beat Oklahoma State in the weather-delayed Big 12 opener for both teams.

The game was stopped by lightning for about 1 1/2 hours after the Bears scored on the opening series.

Ishmael Zamora had career highs of 175 yards receiving and two touchdowns on eight catches in his season debut for the Bears after a three-game suspension over a video of him whipping his dog that surfaced during the summer. Platt also had two TDs. Baylor earned its fourth consecutive 4-0 start in its first big test after a light nonconference schedule.

The Cowboys (2-2) lost three fumbles, including the second by Justice Hill after he picked up a first down at the Baylor 2 with Oklahoma State trailing 28-24 with 9 minutes remaining. Hill, who had 122 yards rushing, was originally ruled down, but the call was overturned on review.

AUBURN 18, NO. 18 LSU 13

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - Daniel Carlson kicked six field goals and Auburn beat LSU after officials ruled Danny Etling's apparent last-gasp scoring pass came after time expired.

Etling rolled to his right and found D.J. Shark on a 15-yard pass, setting off a celebration by LSU players. Officials ruled time expired before Etling took the snap.

The celebration shifted to the Auburn sideline when officials announced the decisive ruling.

It was an important win for Auburn (2-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) and coach Gus Malzahn, who faced increased criticism following losses to Top 25 opponents Clemson and Texas A&M.

An illegal shift penalty against LSU (2-2, 1-1) left the Tigers with a fourth-down play from the 15 with 5 seconds remaining, setting up the final-play drama.

LSU star running back Leonard Fournette had 16 carries for 101 yards.

NO. 20 NEBRASKA 24, NORTHWESTERN 13

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 246 yards and ran for a career-high 132 to lead Nebraska past Northwestern in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

The Cornhuskers (4-0) remained unbeaten coming off a tight win over Oregon that vaulted them into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since December 2014.

They lost two fumbles near the Northwestern goal line in the first half, but scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to stretch their lead from three to 11.

The Wildcats (1-3) matched their loss total from last year when they went 10-3.

[StarDust Bum]

CFB BEST BETS:

09/24/2016 25-28-2 47.17% -2900

WLT Pct Units

ATS Picks 105-101-6 50.97% -3050

O/U Picks 38-39-2 49.35% -2450

[StarDust Bum]

LSU fires Les Miles, Cam Cameron
September 25, 2016

Two people familiar with the decision say LSU has fired head football coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and promoted defensive line coach Ed Orgeron to interim head coach.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made.

Miles' firing, reported first by The Advocate of Baton Rouge, comes one day after No. 18 LSU (2-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) lost 18-13 at Auburn.

Miles went 114-34 at LSU, the second-most victories in school history. He coached the Tigers to a national title in the 2007 season.

But LSU has not been a late-season contender for a national championship in the past four seasons and started slower than its experience-laden squad was expected to this season.

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Orgeron: Coaching LSU 'a dream'
September 26, 2016

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) As much as Ed Orgeron might have preferred a different route to the top coaching job at LSU, the Louisiana native was never going to be able to hide his enthusiasm for his new opportunity - and didn't try.

''It's a great day in my life, I promise you that,'' Orgeron said, calling it ''a dream, obviously'' to be the Tigers' head coach. ''It's a well-respected position that I'm holding right now and I hold it in high esteem. And I understand the expectations at LSU and I fully, fully intend to meet all of those expectations.''

The 55-year-old Orgeron, who was formally introduced as Les Miles' interim replacement on Monday, said he has no idea whether he'll have the job past this season and isn't saying whether he sees his opportunity as an audition to remain for the longer term.

''Take the future aside. Whatever's going to happen is going to happen. Let the chips fall where they may,'' Orgeron said, adding that his sole focus was on his players' success. ''All I want to do is see them win. I want to them happy, and whatever happens after that is going to be fine.''

Orgeron said he's tapped current assistant Steve Ensminger, a former LSU quarterback, to replace offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, who was fired on Sunday along with Miles.

Orgeron noted that he had also elevated defensive coordinator Dave Aranda to associated head coach. As for Orgeron's old position as defensive line coach, he's adding a new, but familiar face to the staff in Pete Jenkins, who is now 75 and has had two previous stints as a defensive assistant at LSU, starting in 1980. Orgeron said Jenkins would be his ''mentor and my right-hand man.''

''We're going to flip the script,'' Orgeron said. ''We're going to do things different, we're going to do things that I've done in the past to re-energize this team.''

The decision to fire Miles, who was 114-34 in 11-plus seasons, stemmed largely from stagnation that has plagued the offense in big games in recent seasons, particularly because of an anemic passing game.

Orgeron said the offense will be ''tweaked'' to feature more spread formations. He did not say whether he'd re-open the starting quarterback job, which has been held by both Brandin Harris and Danny Etling this season already. But he did say, ''I'm still a pro-style guy,'' which could lend itself more to the pocket-passing skills of Etling.

Known by players as ''Coach O,'' Orgeron was born in the bayou country southwest of New Orleans, in the town of Larose, close to where former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert grew up.

Orgeron, a defensive lineman in his playing days, and Hebert were teammates at South Lafourche High School and in college at Northwestern State.

Orgeron was a head coach once before in the SEC with Mississippi, but never had a winning record there and was fired after three seasons. He fared better as interim head coach at Southern California in 2013, going 6-2 in place of Lane Kiffin, who'd been fired that season.

Orgeron also had a brief stint as an NFL assistant in 2008 with the New Orleans Saints, serving as a defensive line coach. He then left the Saints to become the defensive coach and recruiting coordinator for Tennessee, under Kiffin, in 2009.

LSU's first game under Orgeron is Saturday in Tiger Stadium against Missouri.

[StarDust Bum]

4th Quarter Covers - Week 4
September 25, 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 fourth 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.

TCU (-22) 33, SMU 3: This local rivalry game featured just three field goals in the first half as TCU held just a 6-3 lead as a heavy road favorite. In the third quarter the Horned Frogs hit a few big plays but were still short of the spread with a 20-3 edge. A field goal early in the final frame got TCU closer with a 23-3 edge and then with fewer than seven minutes remaining the Frogs added another three-pointer to lead 26-3. SMU threatened on its next possession but an interception gave TCU the ball back and the game was put away a few plays later with a touchdown strike to hit the 33-3 final advantage.

