The Bum's 2017 College Football Picks-Trends-News Etc. !

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Tice, Flowers lead No. 21 USF to 43-7 rout of Temple
September 21, 2017

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Darius Tice rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns as No. 21 South Florida dominated defending American Athletic Conference champion Temple 43-7 on Thursday night for its school-record ninth consecutive victory.

The Bulls (4-0) have not lost since falling by 16 points to Temple last October in Philadelphia - a setback that wound up costing them a berth in the AAC championship game.

Coach Charlie Strong said rather than dwell on what transpired last year, he and his players focused on the importance of setting a tone for this season's conference race.

''When you play with passion and enthusiasm, that's the kind of performance you'll get,'' Strong said.

Tice scored on runs of 47 and 3 yards. Quinton Flowers, coming off accounting for 386 yards and five TDs in a 24-point blowout of Illinois, also ran for two touchdowns to take sole possession of first place on the Bulls' career rushing TD list with 34.

USF's defense, meanwhile, forced six turnovers, including the first three interceptions of the season thrown by Temple's Logan Marchi.

Backup quarterback Frank Nutile was intercepted once, and the Owls also lost two fumbles.

''You're not going to lead very many games when you turn the ball over six times,'' Temple coach Geoff Collins said.

''The thing that we talked about all week was being plus-three in the turnover margin,'' Collins added. ''They're way too good of a team to be negative, especially negative six.''

The Owls (2-2) were held to minus-4 yards net rushing and were outgained 408 yards to 85. Marchi threw for 767 yards, five TDs and no interceptions in his first three starts for Temple, but was just 3 of 13 for 32 yards on Thursday night.

Defensive end Jacob Martin scored Temple's only touchdown, sacking Flowers and forcing a fumble that the defensive end returned 44 yards in the second quarter.

The teams have developed a little bit of a rivalry over the past three seasons. USF knocked off the then-No. 21 Owls 44-23 in Tampa two years ago and Ryquell Armstead rushed for 210 yards and two TDs to key Temple's 46-30 victory in Philadelphia last October.

Both teams finished 7-1 in league play, with the Owls representing the Eastern Division in the AAC championship game for the second straight year under former coach Matt Rhule, who left for Baylor in December.

Less than a week later, Strong - fired at Texas after three seven-loss seasons - landed at USF, which lost former coach Willie Taggart to Oregon.

Strong inherited a team that won a school-record 11 games and has the Bulls off to their first 4-0 start since 2011.

THE TAKEAWAY

Temple: The Owls have lopsided losses to Notre Dame and USF wrapped around close wins over Villanova and Massachusetts. The defense has been vulnerable to both the run and pass. Offensively, Collins has to get Marchi and Armstead, who gained 3 yards on 11 carries Thursday night, back on track.

South Florida: Flowers is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, however the Bulls are hardly a one-man show on offense. What's becoming clear as the season progresses, though, is a much-improved defense has a chance to make this a truly special year for USF, which has never won a conference championship.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Playing two consecutive week-night games on national television has given USF some much appreciated attention, however it remains to be seen how much of a difference it makes in the next AP poll. The Bulls climbed one spot after last week's dominant performance against Illinois, and it's difficult to imagine them climbing much higher solely on their rout of Temple.

UP NEXT

Temple: Conference home opener against Houston a week from Saturday.

South Florida: Play a Saturday game for the first time in four weeks, traveling to East Carolina for conference road opener on Sept. 30.

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Nebraska fires AD Eichorst after loss
September 21, 2017

Nebraska fired athletic director Shawn Eichorst on Thursday, five days after the football program's embarrassing home loss to Northern Illinois.

Eichorst has been under heavy criticism for many things, including the hiring of third-year coach Mike Riley, who is just 16-13 after the 21-17 loss to Northern Illinois.

Eichorst, who was nearing five years on the job, is owed $1.7 million on a contract that runs through June 2019.

"Shawn has led Nebraska Athletics in many positive ways, but those efforts have not translated into on-field performance," Nebraska chancellor Ronnie Green said. "Our fans and our student-athletes deserve leadership that drives the highest levels of competitiveness, as well as excellence across all facets of Husker Athletics."

Nebraska plans an immediate search to identify a new athletic director.

Eichorst wasn't happy to see his tenure end.

"While I am deeply disappointed in the decision today, I am grateful for the wonderful years that my family and I have spent at Nebraska," Eichorst said in a statement. "I am proud of how our student-athletes, coaches and staff represented this great university and state, and I am confident that the future is bright for Nebraska Athletics."

Riley said he was saddened by the firing. He said he briefly spoke with Eichorst and let him know he was sorry about the day's events.

"I'm just thankful he brought me here," Riley said after Thursday's practice. "He's the one who stepped out and gave us a job here as a staff. We're at a great place and thankful to be here."

Eichorst hired Riley away from Oregon State, but the football program has not flourished during his tenure.

"I know I'm really confident in what we're doing and the people that we have and how this thing is being run in the football office," Riley said. "I really, really feel good about that. I understand expectation and performance so far, too. So I get all that."

Eichorst was recommended for a one-year contract extension in August by Green but Nebraska president Hank Bounds refused to sign off on it and indicated he would revisit the situation in December.

Riley's contract was extended through 2020 last week despite his lackluster record at the school.

But now the athletic director who hired him is gone and Riley will need to oversee a sharp turnaround.

However, Green asserted that the firing of Eichorst has nothing to do with Riley's status.

"Mike Riley is our football coach. We expect him to compete," Green said. "This is not about Mike Riley. We expect him to compete. We expect our players to compete in baseball and volleyball and you name the sport."

The decision to fire Eichorst seemingly assures that.

"Winning can and often does happen in concert with well-run, quality college programs that work to ensure the success of the student," Green said. "That's our expectation. We take pride here in doing things right and doing the right thing, and that won't change. This is not an either-or equation. We can and should win in that kind of environment."

Nebraska (1-2) opens Big Ten play at home on Saturday against Rutgers. Riley said his focus is on figuring out how to get a victory.

"This is supposed to be fun," Riley said. "I want to get them ready to play. And it's only fun, I've found, when you win, so we're trying every way to just do that."

Eichorst was athletic director at Miami before taking the Nebraska job in October 2012.

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Kentucky's once-porous D now stingy
September 21, 2017

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Kentucky's defense is leaving opponents little room to run.

The Wildcats certainly had room for improvement after last year's porous start in which they allowed over 200 yards rushing and 500-plus overall in their first three games. Florida had a field day in Gainesville by rushing for 244 of its 564 yards in the 45-7 pummeling that Kentucky players took personally for their lack of resistance.

