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Money-line Plays - Week 8
October 18, 2018
By Bookmaker

By Kyle Markus

College Football Week 8 Money-line Plays

The College Football Playoff picture is beginning to become clearer, but a key loss here or there will send it into chaos. The top-ranked teams are clearly going to be heavy favorites in Week 8 of the college football schedule, but are they worth the pick on the moneyline? Every time a top team loses is it a lucrative proposition for those who backed the underdogs.

The moneyline is always an interesting decision, as bettors must decide whether to gamble on an underdog or be willing to take a big loss if the favorite doesn’t deliver. There will be moneylines available for every college football game this week, but there are certain wagers that stand out among the rest.

Here are some of the best bets when it comes to moneyline plays in Week 8 of the college football season.

Odds Analysis

The Arizona State Sun Devils are hosting the Stanford Cardinal in a Thursday night game. Stanford was at one time ranked in the top 10 nationally but this team was overvalued at that point. ASU doesn’t have a great record but it has been competitive for much of the year. This game feels like a toss-up, and at +115 odds on the moneyline, the Sun Devils are the easy choice.

The Virginia Cavaliers are coming off an upset win over the Miami Hurricanes last time out and could pull the trick once again in Week 8. Virginia will be the +215 underdogs on the road against Duke. While the Blue Devils are putting together a nice season, it’s hard to put the full trust in them. The Cavaliers are the right choice.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have to go on the road this week, but are still big favorites at -500 against Purdue. It’s really hard to fathom a way the Boilermakers come away with a win, even at home. While the Buckeyes won’t pay off too well, a win seems like a virtual certainty and the -500 moneyline is worth it.

Staying in the Big Ten, the Michigan State Spartans are the +226 underdogs at home against the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan State is coming off an impressive win on the road against Penn State as a similar underdog. No one is denying the Spartans have been inconsistent this season, but at this line they are a good choice to pull out another upset in front of their home fans.

The UCLA Bruins have not had a good season but they are solid favorites at home. They are facing an Arizona Wildcats team which is without starting quarterback Khalil Tate. Arizona has no good backup options. It feels a bit risky backing UCLA at -310 on the moneyline, but the home field advantage and the Wildcats’ lack of talent at quarterback makes it a solid wager. Don’t be scared off by the Bruins’ results this season as they are facing off against a team that will not be able to mount an upset attempt.

Free NCAA Football ATS Picks

The above choices are good ones on the moneyline but there is one Week 8 matchup which just screams for bettors to take a certain side. The Oregon Ducks are coming off a crucial win last time out over the Washington Huskies, and would be undefeated if not for an inexplicable early-season loss to Stanford. Oregon is somehow an underdog this week on the road against the Washington State Cougars. Washington State is a good team but the Ducks are potentially a great one.

Oregon has more offensive weapons and should come away with the victory. At +125 odds, they are a tremendous value in NCAA football gambling.

NCAA Football ATS Pick: The Oregon Ducks at +125 on the moneyline to upset the Washington State Cougars

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Total Talk - Week 8
October 18, 2018
By BetDSI

CFB Week 8 Total Talk

Week 7 of the college football season may have been known for all the upsets of Top 25 ranked squads, but the results from last week's Total Talk piece weren't much better.

UCF and Memphis came nowhere near their massive total of 80, still playing a thriller though in the 31-30 UCF comeback win. Middle Tennessee and FIU followed a similar script as their game had little hope of going 'over' without OT, but an INT in their own end zone for a touchback sealed the 24-21 FIU victory.

If there was a theme from last week's games discussed in this piece it would be about “no doubt” results as the third no doubt result was following the steam on the 'under' in Michigan State/Penn State, as that game never even got to 40 points.

