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

[StarDust Bum]

Gaskin re-emerges as weapon for No. 6 Washington
September 25, 2017

Myles Gaskin was often an afterthought while the Washington running attack was practically invisible through the first three games of the season.

But toss in a career-best rushing performance in Game 4, and Gaskin and the Huskies' ground game looks significantly better entering Saturday's game at Oregon State (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12).

Gaskin rushed for a career-best 202 yards in last Saturday's 37-10 victory over Colorado. The junior entered with just 153 yards in three games.

"Myles always gets better the more you give him the ball," Washington coach Chris Petersen said. "He'll get into a rhythm if you can give him a little bit of space. I think we took a step forward in the run game."

Call it multiple steps now that the reliable Gaskin was able to get into the flow.

Gaskin topped 1,300 rushing yards in each of his first two college seasons. But the No. 6 Huskies (4-0, 1-0) only gave him 24 carries over the first three games.

He received 27 attempts in less than ideal conditions against the Buffaloes and suddenly looked like the highly productive back of the past two seasons.

"The guys up front we're doing their job, they were making it easy for me," Gaskin said of an offensive line that enjoyed its best overall game of the season. "The rain and everything kind of factored in so we were sticking to the run and it worked out how it did."

Going from the sparse workload to a bell-cow level certainly was fine with Gaskin, but it also spurred questions for why the drop in usage.

Petersen insists there was no plan in place to keep Gaskin leashed up until the start of Pac-12 play.

"No, I don't think we were that specific. I mean, we are trying to come out, and we always want to run the ball," Petersen said.

"We are disappointed from Game 1 if it doesn't look like we want it to. It is not like some, 'OK, get him ready for the league.' We come out trying to do the best we can from the very start. But we do know it takes a minute. It's not ready made."

Washington did receive a dose of bad news in the win over Colorado -- junior receiver Chico McClatcher broke his left ankle and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

--QB Jake Browning has passed for 958 yards and nine touchdowns against two interceptions but experienced his second straight subpar performance against Colorado, including last season's Pac-12 title game. The junior completed just 11 of 21 attempts for 160 yards and one touchdown but did avoid key mistakes. Browning's completion percentage dipped to 69.7 percent, which ranks 14th nationally, but he could be in line for a nice rebound against an Oregon State team that has already allowed 12 passing touchdowns.

--CB Jordan Miller is coming off a solid effort against Colorado in which he recorded his first two interceptions of the season. The junior will be counted on even more moving forward with redshirt freshman Byron Murphy out with a broken foot. "He's an athletic guy. He's another guy that's kind of been lurking in the shadows so to speak," coach Chris Petersen said. "I think we saw that he could do some really good things out there at a really tough position on the island."

--DT Vita Vea displayed his rare form of athleticism by blocking a punt against Colorado in addition to his typical style of tying up blockers in the trenches. "Thought Vita Vea was playing at a really, really high level," coach Chris Petersen said. "Not only on special teams but on defense." The 6-foot-5, 340-pound junior has 13 tackles and one sack this season with room to elevate his performance.

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Utah QB Huntley injured, senior backup Williams stayed ready
September 25, 2017

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) It's not clear when Utah will get starting quarterback Tyler Huntley back, but the Utes have a more than capable backup.

Huntley left the field in the second quarter of last Friday's 30-24 win over Arizona and later returned with his right arm in a sling. Coach Kyle Whittingham said no season-ending injuries were suffered in the game but declined to provide more details. Utah typically does not disclose injuries unless they end a player's season.

The Utes are on a bye week. They host Stanford on Oct. 7.

''We're going to be optimistic and hope everybody's ready in two weeks,'' Whittingham said. ''Maybe that's wishful thinking, but we'll have to see what happens.''

Senior captain Troy Williams replaced Huntley and threw for 131 yards and rushed for a touchdown. Williams started all 13 games in 2016 but lost the job to Huntley during preseason camp. Whittingham doesn't anticipate any significant changes in the new spread offense run by first-year coordinator Troy Taylor if Williams has to play more.

''We tweak a little bit, there's not a wholesale change,'' Whittingham said. ''(Williams is) a very capable runner. He's good in the pocket. Troy Taylor will tailor the game plan to fit his specific skill set. There's not a great deal of difference of things that we need to change or do. Troy is fully capable of running this offense just as is.''

Both Whittingham and Williams said there wasn't any need for the team to rally around the quarterback when he entered the game. Williams has continued his routine of being one of the last players on the practice field long after the session has ended. That's what he did as a starter, and he wanted to do the same despite losing the job.

''That just made me realize that I had to work even harder,'' Williams said. ''Whatever I did, I had to multiply it by three, by four. Whatever it was I was doing, I put extra on it and made sure when my number is called, I had to be ready.

''I didn't want to be that guy that, I didn't get the spot, so now I'm not doing extra things to make myself better. I didn't want to be that guy that guys look over and say he's pouting.''

The decision to go with the sophomore Huntley over Williams was a surprise at the time. Williams won nine games as a starter last season. He was voted a captain again this year before he lost the starting job.

Huntley quickly took control, leading the team to a perfect start. He has accounted for 66 percent of the Utes' total offense. His 293.5 yards of total offense per game ranks No. 27 in the nation, and his 73.3 completion percentage ranks No. 7. He's the first Utah quarterback to record back-to-back 300-yard passing games since Brian Johnson in 2008.

There was some worry that Huntley would be vulnerable to injury since he's a bit slight (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) and is the team's second leading rusher. He was injured on a passing play.

Williams said his family and his faith helped keep him in the right frame of mind. He knew all eyes were on him as a team captain and wanted to continue to set an example for others.

''You've got to understand it's a business, even in college,'' running back Zack Moss said. ''He's a great role model of how to continue to work hard even when things aren't going your way. Sometimes you've got to keep working.

''It would have been easy for him to just say, `I lost the job,' and take a seat back and let things happen. But he kept fighting.''

NOTES: Running back Armand Shyne will redshirt, Whittingham said. The junior was in the mix to start before suffering a lower arm injury during camp. Whittingham said there won't be enough time left in the season by the time Shyne is healthy to warrant using a year of eligibility. ... Starting defensive end Kylie Fitts left the Arizona game with an injury and returned to the sideline on crutches. He is tied for the team lead with two sacks. Whittingham did not detail Fitts' injury either.

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Winless 'Noles look to bounce back at 4-0 Wake Forest
September 25, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Here's a sentence Florida State fans didn't think they'd hear: 4-0 Wake Forest will host an 0-2 Seminoles team that's still looking for its first win of the season.

Unusual, to say the least.

Florida State, which started with a preseason No. 3 ranking in the Associated Press poll, has come crashing down in the matter of two games.

A season-opening 24-7 loss to No. 1 Alabama in Atlanta -- and then last Saturday's stunning 27-21 defeat to visiting North Carolina State -- quickly changed the mind of poll voters. Florida State dropped from No. 12 last week to unranked, ending a streak of Top 25 appearances that had stretched for 89 weeks and was second in the nation behind the Crimson Tide.

The Seminoles (0-2, 0-1 ACC) did lose two weeks of games due to Hurricane Irma. But when head coach Jimbo Fisher open his press conference Monday to discuss the rough start, he wasn't about to use that as an excuse.

"After looking at the film at the N.C. State game, again, credit to N.C. State. They have a very good football team, did a great job," Fisher said.

"There's some areas that we'll get our guys in and coach them up better ... and that's on us as coaches. And that's me as a head coach to make sure that gets done."

The Seminoles are averaging 14 points, 75 yards rushing and 316 yards of total offense through two games.

Those numbers are very un-Florida State-like, and the Seminoles don't have a lot of time in between games to fix the issues.

Due to Hurricane Irma -- and the Seminoles having to move their Sept. 16 game against Miami to their open date Oct. 7 -- last Saturday against N.C. State marked the first of nine straight games for Florida State. And it may even be 10.

On Monday, ESPN.com reported that the Seminoles are in talks with Week 2 opponent Louisiana-Monroe to reschedule their Sept. 9 game that was canceled due to the storm. The only possible date that could happen would be following the Seminoles' final regular-season game of the year Nov. 25 against Florida. The game would be made up for bowl eligibility purposes, Seminoles associate athletic director Rob Wilson said.

Florida State receiver George Campbell said it doesn't matter how many games the Seminoles have to play in a row, the needed corrections are not only doable on the fly, but easier than most might think.

"It's about execution. Nothing crazy," said Campbell, who had a solid game in the loss to the Wolfpack with three catches for 85 yards.

"We beat ourselves. It's about execution on special teams and making sure we step up and make the plays. We have to make sure we block the right person and make the right reads. There's nothing special to it. Just making sure that we execute everything."

That execution may have to come this weekend without two of Florida State's best players.

Linebacker Matthew Thomas, last year's leading tackler and also the leading tackler in Week 1 against Alabama, left the game before halftime against N.C. State with a lower back injury and did not return. Later in the game, leading receiver Auden Tate injured his left shoulder on the Seminoles' first drive of the second half and did not return.

Fisher said Monday that neither player suffered a season-ending injury; their status was officially "day to day."

The Seminoles will also be without starting linebacker Jacob Pugh for the first half because of a targeting penalty in the second half against N.C. State.

There is one bright spot, though, about the 0-2 start. The last time this happened was 1989. That year, the Seminoles won 10 in a row and finished 10-2, defeating Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl and finishing No. 3 in the final AP poll.

[StarDust Bum]

Maryland QB Hill suffers ACL injury
September 26, 2017

Maryland freshman quarterback Kasim Hill sustained an ACL tear in his right knee and will be sidelined for the rest of the season, the team announced.

Hill sustained his injury during the first quarter of a 38-10 loss to Central Florida on Saturday. He is the second Terrapins' quarterback to be felled by the injury, as Tyrelle Pigrome tore his ACL against Texas in the first game of the season.

"It happened it's the hand we've been dealt. ... They'll bounce back, they'll be fine," Maryland coach D.J. Durkin said. "They've got great careers ahead of them here and probably beyond."

Hill completed 18 of 21 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns to go along with one rushing score in three games this season.

Max Bortenschlager replaced Hill and threw for 132 yards while tossing one touchdown and two interceptions.

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Maryland turns to 3rd starting QB
September 26, 2017

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) The Maryland football team is turning to its third starting quarterback of the season.

Sophomore Max Bortenschlager will make his second career start in place of freshman Kasim Hill when the Terrapins (2-1) visit Minnesota Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both teams Coach DJ Durkin said Tuesday that Hill will miss the rest of the season with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament suffered in Saturday's 38-10 loss to Central Florida.