''We went down there and got beat really bad, and they rushed for a lot of yards,'' linebacker Courtney Love recalled. ''Like, 200-plus yards. That's something we cannot have.''

Kentucky (3-0, 1-0) enters Saturday night's Southeastern Conference matchup against the No. 20 Gators (1-1, 1-0) giving little ground.

Three opponents have yet to break 63 yards rushing against Kentucky and have combined for just 171 with one touchdown. Kentucky leads the SEC in fewest rushing yards allowed, yielding just 57 a game which ranks third nationally. They finished last season allowing 228.2 yards per game on the ground.

Defense-minded Kentucky coach Mark Stoops expected improvement, but didn't foresee these kinds of numbers so soon. He's stressing that the Wildcats can't stop there with a chance to lead the SEC East and end a 30-game losing streak to Florida.

''It's critically important in the SEC to be able to rush the ball and also defend the rush,'' noted Stoops, who added, ''It's amazing what the statistics look like in that area.''

Though Kentucky's overall average of 346.7 total yards allowed ranks in the middle league-wise, that number marks a big drop from this point a year ago. Most encouraging to the Wildcats has been their knack for making clutch stops and creating turnovers.

Consecutive fourth-down stands keyed last week's 23-13 SEC victory at South Carolina . Kentucky converted the first stop into a late third-quarter field goal before mounting a goal-line stand for no gain early in the fourth.

A late Gamecocks TD got them within 20-13, but Derrick Baity's interception with 1:31 remaining ended that quest. That gave Kentucky seven takeaways and a plus-4 margin that's tied for 17th nationally.

Defensive players say Kentucky's multiple schemes haven't really changed. However, experience has created a better understanding of players' positioning that they're simply executing.

''It's just technique, effort, guys committing themselves to strain every play and trusting that the guy next to them is going to do their job as well,'' said House, who was elevated to defensive coordinator after D.J. Eliot left for Colorado during the offseason.

Added Baity, ''This is a different team, different players. We're all in.''

The Wildcats insist everybody must be in the right places at all times against a Florida team struggling to develop offensive consistency.

Kentucky isn't paying attention to the Gators' 286-yard average. The Wildcats see a team eager and capable of breaking out and point to last week's 63-yard, Hail Mary TD pass that beat then-No. 23 Tennessee 26-20 as a reminder to account for every player.

Kentucky's run defense is thriving with that approach so far, with the pass defense seeking improvement. Florida coach Jim McElwain isn't shocked by what he has seen, having noticed the Wildcats' potential even in the rout.

''You take a look at where they are statistically this year, they've totally not changed what they've done,'' he said. ''Players are believing, they're playing the way (they) should be.''

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ODU to start freshman QB vs. Hokies
September 21, 2017

Old Dominion coach Bobby Wilder was looking to spark his anemic offense when he turned to 17-year-old freshman Steven Williams Jr. during last weekend's game against North Carolina.

What he found was his new starting quarterback this week.

Williams directed three scoring drives, one on a beautifully thrown 71-yard scoring pass, and had a 19-yard scramble in the Monarchs' 53-23 loss . That earned him his first start for the Monarchs (2-1) on Saturday at No. 13 Virginia Tech.

''When I decided to make the change right before halftime, it was because we didn't have any energy,'' Wilder said, having tried both Jordan Hoy and Blake LaRussa at quarterback this year before turning to Williams. The Monarchs trailed 39-7 and their only points had come on Isaiah Harper's 100-yard kickoff return.

Williams provided a spark almost immediately, converting a third-and-11 with the 19-yard run to the Tar Heels' 5 on a draw play, then fumbled the ball away two plays later. He played the entire second half and because of the energy he gave to the offense, Wilder named him the starter going forward once the game was over.

Despite Williams' youth, Wilder believes he's ready.

''Your quarterback has to be the guy,'' Wilder said. ''It's a lot to ask for a freshman, but that's what he's going to need to be. He's going to need to be the guy for this football team, and I think he will be.''

Williams thinks there's been too much focus on his age and lack of experience.

''I'm more mature than they think. I'm wiser than everyone thinks,'' he said.

While acknowledging that he lays in bed at night thinking about Saturday, Williams also prides himself on remaining on an even keel, a trait he finds extremely important as the player everyone else is looking to for guidance.

''I never let anything around me rattle me or anything. I always try to be calm and deliver the ball,'' he said.

The Hokies (3-0) don't have much film to review, but defensive coordinator Bud Foster liked what he saw.

''He looked like he kept his composure pretty good against Carolina. Now Carolina blitzed early and quite a bit, not just him but the other quarterbacks, and was able to get pressure on the quarterback. I think when he came in, they did a couple things running him a little bit that may have tried to slow things down,'' Foster said.

''We have to pick our spots. Obviously we can't just be blitz happy which then maybe puts us out there in one on one situations where all of sudden they can create a play and make something happen,'' Foster said.

The key for Old Dominion, Wilder said, is getting everyone else to up their game.

''The biggest thing I reminded them is everybody's got to point the finger right at themselves, starting with me,'' he said. ''We all got to rally together and get better as a team. You have to own that when it happens.''

Foster is interested to see what the Monarchs dial up for Williams.

''Obviously I'm expecting to see some quarterback runs or the ball in his hands a few times,'' he said. ''He's that kind of athlete. But then he's also got enough people around him that he doesn't have to rely on him exclusively.

''He's got a good corps of receivers. He can throw the ball well. He's got a live arm.''

And, Williams said, the confidence that his team will rally behind him.

''Getting guys to play for me,'' he said when asked what his biggest strength is. ''I always get guys to play for me. They know I'm going to give them 100 percent and they're going to give it to me back.''

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Clemson K Huegel suffers ACL injury
September 21, 2017

Clemson kicker Greg Huegel is done for the season after suffering a torn ACL at the end of Wednesday night's practice.

Huegel was injured when a defensive player rolled into him while he was attempting a kick, the school announced Thursday.

"It was a freak accident on the last play of practice on Wednesday," head coach Dabo Swinney said in a statement, per the Post and Courier of Charleston (S.C.)."We were in the two-minute drill, which we do at the end of every Wednesday practice. A defensive player rolled into him after his kick. He walked off the practice field and we hoped it was just a strain or a bruise, but the tests revealed a torn ACL."

Huegel, a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award last season, is 43 of 55 on field goals in his career, including 2 of 4 this season. He booted a career-long 49-yarder in last week's win over Louisville.

The second-ranked Tigers (3-0) will host Boston College on Saturday. Huegel will be replaced by junior backup Alex Spence.