Hopefully this week's games bring us some better results, so let's get right to them:

Odds per - BetDSI.eu

Biggest Movers to the 'Over'

Arizona vs. UCLA: Open: 55 – Current: 57.5

The UCLA Bruins finally got their first win of the Chip Kelly era a week ago when they went into California as touchdown underdogs and but a beating on the Golden Bears, 37-7. All of that youthful talent the Bruins have finally were able to put it all together six weeks into the year, and now they return home to lay heavy chalk for just the second time this year. The first was the season opener where reputation clearly preceded the current UCLA program as they were -14 home chalk against the Cincinnati Bearcats and ended up losing that game outright by nine.

Following that loss to Cincinnati, oddsmakers quickly adjusted their rankings on UCLA and had them at +31 the following week against Oklahoma. The Bruins haven't been a favorte since, but improved play the past few weeks – including hanging around with a Top 10 ranked Washington team at the time – has seen the rankings and belief in this UCLA team rise upwards.

But this is about the total and not the side here and you can see this game play out multiple ways. In support of this 'over' move, we do have two suspect defenses on very young, losing teams this year that have had a tough time stopping anyone so far. The strength of both teams clearly lies on the offensive side of the ball, and with UCLA looking spectacular in their win a week ago, it appears as though 'over' money is of the mindset that there won't be any turning back for the Bruins now.

However, yes, these two defenses are suspect to say the least, but are you really ready to trust both of these offenses to perform consistently?

Last week's win at California was the first time UCLA scored more than 24 points all year long, so how can you trust them to throw out a duplicate performance off of something they hadn't really done before. I'm not sure I can, because it's still just one win. 2018 was always going to be a rough year for UCLA, but just because they've got one win now – potentially earlier than scheduled – doesn't mean the program has figured it all out and their ascent to the top can commence. I'll need to see this UCLA offense performance at a consistent level for the next week or two before I can consider an 'over' with them as a favorite of any number.

Finally, UCLA's defense may have some bad numbers even after allowing just seven points, but those averages are a bit skewed by them having played the toughest schedule in the country so far. Oklahoma, Colorado, California, and Washington have all spent time ranked in the Top 25 this year, and Fresno State and Cincinnati are a combined 11-1 SU entering the week. This Arizona team can't compare to any of those – hence the large chalk for UCLA – but don't think that 31.5 points per game allowed number the Bruins have right now is representative of what we could see in this game. The Bruins defense got things together last week against California, and if anything is likely to carry over from that game, it should be that defensive play.

So while this total has seen 'over' money all week so far, now that it's at a key number of 57, I'm only really considering going the other way now, especially if it continues to climb. The Pac-12 may be known as generally a higher scoring league, but it's also know for sloppy decision making and play out there on the field and I would guess we are likely to get the latter first in this Arizona/UCLA game. Sloppy play is generally not what you want to see when you've got an 'over' ticket in your pocket.

Odds per - BetDSI.eu

Biggest Movers to the 'Under'

Buffalo vs. Toledo: Open: 66 – Current: 60

This MAC game between the Bulls and Rockets has already had nearly a full TD shaved off their total as bettors continue to come back for some more 'under' action on this game. With both teams not even sniffing 60 points in their respect games last week, and both sides revered as two of the better programs in the MAC this season, it seems as though the majority believe this will be a bit of a defensive grind that could resemble a battle for 1st place type of game.

Right off the bat a move this big has to be respected to the degree that it's clear a lot of money (respected or not) has viewed this opening number as much too high for this game. The fact that the 'under' has still received money on all the numbers this total hit on it's journey from 66 to 60 speaks to how bad of an opener many bettors believe it was. With VegasInsider.com currently showing 85% of the action on the 'under for this game, this play has also got a lot of steam chasers jumping on board as well.

But as with any move this big you've got to ask yourself if there is really any value in the number anymore. The fact that this 'under' got hit at 64, 63, 62 etc suggests that many did still see value in going low vs those numbers, but it's not like it was a straight elevator trip down. This total got to 61.5 on Wednesday afternoon before it got bumped back up to 62 for basically the rest of the night. As the flat 60's have settled in today, it seems there aren't that many 'under' bettors lining up for seconds anymore, which would suggest most of the value is gone.