Utah (-3) 31, USC 27: Looking to avoid a 1-3 start to the season USC led most of Friday’s Pac-12 tilt including holding a 24-10 lead as an underdog late in the third quarter. Utah completed an 85-yard drive recovering its own fumble in the end zone late in the third quarter to get within seven but early in the final frame the Trojans hit a field goal to build a comfortable 10-point lead. Utah would answer with a five minute drive to get within three points but USC moved into Utah territory on its next possession. Clay Helton faced a big decision opting to punt on 4th-and-3 with just over five minutes to go just outside of field goal range. The move looked successful with Utah pinned at the 7-yard line but Troy Williams engineered one of the drives of the season with a 15-play effort that featured two 4th down conversions and put the Utah in the end zone with just 16 seconds on the clock, getting the win and narrow cover in the process.

Virginia (+5) 49, Central Michigan 35: Virginia took command with a 28-0 lead not even 20 minutes into this game with the Cavaliers seeking their first win under Bronco Mendenhall. Central Michigan chipped away to cut the margin in half by halftime and a defensive touchdown put the Chippewas within seven through three quarters. On the first play of the fourth quarter Central Michigan tied the game at 28-28 giving the slight road favorite hope for a miracle comeback win. Virginia hit an 82-yard pass play to go back in front however and then completed two more scoring drives later in the final frame to take control, eventually winning by 14.

Ball State (-3½) 31, Florida Atlantic 27: Florida Atlantic led by seven well into the third quarter before Ball State hit a 29-yard passing touchdown to tie the game. Early in the fourth quarter the underdog Owls hit a 41-yard field goal to lead by three but in the final two minutes Ball State completed a 70-yard drive to go up by four, just past the closing spread.

West Virginia (-9) 35, BYU 32: The spread on this game jumped before game time as West Virginia was a favorite of below a touchdown most of the week for this game at FedEx Field. The Mountaineers led by nine heading into the fourth quarter and made it a 35-19 edge early in the final frame. BYU rallied with back-to-back touchdowns to close within three before turnovers ended the next three drives with a BYU interception handed back on a fumble a few plays later and a late 66-yard drive from BYU ending with an interception at the goal line.

Baylor (-6½) 35, Oklahoma State 24: The favored Bears saw this line drop all week even slipping below seven Saturday. The Bears struck early but the saw the game delayed nearly two hours with lightning. Both offenses were a bit out of sync from there with the Bears holding a seven-point edge at the half but Oklahoma State had closed to within four points late in the third quarter. Both coaching staffs got aggressive in the 16 minutes as late in the third quarter Baylor went for it on 4th-and-short from their own 24-yard line. The move backfired but Oklahoma State didn’t take advantage, going for it and coming up short on 4th-and-2 from the Baylor 4-yard line instead of kicking a field goal to get within a point. Getting the ball back the Cowboys had a productive drive but after a 38-yard run into the red zone Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill fumbled on the next play just before he went into the end zone. Taking over at their own 1-yard line the Bears went 99 yards to go up by 11 and past the favorite spread. The next Cowboy possession ended with an interception and Oklahoma State ran out of time on its final drive despite getting inside the 20-yard line as Baylor escaped with a rather fortunate favorite cover.

Louisville (-31) 59, Marshall 28: This game ended at the closing line but the heavily favored Cardinals were favored by fewer than 31 points all week before a climb on game day. It looked like the number wouldn’t matter as after a slow start Louisville pulled away in the middle quarters and led 52-7 heading into the final quarter. Marshall scored two touchdowns in 15 seconds of game clock with the help of a fumble return before the teams traded touchdowns in the final minutes. Louisville ended the game at the Marshall 7-yard line to leave the margin right at 31.

Purdue (-3½) 24, Nevada 14: The Boilermakers trailed 14-3 early before climbing within four just before halftime. In the third quarter a short scoring drive put Purdue up by three but it took until the final two minutes of the game for the Boilermakers to get past the favorite spread. With 1:17 left on the clock a 51-yard pass play put Purdue up by 10 as the Boilermakers got the win and cover despite a 4-0 turnover deficit.

Tulane (-3) 41, UL-Lafayette 39: Tulane took a 16-9 lead into the fourth quarter, scoring the first touchdown of the game late in the third quarter. With about six minutes to go the Ragin’ Cajuns were able to tie the game and overtime was needed after neither team mounted a final threat. Few overtime games end with a two-point margin but this low scoring game wound up with a misleading shootout final score as both teams scored touchdowns in the first and second extra sessions. In the third session UL-Lafayette settled for a short field goal as Tulane backers had hopes for a closing line push but the Wave went backwards and needed a difficult 48-yard kick to extend the game. The spread on the game was closer to -5 most of the week and a favorite cover look possible as Tulane went first in the fourth overtime and scored a touchdown with a successful two-point conversion. The underdog Cajuns spoiled that chance quickly with a 2nd down touchdown but a failed conversion ended the game.

Middle Tennessee State (-4½) 38, Louisiana Tech 34: Getting a favorite cover seemed impossible for the Blue Raiders with a 27-7 deficit halfway through the third quarter but this Conference USA clash turned sharply as Middle Tennessee State trimmed the deficit to 10 points by the start of the fourth quarter. While the line was above -4½ most of the week it did fall to -4 Saturday before climbing back to -4½ by kickoff and with a pair of scores early in the fourth quarter the Blue Raiders held a four-point lead. Louisiana Tech answered to take the lead back but the Blue Raiders would return the favor to steal a wild comeback win 38-34, holding on four plays from inside their own 10-yard line in the final two minutes. Most on the underdog Bulldogs still covered but it was a drastic turn of events in Murfreesboro.

Kentucky (-2) 17, South Carolina 10: The outright winner was going to cover in most scenarios in this matchup at the bottom of the SEC East. Through three quarters a low scoring affair was knotted at 10-10. Kentucky had an 11-play drive to take a 17-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Both teams traded punts from there and South Carolina was in the unenviable position of needing to go for it on 4th-and-17 just inside of Kentucky territory, predictably failing with a sack to essentially end the game.