"It is a big loss, we are talking about a two-time all-conference kicker. But, I have confidence in our kickers," Swinney said. "Alex Spence will move up. He is in his fourth year with our program and has shown great improvement this year. He really had a good August camp."

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Utes head to Arizona to open Pac-12 play
September 21, 2017

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez loves a good running quarterback and he has one in Brandon Dawkins.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they will face one who might be at least as good when they take on No. 23 Utah in their Pac-12 opener Friday night in Tucson, Arizona.

The once-methodical Utes (3-0) have revved up their offense this season behind quarterback Tyler Huntley, and so far so good, with victories over North Dakota, BYU and San Jose State.

''I would rather not go up against a similar offense to ours,'' Rodriguez said. ''If they just had a big old slug at quarterback, maybe it would be better. But he is very athletic. He can run and reminds me a lot of Brandon Dawkins. You might have a guy right there in position to make a tackle and he can make you miss or run by you. And he can make all of the throws, too.''

Arizona (2-1) stumbled against Houston but routed outmatched UTEP in El Paso 63-16 last Friday. After being benched for a time in a poor performance against Houston, Dawkins came back to have one of his best games.

''We challenged our whole offense, in particular the quarterback position, to execute a little better, to see the field more,'' Rodriguez said, ''and I thought Brandon did that. He's a very competitive runner and I thought he showed that again, he made some nice throws as well. He made some good decisions and was seeing the field well. You could tell during the week he felt like he had something to prove.''

For both teams, the level of competition steps up considerably with the beginning of conference play.

''You play the games as they are scheduled and we have done what we are supposed to do in the first three, but I don't think there are a lot of teams in the country that know a whole lot about themselves still,'' Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. ''It is still so early in the year, so we are still finding out about ourselves, what our strengths are, what we need to get better at. This will definitely be our stiffest test of the year.''

Here are some things to look for when the Utes face the Wildcats:

STINGY DEFENSE: Utah's defense ranks 12th overall nationally at 246 yards per game and is especially stingy against the run. The Utes are second only to Duke in run defense at 49.33 yards per game. That's 1.66 yards per attempt.

Something has to give.

Arizona ranks sixth nationally in rushing offense at 328 yards per game.

FORMER DUCK: Darren Carrington transferred from Oregon and immediately became Utah's main big-play threat.

Oregon dismissed Carrington from the team this summer after a DUII arrest.

Last year, Carrington caught 43 passes for 606 yards for the Ducks including the game-winner against Utah.

Now playing for the Utes, Carrington is by far Utah's leading receiver, with 26 catches for 409 yards and a team-high four touchdowns.

''Well you better be aware of where he is,'' Rodriguez said. ''He's a grown man that's got great size and ball skills. The safeties can help a little bit, but there's inevitably in this day and age, times where people get spread out and your corners have to make plays when they're one on one. We've got to challenge our guys to be able to do that.''

DAWKINS REBOUNDS: Dawkins rebounded from his disappointing performance against Houston with a monster game against UTEP. He accounted for six touchdowns.

The junior completed 18 of 22 passes for 155 yards and three scores and carried 13 times for 143 yards and three more scores.

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UNC loses 3 starters for year before Duke
September 21, 2017

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) North Carolina's injury situation is getting worse.

The school says three starters - linebacker Andre Smith, offensive tackle William Sweet and receiver Thomas Jackson - are out for the season due to injuries. That's according to Thursday's injury report ahead of Saturday's game against rival Duke.

The school didn't specify the nature of the injuries, though Jackson left last weekend's win against Old Dominion when he went down after a catch grabbing his right knee. Sweet also was hurt against Old Dominion, while Smith didn't play after getting injured against Louisville in Week 2.

Starting defensive tackle Jalen Dalton is doubtful for the Duke game after suffering an apparent foot injury against ODU.

UNC's injury report for Duke listed 19 players.

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Friday's Tip Sheet
September 20, 2017


**Virginia at Boise State**

-- As of Wednesday, most betting shops had Boise State (2-1 straight up, 2-1 against the spread) installed as a 12-point home favorite. The total was 52.5, while the Cavaliers were available to win outright for a +370 return (risk $100 to win $370).

-- Boise State beat Troy 24-13 as an 11-point home favorite in the season opener for both schools. The 37 combined points landed ‘under’ the 58.5-point total. BSU drew first blood early in the first quarter on Avery Williamson’s 81-yard punt return for a touchdown. With a 14-3 late in the second quarter, BSU quarterback Brett Rypien was intercepted by Blace Brown, who cut the deficit to 14-10 thanks to a 53-yard pick-six. The Broncos would extend the lead to 17-10 before halftime. Then after a scoreless third quarter, the Trojans pulled to within 17-13 on a Bratcher Underwood 39-yard field goal. With Montell Cozart subbing for an injured Rypien, he found Jake Roh for a seven-yard scoring strike to put the game on ice with 2:12 remaining.

-- Rypien, a two-time first-team All-Mountain Western Conference selection, sat out last week’s home win over New Mexico after sustaining a head injury in a triple-overtime loss at Washington State, 47-44. The junior signal caller had hit on 7-of-8 passes for 76 yards before going down. Cozart played well for the most part, rushing 14 times for 72 yards and one TD. The grad transfer from Kansas completed 12-of-20 passes for 161 yards and two TDs, but he had a costly interception. Leading 31-17 in the fourth quarter, Cozart’s ill-advised pass was intercepted by Cougars’ LB Peyton Pelluer, who turned it into a pick-six to make it a one-possession game with 5:51 remaining. Alex Mattison ran for 63 yards and one TD in BSU’s losing effort, while Cedrick Wilson hauled in nine catches for 147 yards and two TDs.

-- Bryan Harsin’s team is off a 28-14 win over New Mexico as a 16-point home ‘chalk.’ The 42 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 56-point tally. BSU led 14-7 at intermission and didn’t extend that advantage until Roh scored his second of three TDs on a six-yard run with 11:55 remaining. The Broncos went ahead of the number for the first time when Cozart found Roh for a 15-yard TD pass with 3:11 left. Boise State backers needed just one stop to secure a spread cover, but it wasn’t to be. The Lobos covered the number in backdoor fashion thanks to a 14-yard TD pass from Coltin Gerhart to Anselem Umeh with 71 ticks left. UNM limited BSU to just 264 yards of total offense compared to 277 from the Lobos. Cozart completed 15-of-19 passes for 137 yards and two TDs without an interception. He also ran for a team-best 71 yards and one TD on just nine attempts. Roh had three receptions for 25 yards and two TDs, in addition to the six-yard TD scamper. Wilson brought down three catches for 64 yards.