You can put me in that camp of thinking the value is gone as the only way I can really look now is 'over' or pass on the game entirely. Oddsmakers aren't always dead on with their numbers, but I do think they deserve more credit than they get in situations like this. Chances are that opener of 66 might prove to be more of a “fair” line than all this 'under' money originally thought. It is a MAC game after all where points can get piled up in a hurry. Toledo has also scored 50+ points themselves in every other game this year, and after coming up just short in a 28-26 loss a week ago, I'll let you figure out where this week falls.

So, it might actually be time to start looking the other way here. Buffalo and Toledo combined are 10-3 O/U overall, and with both coming off 'under' results last week, I don't think I'd be that interested in backing them both to stay low in consecutive weeks into a number that's already moved against me six points. It's got to be 'over' or nothing at this point.

Odds per - BetDSI.eu

Best Total Bet for Week 7: Army vs Miami (OH) Over 48

Sticking with a MAC program as the Miami Redhawks go out on the road to face this Army program in what should be a relatively high-scoring game.

This is the first game at home for Army after three straight road contests, all three of which Army played very well in. It began with that OT loss as huge underdogs to Oklahoma, but it was 42-13 and 52-3 wins after that for Army as their triple-option based attack lit up Buffalo and San Jose State respectively. It's now four of five games that Army's offense has scored 28 or more points, and that's a number we should easily see the Knights get to here.

For Miami, it's been a good stretch of football as well as they are on a 4-0 ATS run (3-1 SU) and have scored 30+ in all four of those games. Defensively things appear to be improved after two straight games of allowing 17 or less, but Akron and Kent State aren't anywhere close to prolific offenses in the MAC and shutting them down wasn't exactly the hardest thing to do for this Miami defense. The Redhawks defense isn't exactly familiar with facing the option attack either, so I don't think we will see that same success defensively from Miami here.

So the Redhawks are going to have to rely on their offense that has been producing to carry the bulk of the weight this week, and against a potentially sluggish Army team off three straight road games, the spot actually sets up rather well for that to happen. Miami has already taken some significant action ATS-wise (opened at +11.5) and if they are oging to pull off the underdog victory, chances are their offense plays rather well.

A total under 50 is just too low for this game, and with Miami on a 10-4-1 O/U run after allowing fewer than 20 points last time out, and Army on a 5-1 O/U run against opponents with a losing record, I'm betting we see 55 to 60 points in this game.

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OU-TCU part of huge Big 12 weekend
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Some things to know about Week 8 in the Big 12 Conference, when there are only two games on the schedule:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 9 Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) at TCU (3-3, 1-2). Both teams are coming off a loss going into a rematch of last year's Big 12 championship game. The Sooners are playing for the first time since firing defensive coordinator Mike Stoops after a 48-45 loss to Big 12-leading Texas on Oct. 6, when they overcame a three-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter before losing on a field goal in the closing seconds. TCU has already matched its loss total from last season, when two of the three defeats were to Oklahoma.

BEST MATCHUP

Lincoln Riley vs. Gary Patterson, the head coaches focused and excelling on different sides of the ball. Riley is the offensive mind at Oklahoma, while Patterson is the defense-oriented coach for TCU. While the Horned Frogs lost 17-14 in their last game, they held Texas Tech 31 points below its season average and allowed only 353 total yards - 248 under what was then the national-best average of 591 a game. The Sooners are now leading the Big 12 with 48 points per game, and their 525 total yards a game are only 27 shy of where the Red Raiders are now.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Six of the league's 10 teams have open dates. ... There are no more open dates after this week, meaning there will be full Big 12 slates of five conference games each of the last five weeks of the regular season. ... Big 12 teams averaged only 19.8 points per game last week. Five of the eight teams that played scored 17 points or fewer. ... Texas and Notre Dame are the only teams in the country that are 3-0 this season against Top 25 teams. ... Texas and Iowa State join Florida and Notre Dame as the only teams with victories over Top 25 teams in consecutive weeks. The Cyclones got theirs in the last two games, winning at Oklahoma State before a home win over West Virginia.