''It was just a tough play,'' Durkin said of Hill's injury. ''He was competing and got spun around and got hit and went down in the game. He'll bounce back. He has a great future in football, both here and beyond.''

Hill had stepped in for Sophomore Tyrrell Pigrome, who suffered a torn right ACL during the Terrapins' season-opening victory at Texas.

Now it's Bortenschlager's turn.

Bortenschlager was 15 of 26 for 132 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while taking five sacks against Central Florida.

''I thought it was a gutsy performance,'' Durkin said. ''He did really well. It wasn't perfect, but who would expect it to be? He's tough and he competes. . Now having a full week to prepare, we can tailor the game plan to him as opposed to someone else. It will certainly help him.''

Maryland is down to two scholarship quarterbacks: Bortenschlager and junior Caleb Henderson, a North Carolina transfer who was expected to contend for the starting job but was plagued by a right foot injury during preseason camp and has yet to play this season. Walk-on Ryan Brand, a junior college transfer, is the Terps' No. 3 quarterback.

In his only previous start, Bortenschlager was 14 for 29 for 191 yards, a touchdown and an interception against Nebraska last season. While Bortenschlager isn't as mobile as either Pigrome or Hill, teammates anticipate the Terps will be able to play to his strengths as they venture into their conference schedule.

''He's a really good pocket passer, especially when he's given time to go through his reads and get the ball out like he's supposed to,'' tailback Lorenzo Harrison III said. ''I feel like he has a good arm and throws a really pretty ball.''

A full week with Bortenschlager taking first team reps should help not just him but the entire offense. Durkin acknowledged the Terps were deflated after Hill's injury, and they finished the game with just 197 total yards.

''It kind of took the wind out of our sails,'' Durkin said. ''I think we didn't respond well to adversity. We're certainly we're going to learn from it and it's something we talked about as a team. We'll use it as a teachable moment. There's been times earlier this year when we had similar adversity and handled it really well.''

Maryland is no stranger to quarterback injuries. This marks the third consecutive season and fourth time in six years the Terps will use at least three starting quarterbacks. Since 2004, only two Maryland quarterbacks have started every game in a season --- Sam Hollenbach in 2006 and C.J. Brown in 2014.

As a result, the Terps are already seasoned at adapting to quarterback tumult.

''The scheme doesn't change, our attitude toward the game doesn't change and this team certainly isn't going to lie down,'' center Brendan Moore said. ''We just have to face this adversity and get closer as a team.''

[StarDust Bum]

Barkley-Jewell matchup results in boost
September 26, 2017

A look at NFL prospects who helped and may have hurt themselves in the week that was in college football:

Who helped themselves?

Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State, JR. (5-11, 233, 4.49, #26)

Already considered a top-10 pick, Barkley doesn't have much room to ascend, but he is making a strong case to be considered the best talent, regardless of position, for the 2018 NFL Draft.

On Saturday night in Iowa, he touched the ball 40 times for a career-best 305 yards of total offense. On the ground, Barkley averaged 7.5 yards per carry (28/211/1) against a stingy front-seven, using his unique blend of power, speed and elusive traits. His dozen catches now has him at 23 receptions on the season, which not only leads Penn State, but also the Big Ten.

Although he does need work as a blocker, Barkley has very few holes in his game and projects as a player who can have an immediate impact at the next level. A running back has been drafted fourth overall in each of the last two years with Ezekiel Elliott to Dallas in 2016 and Leonard Fournette to Jacksonville this past April, but Barkley might not make it to the fourth pick in the 2018 draft class.

Josey Jewell, LB, Iowa, rSR. (6-1, 236, 4.78, #43)

Paired with Barkley for most of the night, it must have been a subpar performance by Jewell if the Penn State running back posted 300-plus of total offense, right?

Quite the contrary from a scouting perspective because it might have been 400 yards of total offense if not for the play of Jewell, who finished with 16 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, two pass break-ups, one interception and one fumble recovery. He has a high football IQ with the read/react quickness to leverage run lanes and eliminate options for the ballcarrier.

Jewell isn't a top-tier athlete, something that was clear when asked to cover Barkley in space, but his nonstop hustle in pursuit helps compensate for his ordinary speed. His locked-in, hungry demeanor and natural instincts are what separates him as a linebacker and are the main reasons Jewell is viewed as a possible day two draft pick.

Harrison Phillips, NT, Stanford, rJR. (6-4, 290, 4.96, #66)

Who is the best interior defensive lineman in the Pac-12? Over the summer, my answer likely would have been Washington's Vita Vea with Washington State's Hercules Mata'afa, Utah's Lowell Lotulelei and Washington's Greg Gaines also coming to mind.

Phillips has separated himself as not only the top defensive tackle in the Pac-12 on the young season, but one of the more underrated players in the country.

Through four games, Phillips leads the Cardinal with 32 tackles and he was a difference-maker against UCLA, posting 1.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble and a blocked field goal. He is stout at the point of attack with the upper body power to bench press blockers from his body, separating to slither into the backfield and disrupt the offensive game plan.

At the very least, he consistently clogs inside run lanes and forces the offense to run off tackle. With Solomon Thomas now in the NFL, Stanford needed Phillips to step up in 2017 and that's exactly what he has done.

Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State, SR. (6-3, 275, 4.84, #9)

Considered a borderline first rounder entering the season, Chubb has played like a prospect looking to erase the "borderline" designation from his scouting report.

Against Florida State on Saturday, he dominated with outstanding production (seven tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble), but the box score doesn't fully illustrate his impressive day. Chubb, who leads the ACC with 7.5 tackles for loss on the season, looks like a NFL defensive end with the length and long strides to run the arc.

Although he isn't a twitchy athlete, he is technically sound with his rush moves and shows a variety of options in his pass rush sequence to keep blockers off-balance. Chubb has also been dominant against the run this season, showing the reaction skills to crash down inside or gain outside leverage, stringing the ballcarrier to the perimeter.

With his physical skills, smarts and technique, Chubb will draw several Derek Barnett comparisons -- and like Barnett in last year's class, Chubb has a realist opportunity to be a top-15 pick next April.

Who hurt themselves?

Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State, SR. (6-4, 230, 4.83, #2)

No quarterback had been hotter through the first three weeks of the season than Rudolph, but Oklahoma State also hadn't played a legitimate defense that truly challenged their dynamic offense.

That was the main plot line entering Saturday's Oklahoma State-TCU match up and the Horned Frogs brought the Cowboys back down to earth. Rudolph posted 398 passing yards and two passing scores, including a gorgeous 86-yard deep strike to No. 1 target James Washington, but he finished with only 53.7-percent completions (22-for-41) and three turnovers.

He struggled when his initial read was taken away, taking too long to work through his progressions and not throwing his receivers open. Rudolph also struggled when TCU put pressure on the pocket, not feeling rushers or quickening his process to get the ball out. Overall, Rudolph showed on Saturday why NFL scouts are lukewarm on his next level projection - there is plenty to like, but also several reasons to have strong concerns for his NFL transition, which is why he isn't viewed as a first round pick.

Other notes:

- In Louisville's dismantling of Kent State on Saturday, junior QB Lamar Jackson (6-2, 212, 4.42, #8) scored a pair of touchdowns to give him 88 total scores in his career, breaking the previous school record held by Chris Redman. For Jackson, it was a needed response after the previous week's loss to Clemson and marks another record that now belongs to the reigning Heisman Trophy winner - and it won't be the last.

- Injuries took their toll in week four of the college football season. North Carolina senior WR Austin Proehl (5-11, 175, 4.56, #7), the son of former NFL receiver Ricky Proehl, suffered a broken left clavicle in the first quarter against Duke. The injury will likely end his season and probably his UNC career. LSU versatile senior CB/FS Ed Paris (6-0, 203, 4.52, #21) will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, which required surgery. Paris, who also missed time with another injury, is expected to petition for a medical redshirt waiver.

- Arguably the best prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft, Florida State redshirt sophomore DS Derwin James (6-2, 211, 4.52, #3) has been very up-and-down in his return from injury this season, which was fully illustrated against N.C. State. On one hand, when he unlocks his hips and runs, his closing speed is special, covering a ton of ground. James has the body control and awareness to get a jump on plays vs. both the pass and the run, creating chaos for the offense. However, he has also struggled in some areas, specifically in space when asked to make stops. In the second quarter, the Wolfpack had a 71-yard touchdown play that wouldn't have happened if James was able to make the open field tackle. But he waited on the ballcarrier, turned his hips to make the conservative tackle and couldn't compensate when Jakobi Meyers cut the opposite way, taking it the distance. While clearly a negative play, it also brings up the question - does James fully trust his surgically repaired knee? Based on talent, he is one of the top five prospects in the country, but that question could linger into the pre-draft process.

[StarDust Bum]

Texas at Iowa State
September 26, 2017

The Big XII is in the spotlight Thursday night, following a top 10 program from the conference falling from the ranks of the undefeated last weekend. Both Texas and Iowa State have more modest goals in the rebuilding process after bowl absences the past two seasons. The victor this week will be in a much stronger position to reach the postseason through the remaining conference slate.

Matchup: Texas Longhorns at Iowa State Cyclones
Venue: At Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas
Time/TV: Thursday, Sep. 28, 7:00 PM ET ESPN
Line: Texas -6½, Over/Under 63½
Last Meeting: 2016, at Texas (-14) 27, Iowa State 6

The contrast in national presence for Big XII rivals Texas and Iowa State couldn’t be more severe with Texas listed as second nationally in total revenue, just short of 200 million dollars while Iowa State pulled in (and spent) 78 million in the 2015-16 financial calendar. The results the past two seasons haven’t been too far apart however with back-to-back losing Big XII seasons and bowl game absences for both programs.

There is optimism on both campuses this season with regards to the 2017 football seasons with expectations of improvement and bowl bids very possible. Late in the 2015 season Iowa State won 24-0 in the last meeting hosting Texas but it wasn’t enough to save Paul Rhoads who was released after seven seasons in Ames, getting the team to three bowl games but ultimately unable to sustain a run of respectable play.

Ahead of last season Iowa State hired Matt Campbell after four successful seasons at Toledo, ironically a team that beat Iowa State in the 2015 regular season. Campbell is one of the younger coaches at the FBS level and he brought a lot of his staff from Toledo with him. Last season’s transition featured some struggles, starting with a loss to FCS Northern Iowa and an embarrassing 42-3 defeat vs. rival Iowa. Ultimately the Cyclones finished 3-9 to match the team’s 2015 record but there were respectable late season showings with two Big XII wins and several other narrow defeats vs. quality teams including close calls at home vs. ranked Baylor and Oklahoma teams.