Tennessee (-4½) 38, Florida 28: The Gators opened up a 21-0 early edge in the big SEC East clash and still held a 21-3 edge at the half. While the Gators still led 21-17 entering the fourth quarter the wheels were falling off with momentum shifting to the hosts and Tennessee would score three touchdowns in the span of just over four minutes of game clock in the fourth quarter to completely flip the outcome and pull past a favorite spread that dropped all week. Florida would climb within 10 late but the Volunteers came away with a big win in a tale of two halves.

Auburn (+3) 18, LSU 13: 24 of the 31 points in this game were scored on field goals and an Auburn 3-point kick with under three minutes to go in the game appeared to seal the win up 18-13 after LSU had a 13-12 edge entering the fourth quarter. LSU had one final play from the Auburn 10 yard line as the clock was ticking and Danny Etling appeared to connect with Travin Dural in the end zone for the go-ahead score. LSU would have gone for two up by one and a successful conversion would have meant a cover or push for many on LSU. In a shocking turn of events however replay review ruled that LSU didn’t get the play off in time and the game ended with Auburn on top.

Boise State (-17) 38, Oregon State 24: The Broncos held a 31-7 lead at the half but the cover proved in play late as Oregon State scored all 10 points in the third quarter to climb within 14 and just within the underdog spread. With just over three minutes to go it appeared the road favorite cover would work out with a fumble return touchdown to lead by 21 but on the ensuing kickoff Victor Bolden took it 99 yards to the house for Oregon State and 14 points was the closing margin as the underdog Beavers held on to the cover for most though some early week Boise State backers may have gotten in at -13½.

Air Force (-5½) 27, Utah State 20: Air Force took advantage of a turnover just before halftime to take a 17-10 lead. In the third quarter both teams had long drives that ended with no points including Utah State coming up empty after an 85-yard drive but the Aggies added a field goal in the fourth quarter to close within four points, and just enough for an underdog cover. The Aggies held on defense and got the ball back but a fumble handed Air Force a 13-yard field and the Falcons took advantage to take an 11-point lead. Utah State desperately went for it on 4th down in their own territory with about five minutes to go and came up empty as Air Force added another three points and a late Utah State touchdown wasn’t quite enough for the underdog Aggies despite a severe yardage edge in this Mountain West opener.

Arizona State (-4) 51, California 41: An expected late night shootout in the Pac-12 took some time to materialize as Cal led 14-3 late in the second quarter before a flurry of points just before the half made it 24-10. California still led by seven entering the fourth quarter and Arizona State didn’t tie the game until about six minutes to go at 34-34. A field goal gave the Sun Devils their first lead of the game with just over three minutes to go, though they still sat short of the favorite spread. Disaster struck the Bears, allowing an interception return touchdown that put Arizona State up by 10. The Bears would answer with a touchdown in the final minute of the game to seemingly hold the underdog cover but the on-side kick attempt was returned 42 yards for a touchdown as Arizona State escaped in a wild finish.

Stanford (-3) 22, UCLA 13: Stanford trailed nearly the entire way against UCLA, netting only field goals with a 13-9 deficit well into the fourth quarter. Stanford found the end zone for the first time in the game with a great catch to complete a 10-play drive with only 24 seconds remaining on the clock. That put the Cardinal even with the common number of -3 though for a while Saturday morning -2½ became available. UCLA made a threat in the remaining seconds as a pass got the Bruins to midfield and then just missed another completion that could have set-up a field goal. On the final play Josh Rosen was sacked and a fumble was picked up and returned for an unnecessary score with no time on the clock, giving an incredibly lucky clear cover to Stanford.

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 4
September 25, 2016


Overall Notes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 4 RESULTS

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 41-14
Against the Spread 26-27-1

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 30-25
Against the Spread 26-27-1

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 28-24

The largest underdogs to win straight up

Duke (+21, ML +800) at Notre Dame, 38-35
Idaho (+14.5, ML +475) at UNLV, 33-30 OT
Colorado (+13.5, ML +425) at Oregon, 41-38
Buffalo (+13.5, ML +450) vs. Army, 23-20 OT

The largest favorites to cover

Missouri (-48) vs. Delaware State, 79-0
Alabama (-42.5) vs. Kent State, 48-0
Houston (-31) at Texas State, 64-3

Top 25 Notes

-- Clemson kicked off the week with a 26-7 road win at Georgia Tech Thursday night for the second straight cover after opening 0-2 ATS in their first two outings. The Tigers defense is on a roll, allowing a total of seven points in the past two games. The 'under' is now a perfect 4-0 for Clemson on the season. ... We've seen this before. Mississippi builds a huge lead to start in a high-profile game. However, this time the story was different, as the Rebels didn't fritter away that big lead. They jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead over Georgia and kept their foot on the gas this time around. After big leads to FSU and 'Bama, the Rebels weren't going to do it this time around, winning 45-14. ... It was a battle of Top 10 teams between Michigan State and Wisconsin, but only one team showed up. The Badgers rolled to their second high-profile win of the season, topping Sparty 30-6. The Badgers are 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS. Wisconsin's defense is allowed 11.8 points per game (PPG), as the 'under' is 3-1.

-- Tennessee finally snapped their losing skid against rival Florida, although it didn't start out looking that way. The Gators entered with an 11-game winning streak in this series, and jumped out to a 21-3 lead at the half. However, the second half it was all Vols, outscoring the Gators 35-7 en route to a big win and a cover, which didn't look possible early on.

-- Louisiana State headed for the Plains to take on Auburn. The home team won without scoring a touchdown for the first time since Sept. 13, 2008 when the Tigers topped Mississippi State 3-2. LSU also lost Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette to an ankle injury, although he was able to appear later in the final drive, mostly as a decoy. LSU appeared to have a touchdown in the back corner of the end zone for a miraculous win, but after further review the Tigers were unable to get the play off before the play clock hit :00, and after LSU celebrated, it was time for Auburn and its fans to celebrate in an unlikely and amazing finish.

-- Michigan rolled to a 49-10 win over Penn State in their conference opener. The Wolverines improved to 3-1 ATS, while the 'over' is now a perfect 4-0. Next up for the Wolverines is the biggest test to date, as Wisconsin pays a visit to the Big House next Saturday.