LONG SHOT

Kansas, the only Big 12 team without a conference victory, is a nearly three-touchdown underdog going to Texas Tech. The Jayhawks have lost 18 of 19 games in the series, including the last 11. The last two matchups were decided by 46 and 36 points, respectively.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Texas Tech junior receiver Antoine Wesley is the Big 12 leader with 117 yards receiving per game. His 703 yards through six games is the fourth-highest total for a Texas Tech wideout since 2000. After only 12 catches for 146 yards in his first two seasons, Wesley has 41 receptions this season. He set a single-game Red Raiders record earlier this year with 261 yards on 13 catches and three TDs against Houston.

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No. 6 Michigan needs to beat No. 24 Spartans to keep rolling
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Here's what to watch in the Big Ten this week:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 6 Michigan at No. 24 Michigan State

This is huge for Jim Harbaugh, whose team has won six straight and entered the top 10 for the first time this season. The Wolverines (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) have established themselves as a real factor in the Big Ten East after being picked fourth. The Spartans have won two of three against Harbaugh-coached Michigan teams, and eight of 10 in the series, and would love nothing more than to derail the Wolverines' run. The question: which MSU team will show up? The Spartans (4-2, 2-1) lost to Northwestern at home two weeks ago and beat Penn State on the road last week.

BEST MATCHUP

Purdue QB David Blough vs. Ohio State secondary

Blough has completed 110 of 181 passes (68.3 percent) with 1,573 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions over his last four games. He's also rushed for two scores and became the first Purdue quarterback to catch a TD pass since Brandon Hance in 2001. Ohio State has allowed more than 300 yards passing twice, most recently against Indiana two weeks ago, and is seventh in the conference in pass defense.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Wisconsin has eight sacks through six games; the Badgers had 20 at the same point in 2017. ... Northwestern LB Blake Gallagher has had double-digit tackles in three straight games, making him the first Wildcats player to accomplish the feat since Anthony Walker Jr. in 2015. ... Rutgers, last in the FBS in turnover margin, has had eight turnovers vs. one takeaway over its last two games. ... Nebraska, on a program-record 10-game losing streak, would lose a seventh straight in the same season for the first time since 1957 if beaten by Minnesota . ... Illinois' 229 rushing yards per game is more than double its 2017 season average of 106. ... Penn State's Trace McSorley is completing 54.1 percent of his passes for 206.8 yards per game, compared with 67 percent for 266.2 through six games in 2017. ... Freshmen have had a big impact at Indiana, accounting for 11 of 14 takeaways, including the last seven, and RB Stevie Scott is second among true freshmen nationally in yards (557) and carries (115).

LONG SHOT

Maryland, 10-point underdog at Iowa

The Terrapins (4-2, 2-1) will be going for a second win over a ranked opponent when they visit the No. 19 Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-1). RBs Ty Johnson and Anthony McFarland combined for 206 yards last week, but that was against lowly Rutgers. This week the Terrapins face a defense that allows just 2.7 yards per carry and has allowed only four rushing touchdowns. If interim coach and offensive coordinator Matt Canada can't find a way to get the ground game moving, it'll be a long day. The Terps have the lowest-ranked passing offense of any non-triple option team.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Minnesota RB Mohamed Ibrahim

The Gophers rushed for more than 400 yards against Nebraska last year, and the winless Cornhuskers remain vulnerable to the run. Minnesota's hot hand is Ibrahim, who ran for 105 of his 157 yards against Ohio State in the first half last week. Shannon Brooks has been medically cleared to return after an offseason knee injury, but his status is uncertain following his weekend arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic assault. The Huskers are allowing 177 yards per game on the ground to rank 10th in the Big Ten.

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Miss St, LSU meet for big SEC game
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Here are a few things to watch during Week 8 of the Southeastern Conference season:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 22 Mississippi State at No. 5 LSU: The Bulldogs moved back onto the national radar with an impressive 23-9 win over then-No. 8 Auburn back on Oct. 6. Mississippi State's resurgence has come thanks to an improved running game that features QB Nick Fitzgerald and RB Kylin Hill. LSU will counter with a fantastic defense, a solid offense and plenty of momentum after a convincing 36-16 win over then-No. 2 Georgia last week. LSU lost to Mississippi State 37-7 last season in Starkville.