This year’s team avenged the loss from last season to Northern Iowa in the opener, a quality FCS program and then took rival Iowa to overtime. Iowa State also handled Akron in its first road test to sit at 2-1 heading into a difficult Big XII schedule. Iowa State plays five road games in conference play and outside of a mid-October home game with Kansas, this is one of the more favorable home dates with TCU and Oklahoma State also visiting Ames as bowl hopes for the Cyclones might hinge on getting this Thursday night upset.

Iowa State used two quarterbacks substantially last season but this season but junior Jacob Park has held the position with strong numbers, throwing for over 900 yards in three games with eight touchdowns as the offense is starting to resemble the productive attacks Campbell led in the MAC. David Montgomery has been a bright spot in the backfield with 321 yards rushing on 5.7 yards per carry as the offense has featured decent balance, though certainly with a lean to towards preferring to throw.

The issues for Iowa State remain on defense with Campbell’s 2016 team showing no improvement over the marginal 2015 numbers and this year’s team is only marginally ahead of last season’s pace with the toughest games still to come. Iowa State has allowed 402 yards per game with particular vulnerability in the air, currently 112th nationally allowing nearly 300 passing yards per game.

Tom Herman was a high profile hire for Texas in the offseason with Texas failing to make a bowl game the past two seasons under Charlie Strong. Herman went 22-4 in two seasons at Houston after coaching under Urban Meyer at Ohio State for three years. Herman was actually the Iowa State offensive coordinator for the first three seasons under Paul Rhoads here at Iowa State from 2009-2011. In three games at Texas he is already halfway to the loss count he had in two seasons in Houston.

Texas expected instant results from Herman with a wealth of returning talent on the roster but the 1-2 start has featured encouraging performances since a surprising opening week loss to Maryland. Texas dominated San Jose State in a shutout win and then in the last game took a highly regarded USC team to double-overtime, even playing without quarterback Shane Buechele.

While that defeat earned some respect for Herman’s transition and bolstered his big game reputation, the reality is that Texas has little margin for error remaining on the season. After this game Texas will in succession face three of the top contenders in the conference with games against Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State to start October as a 2-5 record wouldn’t be unrealistic heading into the final five games of the season.

Buechele’s status isn’t clear for Thursday night. He returned to practice this week but is still limited. Freshman backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger has had mixed results with three touchdown passes but also two interceptions and a low completion rate. The running game has been marginal for the Longhorns in trying to replace 2,000-yard rusher D’Onta Foreman as Texas has gained 4.6 yards per rush with the best results coming from junior Chris Warren III. Sophomore wide receiver Collin Johnson has been the big play threat in the offense with 366 yards on only 16 catches. The kicking game has been an issue for Texas with only one made field goal in four attempts.

The numbers for the Texas defense are slightly better than for Iowa State, particularly against the pass and that is even with facing preseason Heisman Trophy favorite Sam Darnold who Texas intercepted twice in the last game, including getting a return touchdown. Texas has scored three interception return touchdowns plus a blocked field goal return touchdown this season and one big play could prove to be the difference in this type of game.

Last Season: A week after Texas had lost a tough 45-40 game with Oklahoma they looked like an upset risk hosting Iowa State riding a three-game losing streak. A tight first half broke open in the third quarter as Texas took turned a 3-6 deficit into a 24-6 edge, eventually winning 27-6 as a two-touchdown home favorite. The yardage results were even more lopsided with a 505-280 edge in one of the best performances of the season for the Texas defense. Two years ago Iowa State won 24-0 hosting Texas as a slight home underdog, the final win for Rhoads with the program.

Historical Trends:

-- Texas is 11-2 S/U but 6-7 ATS in this series since 1998, with Iowa State covering in three in a row until last season.

-- Texas is on a 16-11 ATS run as a road favorite since 2008 though 1-4 ATS in that role the past two seasons.

-- Iowa State is 7-1 ATS in the last eight instances as a home underdog though producing only two S/U upsets in that run.

-- Iowa State is 11-4 ATS overall at home the past two+ seasons, though 6-9 S/U.

-- In four seasons at Toledo, Campbell held a 19-5 S/U record at home, going 12-10-2 ATS.

-- Herman went 6-4 S/U and ATS in road games in his two seasons at Houston.

[StarDust Bum]

Washington State's defense prepares
September 26, 2017

The Air Raid offense gets most of the attention at No. 16 Washington State but the Cougars' defense is also pretty good.

They'll find out how good when Sam Darnold and No. 5 Southern California come to Pullman on Friday night.

Darnold is easily the best quarterback the Cougars (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) have faced this year. The Heisman Trophy candidate is averaging 306 passing yards per game and has led the Trojans to 13 consecutive victories.

Yet Washington State linebacker Isaac Dotson said the Cougars will do nothing special to prepare for him.

''Nothing changes for us,'' Dotson said. ''We just play our defense. He's a solid quarterback. A good player. He's our next opponent. He's one guy on that team. We are not preparing for one guy.''

The Trojans (4-0, 2-0) are playing Washington State for the first time since 2014, when they beat the Cougars 44-17 in Pullman. The game is sold out and excitement is high in the Palouse.

''It's an exciting chance for us,'' Dotson said.

Despite the recent loss of star linebacker Peyton Pelluer to a broken foot, Washington State ranks first in the Pac-12 in pass defense, allowing 142 yards per game. They also have 15 sacks on the year. Defensive lineman Hercules Mata'afa had 2 + sacks within the first six plays in last Saturday's crushing of Nevada. He has 18 quarterback pressures so far this year.

''Offensive linemen can't really block his movement,'' Dotson said.

He pointed to the team's speed off the ball for much of the pass rush success.

But Southern California brings a much bigger offensive line than the Cougars have faced in beating the likes of Montana State and Nevada. The Trojans linemen average 301 pounds while Washington State's defensive linemen average 264 pounds.

The Cougars have been tough on opposing quarterbacks. They knocked Oregon State's Jake Luton out of the game with an injury, and prompted Boise State and Nevada to change quarterbacks during those games. They are allowing only 18.5 points per game.

The Cougars are also meeting their goal of generating better than two turnovers per game.

''Each snap for us is an opportunity to get the ball out,'' Dotson said. ''Takeaways equal victories.''

Count Washington State coach Mike Leach as an admirer of Darnold, a 20-year-old sophomore who is projected as a high NFL draft pick.

''I think he's mature, really just kind of mentally together for a guy that's his age,'' Leach said. ''He's big and the ball comes off his hand good.''

But asked if Darnold was ready to play in the NFL now, Leach went into a lengthy statement about how college players shouldn't leave school early for the pros because hardly any are ready for the transition, including Darnold.

''I get a kick out of everybody thinks one 18-year-old after the next is ready to go to the NFL,'' Leach said. ''I think that's laughable.''

''And I mean it would be terribly brutal. It would literally destroy some lives, too,'' Leach said.

LOOKING BACK: Southern California's 2014 win in Pullman was also the first meaningful playing time for Washington State quarterback Luke Falk, who came in after Connor Halliday broke his leg. Falk completed 38 of 57 passes for 346 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. ''That was his starting point really,'' Leach said.

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Another week, another player lost for SC
September 26, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Another week, another pivotal player in South Carolina's lineup has been sidelined due to injury.

Soon after last Saturday's 17-16 win over Louisiana Tech, Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said starting linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams chose to have surgery on his injured shoulder and will miss the rest of the year. It was just a week earlier, Muschamp had to make a similarly sobering announcement about dynamic South Carolina playmaker Deebo Samuel who had to have surgery a fractured bone in his left leg in a loss to Kentucky.

''It's frustrating,'' Gamecocks quarterback Jake Bentley said. ''And it's frustrating because of the work they put in to get better and help us.''

That was certainly apparent in in their play this season.

Samuel had scored six of South Carolina's 11 touchdowns in its first three games before he got hurt in the third quarter against Kentucky. Samuel is still tied for the SEC lead with six touchdowns, even though his next one won't come for a while. He had surgery on Sept. 18 and could miss the rest of the season, although he and his mother have said on social media they expected to return before season's end.

Allen-Williams, a 6-foot, 230-pound junior, also was hurt against Kentucky and did not respond well after last Tuesday's practice, Muschamp said. Allen-Williams held out until game-time before deciding best course of action was surgery. Allen-Williams had two sacks and recovered a fumble in South Carolina's opening win over North Carolina State. Allen-Williams had an interception a week later to help the Gamecocks win at Missouri.

Allen-Williams has said he will use a redshirt season and return to the Gamecocks next fall.

The Gamecocks (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) will continue to look fill holes created by injuries when they head to Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0) on Saturday night.

South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst said the hurdles players face dealing with injuries to teammate are mostly mental. Once the game starts, Hurst said, players react and perform as they always have.

''This can wear you down mentally,'' tight end Hayden Hurst said. ''But we've got to go on. There's no other choice.''

South Carolina rotated several players into Samuel's offensive roles, some with more success than others. Freshman OrTre Smith had a touchdown catch against Kentucky after Samuel's injury and added one against Louisiana Tech last week in the Gamecocks 17-16 win.

Sophomore Daniel Fennell came in for Allen-Williams last week and notched his first career sack among three tackles.

''It's going to take a collective effort'' filling in for both leaders, Muschamp said.

Samuel and Allen-Williams both showed last week they don't plan to shrink away from the Gamecocks while they recover. Samuel was on a golf cart leading the Gamecock Walk into the stadium before the Louisiana Tech game. Allen-Williams, Muschamp said, gathered defenders around him on the sidelines to urge them on. He talked with Fennell and others about how to play certain schemes.

''He was involved,'' Muschamp said.

That's no surprise to senior linebacker Skai Moore, who's played alongside and talked with Allen-Williams almost daily the past few seasons. Allen-Williams is in a good frame of mind about his surgery Wednesday, Moore said. ''He knows how to go through it and he'll come out of it fine,'' Moore said.

Allen-Williams is a loud, talkative player who has rallied the Gamecocks together in tough situations, according to fellow linebacker T.J. Brunson. Who takes over that role? ''Me,'' said Brunson, a 6-1, 230-pounder from Columbia.

Muschamp said his team had a strong start to practice this week and will be ready to complete.

''It's next man up,'' he said. ''It's someone's opportunity.''

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VT eager for another crack at Clemson
September 26, 2017

Virginia Tech players say they are taking a sensible approach to their highly anticipated Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Saturday night. They say they are casting aside any thoughts of revenge.