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

-- Virginia Tech told East Carolina enough is enough, snapping the six-game win streak by the Pirates against the ACC. The Hokies built a 38-0 lead at halftime and never looked back, rolling to a 54-17 win. Since Va. Tech was crushed at Bristol Motor Speedway by Tennessee, the Hokies covered for a second straight game. The 'over' is 3-0 in the past three for the Gobblers. ... Duke picked up an unbelievable road victory at Notre Dame for what head coach David Cutcliffe called the biggest win in school history. The Blue Devils snapped a two-game skid and non-cover streak, and have renewed hope heading into their next home game against Virginia next Saturday. The Cavaliers won their first of the season, topping Central Michigan. The Cavs are also 2-0-1 ATS over their past three.

-- Nebraska earned a hard-fought 24-13 road win at Northwestern to move to 4-0 SU and 3-0-1 ATS overall. The 'under' result was the third in four outings for the 'Huskes heading into next weekend's game against Ilinois. ... While Minnesota failed to cover for the second time in three games, but they pushed aside Colorado State to run their record to 3-0 SU. The Gophers will travel to Happy Valley next weekend trying to stay unbeaten against a Nittany Lions team which is 2-2 SU/1-3 ATS. ... The 'over' is 4-0 in Penn State's four games, and they have allowed at least 27 points in each of the past three, giving up 39.3 PPG during the span.

-- Baylor improved to 4-0 and posted their first cover of the season in an impressive 35-24 win over Oklahoma State. While their 1-3 ATS mark is surprising, it's nothing compared to the fact the 'under' is now 4-0 in four games for the Bears. ... Iowa State posted a 44-10 victory against San Jose State to get off the schneid and win for the first time in four tries. The Cyclones also covered the second straight outing. ... West Virginia managed a 35-32 win over Brigham Young at FedEx Field. While the Mountaineers are 3-0 SU, they slipped to 1-2 ATS.

-- Arizona forced overtime in their game against Washington, but the Wildcats were unable to pull off the monumental upset. The Wildcats were able to earn the easy cover, their first in four tries. The 'over' hit for the third time in four gams for 'Zona, and their late TD led to a bad beat (see below). ... Colorado earned a huge win at Oregon to improve to 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS, and the 'over' has hit in each of the past three. In their three victories Colorado is averaging 47.0 PPG. ... Stanford posted a 22-13 win at UCLA, 22-13, as the Cardinal improved to 3-0 SU/ATS. While Christian McCaffrey gets all of the headlines, it is their defense which has been impressive in wins over K-State, USC and UCLA. They are allowing just 12.0 PPG against three top-notch opponents, and now they'll head to Seattle for a Pac-12 showdown at Washington next Friday.

-- Kentucky earned its second straight win, topping South Carolina 17-10 in a defensive slog. It was the first cover of the season for the Wildcats, who also snapped a three-game 'over' streak. Kentucky had allowed at least 42 points in their first three games, but obviously found their stride on defense in this one. ... Alabama absolutely trucked an undermanned and overwhelmed Kent State squad, 48-0. 'Over' bettors weren't happy with the second half (see below), but the Tide were able to improve to 3-1 ATS, and 3-0 ATS in non-conference games. ... Vanderbilt might want to consider a move to Confernece USA. They topped Western Kentucky 31-30 in OT. They're now 2-0 SU/ATS against teams from Conference USA, and 0-2 SU/ATS against Power 5 teams.

Mid-Major Report

-- South Florida crashed back to Earth in a 55-35 setback against Florida State at the Ray Jay. The loss snapped a 3-0 SU start, and was also the first non-cover for the Bulls. The 'over' is now 3-1 for USF, thanks mostly due to their offense. They have scored 35 or more points in each of their four outings this season, but they hadn't allowed more than 20 points in a single game until the 'Noles blew them up for 55. ... Cincinnati bounced back with a 27-20 win over rival Miami-Ohio, although the Bearcats continue to win ugly. They're 3-1 SU, but just 1-3 ATS with the 'under' 3-1 in their games so far. ... Houston routed Texas State to stay unbeaten at 4-0 while improving to 3-1 ATS. Surprisingly, it was the first 'over' result in four games for the Cougars.

-- In Conference USA it was North Texas posting a 42-35 overtime win at Rice. While it was the first win for the Mean Green against an FBS team this season, they have now covered three in a row. ... Southern Mississippi got untracked with a 34-7 victory at Texas-El Paso, moving to 2-0 SU/ATS on the road this season. The Golden Eagles will host Rice next Saturday in Hattiesburg. ... Old Dominion picked up the home win against Texas-San Antonio, improving to 2-0 SU/ATS at home in two tries. Their offense is averaging 43.5 PPG at home and just 14.5 PPG on the road in two games each. The 'over' is 2-0 at home for ODU, and 3-1 in four games overall.

-- It was ugly week for the Mid-American Conference, with the MAC going 5-6 SU/ATS. Central Michigan and Kent State lost to Power 5 teams which is excusable. However, the loss by Bowling Green at Memphis was a black eye for the conference. It isn't so much that they lost, but how they lost. The Falcons were bombed 77-3 at the Liberty Bowl, slipping to 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS, and it is the second time they've allowed 77 this season. In three games vs. FBS teams they have allowed an average of 65.0 PPG per contest. ... Buffalo scored an impressive win for the conference, topping previously unbeaten Army by a 23-20 score in overtime as 13-point underdogs. The Bulls entered 0-2 SU/ATS.

-- Not a good week for the Mountain West, as only Air Force and BoiseState were able to score victories. ... Fresno State nearly joined the party, blowing out to a 31-0 lead over the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa. However, the Bulldogs choke was of epic proportions, allowing Tulsa to come all the way back, force overtime and then steal one in The Valley, 48-41. It was the first cover for the Bulldogs, but this loss will be a hard one to overcome. If you had the Bulldogs +500 on the moneyline, don't drink too much tonight, OK?