-- Boise State’s defense has been led by junior LB Leighton Vander Esch, who has recorded 36 tackles, one interception, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass broken up. Junior DT David Moa is ‘questionable’ vs. UVA after his arrest last week for allegedly disturbing the peace. Moa, who had a team-high 8.5 sacks for BSU last season, had produced eight tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss through three games.

-- Like Moa, Rypien had been listed as ‘questionable’ after missing last week’s win over UNM. However, he practiced on Wednesday and was upgraded to ‘probable.’ As of early Wednesday night, Rypein was expected to get the starting nod vs. UVA.

-- Virginia (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) played its first three games at home, sandwiching a 34-17 loss to Indiana between a season-opening win over William & Mary and a 38-18 victory over UConn in Week 3. The Cavaliers picked up their spread cover as 11-point favorites against the Huskies. After seeing the ‘under’ cash in its first two outings, UVA saw its first ‘over’ vs. UConn when the 56 combined points went north of the 51-point total.

-- Bronco Mendenhall’s squad led UConn 24-0 at intermission and 31-0 late in the third quarter. The Huskies scored three TDs in last 16 minutes, but they missed two-point conversions following each score. Virginia enjoyed a 626-434 advantage in total offense, Kurt Benkert completed 30-of-40 passes for 455 yards and three TDs with one interception. Jordan Ellis rushed for 95 yards and one TD on 20 carries. Doni Dowling had six receptions for 136 yards and one TD, while Andre Levrone finished with four catches for 127 yards and one TD. Olamide Zaccheaus caught nine balls for 122 yards and one TD.

-- For the season, Benkert has completed 96-of-145 throws (66.2%) for 976 yards with a 7/1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Ellis is the Cavs’ leading rusher, producing 219 yards and three TDs with a 4.1 yards-per-carry average. Zaccheaus is Benkert’s favorite target, hauling in 26 receptions for 250 yards and two TDs.

-- Virginia’s defense is led by senior LB Micah Kiser and senior safety Quin Blanding, a pair of five-star recruits who Mike London somehow landed before getting ousted in favor of Mendenhall. Kiser has recorded 36 tackles, five sacks, one PBU and one fumble recovery. Blanding has 33 tackles through three games.

-- Virginia has lost 13 of its last 16 road openers. The last victory in such a spot came in 2011 at Indiana.

-- UVA posted a 3-3 ATS record as a road underdog in Mendenhall’s first season. Dating back to 2007, the Cavs are 25-18 ATS when they’re catching points on the road.

-- This is the first meeting between these schools, but UVA has visited Bronco Stadium before. The Cavaliers lost a 37-34 decision to Fresno State in overtime at the MPC Computers Bowl in 2004.

-- Boise State has compiled a 6-14-1 spread record in 21 games as a home favorite during Harsin’s four-year tenure. Even worse, the Broncos are an atrocious 0-10-1 ATS in their last 11 games as home ‘chalk.’

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

**Utah at Arizona**

-- As of Wednesday, most spots had Utah (3-0 SU, 3-0 ATS) listed as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 58. The Wildcats were +145 on the money line (risk $100 to win $145).

-- Utah has captured wins vs. North Dakota (37-16), at BYU (19-13) and vs. San Jose State (54-16), covering the number in each instance. The win in Provo over the Cougars came as a five-point road favorite, but the final score was a misleading one. Kyle Whittingham’s team had to settle for three short field goals in the first half from distances of 21, 25 and 31 yards. The Utes enjoyed a 436-233 advantage in total offense. BYU got a TD late in the fourth quarter to make the score look more respectable.

-- Whittingham made a surprising move in August when he named sophomore Tyler Huntley as his starting QB ahead of Troy Williams, who started all 13 games and helped Utah to a 9-4 record. Williams had a 15/8 TD-INT ratio and rushed for five TDs. In three starts this season, Huntley has connected on 80-of-111 passes (72.1%) for 868 yards with a 5/2 TD-INT ratio. Huntley has also rushed for a team-best 212 yards and three TDs. His favorite target is Oregon transfer Darren Carrington, who has 26 receptions for 409 yards and four TDs.

-- Utah is ranked No. 1 in the nation at defending the run, giving up merely 48.0 yards per game on the ground. The Utes are 12th in the country total defense. This unit is led by senior LB Sunia Tauteoli, who has 18 tackles, three TFL’s and one interception.

-- Utah has cashed tickets at a 5-3 ATS clip in its last eight games as a road favorite. Meanwhile, Arizona is 7-5 ATS as a home underdog during Rich Rodriguez’s tenure, but it is 3-5 ATS in its last eight such spots.

-- Arizona (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) opened the season with a 62-24 win over Northern Arizona as a 26.5-point home favorite. The 76 combined points went ‘over’ the 70.5-point total. Shun Brown opened the scoring for the Wildcats with a 66-yard punt return for a TD. Brandon Dawkins rushed seven times for a team-high 92 yards and two TDs, and he also threw for 89 yards and one TD without an interception. Nick Wilson ran for 87 yards and one TD on eight carries.

-- Rodriguez’s squad dropped a 19-16 decision to Houston in Week 2 as a one-point home underdog. The 35 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 64.5-point tally. Arizona gave up a short TD run to the Cougars with 45 seconds left in the second quarter to fall behind 17-10. Then in the third, Dawkins fumbled the ball out off the end zone for a safety. That play, coupled with not being able to punch in a TD on a late-third quarter drive that ended with Josh Pollack making a 21-yard field goal, proved to be UA’s undoing. Down 19-13 midway through the fourth quarter, Pollack buried a 42-yard field goal but it wouldn’t be enough. Dawkins threw for 178 yards, but he was held to 26 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Back-up QB Khalil Tate completed 5-of-8 passes for 41 yards with one interception.

-- Arizona bounced back last Friday night in El Paso with a 63-16 blowout win at UTEP as a 26-point road ‘chalk.’ Dawkins completed 18-of-21 passes for 155 yards and three TDs without an interception. The junior QB also rushed for 143 yards and three TDs on 14 carries. Brown scored a pair of TDs, returning another punt to the house for 63 yards and snagging a 36-yard TD strike from Dawkins.

-- Rodriguez’s offense is ranked 11th in the nation in scoring, averaging 47.0 PPG. The Wildcats are sixth in the country in rushing, producing 328.7 YPG.

-- For the season, Dawkins has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 422 yards and four TDs without an interception. He has also rushed for a team-high 251 yards and five TDs, averaging 7.4 YPC.

-- Arizona has three defensive starters listed as ‘questionable,’ including LB DeAndre’ Miller, safety Isaiah Hayes and DT Parker Zellers. Also, starting TE Trevor Wood (foot) is a question mark.