The No. 12 Hokies (4-0) play host to second-ranked and defending national champion Clemson on Saturday night.

The Tigers (4-0, 2-0 ACC) have hardly slowed down this season as they seek to repeat . They will arrive in Blacksburg, Virginia, having won their last 11 road games and nine of their last 10 matchups against teams ranked in the top 15.

This year, they've already beaten No. 13 Auburn 14-6 at home and No. 17 Louisville 47-21 on the road.

The Hokies (4-0), unbeaten after nonconference play for the first time since 2011, toppled No. 23 West Virginia 31-24 to open the season but haven't been tested since, outscoring their last three opponents 129-17.

Although the Hokies are stepping up in compeition, they insist they aren't putting any added meaning on the outcome. Even being reminded of their close 42-35 loss to the Tigers in last year's ACC Championship doesn't knock them off that narrative.

''We're thinking of it as just another game,'' redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Jackson said Tuesday. ''It has everything behind it and all that, but it's just one conference game and that's all it really stands for.''

The Hokies acknowledge that the loss last December hurt more than most - they drove to the Tigers' 23 late in the game, but quarterback Jerod Evans was intercepted on a fourth-down play - but they also say there's no sense looking back.

Coach Justin Fuente said he didn't even bring last year's game up when talking with the team.

''It's two different teams on both sides of the ball for us and for them, so a lot of talent they have on the offensive side still with guys that came back and new guys that stepped in on their role,'' Hokies linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. ''We just have to go do our job of preparing and go play a sound fundamental game.''

Fuente made it sound like the Hokies almost need to play a perfect game.

''You make a mistake, they're going to make you pay,'' he said. ''... Really, you don't even have to make a mistake. You can take one step in the wrong direction or hesitate for half a step when you're playing the type of talent that we're going to go up to. It's like defusing a bomb - one small snip of the wire that's incorrect and boom, blow your hands off, and that's just how talented and how good they are.''

The Tigers' have a distinct advantage when it comes to big-game experience, having played for the national championship in each of the last two seasons. Clemson running back Adam Choice isn't sure that matters.

''I won't say it's necessarily easier, because every team presents challenges,'' he said. ''That's why we prepare each week like it's a top 15 matchup. Any team can beat you on any given day. And that's how teams do get beat, they take a team lightly. We try not to take any opponent lightly or think, `Oh, this is going to be easy.'

''We always have to prepare as hard as if we're playing Alabama or Virginia Tech or Louisville.''

The Tigers have won the last four meetings, and the Hokies are eager for another shot at them.

''A lot of people don't get these chances, and I will say we worked to get here, not just (that) it was handed to us,'' Hokies leading wide receiver Cam Phillips said. ''Some people didn't think we would go 4-0, whatever that may be, but we're here now, and we get a big game into our house this weekend.''

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Babers says his team is improving
September 26, 2017

Same record, very different team. A third of the way through his second season at Syracuse, that's what coach Dino Babers sees.

Last season the Orange started 2-2 and finished 4-8 in a campaign fraught with injuries. Fast forward one year and they again sit at 2-2 after losing 35-26 at No. 25 LSU on Saturday night.

The Orange squandered a chance to pull off a signature victory on the road in Death Valley, where the Tigers (3-1) have now won 49 straight against non-Southeastern Conference foes. Even though the Tigers had an interception on the first play from scrimmage and quickly scored to put the Orange in an early hole, the game was there for the taking in the fourth quarter against a perennial SEC power that's struggling.

''I think that we're playing well,'' Babers said Monday. ''I know that we're getting better, but I can't prove it in the box score. I can't prove it with the win-and-loss record, but we're a better football team.

''This team would really get after the 2016 Syracuse team. But the schedule may be so difficult ... you may not be able to see that in the W's and L's.''

Syracuse opens Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday at North Carolina State (3-1, 1-0 ACC), which barely missed being ranked this week after Saturday's 27-21 upset win at No. 12 Florida State. The Wolfpack fell six votes shy of replacing LSU at No. 25 and sent the Seminoles plummeting out of the poll for the first time since 2011.

Syracuse is at the point where Babers figures the system he's installed will begin to purr on both sides of the ball, and there were signs against the Tigers that the Orange are getting closer to that goal.

''With five minutes left, we were within three points of winning that game,'' Babers said. ''It's a tribute from where we came from. Leadership has really taken over. You can see it, even the conversations that you're having with the young men at halftime and before the game. I'm excited where we're at.''

The defense, which allowed 501 yards a game last year, is giving up 331.5 so far this year and ranks seventh nationally in third-down defense, holding opponents to a 25 percent conversion rate. Against LSU, the Orange - led by linebacker Parris Bennett's 12 tackles - had six stops behind the line of scrimmage, including two sacks, and intercepted a pass for the third week in a row.

''I'm really impressed by what they've done the first four games,'' Babers said of his defenders. ''Hopefully, if they keep playing at the level they're playing at we're going to be in some games.''

Quarterback Eric Dungey continued his solid play after that opening gaffe, accounting for 289 total yards and two TDs. He could have had another score, but a wide-open Sean Riley dropped a perfectly thrown ball on a third-and-17 play that hit him in stride at the LSU goal line early in the second quarter and the Orange had to punt.

''We didn't score enough points,'' Babers said. ''If you're going to come out and beat a team like this on the road, you better score in the 40s. We had plays out there to get us to those numbers.''

Syracuse's special teams also played an integral role. Sterling Hofrichter, ranked ninth nationally in punting (46.3 yards per kick), matched his career high by placing five of his seven punts inside the 20-yard line. Four were downed inside the 10, including two at the 1.

The Orange's schedule for the rest of the regular season includes second-ranked Clemson at home, and No. 14 Miami, Florida State and No. 17 Louisville.

''We'll see. It's still a young season,'' Babers said. ''We've got eight games left with an opportunity to play nine.''

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Kirk has breakout game after being slowed 1st 3 weeks
September 26, 2017

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) Texas A&M's Christian Kirk was so upset when he walked off the field after the game against Louisiana-Lafayette two weeks ago that he couldn't even enjoy the win.

The star receiver and returner was mad at himself for muffing a punt and not performing as well as he thought he should on offense.

''I hold myself to a very high standard, probably to a standard that nobody else can hold me to,'' Kirk said. ''And I felt my game against (Louisiana-Lafayette) was probably one of the worst games I've had since I've been here and it ate me alive inside.''

It was then that he vowed to atone what he thought was a poor performance when the Aggies returned to the field on Saturday in their Southeastern Conference opener. Kirk was able to do just that, returning a kick 100 yards for a touchdown and finishing with 110 yards receiving with two touchdowns in a 50-43 overtime win against Arkansas.

''He was really, really frustrated the week before by his own performance,'' coach Kevin Sumlin said. ''But pride is a great motivator and he's got tremendous pride and tremendous work ethic. When he walked off the field after Lafayette, he was just mad at himself, it wasn't anything else. But he came back, went to work and I wasn't worried about him the next Saturday. That's the kind of guy he is.''

Kirk entered the season as one of the top receivers in the country after piling up 1,937 yards receiving combined in his first two seasons. He got off to a slow start this season and didn't have more than 60 yards receiving in any of Texas A&M's first three games as he dealt with near-constant double teams.

On Saturday he was not only able to have a breakout game on offense, he also led the Aggies on special teams when he finished with 136 kick return yards to earn SEC special teams player of the week. Kirk's kick return touchdown on Saturday was Texas A&M's first since Coryell Judie had an 84-yard return on Nov. 12, 2010. Kirk holds the school's record for special teams touchdowns with six after returning five punts for scores in his first two seasons with the Aggies.

Sumlin wasn't concerned about him when he wasn't putting up the kind of numbers he had in the past, and was quick to point out that when teams double-teamed him it led to opportunities for other players on the offense.

''Everybody understands his capability,'' Sumlin said. ''Numbers are going to come for him when he gets his touches. As things roll on he's going to have his opportunities just like he did last Saturday.''

Kirk had an 81-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter on Saturday and his 10-yard TD reception in overtime gave the Aggies the win. The performance drew the attention of Arizona Cardinals star receiver Larry Fitzgerald who tweeted congratulations to Kirk for his big game and added: ''go get that Biletnikoff Trophy,'' referring to the award given annually to the nation's top collegiate receiver.

Kirk, who grew up in Arizona and has long admired Fitzgerald, was thrilled to be recognized by someone of his caliber.

''It means the world,'' he said. ''It gives me goosebumps thinking about it just because being an Arizona native and growing up he's been with the Arizona Cardinals ever since I've lived there just growing up and watching him. He's the face of the Arizona Cardinals ... so just to be recognized by a guy that's going to be in the Hall of Fame, it means a lot.''

Kirk knows that he tends to be too hard on himself, so he did allow himself to enjoy his big game for a bit this weekend. But when he returned campus this week he was right back to critiquing his game and said after watching the film that he could have blocked better and ran crisper routes.

''If you ... go into the film room after the game and you feel like you can't find anything and you're like: `I'm good. I'm just going to roll into practice and keep it up,' then you're not going to get any better,'' he said. ''You have to be critical of yourself. You've got to be able to find an area to get better at every week.''

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Bryce Love's yards against UCLA put him in Pac-12 lead
September 26, 2017

Bryce Love was essentially Christian McCaffrey's understudy the last two seasons, and he clearly learned well.

Love racked up 263 yards in a 58-34 Stanford victory over UCLA last weekend. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry and had the second-most yards in a single game in school history, behind McCaffrey's 284 against California on Nov. 19.

Love's highlight was a 69-yard touchdown dash in the fourth quarter. The junior from North Carolina became the first player in 20 years with a 50-yard-plus run in six straight games, according to the school.

It was also Love's sixth straight game with more than 100 yards rushing. He's the first Stanford running back with at least 100 yards rushing in each of his first six career starts.

McCaffrey, of course, broke Barry Sanders' NCAA record of 3,250 all-purpose yards, finishing with 3,864 as a sophomore at Stanford in 2015. He led the Pac-12 in rushing with 1,603 yards last season before declaring himself eligible for the NFL draft. He was the eighth overall pick by the Carolina Panthers.

Love said Tuesday that he picked up a lot of lot of things from McCaffrey, including his competitive spirit.

''One thing I always tell people is that there were a lot of little things that he did that really set him apart,'' Love said. ''Like how he was in the classroom, how he was one the field.''

And also like McCaffrey, Love is humble and a hard worker, said Stanford coach David Shaw.