-- Idaho might not be your first thought when thinking of the Sun Belt, but they did the conference proud with a win over UNLV, adding to the MWC's nightmare. The Vandals won outright as 14.5-point underdogs, covering for the first time in four tries. ... South Alabama almost shamed the Belt with a lost to FCS foe Nicholls State, a team who nearly knocked off Georgia earlier inthe season. However, the Jaguars escaped with a 41-40 OT. They're still 0-3 ATS since winning at Mississippi State in their opener.

Bad Beats

-- It was a double bad beat in Chapel Hill Saturday afternoon. Moneyline bettors of Pittsburgh felt the sting, as well as 'under' bettors, when North Carolina struck with :02 left in regulation to pick up the 37-36 victory. The TD was a crushing blow to moneyline bettors of the Panthers, who just missed out on a +240 payday. It was also a back-breaker for 'under' (66.5), who looked like they had a win in the bag until the final play.

-- If you had the 'under' in the game between Louisiana-Lafayette and Tulane, condolences are in order. The total was 46.5, with the Ragin' Cajuns scoring the game-tying TD with 5:55 to play in regulation to make it 16-16. After the dust cleared after 4 OTs, there was a total of 80 points on the board.

-- 'Under' (56) were hoping Michigan would just rag the clock for a 42-10 win, but the Wolverines struck paydirt with 2:04 left in regulation to push the game to the 'over' side.

-- Southern California side bettors are still sick about the comeback by Utah (-3) in Salt Lake City Friday night. The Utes struck for the game-winning touchdown with :16 left in regulation, posting a 31-27 win and cover.

-- Boise State (-16.5) looked to have the cover at Oregon State, scoring a touchdown with 3:33 left in regulation to take a 38-17 lead. However, on the ensuing kickoff the Beavers had a 99-yard kickoff return for touchdown to grab the cover back for good. What a swing of emotions.

-- 'Over' bettors (61) probably felt like they were on their way to an easy win in UGA-Ole Miss, as the Rebels held a 45-7 lead after three quarters. Midway through the final quarter the Dawgs struck for a touchdown, but there were no scores for the final 7:38.

-- Houston scored an unnecessary touchdown with 3:26 remaining in regulation to take a 64-3 lead at Texas State. It was meaningless unless you had an 'under' (63.5) ticket in your hand.

-- Louisville held a 59-21 lead late in the fourth quarter at Marshall, but the Herd struck with 2:41 remaining to pull within 31. For bettors who got in on the Cardinals early in the week, the late touchdown wasn't damaging. But for those who bet late and were laying 31, it turned an easy win into a push.

-- In that Idaho-UNLV game, the Vandalas booted a 55-yard field goal with 5:09 left in regulation to force OT, tied 27-27. Not what 'under' (61.5) bettors wanted to see. UNLV opened with a field goal, and the Vandals finished with a touchdown for a total of 63 and a late-game bad beat Vegas style.

-- In that Washington-Arizona game, the total was 58.5. With :17 left in regulation the Wildcats picked up a touchdown to tie the Huskies 28-28 and force overtime, killing the 'under' in the process.

[StarDust Bum]

Opening Line Report - Week 5
September 26, 2016

The opening line of next Saturday night’s major ACC clash suggests oddsmakers have Louisville rated higher than Clemson, a team whose only loss over the last two seasons is against Alabama in last season’s national championship. The Tigers opened -2.5 at the Wynn on Sunday, a number that factors in the Death Valley home-field advantage, which means that on a neutral field, the Cardinals would be favored.

There’s another reason the line opened where it did: bookmakers’ anticipation of bets coming in on Louisville.

"I opened (at Clemson -2.5) because I knew I was going to get Louisville money," said John Avello, vice president of race and sports at the Wynn. "I didn’t want to open it too high because I knew the Louisville backers would be there."

Sure enough, as we were talking at around noon ET on Monday, the Wynn wrote another max bet on Louisville and moved the line from 2 to 1.5. A few hours later, the game was a pick ‘em.

Public bettors "like the flashy stuff. They see Louisville scoring 70 points every game," said Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker Ed Salmons. "They saw them just kill Florida State, and in their mind, Florida State is this great team. You can still be fooled by results at this stage of the year. The big question is, ‘is Florida State that good?’ I’m not so sure they are."

Avello and Salmons used the identical phrase to describe the public’s feelings about the high-flying Cardinals. The public is "in love with Louisville right now," both bookmakers said.

So in love with them, in fact, that they’re ready to back them against a team that has won 18 straight games at home, its last loss at Memorial Stadium coming in October 2013 against Florida State. Also, kickoff next Saturday is at 8:00 p.m. ET, giving the home crowd plenty of time to fuel up for the rowdiness. The fact that the game is at night is worth as much as a point to the spread, according to Avello.

"If they go and win this game, that tells me they’re for real," Avello said of Louisville.

The books will likely need Clemson, and in a big way.

"I think there’s going to be an avalanche of public money on Louisville," Salmons said. "I would be shocked if that wasn’t a huge decision."

Stanford at Washington (-3), Friday, 9 p.m. ET

Wiseguys have been laying bigger numbers with Washington here in Games of the Year wagering at the Westgate SuperBook.

"They laid me 4.5 two weeks ago, and they laid me 5.5 last week," said Salmons, who sees this as a difficult spot for Stanford because the Cardinal are playing their second consecutive tough conference road game (they won at UCLA 22-13 last week), and they’re doing it on short rest.

While Salmons envisions this line closing around 4.5, Avello offered a different perspective.

"They really have played no one," Avello said of Washington. "Rutgers, Idaho, Portland State and an Arizona team without their starting quarterback, and they were life-and-death to win that in overtime. I’m not sure how much of a favorite they’re supposed to be over (Stanford). I do respect (Washington coach) Chris Petersen. He’s certainly taken that team in the right direction, but they’re unproven."

Avello added, "Stanford is sound defensively. They’ve played three pretty decent teams (Kansas State USC, UCLA ) and kind of shut them all down. I would expect to see (sharp) money on the dog here at +3."

Indeed, some shops were dealing 2.5 on Monday.

Wisconsin at Michigan (-10.5), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Wynn opened Michigan -9.5, was bet to -10.5 later Sunday night, moved to -10 before the night was over, only to return to -10.5 on Monday. That is the number on most Las Vegas oddsboards as of this writing.

Again, Salmons and Avello have different opinions on which way this line will go, which may be attributable to their opinions about the Badgers.