-- FS1 will have the broadcast at 10:30 p.m. Eastern.

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CFB Aug/Sept Best Bets: ( All Best Bets Based On 5 Units Per Play )
BEST BETS & OPINIONS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

09/21/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

09/16/2017 20-26-3 43.48% -43.00

09/15/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50

09/14/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

09/09/2017 19-21-3 47.50% -20.50

09/08/2017 4-0-0 100.00% +20.00

09/07/2017 0-1-0 0.00% -5.50

09/04/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

09/03/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

09/02/2017 11-21-0 34.38% -60.50

09/01/2017 6-3-0 66.67% +13.50

08/31/2017 9-4-0 69.23% +23.00

08/26/2017 5-5-0 50.00% -2.50

Totals:..........84 - 87 - 6......49.12%....-58.50


Best Bets:*****
Best Bets :........................ATS............TOTALS.... .............O/U................TOTALS

09/21/2017....................1 - 0..............+ 5.00..................1 - 0..............+ 5.00
09/16/2017....................7 - 9 - 1.........- 14.50.................3 - 6...............-12.50
09/15/2017....................2 - 0..............+10.00.................1 - 2...............- 6.00

Totals:........................10 - 9 - 1..........-+0.50...................5 - 8.............- 13.50

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NCAAF

Friday, September 22

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Friday's NCAAF Game of the Day: Virginia at Boise State
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Virginia Cavaliers at Boise State Broncos (-13, 51.5)

Virginia quarterback Kurt Benkert seeks an encore performance after a record-setting effort last week when he leads the Cavaliers into a Friday night matchup at Boise State, which trounced Virginia two seasons ago in Charlottesville. Benkert threw for a school-record 455 yards in a 38-18 win against Connecticut last Saturday, displaying an aggressive approach the team will need to succeed under the lights in Boise.

"The (blue) turf is one thing, but the style of play," Cavaliers coach Bronco Mendenhall told reporters. "Boise is always really aggressive at the beginning of the game. ... You have to start fast, and you have to be really resilient, especially early, to play well there." Mendenhall lost twice at Albertsons Stadium while coaching at BYU and he's seen footage of the Broncos' 56-14 rout in Virginia on Sept. 25, 2015. The current unit in Boise State rebounded from a triple-overtime loss to Washington State by producing a 28-14 win over New Mexico in its Mountain West Conference opener Sept. 14. Senior Montell Cozart stepped into the starting role in place of Brett Rypien and threw for two touchdowns while running for another as the Broncos survived an uncharacteristically sluggish effort that produced just 264 total yards.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2.

LINE HISTORY: Boise State opened as 13-point home favorites and the total hit the betting board at 51.5. Neither number has moved as of Thursday night.

INJURY REPORT:

Virginia - WR J. Reed (Probable, Undisclosed), CB T. Harris (Out For Season, Wrist), WR C. Blackman (Out For Season, Leg).

Boise State - TE C. Blakley (Questionable, Leg), NT D. Moa (Questionable, Personal), DE A. Silsby (Questionable, Undisclosed), QB B. Rypien (Questionable, Head), WR A. Bulter (Out For Season, Knee), LB B. Whitlock (Out For Season, Shoulder), S E. Tyler (Out For Season, Knee).

ABOUT VIRGINIA (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS, 1-2 O/U): Three different receivers had at least 122 yards and a touchdown last week, led by Doni Dowling (136 yards). Benkert completed 30-of-40 passes and enters this week's action fourth among ACC quarterbacks in completion percentage (66.2) while sitting third in both yards per game (325.3) and TD passes (seven). Junior running back Jordan Ellis had a season-high 95 yards on the ground and found the end zone for the third straight game.

ABOUT BOISE STATE (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS, 1-2 O/U): Rypien (undisclosed injury) had a streak of 25 consecutive starts snapped last week, a run that started when he threw for 321 yards and three TDs at Virginia two season ago. "He's practicing, he'll practice today and we'll see where he's at through practice," Broncos coach Bryan Harsin told reporters Monday. "He's back out there, threw some last week." Both Rypien and Cozart have leaned heavily on senior wideout Cedrick Wilson (16 catches, 276 yards), while senior tight end Jake Roh matched his career total with three touchdowns (one rushing) against New Mexico.

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Broncos are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 home games.
* Under is 10-4-1 in Cavaliers last 15 road games.
* Under is 12-3 in Broncos last 15 home games.

CONSENSUS: The road underdog Cavaliers are getting 58 percent of the action from users and the Over is picking up 53 percent of the totals wagers.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UVA at BSU 08:00 PM

UVA +12.0******

O 51.0 *****

UTAH at ARIZ 10:30 PM

UTAH -3.5 *****

U 60.0 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Virginia stomps Boise State, 42-23
September 22, 2017

BOISE, Idaho (AP) After losing 20 of its last 21 road games coming in, Virginia had a festive vibe in its locker room following a 42-23 dismantling of Boise State on Friday night with plenty of players excited about the 2,400-mile flight home.

''It's going to be a fun trip back,'' Virginia quarterback Kurt Benkert said, whose team was a 14-point underdog. ''We see what people say, and it's expected after what kind of season we had last year. But we know what we're capable of and how much better we are.

''Now, people have to take us seriously. We're building momentum now, and we're excited to see how it plays out.''

Benkert threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns as the Cavaliers handed Boise State its worst home loss since 2001.

Virginia (3-1) notched its first win west of the Mississippi River since 1991 when it beat BYU 45-40. In avenging an embarrassing 56-14 loss to Boise State in 2015, the Cavaliers also surpassed their win total from last season.

Boise State (2-2) hasn't suffered a double-digit loss at home since the 2001 season.

''There's gonna be some changes,'' said Boise State coach Bryan Harsin, whose team is 5-5 in its last 10 games. ''What they are, I don't know yet. But we need to fix the consistency of our entire team in all three phases. It can't just be about one side.

''Good football teams play together, play off each other, and help all sides of the ball in one way or another. And that just didn't happen tonight.''

While this was Virginia's first trip to Boise, second-year coach Bronco Mendenhall faced the Broncos on the road twice while coaching BYU, losing both times.

This time, it was different.

After surrendering an 80-yard scoring drive to open the game, Virginia took control by ripping off 21 straight points.

The momentum shifted on a botched play by Boise State's special teams, a long-time signature strength of the Broncos. Trailing 14-7 late in the first half, Boise State attempted a fake punt from its own 40, but Alec Dhaenens fumbled the direct snap and fell on it at the 33. Two plays later, Benkert hit Doni Dowling on a 27-yard scoring strike to push the Virginia lead to 14 points.