''Here's Christian, who is an All-American and a record breaker and worked so hard every single day, and at the same time he was the first one to celebrate Bryce's successes. That humility, combined with hard work, is something not just coaches but teammates appreciate,'' Shaw said. ''And Bryce has been every bit of that. He will work hard, he will push himself, he doesn't ever say `Look at me, I'm the guy now.' You see him do his job, do what he's supposed to do and continue to work.''

Other coaches are quickly catching on to Love.

Utah's Kyle Whittingham was able to watch most of Stanford's win on Saturday night. The Utes have a bye this week, but they've got the Cardinal up next.

''He's got the quickness, the speed, the toughness, instinct, vision. The whole nine yards,'' Whittingham said. ''So he's a guy we'll have our hands full with. Typical Stanford football team, smash-mouth, physical football.''

Love burst onto the scene with 180 yards rushing and a touchdown in Stanford's 62-7 victory over Rice in the opener in Australia. He leads the nation with 787 total rushing yards and five scores. He's averaging 196.7 yards a game, also first nationally.

The Cardinal (2-2) have Arizona State (2-2) on Saturday.

A look at the Pac-12's other top rushers:

ROYCE FREEMAN, Oregon: Ranks fifth nationally with 541 total rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He's averaging 135.3 yards a game, ninth nationally.

Freeman finished with 81 yards rushing and a touchdown in Oregon's 37-35 loss at Arizona State last week, setting the school record for career rushing TDs with 54 (besting LaMichael James).

Freeman was widely considered a Heisman contender at the start of last season but he struggled with injuries. He still ran for 945 yards and nine scores, and there was talk he might go to the NFL.

The Ducks were in upheaval after a 4-8 season and the dismissal of coach Mark Helfrich. New coach Willie Taggart reached out to Freeman right away, paying him a visit in Imperial, California, in December.

The town is a two-hour drive east of San Diego, so Taggart didn't just pop by.

''He just wanted me to know he was behind me 100 percent, and wanted to make all my dreams come true. I mean, just be behind me whatever I wanted to do and get everything I wanted accomplished,'' Freeman said.

And what are those dreams?

''That's personal, man,'' Freeman said.

The Ducks (3-1) will host California (3-1) on Saturday night.

PHILLIP LINDSAY, Colorado: Lindsay ranks 13th nationally with 446 rushing yards and four TDs. He averages 111.5 yards rushing a game, 20th nationally.

Lindsay led the league last season with 16 rushing touchdowns. He picked up right where he left off, rushing for 140 yards on 19 carries in Colorado's 17-13 season-opening victory over Colorado State. Lindsay had a 45-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

He added 151 yards rushing and a score two weeks later in a victory over Northern Colorado.

Buffaloes coach Mike MacIntyre called Phillips the team's heart and soul: ''He's our fire.''

''The great thing about him at running back is he can do everything. He can block, he can catch and he can run. A lot of guys can't do all three phases,'' MacIntyre said. ''Some can really run, some can catch it out of the backfield, some can block. But he can do it all, and is very good at all of the phases.''

Colorado (3-1) visits UCLA (2-2) on Saturday.

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Turnovers a concern as Spartans eye Big Ten opener
September 26, 2017

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) LJ Scott is an experienced running back, a player Michigan State is counting on to provide consistent production on offense.

So far this season, he's been anything but reliable.

Scott already has lost three fumbles in 2017, two of which came near the goal line when the Spartans were on the verge of scoring. After a 3-9 season last year, Michigan State faces enough obstacles without also having to worry about its top players giving the ball away. Scott is part of a running back group that the team should be able to lean on, but he has to cut down on the turnovers.

''It's my third year here. We're one of the strongest parts of the offense,'' Scott said. ''It should not be happening.''

Michigan State (2-1) lost 38-18 to Notre Dame last weekend. The Spartans had nearly 500 yards of total offense, but three first-half turnovers kept the game from being close. Scott fumbled into the end zone, and quarterback Brian Lewerke lost a fumble of his own and had an interception run back for a touchdown.

Michigan State has allowed two touchdowns on fumble returns this year, as well as the Notre Dame interception return. With the Spartans' Big Ten opener against Iowa (3-1, 0-1) coming up Saturday, taking care of the ball is obviously a priority.

''We continue to work ball security drills and try and make them as game-like as we can,'' Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said Tuesday. ''But there is nothing like the game when it's real contact, real physical contact, and you really can't simulate that totally in every practice.''

Scott isn't the only culprit. The team has lost six fumbles in three games. Lewerke had one last weekend that gave Notre Dame possession just outside the red zone.

It's an issue the Spartans can address during the week, to some extent.

''We have ball security-emphasis drills, where there's guys trying to strip the ball out next to you,'' said Lewerke, who has emerged as a running threat for Michigan State in addition to his passing. ''It's kind of just a focus on, when you're running, just have to think about holding onto the ball, not fumbling.''

The last time Michigan State faced Iowa was in the 2015 Big Ten title game. Scott scored the winning touchdown when he twisted and reached the ball out toward the end zone with one hand . Not the greatest display of ball security, but it worked.

''The ball could have come out but it didn't, and everybody celebrated,'' Dantonio said. ''So sometimes it doesn't catch up to you until it catches up to you. But he's been a very good back.''

Now Scott is trying to kick this fumbling habit before it turns into an even bigger problem. In addition to the more formal drills the Spartans can work on, Scott says he also has been carrying a ball around with him while teammates try to knock it away.

''Just going room to room, wherever - a team meeting room, locker room,'' Scott said. ''It's crucial in the locker room because ain't no coaches can say stop. So it's everybody just beating on me. Everybody's just beating on me.

''I guess I deserve it at this point, but at the end of the day, it'll definitely help me. I shouldn't be at this point right now.''

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Baylor WR Platt, DE Jones likely to miss rest of season
September 26, 2017

WACO, Texas (AP) Baylor receiver Chris Platt is expected to miss the rest of the season because of a left knee injury.

Coach Matt Rhule said Tuesday defensive end Xavier Jones also is likely done for the year because of a broken bone in his foot.

Both Platt and Jones were hurt in the Bears' 49-41 loss to third-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday in their Big 12 opener.

''We're anxious to get them back for their senior year next year,'' Rhule said. ''As it is right now, it looks like they will be out for the season unless something changes.''

Platt, also a Big 12 champion and All-America relay runner for the Baylor track team, immediately grabbed his left knee after his leg appeared to bend awkwardly while being tackled at the end of a 1-yard gain on a shuffle pass early in the third quarter. That came only minutes after his 72-yard touchdown catch.

Through four games for the winless Bears, Platt had 16 catches for 401 yards and five touchdowns. He is the only player in the country with four receptions of at least 50 yards. He caught five passes for 93 yards against Oklahoma.

''I don't know if you can replace Chris' big-time, big-play capabilities, but that's where we are,'' Rhule said.

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Miami-Ohio's coach a familiar foe for No. 22 Notre Dame
September 26, 2017

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly beams with pride like proud father when he talks about this year's football team.

After a disastrous 2016 campaign, the Fighting Irish have taken the field in their first four games with a chip on their shoulders, hoping to restore the standard of excellence that marked Notre Dame teams of the past.

At 3-1 after last week's 38-18 win at Michigan State, Fighting Irish football officially is fun again -- at least for the 22nd-ranked Notre Dame players, coaches and fans. For their opponents -- not so much.

"The men, the mission is to play for championships and to have championship-type performances week in and week out," Kelly said during his Tuesday news conference. "We expect nothing less from our football team again this weekend."

This week's opponent, Miami (Ohio), will present a special challenge to Kelly and the Irish when the RedHawks come to South Bend, Ind., for Saturday's game. The Miami head coach isn't just another tactician wearing a headset on the opposite side of the field.

There isn't one coach in America who understands Kelly more than Chuck Martin. They've been together for so long, each could finish the other's sentences.

"I know if I ever need something, I call Brian Kelly," Martin told the Blue and Gold website. "In most situations I don't need to call him. I don't really need to call Brian Kelly to get his opinion -- I pretty much know Brian Kelly's opinion on everything."

The 49-year-old Martin, who has coached in seven national championship games, was an assistant under Kelly, first at Grand Valley State and then at Notre Dame. Martin is a winner and has been a winner everywhere he has coached, although it's taking a little longer with the RedHawks (2-2) at the "Cradle of Coaches" in Oxford, Ohio.

He took over for Kelly at Grand Valley State and all his team did was record 48 straight wins.

And when Kelly brought Martin to Notre Dame, it was a dream come true. As offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Martin helped the Irish to a 12-0 mark and spot in the 2012 National Championship Game against Alabama.

"The thing about him that is unique, I think, is he can always keep a clear mind and make clear decisions," Martin said. "He always has assessed his teams and his organization and looked at all phases on and off the field, and he's always been able to sit back and make clear decisions."

Martin has been a Notre Dame fan since he was 5 years old, when he watched the Fighting Irish beat Alabama 24-23 in 1973 to win the national title.

That makes Saturday's game against Notre Dame a juicy conundrum for the fourth-year RedHawks coach.

"I'm almost 50 years old and I've never not rooted for Notre Dame a day in my life," Martin said during his teleconference on Monday. "Saturday at 5 o'clock, I'm going to be rooting against Notre Dame, so that will be a little bit awkward for me."

Kelly is taking a more pragmatic approach to facing Martin.

"You get to know coaches so well that there's a familiar face that you know and have been around and have probably either played golf with or have chummed around with in the offseason," Kelly said. "But you know, I think it ends there.

"I know how he is going to prepare his football team. He knows how I'll prepare my football team."

The focus for the RedHawks will be stopping a Notre Dame offense that's led by dynamic junior dual-threat quarterback Brandon Wimbush and running back Josh Adams. After four games, the Irish running attack ranks seventh in the country at 293.5 yards per game.

Running behind an offensive line that returned four starters from last season, Adams has rushed for 499 yards and is 11th in the nation, averaging a healthy 7.68 yards per carry.

Wimbush has 366 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground to go along with 664 yards in the air and three scores.

The Irish are a perfect 19-for-19 inside the red zone.

"He can bring things to the table that maybe other quarterbacks couldn't," Martin said of Wimbush. "Using his legs more than other QBs in the past. He's got such a strong arm, so he can make every stinkin' throw look easy."

The defense also is light years different from last season's. It's giving up 18.5 points per game, which ties Notre Dame for 29th best in the nation. And after four games, the defense has forced nine turnovers, with the Irish turning those miscues into 56 points. For the year, Notre Dame holds a 56-3 edge in points off turnovers.

Miami ranks 27th in the country in total defense (310.8 yards per game) and 33rd in scoring defense (19.0).