"I think they’re pretty good, I really do," Avello said. "They’re the surprise team of the year. To shut down Michigan State that way, and I don’t care what you say about LSU, LSU is always a good team...And don’t discount the Akron team they manhandled. Akron’s not a bad team, and they took them apart. This team is really good."

To Salmons, though, Wisconsin’s wins over LSU and Michigan State have become less impressive as the season has progressed.

"Michigan looks like the same kind of team as Wisconsin except they have better athletes and they have more polish to them. They’re just better," he said.

Salmons added, "I think the game is priced right. If anything, I can see it moving up and going off at maybe 11."

Asked if he believes bettors will take the double digits, though, Avello said, "I think anybody who watches college football closely might."

Tennessee (-3.5) at Georgia, Saturday 3:30 p.m. ET

After its remarkable come-from-behind win against Florida, Tennessee finds itself laying points on the road at Georgia, who the Vols haven’t beaten in Athens since 2004 (the Vols are 0-4 at Georgia in that span). The line opened 4, but was bet down to 3.5.

Georgia’s horrific performance at Ole Miss last week, as well as the injury sustained by running back Nck Chubb, are factors in that line.

Avello’s been impressed by Tennessee so far and says the Vols are deserving of road favorite status. "They’re 4-0, and those wins are pretty good wins," he said.

Salmons suggested the betting market is overreacting to last week’s results.

"If this game was put up last week, Georgia would be the favorite," Salmons said.

LSU (-13.5) at Missouri, 7:30 p.m. ET

A few hours before Avello posted his numbers, news broke that Les Miles was out as head coach of LSU and that he’s being replaced on an interim basis by Ed Orgeron. Did the coaching change factor into Avello’s opening line of LSU -14.5?

"A little bit," he said. "I guess I would have opened it up maybe half a point higher, that’s all."

Avello added of LSU under Orgeron, "They’re not going to skip a beat here. Offensively, they’re going to open it up more. The problem is they don’t have a good quarterback, and that’s always a problem for these college teams."

Early line moves

Here are games that saw a spread swing of 2 points or more in the favorite’s direction during the first 23 hours of wagering at the Wynn:

N. Illinois at Ball State
After 23 hours: Ball State -2
After 23 hours: Ball State -4

Akron at Kent State
After 23 hours: Akron -4.5
After 23 hours: Akron -7

Rice at Southern Miss
After 23 hours: Southern Miss -21
After 23 hours: Southern Miss -24

Oklahoma at TCU
After 23 hours: Oklahoma -1
After 23 hours: Oklahoma -3.5

Utah State at Boise State
After 23 hours: Boise State -18.5
After 23 hours: Boise State -20.5

Here are games that saw a spread swing of 2 points or more in the underdog’s direction in the first 23 hours of wagering at the Wynn:

Buffalo at Boston College
After 23 hours: BC -19.5
After 23 hours: BC -17.5

Kanas State at West Virginia
After 23 hours: WVU -5.5
After 23 hours: WVU -3

Virginia at Duke
After 23 hours: Duke -6
After 23 hours: Duke -3.5

Louisville at Clemson
After 23 hours: Clemson -2.5
After 23 hours: pick ‘em

UL-Monroe at Auburn
After 23 hours: Auburn -35
After 23 hours: Auburn -33

[StarDust Bum]

Michigan CB Clark has torn ACL
September 26, 2016

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh says starting cornerback Jeremy Clark suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament against Penn State and is likely done for the season.

Clark, a fifth-year senior, made 10 tackles and is tied for team-high honors with three pass breakups for the fourth-ranked Wolverines.

Harbaugh said junior Brandon Watson and freshmen David Long and Levert Hill will be called on to help make up for the loss. He also said the Michigan coaching staff will look into the possibility of a medical hardship ruling, which could grant Clark a sixth year of eligility.

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Florida QB Del Rio 'doubtful' Saturday
September 26, 2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio is ''highly doubtful'' to play Saturday at Vanderbilt.

Coach Jim McElwain won't rule Del Rio out against the Commodores (2-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference), saying ''I'm still not going to count him out.''

Del Rio injured his left knee against North Texas and sat out Saturday's 38-28 loss at Tennessee . Fifth-year senior Austin Appleby, a graduate transfer from Purdue, is expected to make his second straight start for the 23rd-ranked Gators (3-1, 1-1).

McElwain says Del Rio won't practice Monday but ''we'll try to ease him a little bit on Tuesday, keeping him involved in the game plan.'' Del Rio traveled to Knoxville, suited up and signaled in calls from the sideline. McElwain says Del Rio ''was really good for our team. ... He's a valuable piece of this.''

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Badgers facing tough Big Ten stretch
September 25, 2016

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) It's rare these days for a team to beat Michigan State so soundly that the game is essentially over midway through the fourth quarter.

Alabama did it in last year's national semifinals, and now Wisconsin has a blowout win over the Spartans on its resume - the latest sign that the Badgers should be treated as contenders in what could be a loaded Big Ten.

Wisconsin forced four turnovers and held Michigan State to 75 yards rushing in Saturday's 30-6 win over the Spartans. The Badgers moved up three spots to No. 8 in the AP poll Sunday, and Michigan State fell nine spots to No. 17.

Wisconsin (4-0, 1-0) has not allowed more than 17 points in a game this season, and the Badgers have allowed only three offensive touchdowns.

''Well, I've been lucky. I've been around some really good defenses,'' coach Paul Chryst said after Saturday's win. ''Today, it was big and I thought again it was a good plan by our defensive coaches because our kids understood it and they were able to execute it and they were opportunistic.''

If Michigan State sometimes seems overlooked in a league that includes Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh, one can only imagine how Wisconsin feels. The Badgers won three straight Big Ten titles from 2010-2012, but they've made only one appearance in the conference title game since - a 59-0 loss to eventual national champion Ohio State in 2014.

With Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State in the East Division, it's hard for teams on the other side of the league to earn too much of the spotlight, but Wisconsin has an opportunity to change that. The Badgers already have beaten LSU and Michigan State, and their next two games are at No. 4 Michigan and against No. 2 Ohio State.