Boise State rallied with a quick touchdown before halftime, but Virginia took the opening drive of the second half 75 yards, on three plays, capped by a 64-yard touchdown pass from Benkert to Andre Levrone.

And the Cavaliers never looked back.

Brett Rypien, who returned to action after suffering a concussion against Washington State, threw for 353 yards and one interception for Boise State.

Virginia's defense held Boise State to just 30 yards rushing, while the Cavaliers' offense rolled up 167 yards on the ground.

With a trio of scoring strikes, Benkert moved into fifth among Virginia career touchdown passing leaders with 31.

TAKEAWAYS

Virginia completed the non-conference portion of its schedule with a statement win. After struggling through a 2-9 season a year ago, Mendenhall already has the Cavaliers trending upward heading into ACC play.

Boise State, which was one bad break away from beating Washington State and likely entering the game with Virginia ranked, has an open date at the right time. The Broncos need to figure out their identity on offense and solve a plethora of problems with the special teams unit.

UP NEXT

Virginia opens its ACC schedule at home against Duke on Oct. 7, while Boise State also takes a week off before traveling to rival BYU on Oct. 6.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s six-pack

College football trends for this weekend……..

— Florida won 30 in a row over Kentucky (9-1 vs spread in last 10)

— UTEP won 8 in a row over New Mexico State (6-0-2 vs spread)

— Underdogs are 6-1-1 vs spread in last 8 UL-Monroe/UL-Lafayette tilts.

— Oregon won its last 10 games with Arizona State (8-1-1 vs spread)

— North Carolina scored 118 points in its first three games, but still lost twice.

— Auburn struggled to beat Mercer 24-10 LW; they were -5 in turnovers.

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Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here…….

13) Could the NFL make the Chargers go back to San Diego in 2018-19, until the new stadium in Inglewood is ready? There were rumblings on the Interweb Friday that this is a possibility, after the Dolphins-Chargers game didn’t sell out a 27,000-seat stadium last week.

12) This will be the 13th year in a row that the American League beats the National in interleague play.

11) Detroit Tigers fired Brad Ausmus Friday; he’ll finish out the last ten days of the season, but the soon-to-rebuild Tigers will have a new skipper to oversee the rebuilding process.

10) Vikings’ oft-injured QB Sam Bradford (knee) is out for Sunday’s game with Tampa Bay. Case Keenum will start for Minnesota.

9) Toronto gave pitcher Marco Estrada $13M for next year, making you wonder what Sonny Gray will be making after his arbitration hearing this winter.

8) Miami OH led Cincinnati 17-14 in a rivalry game LW; RedHawks had lost 11 games in a row to their rivals from the Big East, so winning this game would be a big deal for Miami.

Miami had the ball 3-and-7 on its own 8-yard line after a delay penalty backed them up on 3rd-and-2. With roughly 1:15 left, Miami then tried a pass, which was picked off and run back 14 yards and run back for the TD that gave Cincinnati their 12th win in a row over Miami.

Oy.

7) Clemson lost its kicker to a torn ACL that happened in practice Wednesday; a teammate rolled up on his leg during a kicking drill.

6) 49ers have 17 players who were on another team LY; they also have 15 rookies, three more than any other NFL team.

5) There is actually a movie called I Spit on Your Grave, which sounds like an epic love story; imagine my surprise when I realized that at least two sequels to this film classic have been made.

4) South Florida 43, Temple 7— Owls had 7 first downs and 6 turnovers. Yikes.

3) Paradise Jam college basketball tournament will be moved from the Virgin Islands this fall because of the hurricane damage- they haven’t announced where it will be held this season.

2) NL Wild Card update:
— Cardinals 4, Pirates 3— Good time to be playing the free-falling Pirates.
— Cubs 5, Brewers 4 (10)— Three brutal losses in a row for Milwaukee.
— Rockies 4, Padres 1— Colorado leads Wild Card race by 1.5 games.
— Dodgers clinched the NL West last night.

1) AL Wild Card update:
— Twins 7, Tigers 3— Paul Molitor is AL Manager of the Year.
— Astros 3, Angels 0— Verlander was great acquisition by Houston.
— A’s 4, Rangers 1— Only teams above .500 in AL are the playoff teams.

[StarDust Bum]

SEC Notebook - Week 4
September 22, 2017

SEC As we move into Week 4, the headlines in the SEC center around how many head coaches are in trouble. There are really only six of 14 SEC schools that currently have coaches on solid footing.

The stakes couldn’t possibly be higher for both Bret Bielema and Kevin Sumlin when their teams square off against each other at Jerry World in Arlington, where Arkansas (1-1 straight up, 0-2 against the spread) will attempt to snap a five-game losing streak in its rivalry with Texas A&M. As of Friday morning, most books had the Aggies listed as 2.5-point favorites with a total of 55. The Razorbacks were +120 on the money line (risk $100 to win $120).

Bielema’s team has had two weeks to prepare after dropping a 28-7 decision to TCU as a three-point home underdog. The Hogs, who opened the year with a 49-7 home win over Florida A&M, could only generate 267 yards of total offense against the Horned Frogs. Austin Allen didn’t have much time to throw, connecting on merely 9-of-23 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown without an interception.

One early bright spot for Arkansas offensively has been juco transfer TE Jonathan Nance, who had three receptions for 75 yards and one TD. He now has six catches for 100 yards on the season.

Texas A&M (2-1 SU, 1-1-1 ATS) hasn’t been all that impressive in doing so, but it has won back-to-back games since blowing a 34-point lead late in the third quarter in an unfathomable season-opening loss at UCLA. Sumlin’s squad defeated Nicholls 24-14 in Week 2 as a 37.5-point home ‘chalk,’ but not without a major scare.

Nicholls, which played Georgia to the wire in Athens last year in a 26-24 setback as a 53-point underdog, pulled even at 14-14 with 12:05 remaining in the final stanza. However, the Aggies got a two-yard TD run from Kendall Bussey to go ahead, and then Daniel LaCamera put the game on ice with a 26-yard field goal with just 18 ticks left.

Louisiana came calling to College Station last week, and the Ragin’ Cajuns took a 21-14 lead into intermission following a one-yard TD pass from Jordan Davis to Jordan Wright with seven seconds left in the second quarter. Texas A&M would outscore Louisiana 31-0 in the second half, though.

Kellen Mond completed 21-of-34 passes for 301 yards and three TDs compared to just one interception. With star sophomore RB Trayveon Williams sitting out with a sore ankle, Bussey rushed 13 times for 88 yards. Mond also had a TD run, while true freshman Jacob Kibodi ran for 101 yards and one TD on merely four carries. Tyrel Dodson had a pick-six for the Aggies and Armani Watts also had an interception.