The RedHawks rely on ball control and the offense ranks 25th in the country in time of possession, holding onto the ball for an average of 32:43 per game.

Junior quarterback Gus Ragland accounted for three touchdowns as Miami beat Central Michigan 31-14 last week in the RedHawks' Mid-American Conference opener. He's thrown for 881 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Saturday's game also will have special meaning for both schools as they honor the memory of Ara Parseghian, who died on Aug. 2.

Parseghian won a pair of national titles while coaching the Irish from 1964-74 and was a two-time graduate from Miami University (1949 and 1954), where he played football, basketball and baseball.

This will be the second time the two schools have met. The first meeting was over 100 years ago. Notre Dame beat Miami 46-0 on Nov. 14, 1909, in South Bend.

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Big Ten Report - Week 5
September 26, 2017

2017 BIG 10 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Illinois 2-1 0-0 1-2 1-2

Indiana 2-1 0-1 2-1 2-1

Iowa 3-1 0-1 2-2 1-3

Maryland 2-1 0-0 2-1 2-1

Michigan 4-0 1-0 2-2 1-2-1

Michigan State 2-1 0-0 2-1 1-2

Minnesota 3-0 0-0 2-1 1-2

Nebraska 2-2 1-0 1-3 2-2

Northwestern 2-1 0-0 1-2 1-1-1

Ohio State 3-1 1-0 1-3 2-2

Penn State 4-0 1-0 2-1-1 1-3

Purdue 2-2 0-1 3-1 1-3

Rutgers 1-3 0-1 3-1 1-3

Wisconsin 3-0 0-0 2-1 2-1


Friday

Nebraska (-6.5) at Illinois – (FS1, 8:00 p.m. ET)

The Huskers have had a tumultuous season thus far to say the least. On the field they struggled to get by Arkansas State at home in their opener, lost a close game at Oregon despite getting outgained by 200 yards, lost at home to Northern Illinois with help from two Tanner Lee pick 6’s, and then weren’t overly impressive in a 27-17 win over a Rutgers team that has won a grand total of one game in the last 370 days! Their AD was surprisingly fired early last week which puts current head coach Mike Riley on the hottest seat in the country. After their first loss EVER to a MAC team two weeks ago and a non-descript performance last week, this is pretty much a must win for the Huskers. A loss here could send their season on a downward spiral if it isn’t already. QB Tanner Lee continues to be a turnover machine throwing 2 more interceptions vs Rutgers including ANOTHER pick 6. He now has 9 interceptions which is the most in the nation. After allowing Rutgers to go 75 yards for a TD on their opening drive, the Husker defense buckled down holding the Scarlet Knights to just 119 total yards the rest of the way. After their first drive, Nebraska’s defense allowed Rutgers to cross mid-field just twice and both of those drives started in Husker territory. NU’s top RB Tre Bryant remains questionable for this one after missing the last two games.

Illinois has the luxury of a week off to get ready for this game. The Illini are a surprise 2-1 on the season but they have been outgained by a combined total of 429 yards in those games. They are currently dead last in the Big Ten in total offense (290 YPG) and dead last in total defense (433 YPG). Illinois may have a bit of a QB controversy as starter Chayce Crouch was replaced in the second half of their most recent game by Jeff George Jr. Despite the 47-23 loss at USF, George seemed to give the offense a boost throwing for 211 yards and 1 TD pass. Let’s face it though, neither have been great as the two Illinois QB’s have combined for a grand total of 2 TD passes this year to go along with 5 interceptions. That’s a problem when your rushing attack puts up only 110 YPG. On top of all that, this team is last in the Big Ten as well in penalty yardage at almost 90 per game. Not much positive to say about the Illini right now. Hard to believe they are 2-1.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Huskers are 15-6 ATS their last 21 road games. Since joining the Big Ten, Nebraska is 3-1 in this series with wins by margins of 15, 20, and 31 points. Their lone loss was at Illinois in 2015 by a final score of 14-13. These two met last year in Lincoln with the Huskers winning 31-16 with a yardage edge of 420 to 273. Since 1994, the Illini are just 27-39 ATS as a home underdog.

Saturday

Iowa at Michigan State (-3.5) – (FOX, 4:00 p.m. ET)

The Hawkeyes are off an absolute heartbreaking home loss last weekend. Iowa led at half by the score of 7-5 despite being outgained 206 to 44 in total first half yardage. PSU held Iowa scoreless in the 3rd quarter and led 15-7 entering the final frame. After doing next to nothing offensively the entire game, Iowa kicked it in gear and scored two fourth quarter TD’s to take the lead 19-15 (missed both 2-point conversions) the second with just 1:42 remaining in the game. Those two TD drives were both just 3 plays long and totaled 74 and 80 yards. Those 6 plays accounted for 154 of Iowa’s 273 total yards in the game! The Nittany Lions ended the game on a 12 play, 65-yard TD drive in which they converted two fourth downs including their 7-yard TD pass as time expired. With that PSU topped Iowa 21-19 and ran a ridiculous 99 offensive plays compared to just 45 for the Hawkeyes. With the extra 54 offensive plays Penn State was able to outgain Iowa 579 to 273. However, despite being outgained by over 300 yards, Iowa actually averaged 6 yards per play while PSU came in at 5.8 YPP. Iowa has relied on defense and their running game for years and while the defense has done its part, the rushing attack has not. The Hawks are averaging just 3.79 YPC after 4 games ranking them 12th in the Big Ten. With an inexperienced QB under center, that will definitely need to change moving forward for Iowa to be successful.

Michigan State was rocked at home last Saturday 38-18 by Notre Dame (-3). While the Irish definitely looked like the better team on the field, the 20 point margin was a bit deceiving. Sparty dug themselves a hole very quickly as the Irish went 78 yards on 7 plays to open the game with a quick TD. On MSU’s first possession QB Brian Lewerke threw a pick 6 and it was 14-0 just 4:30 into the game. Michigan State lost the turnover battle 3-0 and those giveaways were game turning as one was a pick 6 and the other was a fumble at the goal line as they were about to score a TD. You would think looking at the final score the Irish dominated the numbers but that wasn’t the case. MSU actually outgained Notre Dame 496 to 355 but they also ran 25 more offensive plays making the YPP numbers much closer (5.7 to 5.5). It has been tough to gauge the Spartans this year as their first two games were wins vs MAC teams and both were ideal situations for the Green & White. These two last met in the 2015 Big Ten Championship game which was a 16-13 MSU win. It will be interesting to see how each of these teams respond off tough losses.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Since 1980, these two have met 29 times. Iowa is 17-11 SU & 19-9-1 ATS in those games. The Hawkeyes are 11-3 ATS their last 14 games in East Lansing winning 8 of those games outright. Since 2002, the Spartans are just 3-8 ATS at home when coming off a home loss the previous week.

Northwestern at Wisconsin (-14.5) – (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)

The Cats had last week off to get ready for their trip to Madison. Northwestern has been a bit of a disappointment this year and many consider them a team that could make a run at the Big 10 West Title. They still definitely could as this is their first conference game so the others can in a sense be thrown out. NW is 2-1, however they struggled to beat a Nevada team that has since lost to Toledo, Idaho State (as a 32-point favorite), and Washington State by a final score of 45-7. The Cats lone road game was a disaster as they were throttled at Duke 41-17 as a 2-point favorite. It wasn’t a fluke as the Devils outgained NW by 347 yards! They looked much better two weeks ago destroying Bowling Green but who hasn’t? BG is 0-4 including a loss to FCS South Dakota at home. The defense has struggled as they are one of just four Big Ten teams allowing over 400 YPG. That includes 157 YPG on the ground and they’ll need to shore that up against a Wisconsin team leading the Big Ten in rushing at 275 YPG.

The Badgers also had last week off. They needed it as they are a bit banged up after their first 3 games, especially on the offensive line. Both starting offensive guards are injured heading into this one and it looks like Beau Benzschawel will play while Jon Dietzen may not. Wisconsin is 3-0 and off an impressive road win at BYU 40-6 outgaining the Cougars by 300 yards. They are outgaining their opponents by a full 3.3 yards per play on the year (7.7 offensive YPP to 4.4 defensive YPP). The Badgers lead the Big Ten in rushing and have found a gem at the position. Freshman Jonathan Taylor has the size (210 pounds) and speed (New Jersey state 100 meter champion) to be a difference maker. He has been just that already in his short career as he leads the Big Ten at 146 YPG rushing on over 8 YPC. Northwestern has given Wisconsin some problems as the teams have each won 13 games over the last 26 meetings. That’s despite Wisconsin being favored in 25 of those 26 games.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Since 1980, the Badgers have been favored in 30 of their 31 meetings with Northwestern. Despite that, they are just 18-13 SU in those games. Since 2001, Wisconsin has hosted NW 5 times. The most recent in 2015 was a controversial 13-7 loss when late Badger TD was disallowed. The other 4 were UW blowouts by margins of 12, 29, 32, and 47 points. NW has covered 10 of their last 15 when tabbed a dog of 14 or more. However leading into that run, they were just 2-11 ATS in that situation.

Maryland at Minnesota (-13) – (FS1, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Just when the Terps looked like they were starting to turn the corner they lose another QB for the season. Maryland’s 10-point win to open the season at Texas is starting to look very good after the Horns went to USC and nearly won. That win in Austin was orchestrated by starting QB Pigrome who passed for 2 TD’s and ran for another. He went out with an ACL injury late in the 3rd quarter and is lost for the season. His back up, highly touted freshman Kasim Hill stepped in and the Terps looked like they wouldn’t miss a beat. Last week Hill tore his ACL in a home loss to UCF and is also out for the season. That means 3rd stringer Max Bortenschlager (61 career pass attempts with 28 of those coming last week) now takes over as the starter. Bortenschlager took over for Hill late in the first quarter last week with the Terps trailing just 3-0 vs UCF. After he took over Maryland’s drives went something like this…Stopped on downs, punt, interception, missed FG, punt, punt, punt, TD, punt, pick 6, punt. Those 11 offensive possessions resulted in 7 points and 163 total yards. The good thing is, Maryland won’t have to rely solely on their inexperienced QB as their rushing attack with Ty Johnson leading the way is very good. They average 224 YPG and Johnson leads the Big Ten averaging a whopping 10 YPC.