If they win either of those two, they'd have another significant victory that could serve them well with the playoff committee if they were to win the league championship.

''Every time I get on ESPN there's all this talk about this stretch of three games,'' defensive end Alec James said, after Wisconsin won the first one with ease.

Michigan State rushed for 260 yards the previous weekend at Notre Dame, but Wisconsin's front contained running back LJ Scott and pressured quarterback Tyler O'Connor. Michigan State's low rushing total was partially because of sacks and a mishap on a punt, but the Spartans couldn't establish any consistency moving the ball.

With Michigan State needing more from the passing game, O'Connor was intercepted three times.

''When some things, you know, opportunities presented themselves, turnovers we were able to capitalize on,'' Chryst said. ''Obviously we think it's a really good Michigan State team and a good offense, and we respect their running game, but guys were doing their assignments and they were finishing and that certainly gave us a chance.''

A season after leading the nation by allowing 13.7 points per game, the Badgers are allowing an average of 11.8. On Saturday, the Wisconsin defense gave up only two field goals and scored a touchdown itself on Leo Musso's 66-yard fumble return.

The Badgers are now 12th in the nation in total defense and 10th against the run, and if anyone doubted the legitimacy of this team's impressive start, well, Michigan State can certainly vouch for it.

''Wisconsin played good, fundamental football. They come into the football game, we talked about that all week, how they've got both hands on you up front,'' Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. ''They know what they're doing, and they do it very, very well. They have a system, and they do it very well.''

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Trubisky, Finley total 16 TDs, 0 INTs
September 26, 2016

Two of the nation's most efficient quarterbacks play in the same conference for schools less than an hour apart in the same state.

North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky and North Carolina State's Ryan Finley have combined to throw 16 touchdown passes with no interceptions, and their completion rate is 75 percent (163 of 217).

Trubisky has been especially sharp. He's the only quarterback in the country with more than 100 pass attempts who hasn't been intercepted, and only 15 QBs have thrown more than his 10 TD passes.

The first-year starter threw for career highs of 453 yards and five touchdowns in a 37-36 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday. Trubisky set the school record with 30 consecutive pass completions over the last two games, hitting his last 18 in a row last week against James Madison and 12 straight in the first half against Pitt.

He's 102 of 137, and his interception-free streak stands at a school-record 202 pass attempts.

Finley, a transfer from Boise State, is 61 of 80 with six TD passes. He was 24 of 28 for 281 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-22 win over Old Dominion.

Other notable statistical feats:

UNDISPUTED LEADER

Michigan has long been the all-time leader in wins. Now, in a statistic first reported by the Detroit Free Press, the Wolverines have taken over Notre Dame's spot as the program with the best winning percentage.

The Wolverines' 4-0 start gives them a 929-331-36 record. That's a win percentage of .7307.

Notre Dame, at 1-3, is 893-316-42 - a win percentage of .7306.

DALVIN'S BIG DAY

Florida State's Dalvin Book scored a 75-yard touchdown the first time he touched the ball against USF. He was just getting started.

Cook ran for a career-high 267 yards and established the season's national high with 329 all-purpose yards. His rushing total was second-best this season behind Donnel Pumphrey's 281-yard outing for San Diego State against California.

GETTING HIS KICKS

Auburn's Daniel Carlson kicked a school record-tying six field goals in the18-13 win over LSU, the most for the Tigers since Al Del Greco kicked six against Kentucky in 1982. Carlson is now 12 for 12 for the season.

Carlson's six field goals matched the national season high set by Florida State's Ricky Aguayo against Mississippi.

CARRYING THE LOAD

Tulsa's D'Angelo Brewer carried 46 times - seven more than any back in the nation this season - while piling up a career-high 252 yards in his team's 48-41 double-overtime victory over Fresno State. Tulsa came back from a 31-point deficit in the second quarter to win.

Brewer's 46 runs tied the school record set by Ron Jackson in 1991, and his 252 yards were most by a Tulsa back since 2008.

BIG NUMBERS, QUICKLY

Memphis' Riley Ferguson passed for 359 yards and six touchdowns and also ran for another score to spark a 77-3 win over Bowling Green. Oh, and Ferguson only played the first half.

[StarDust Bum]

No. 8 Wisconsin dials up pass rush, Michigan showdown next
September 26, 2016

MADISON, Wis. (AP) No. 8 Wisconsin has developed quite the pass rush.

Michigan State got overwhelmed last week in a 30-6 loss to Wisconsin. Now the Badgers (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) get to go after another tough opponent on Saturday at No. 4 Michigan.

''A lot of people want to overlook Wisconsin,'' outside linebacker Vince Biegel said. ''We're going to continue to have the same approach. It doesn't matter what people are saying about us.''

Wisconsin's defense held Michigan State without a touchdown, just the second time the Spartans have been kept out of the end zone at home since 2000. The pass rush recorded four sacks and seven hurries, and the defense had three interceptions.

It was quite a performance by the Badgers and defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, who took over after Dave Aranda left after the 2015 season for the same job at LSU.

''We have a lot of trust in them. That's probably the thing that helped us out the most on offense,'' quarterback Alex Hornibrook said Monday. ''When we didn't have a good drive, they'd get a turnover and give us the ball right back. You love that about a defense.''

The Badgers have surrendered just three offensive touchdowns through four games and rank seventh in scoring defense at 11.8 points per game.

''When we're playing good defense it's because every guy is doing their one-eleventh, they're doing their job,'' coach Paul Chryst said. ''It's as simple as that. The guys are doing their job.''

Biegel is acknowledged as the heart of the defense, but fellow outside linebacker T.J. Watt is making a strong impression after beginning his collegiate career as a tight end.

Against Michigan State, Watt recorded career highs of 3 1/2 tackles for loss and 2 1/2 sacks. Watt also had a couple quarterback hurries and broke up a pass. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

''Defensively as a whole we're still improving, we're still scratching the surface and the sky's the limit,'' said Watt, who leads the Big Ten with 4 1/2 sacks for the season.

NOTES: Hornibrook was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. He was 16 of 26 for 195 yards and one touchdown with one interception against the Spartans, making his first career start. ... OL Jon Dietzen (right leg), K Rafael Gaglianone (back) and RB Bradrick Shaw (right shoulder) are listed as questionable for the Michigan game.