Williams is listed as ‘probable’ vs. Arkansas, while starting DBs Donovan Wilson and Nick Harvey remain ‘out,’ potentially for the rest of the season. Williams, who rushed for 1,057 yards and eight TDs while averaging 6.8 yards per carry as a true freshman in 2016, ran for 256 yards and three TDs for a 7.8 YPC average in the first two games.

Although Texas A&M has won five in a row in the series, Arkansas is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 encounters. The Aggies beat Arkansas in overtime in both 2014 and ’15, and they won a 45-24 decision last season. However, that was a misleading final, as the Hogs came up empty on a pair of goal-to-go opportunities, including one late in the third quarter when the game was tied. In other words, the Razorbacks have lost three consecutive gut-wrenchers.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon Eastern on ESPN.

Kentucky has lost 30 consecutive games to Florida, the longest active losing streak in an FBS rivalry. The Wildcats have their best shot in a long time Saturday night at home. As of Friday morning, UF was listed as a short 1.5-point favorite, while the total was at 44.

UF probably won’t have two defensive starters in senior CB Duke Dawson and sophomore LB Kylan Johnson. Both are listed as ‘doubtful.’ Meanwhile, Kentucky is expected to be without its best defensive player Jordan Jones, who is ‘doubtful’ with a shoulder injury sustained in Week 2.

Dawson was the SEC Player of the Week after recording six tackles, two passes broken up, one tackle for a loss and one interception, his second of the year. Jim McElwain’s team captured a 26-20 win over Tennessee thanks to a walk-off TD pass from redshirt freshman QB Feleipe Franks to sophomore WR Tyrie Cleveland.

The Gators covered the number for many gamblers as they were favored by 4.5 to 5.5 for most of the week. A number of shops moved the line to six and a few even closed north of six, but those numbers weren’t available until the last hour or two of wagering. The 46 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 50-point total, but not without sending ‘under’ supporters through anxious moments galore at crunch time.

Consider this: UF led 6-3 going into the fourth quarter. The first offensive TD of the game wasn’t scored until 8:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, when UT knotted the score at 20-20 late in the fourth quarter, the result on the total was very much in doubt with the potential of overtime(s).

In the first two starts of his career, Franks has completed 23-of-37 passes (62.2%) for 287 yards with a 2/1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Cleveland has nine receptions for 149 yards and one TD. He also had a key 46-yard kick return after the Vols had trimmed the deficit to 13-10. The return, coupled with the 15-yard celebration penalty UT was flagged for after scoring the TD, was the catalyst in the Gators answering to go ahead 20-10.

Kentucky improved to 3-0 with last week’s 23-13 win over previously-unbeaten South Carolina as a 5.5-point road underdog. The Wildcats have won 10 of their last 13 regular-season games. They got 102 rushing yards and two TDs from sophomore RB Benny Snell. UK intercepted Jake Bentley twice.

The ‘under’ is 3-0 overall for UK this year. The ‘Cats are an abysmal 2-10-2 ATS in their 14 games as home underdogs during Mark Stoops’s five-year tenure. They’ll take on the Gators at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on the SEC Network.

How bad was LSU’s 37-7 loss at Mississippi State in Week 3? Well, the Tigers hadn’t lost by that big of a margin when they were ranked and facing an unranked foe since a 1943 blowout defeat against Georgia Tech.

Making matters worse, star RB Derrius Guice sustained a knee injury. According to Ed Orgeron on Wednesday’s SEC teleconference, Guice didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday and was ‘very questionable’ vs. Syracuse. Then on Thursday, Orgeron said Guice wouldn’t play, only to reverse course Friday and say that he will start.

These schools met at the Carrier Dome two seasons ago, with LSU capturing a non-covering 34-24 win as a 24-point road favorite. As of Friday morning, most spots had LSU installed as a 21-point home favorite with a total of 56. The Orange had 10/1 odds to pull the upset in Baton Rouge.

Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

South Carolina will be in bounce-back mode when it hosts La. Tech on the SEC Network at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The Gamecocks will be without star WR Deebo Samuel, who is most likely out for the season with a broken leg that required surgery earlier this week. Samuel was playing like a first-team All-American, scoring six TDs in USC’s first three games.

Will Muschamp’s team will also be sans starting OT Zack Bailey, who has a high-ankle sprain. Bailey, a junior, has made 21 career starts. South Carolina owns a 2-3 spread record in five games as a home favorite since Muschamp took over.

Louisiana Tech is off a 23-22 comeback win at Western Kentucky as a four-point underdog last week. The Bulldogs hosted Mississippi State two weeks ago, getting routed 57-21 as 10-point home underdogs.

As of early Friday, most spots had South Carolina favored by 9.5 points with a total of 53. The Bulldogs, who are 9-6 ATS in 15 games as road underdogs on Skip Holtz’s watch, were +290 on the money line (risk $100 to win $290).

A pair of undefeated teams will collide in Nashville at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS. That would be Alabama and Vanderbilt, which is 3-0 for the first time since 2011. As of early Friday, most books had the Crimson Tide listed as an 18.5-point favorite with a total of 43. The Commodores were +800 to win outright (risk $100 to win $800).

Vandy (3-0 SU, 3-0 ATS) owns a 9-3 spread record in 12 games as a home underdog during Derek Mason’s tenure. The ‘Dores knocked off Kansas State by a 14-7 count as 4.5-point home puppies last Saturday night. Kyle Shurmur threw one TD pass and ran for a score in another turnover-free performance.

For the season, Shurmur has connected on 71.0 percent of his throws for 703 yards and eight TDs without an interception. He’s also rushed for a pair of scores. Trent Sherfield has a team-best 12 catches for 234 yads and one TD, while Kalija Lipscomb has six grabs for 106 yards and a team-high three TDs.

National stats in September can often be misleading, if not downright irrelevant on account of how many weak non-conference opponents are on the schedule. With that said, we’ll nonetheless point out that Vandy leads the nation in scoring defense (4.3 PPG) and pass defense (95.3 yards per game). The ‘Dores are fourth in the country in total defense.

Alabama (3-0 SU, 1-2 ATS) has beaten Fresno State (41-10) and Colorado State (41-23) since knocking off FSU 24-7 in its opener in Atlanta. The Tide has compiled a 24-15 spread record as a road ‘chalk’ since Nick Saban was hired in 2007.

Auburn (2-1 SU, 0-2-1 ATS) has seen the ‘under’ go 3-0 thanks to its defense that looks like one of the nation’s best. Gus Malzahn’s team hits the road again this week to take on Missouri, which was listed as an 18-point ‘dog early Friday. Barry Odom’s team is +750 to win outright.