While Maryland was dealing with another huge injury on the field last week, Minnesota was resting. The Gophs had the week off after crushing Middle Tennessee State 34-3 two weeks ago. They dominated the Blue Raiders on the ground rolling up 221 yards and did very little through the air (122 yards). That’s been the blueprint for the Gophers offense this year. In three games this team has 156 rushing attempts and just 58 pass attempts. They are dead last in the Big Ten with 519 total passing yards so far this season. QB Conor Rhoda has been solid when asked to throw hitting on 65% of his pass attempts. Rhoda was splitting time under center with Demry Croft, however Croft was dismissed from the team leading into their game with MTSU so it’s all on Rhoda now. The Gophs defense has looked very good ranking 2nd in the league allowing just 239 YPG. We probably just aren’t sure how good they are quite yet as they’ve played Buffalo (89th in total offense), Oregon St (98th in total offense) and MTSU without their starting QB. Even with that, this team is an impressive 3-0 outscoring their opponents 99-24 so far this season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Gophers are 1-1 ATS this year in games where they are favored by double digits. Heading into this season, they had lost 8 of their previous 10 games to the number when favored by 10 or more. These two have met once since Maryland joined the Big Ten. That was last year and Minny went into College Park and won 31-10 as a 3.5 point dog. The yardage was close but Maryland committed 4 turnovers including throwing a pick six.

Ohio State (-29.5) at Rutgers – (BTN, 7:30 p.m. ET)

The Bucks have responded nicely after their home loss to Oklahoma a few weeks ago outscoring their next two opponents (Army & UNLV) 92-28. Despite two dominating wins, OSU failed to cover both games as huge favorites. Last week vs UNLV they were favored by 40 points and looked well on their way to a cover leading 44-7 at half. They took their foot off the proverbial gas in the 2nd half playing many back ups including QB Dwayne Haskins who took over for JT Barrett. UNLV went on to “win” the second half 14-10 and get the cover. The Buckeye offense racked up 664 total yards and had an impressive 25 plays of 10 yards or more. The defense has slipped a bit early in the year compared to last season. After four games the OSU stop unit is allowing 20 PPG and 367 YPG which ranks them in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. Last season they allowed 16 PPG on 197 YPG. Speaking of defense, the Buckeyes are led by Greg Schiano on that side of the ball and he returns to his old stomping grounds for the first time. Schiano was the head coach at Rutgers for 11 seasons.

Rutgers put up a good fight in last week’s 27-17 loss at Nebraska but the results were all too familiar. Another loss. They have now lost 17 of their last 18 conference games and have yet to win a Big Ten contest under head coach Chris Ash (0-10). The offense continues to be a struggle for this team. If you throw out their game vs FCS Howard, they have only scored 4 offensive TD’s in their other 3 games. Last week they had 17 points, however 7 of those points came on a pick 6 thrown by Nebraska QB Tanner Lee. Defensively they’ve been pretty solid. They are one of 6 Big Ten teams to allow less than 5 yards per play this season. They held a very good Washington offense to just 2 offensive TD’s in their season opening 30-14 loss. Rutgers was a 28 point dog in that game at home and now is looking at a very similar number with OSU favored by 29.5.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – Last year when these teams met in Columbus, the Buckeyes were a 39-point favorite and won 58-0. These two have faced off 3 times since Rutgers joined the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have won all 3 games in blowout fashion outscoring the Knights by a combined 163-24! This is the 6th highest point spread for OSU on the road dating back to 1980. They have been a road favorite of 28 or more just 7 times since 1980 (4-3 ATS). This is the 9th time Rutgers has been a home dog of 28 or more in the last 38 seasons. They are 2-7 ATS in those games losing by an average score of 50-10.

Indiana at Penn State (-17.5) – (BTN, 3:30 p.m. ET)

The Hoosiers should be well rested for this game as they have played only one game in the last 22 days. That game was last week at home vs Georgia Southern. Their previous game was way back on September 9th. IU jumped out to a 31-0 lead last week early in the 2nd quarter at home vs Georgia Southern. They went on to win the game 52-17 and the Hoosiers scored 3 non-offensive TD’s in the game (two defensive TD’s and one special teams TD). Indiana was only +92 in total yardage, however much of GSU’s yardage came after the game was out of reach. In fact, 265 or GSU’s 375 total yards came after they were already trailing 31-0. The Hoosiers definitely look like a team that could cause some of the big boys in the conference some problems. They led Ohio State 21-20 late in the 3rd quarter before falling apart down the stretch. They won handily at Virginia 34-17 which looks more impressive now as the Cavs are 3-1 including a 42-23 win at Boise State which is always a tough place to play. Starting QB Richard Lagow left the Georgia Southern game with a leg injury but head coach Tom Allen stated he could have returned if needed. He should be fine for this game.

We’re not sure what to think of PSU right now. They are obviously very good. How good? We’re not sure. Coming into last week, they had played a very easy schedule with their only big name win coming over Pitt. They won that game 33-14, however Pitt outgained PSU in that one 342 to 312. The Panthers also had 3 turnovers in that game. At the time it didn’t look like a big deal that Pitt had better overall stats, however it’s what the Panthers have done since that has us wondering. Since that loss, Pitt has been creamed by Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech. Last week the Nittany Lions picked up a nice 21-19 win at Iowa, always a tough place to play. PSU dominated the stats and ran 54, yes 54 more offensive plays in the game. With that we wonder why it took a game winning drive and a TD pass as time expired to win 21-19? Seems to us with those numbers the game should have been an easy win for Penn State. Their seasonal numbers look great as they are averaging 7.4 YPP (tops in the Big Ten) while allowing only 4.0 YPP (2nd best in the Big Ten).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS – PSU has won 19 of the 20 meetings in this series. Penn State is on a pointspread roll to say the least going 11-1-1 ATS their last 13 games. Last year PSU won this match up 45-31 in Bloomington. Talk about a deceiving final score. IU actually led 31-28 with under 4:00 minutes remaining in the game! The Lions scored 17 straight points in the span of 3 minutes and 30 seconds to make the final margin 14. Indiana is just 59-83-5 ATS (41%) as a road dog over the last 37 seasons.

[StarDust Bum]

Tech Trends - Week 5
September 26, 2017

THURSDAY, SEPT. 28

Matchup Skinny Edge

TEXAS at IOWA STATE...Texas 1-3 as road chalk the past two years, and Herman 2-4 his last six in role at UH. ISU 4-1-1 as home dog since LY, and Matt Campbell on 9-3-1 spread run with Cyclones. Campbell teams 18-9-1 as dog at Toledo & ISU. ISU has covered 3 of past 4 meetings.
Iowa State, based on team trends.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 29

Matchup Skinny Edge

MIAMI-FLA. at DUKE...Miami actually has three covers in a row vs. Duke, though Cutcliffe on 36-18-1 spread run. Canes 4-1 as road chalk LY, though Cutcliffe 6-1 last 7 as home dog.
Slight to Duke, based on Cutcliffe trends.

NEBRASKA at ILLINOIS...Riley’s only cover TY was thanks to Oregon sitting on 42-14 HT lead, that’s his only spread W last six since late LY. Riley 2-4 as road chalk with Huskers. Lovie, however, on 1-5 spread run, but Illini has covered past two seasons vs. Huskers.
Slight to Illinois, based on recent series trends.

BYU at UTAH STATE...Cougs off slowly TY, Sitake now on 0-5 spread slump since late 2016. But Cougs have thumped USU last two and 3 of last 4 meetings. Utags 6-15 last 20 on board since mid 2015.
Slight to BYU, based on recent series trends.

USC at WASHINGTON STATE...Leach 9-3 last 12 as dog. Helton only 1-4 vs. line last five on board since late LY, only 3-9 last 12 vs. line away from Coliseum.
Washington State, based on team trends.


SATURDAY, SEPT. 30

Matchup Skinny Edge

CHARLOTTE at FIU... 49ers no covers first four TY, 0-7 last six vs. line since late LY, 7-17-2 last 25 on board. Golden Panthers were 3-0-2 as home chalk 2014-16.
FIU, based on Charlotte negatives.

RICE at PITT...Narduzzi only 3-13 vs. spread at Heinz Field since 2015, 2-9 as home chalk. Also 1-8 vs. line last nine vs. non-ACC. Bailiff has tailed off in recent years but Owls actually 4-2 vs. line last six since late LY, though only 5-9-1 as DD dog since 2014.
Slight to Rice, based on Pitt home woes.

SOUTH FLORIDA at EAST CAROLINA...ECU 2-11-1 last 14 on board! No covers last three vs. USF but did manage a push LY. USF 13-6-1 as chalk since 2015.
South Florida, based on team trends.

MEMPHIS at UCF (rescheduled from Sept. 9)...Tigers just 2-6 vs. spread last eight away from Liberty Bowl. Scott Frost 10-5 vs. line with Knights, 5-2 vs. spread as host.
UCF, based on team trends.

SYRACUSE at NC STATE...Pack was 4-1 as home chalk last year, though 0-2 laying 27+ in first two TY. Doeren was 12-4 as chalk 2015-16. Cuse was 4-7 as dog LY for Babers.
North Carolina State, based on extended trends.

EASTERN MICHIGAN at KENTUCKY...EMU 8-1 vs. line away from Ypsilanti. Cats no covers last 7 non-SEC, 1-6 last 7 laying DD.
EMU, based on team trends.

BALL STATE at WESTERN MICHIGAN...Ball 29-11 as road dog dating to the last Hoke year of 2008 (6-0-1 for Neu). That includes one very subpar 1-4 mark in role in 2015. Though WMU has won and covered last three in series. Broncs only 1-5 vs. line since late 2016.
Ball State, based on team trends.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN at BOSTON COLLEGE...Chips 3-11 last 14 on board, 2-6 last 8 away from home. But BC only 4-8 last 12 as chalk.
Slight to BC, based on recent CMU marks.

AKRON at BOWLING GREEN...Jinks 0-4 vs. line TY, 2-7 last 9 since mid 2016. Falcs 1-6 vs. line at home post-Babers.
Akron, based on recent BGSU struggles.

OHIO at UMASS...Mass no covers last four vs. FBS foes at home. Minutemen 3-9 vs. spread last 12 on board. Solich 6-1 vs. line last 7 as reg season visitor, covers last 2 as road chalk.
Solich and Ohio, based on team trends.

BUFFALO at KENT STATE... Bulls 3-1 vs. line TY, narrow miss vs. Colgate, but covered first two on road TY. Kent State 1-5 last six vs. spread. Though Golden Flashes have covered last two in series.
Buffalo, based on recent trends.

HOUSTON at TEMPLE...Temple 0-4 vs. line to begin 2017, no covers last five since Rhule announced departure before bowl. Cougs 9-5 vs. spread last 14 away from TDECU Stadium.
Houston, based on Temple negatives.