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NCAAF opening line report: Week 5 features some of the best matchups of the year

Louisville is the darling of the college football world right now, averaging a whopping 63.5 points per game, including an absolute destruction of then No. 2 Florida State, 62-20 in Week 3.

A huge clash in the Atlantic Coast Conference highlights Week 5 of the college football season. We talk about the opening lines on four big games this week with John Lester, senior lines manager for offshore sportsbook Bookmaker.eu.

No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at No. 3 Clemson Tigers (-2)

Louisville is the darling of the college football world right now, averaging a whopping 63.5 points per game, including an absolute destruction of then No. 2 Florida State, 62-20 in Week 3 as a 2-point home favorite. On Saturday, the Cardinals (4-0 SU, 3-0-1 ATS) wiped out Marshall 59-28 to push as a massive 31-point chalk.

Clemson, which lost to Alabama in a thrilling national championship game last season, is also out of the gate 4-0 SU (2-2 ATS). The Tigers topped host Georgia Tech 26-7 laying 10.5 points on Thursday night, meaning they’ll have a little extra rest for this Saturday night prime-time matchup. Last year, Clemson edged Louisville 20-17 as a 5-point road fave.

“What a great matchup for the books and the bettors,” Lester said. “Perception is certainly with Lamar Jackson and Louisville these days, but these two teams are neck-and-neck in our power ratings. We made Clemson a slight favorite, and we’ll see where the action takes it.”

No. 6 Stanford Cardinal at No. 9 Washington Huskies (-3)

Like the ACC, the Pac-12 has its own big matchup of undefeateds, though both Stanford and Washington barely remained in that category in Week 4.

The Cardinal trailed 13-9 in the waning minutes at UCLA on Saturday night, then got a touchdown with just 24 seconds left to go up 16-13 as 3-point favorites. They then got a scoop-and-score fumble as time ran out for a 22-13 win and arguably one of the all-time bad beats for Bruins bettors.

Washington (4-0 SU and ATS) was also pressed Saturday night, needing overtime to take out host Arizona 35-28 giving 16 points.

“Another matchup with two very evenly-matched teams,” Lester said. “Stanford has typically struggled defending these types of offenses, and the home-field edge the Huskies hold is also a significant factor when setting this line.”

No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers at No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (-10.5)

And the Big Ten has got a battle of unbeatens this week, too. Wisconsin (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) is in the midst of a wicked three-game stretch – at Michigan State this past Saturday, now Michigan, then a bye before hosting Ohio State. But the Badgers got it started strong with a 30-6 whipping of the Spartans as a 3.5-point road ‘dog.

Meanwhile, Michigan (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) has put up at least 45 points in all four of its games, including Saturday’s 49-10 rout of Penn State as a hefty 15.5-point home chalk. And the Wolverines will be healthy favorites this week, too.

“Wisconsin was impressive on the road last week, but going to the Big House is a whole new ballgame,” Lester said. “This is going to be a great gauge to see how good this Michigan team really is. We went fairly high on the line and won’t be surprised if some sharps see value with the Badgers.”

No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 20 Georgia Bulldogs (+3)

Tennessee had one of the more stirring comebacks of the season Saturday, climbing out of a 21-0 second-quarter hole against visiting Florida. The Vols (4-0 SU, 2-2 ATS) scored 38 unanswered points en route to a 38-28 win and cover as 4-point faves.

On the flip side, Georgia (3-1 ATS, 1-3 SU) comes in off a blowout loss, 45-14 at Mississippi getting 7 points Saturday.

“The Vols have been playing with fire all season, and now we’ll get to see them in their first road test,” Lester said, noting Tennessee needed overtime in its opener against Appalachian State and struggled with Ohio in Week 3. “Georgia hasn’t been overly impressive either. The public will look at this and scratch their heads, so we’re expecting a lot of square action on the road chalk.”

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Sharps are keeping a close eye on these Week 5 college football games

UNLV will be in a foul mood after losing 33-30 as a 14.5-point home favorite last week against Idaho.

Spread to bet now

Fresno State at UNLV (-10)

This line opened -7 and has been quickly bet up to -10 and -10.5, and it will likely continue to rise higher this week. UNLV will be in a foul mood after losing 33-30 as a 14.5-point home favorite last week. The Rebels held a 539-378 total yards edge, but suffered from a 2-1 turnover deficit which included an Idaho interception touchdown return.

Fresno State is 1-3 SU this season, losing their two road games by 33 and 35 point margins. Fresno also lost a high-scoring 48-41 game at home versus Tulsa last week which might leave the Bulldogs a bit drained this week. Fresno State has been out-scored 13.5-47.5 on the road this season while being out-gained 264-512 in total yards (4.3-7.0 yards per play).

Spread to wait on

UL Monroe (+32.5) at Auburn

This line opened +33.5 and has dropped a point, however the public will likely jump on board and push this line higher later this week, especially after watching Auburn defeat LSU last Saturday. However, this is a major flat spot for the Tigers. They go from being a 3-point home underdog to a huge home favorite, plus Auburn has a major look-ahead game on deck at Mississippi State next week.

Auburn has scored 18 points or less in three of their four games this season. UL Monroe is only 1-2 SU, but they are 3-0 ATS as they've been competitive. The Warhawks also have the advantage of a bye week entering this game with extra time to rest and prepare as a big underdog. UL Monroe has averaged 6.0 yards per play (versus opponents that allow just 5.9 yppl), while the Warhawks defense has permitted only 5.8 yards per play (versus opponents that average 6.1 yppl).

Total to watch

North Carolina at Florida State (69)

Florida State bounced back from their 63-20 loss at Louisville with a solid 55-35 win at South Florida last week. The Seminoles have a powerful offense that has scored at least 45 points or more in three of their four games this season. However, their defense has been suspect, allowing 34 points or more in three of their four games. Overall, the Seminoles' four games have averaged 78.0 total points this season.

North Carolina's offense started slowly against Georgia in the first game, but they have come alive since, scoring at least 37 points or more in their past three games. The Tar Heel's defense has struggled, allowing 28 points or more in three of their four games this year. Overall, North Carolina's four games have averaged 71.2 total points this season.