The losing coach in this game will keep feeling heat from his school’s fan base. Missouri took a 31-3 assbeating by Purdue in Columbia last week. Drew Lock completed merely 12-of-28 passes for 133 yards. Since the junior signal caller threw seven TD passes in a 72-43 win over Missouri St., he has only one TD pass compared to four interceptions.

Auburn is off a lackluster 24-10 non-covering win over Mercer as a 41-point home ‘chalk.’ During Malzahn’s tenure, AU is 5-3 ATS as a road favorite. Meanwhile, Missouri is 2-0 ATS as a home ‘dog under Odom.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Alabama starting senior LB Rashaan Evans has missed back-to-back games and is listed as ‘questionable’ at Vandy.

-- As we noted earlier this week in our Week 3: The Aftermath piece, former starting QB Sean White and DT Byron Cowart are no longer with the program.

-- Current Iron Bowl pointspread via The Westgate SuperBook: Alabama -7.5 at Auburn.

-- Ole Miss WR A.J. Brown left last week’s 27-16 loss at Cal with a knee injury that’s been diagnosed as a sprained MCL. Brown is expected to miss 1-2 weeks, leaving his availability for a Week 5 game at Alabama in doubt. Brown went into Week 3 leading the nation in receiving yards (389) with four TD grabs. The Rebels are off this weekend and have two weeks to prep for their trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

-- If Vandy is going to have any hope vs. ‘Bama, it has got to start creating some holes for Ralph Webb, the school’s all-time leading rusher. Webb has been running hard and has made some plays catching the ball out of the backfield, but there’s simply been no room for him to run. Alabama’s d-line isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered to fix Vandy's ground attack, but Webb’s 2.6 YPC average has got to improve against the Tide. Webb has two rushing TDs and has hauled in three receptions for 104 yards and one TD.

-- My SEC Power Rankings:
1-Alabama
2-Georgia
3-Auburn
4-Mississippi St.
5-Florida
6-LSU
7-Vanderbilt
8-Tennessee
9-Kentucky
10-South Carolina
11-Texas A&M
12-Ole Miss
13-Arkansas
14-Missouri

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Best Bets
September 22, 2017

It's hard to believe that we've already reached Week 4 of the 2017 College Football season, and before you know it the playoff committee will be releasing their weekly rankings for everyone to ******. If things were to end today, there would be a good chance we'd get a third straight season of Alabama and Clemson playing for the National Title, but it's still way too early to discuss those type of scenarios.

What can be discussed is the fact that Week 4 typically brings the start of conference play for many programs across the country. Many schools have already played a conference game, but this is about the time where it's conference play the rest of the way and you'd better believe the current CFB rankings will be shaken up quite a bit over the next two months because of it.

This week we've got plenty of the Top 25 teams in action, and while there aren't as many high profile games between two highly ranked programs, there are still some great games on the board to capitalize on. Here are my two best bets for the week:

BetDSI.eu Best Bet #1: Florida (-2.5)

After Kentucky upset South Carolina last week and the Gators needed a Hail Mary at the end of their game vs. Tennessee to win and avoid OT, money has been pouring in on Kentucky all week for this game. The Wildcats are now 3-0 SU this year and last week's upset was nice, but I'm not sure a program that hasn't beaten Florida SU since 1986 (and they've played every year since then) deserves to have nearly 90% of the ML wagers on them according to VegasInsider.com. All history aside, this 3-0 SU Kentucky team has yet to face anything like the defense Florida will bring to the party this week and that poses a huge problem for them either covering this short number or winning outright.

Not only do many believe Kentucky deserves their support in part because of last week's upset, but nobody has any sort of faith in the Gators offense after what they've seen in two games. Florida has really struggled to move the ball and put up points, and some of that likely has to do with the coaching staff's inability to pick a starter and stick with him.

However, Felipe Franks was the only one who took snaps last week and it looks as if the Gators will be riding with him for at least the short term. A decision like that helps breed confidence in the locker room (no matter how poorly things have gone so far), and the Gators 50% conversion rate on 3rd downs a week ago is another positive sign this team can point too.

But when it comes down to it, all the stories and notes about the fact that Kentucky has lost 30 straight games to Florida will get into the heads of the Wildcats players, no matter how long they've been with the program. When you want something so bad like they want to beat Florida – you start to force things to happen - and that's when mistakes are made. Kentucky's going to have a lot of trouble moving the ball themselves against this Gators defense, and as long as Florida can finally find some sort of semblance of rhythm on offense, I don't see how the Gators don't win this by double digits.

Florida is 5-0 ATS in their last five trips here, and with Kentucky on a 9-21 ATS run after covering the spread the week before, 4-11 ATS after allowing less than 100 yards rushing, and 0-4 ATS in their last four at home, don't buy into all the hype of this FINALLY being the year Kentucky breaks the losing streak.

BetDSI.eu Best Bet #2: UCLA +7.5

The Bruins suffered their first defeat of 2017 last week but it really was a brutal situation all around for them. UCLA had to travel across country to play a very early body-clock game against a Memphis team that has no problem chucking the ball around the yard like UCLA does and play high-scoring shootouts. Despite a furious attempt at a comeback, UCLA ended up falling short, and now begins Pac-12 play against a Stanford team that's lost two in a row and hosting their first game of the year.

Stanford has won nine straight games against the Bruins dating back to 2008, and they've gone 8-1 ATS in those games. Yet, David Shaw's team in 2017 is nowhere near as good as Cardinal teams of yesteryear, and I don't see how Stanford will be able to beat this Bruins team by more than a TD.

UCLA QB Josh Rosen can put up points on anyone in college football, and we just saw USC's Sam Darnold rack up 42 on this Cardinal team two weeks ago. There is no doubt that Rosen and the rest of his UCLA teammates remember how last year's loss to Stanford felt as they watched the Cardinals outscore the Bruins 16-3 in the final frame at the Rose Bowl to win 22-13. Stanford scored a TD with 24 second left to take a 16-13 lead, and then returned a fumble for a TD as time ran out when the Bruins were down to their last shot. That defeat crushed UCLA as they went on to lose four of their next five games overall.

Well, this is an opportunity for Rosen and company to exact their revenge and kick Stanford while they are down. The Cardinal suffered their own similar type of defeat last week when they allowed San Diego State to score the game-winning TD with under a minute left to pull off the upset. Those kind of losses are very deflating, and while UCLA's poor defense is a little concerning, Stanford is basically a one-trick pony on offense with RB Bryce Love, and one-dimensional teams have a tough time covering bigger numbers like this against explosive offenses that should be able to keep this game well within one-score, if not win it outright.