MARSHALL at CINCINNATI...Herd has started 3-0 vs. line TY (2-0 as dog) in a turnaround from 2016. Fickell 3-1 vs. line TY but Cincy still 7-13 last 20 on board. Bearcats 3-6 as Nippert chalk since ‘2015.
Slight to Marshall, based on team trends.

BAYLOR at KANSAS STATE...Bill Snyder 8-5 vs. spread last 13 as Big 12 host, and has covered 3 of last 4 vs. Baylor.
KSU, based on team trends.

MARYLAND at MINNESOTA..Fleck on 29-15 spread run since late 2014 (2-1 with Gophers). Terps 4-9 last 13 on board.
Minnesota, based on Fleck marks.

OHIO STATE at RUTGERS...Buckeyes won this one 58-0 LY! Urban has won and covered all three vs. Rutgers since 2014, no margin under 39. But Meyer just 7-10 overall last 17 vs. line.
Slight to OSU, based on series trends.

IOWA at MICHIGAN STATE...Ferentz 9-2-1 vs. line last 12 as visitor. (8-2 last ten on Big Ten road), though MSU 6-2 vs. spread last eight as Big Ten host.
Iowa, based on Ferentz road mark.

FLORIDA STATE at WAKE FOREST...Clawson 7-2 vs. line last nine on board since mid 2016. Clawson 7-1 last eight as dog, 7-4 as home dog since 2014, and has covered handily past two years vs. Jimbo.
Wake Forest, based on team trends.

NORTHWESTERN at WISCONSIN...Fitz has won and covered 2 of last 3 vs. Wiscy, though Badgers won LY. NU 9-3 as visiting dog since 2014. Badgers 14-4 last 18 vs. number.
Slight to Northwestern, based on Fitz road dog mark.

INDIANA at PENN STATE...Nittany Lions 12-2 last 14 on board, 5-2 last seven laying DD, and have covered last two vs. IU. Hoosiers 6-3 last nine as DD dog.
Penn State, based on team trends.

NAVY at TULSA... Mids have won and covered last two meetings, and 21-11 vs. spread as visitor since 2011.
Navy, based on team trends.

UCONN at SMU...Edsall no covers first three TY, UConn now on 3-13-1 spread skid since late 2015. Ponies have covered first four TY, 6 of last 7, 9 of last 11 since mid 2016. SMU 7-1 last seven as chalk.
SMU, based on team trends.

TEXAS STATE at WYOMING...Tex State squeezing inside some big numbers in recent weeks but still just 4-9 as road dog since 2015 (4-3 however for Withers).
Slight to Wyoming, based on extended TSU road dog woes.

COLORADO at UCLA...Underdog side has covered last four in series. Mora 6-12 as Rose Bowl chalk since 2014. Buffs were 4-0 as visiting dog LY, 7-2 in role since 2015.
Colorado, based on team and series dog trends.

CALIFORNIA at OREGON...Wilcox 3-0 as dog already for Cal, after Dykes was 4-9 as dog past two years. Ducks 5-1 vs. line last six meetings, no SU losses vs. Cal since 2008. UO just 4-9 as Eugene chalk since 2015 (1-1 TY).
California, based on team trends.

WASHINGTON at OREGON STATE...Huskies only 5-7 vs. spread last 11 on board. They have covered 4 of last 5 vs. Beavers, though failed LY. OSU 0-4 vs. line TY.
Slight to Washington, based on series and team trends.

COASTAL CAROLINA at UL MONROE...ULM 5-11 as home chalk since 2012 (1-2 for Viator), 8-16-1 vs. line at home since 2012.
Coast Carolina, based on ULM home woes.

SOUTH CAROLINA at TEXAS A&M...Sumlin 6-13-1 last 20 as home chalk. SC has covered three straight away from home.
SC, based on team trends.

TROY at LSU... Troy 7-3-1 vs. line last 11 outside Belt. Orgeron no covers last three at Baton Rouge.
Troy, based on team trends.

NEW MEXICO STATE at ARKANSAS...NMSU 4-0 vs. line to start 2017, now 11-4 last 14 on board for Ags. Bielema only 5-8 last 13 as chalk, no covers last four outside of SEC.
NMSU, based on team trends.

SAN JOSE STATE at UNLV...Spartans 4-0 SU, 3-1 vs. line against UNLV since joining MW. But SJSU just 3-14 last 17 as visiting dog.
UNLV, based on SJSU road dog woes.

UTEP at ARMY...Army rolled 66-14 at Sun Bowl LY! Kugler on 5-10-1 spread skid (0-4 TY) and 6-17 as DD dog since 2013.
Army, based on UTEP negatives.

VANDERBILT at FLORIDA...Derek Mason has covered last two years vs. Florida and 7-4 last ten as dog. McElwain just 7-12-1 vs. spread last 20 on board since late 2015.
Vandy, based on team and recent series trends.

GEORGIA at TENNESSEE...Butch Jones 3-8-2 last 13 vs. line. Dog team has covered five straight in series.
Slight to Georgia, based on recent Vol negatives.

NORTH TEXAS at SOUTHERN MISS...USM surprising 3-0 vs. line out of gate, making it five covers in a row since late LY for Jay Hopson. Golden Eagles still just 1-5 as home chalk for Hopson.
Slight to North Texas, based on USM recent home chalk woes.

SOUTH ALABAMA at LA TECH...USA only 4-10 as road dog since 2014 (though 1-0 TY). Skip Holtz 28-17 vs. line since 2014.
La Tech, based on USA road woes.

MIAMI-OHIO at NOTRE DAME...RedHawks 5-1 as dog away from home since LY. ND just 2-6 last eight as home chalk.
Miami-Ohio, based on team trends.

MTSU at FAU... MTSU 4-2 vs. spread last six on C-USA road. Stockstill has beaten FAU nine in a row SU, and covered 7 of last 8. Owls 2-6-1 vs. line last 9 in Boca Raton (1-1 for Kiffin).
MTSU, based on team and series trends.

MISSISSIPPI STATE at AUBURN... Dan Mullen 3-1 vs. spread against Malzahn, and Bulldogs 9-3 last 12 as visiting dog.
Miss State, based on team and series trends.

NORTH CAROLINA at GEORGIA TECH...Fedora has won and covered last three in series, and has covered four straight as visiting dog. But Paul Johnson has covered seven straight since late LY.
Georgia Tech, based on recent trends.

CLEMSON at VIRGINIA TECH...VPI has covered seven straight vs. FBS foes, and is 4-1 vs. spread last five as ACC host. Dabo just 5-9 as visiting chalk since 2014.
Virginia Tech, based on team trends.

AIR FORCE at NEW MEXICO...Davie 5-0 vs. line against Force since taking over Lobos in 2012. UNM has won SU 3 of last 4 meetings and has been a dog in all five of those covers.
New Mexico, based on series trends.

OLE MISS at ALABAMA...With Hugh Freeze, Rebs covered last 3 vs. Bama and won SU in two of those. Luke, however, 0-3 vs. line, and Rebs on 0-5 and 1-9 spread skids since LY. Saban 4-1 last five as SEC home chalk.
Alabama, based on recent trends.

OKLAHOMA STATE at TEXAS TECH...Note that road team has covered last four in series. TT, however, 6-2-1 vs. line last 9 at Lubbock. Gundy just 6-6-1 vs. points last 13 on Big 12 road.
Slight to Texas Tech based on team trends.

ARIZONA STATE at STANFORD...ASU now 1-5-1 last seven vs. line on road. Tree just 2-5 as Farm chalk LY, but since Shaw was 9-4 vs. spread previous two years in role.
Stanford, based on ASU negatives.

NEVADA at FRESNO STATE...Tedford 3-0 vs. line TY for Fresno, Bulldogs actually have covered last five and 8 of last 10 since 2016. FSU 5-2 vs. line last seven in series.
FSU, based on team and series trends.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS at SAN DIEGO STATE...Huskies 3-0 vs. line TY, covers in five straight, 7-0-1 last 8, 9-1-1 last 11 since early 2-16. NIU 6-1 as visiting dog since 2015. Rocky 4-0 SU TY but no covers last three as Qualcomm chalk, 1-6 vs. line last 7 hosting non-MW.
NIU, based on team trends.

COLORADO STATE at HAWAII...Bobo has now covered six straight and 8 of last 9 as visitor. UH 1-10 vs. spread last 11 as MW host.
CSU, based on team trends.

[StarDust Bum]

Passing fancy in Big 12: No. 15 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
September 27, 2017

Some things to watch during Week 5 in the Big 12, with three conference games and four teams taking their bye weeks:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 15 Oklahoma State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) at Texas Tech (3-0, 0-0). Expect a lot of points when the Red Raiders play their Big 12 opener at home against Oklahoma State, which is trying to rebound from a home loss to TCU in its first league game last week. The Cowboys beat Tech 45-44 last November in Stillwater after a missed late extra point for their eighth straight win in the series. Both teams have scored at least 34 points in each of the past four games of the series. The Red Raiders are trying to start 4-0 for the first time since 2013, which was former quarterback Kliff Kingsbury's first season as their coach.

BEST MATCHUP

Texas Tech's Nic Shimonek and Keke Coutee vs. Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph and James Washington - the quarterbacks and top receivers for the Big 12's top two passing teams. Shimonek (11 TDs, one interception) tops the Big 12 with 416 yards passing per game, while Rudolph (13 TDs, three interceptions) throws for 383 yards per game - they rank 3-4 nationally. Coutee leads the Big 12 with 9.3 catches and 148.7 yards receiving per game. While Washington only has 4.8 catches per game, he averages a league-high 27.4 yards per catch and is second in the league at 130 yards per game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Iowa State (2-1) has scored at least 40 points in each of its first three games for the first time since 1976 - the Cyclones have never had four in a row. ... Iowa State, which hosts Texas on Thursday night, has also set a school record with six consecutive 400-yard games. ... Kansas State (2-1) plays its Big 12 opener at home for only the fifth time in the league's 22 seasons, Saturday against Baylor (0-4). ... The Wildcats are 20-9 after midseason bye weeks under coach Bill Snyder. ... Texas (1-2) has scored five non-offensive touchdowns already this season after none last year. ... The four Big 12 teams with byes this week: No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 9 TCU, No. 23 West Virginia and Kansas.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Baylor sophomore Denzel Mims had a couple of acrobatic catches among his 11 receptions for 192 yards and three touchdowns against Oklahoma. Mims is fifth in the Big 12 averaging 101.5 yards receiving per game. Bears junior Chris Platt is sixth at 100.2 yards per game, but is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury against the Sooners.