MATCHUP OF THE WEEK

Tennessee receivers vs. Alabama secondary: Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano threw for a career-high 328 yards in a 30-24 upset at Auburn last week because he capitalized on the playmaking ability of the receiving trio of Marquez Callaway, Jauan Jennings and Josh Palmer, who caught a combined 10 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. Those receivers will face a tougher test against an Alabama pass defense that has 12 interceptions, including a team-high three from Saivion Smith. North Texas is the only Football Bowl Subdivision team that has picked off more passes than Alabama this season.

NUMBERS GAME

Alabama coach Nick Saban owns a 14-0 record against his former assistants heading into the top-ranked Crimson Tide's game Saturday at Tennessee, which is coached by former Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. That 14-0 record includes victories over Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher and Louisiana-Lafayette's Billy Napier this season. ... Tennessee's victory at Auburn last week snapped the Vols' 11-game losing streak in conference games. ... Mississippi's Jordan Ta'amu rushed for 141 yards in a 37-33 victory over Arkansas last week. That's the highest single-game total for an Ole Miss quarterback since John Fourcade ran for 169 yards against Vanderbilt in 1979. ... LSU hasn't allowed a first-quarter touchdown in 11 straight games. ... LSU's Cole Tracy scored 18 points (five field goals, three extra points) last week in a 36-16 victory over Georgia. Tracy set a school single-game record for points scored by kicking.

UPSET WATCH

Missouri is favored by 9+ points over Memphis, which has the nation's leading rusher in Darrell Henderson. Memphis has beaten at least one Power Five team each of the last three seasons and is facing a Missouri team that has lost three straight. If Memphis isn't still brooding over its heartbreaking 31-30 home loss to No. 10 Central Florida , the American Athletic Conference upstart is certainly capable of winning this game. Missouri coach Barry Odom was Memphis' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2012-14.

IMPACT PERFORMER

Mississippi State's Montez Sweat and Jeffery Simmons: The Sweat-Simmons combo along the Bulldogs' defensive line has been among the best in the country. Sweat leads the SEC with 7 + sacks per game - including three in a win against Auburn on Oct. 6 - and Simmons is fourth in the league with 8+ tackles for a loss. They should be fresh after a week off and ready to cause trouble against LSU.

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NC State-Clemson headlines ACC
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Things to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Week 8:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 16 North Carolina State at No. 3 Clemson. The ACC's last two unbeaten teams meet with first place in the Atlantic Division on the line. Both teams are coming off open weeks and figure to be well-rested. The Tigers (6-0, 3-0) are the only team in league history to open four straight seasons with at least six consecutive victories. The Wolfpack (5-0, 2-0) are off to their best start since 2002, when Phillip Rivers was taking the snaps, and were a missed field goal at the buzzer from beating Clemson in Death Valley in their last trip there two years ago.

BEST MATCHUP

Florida State rushing offense vs. Wake Forest run defense. Something's got to give in Tallahassee. The Seminoles rank last in the conference in rushing, and at 92.8 yards per game are the league's only team that isn't averaging at least 100 yards on the ground. Maybe they'll get things fixed against a Wake Forest defense that has had serious trouble stopping big plays. Clemson had five touchdown runs of at least 50 yards in a 63-3 romp two weeks ago.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The N.C. State-Clemson game marks only the fifth matchup between undefeated ACC teams with five or more victories apiece, and only the second since the league expanded from nine teams in the early 2000s. Of the four previous times it's happened, the winner has gone on to claim at least a share of the national title three times (Georgia Tech in 1990, and Florida State in both 1993 and 2013).

LONG SHOT

Virginia appears capable of at least keeping it close in its visit to Duke. The Cavaliers are 7-point underdogs but are coming off a 16-13 upset of Miami that knocked the Hurricanes from the national rankings. Virginia has won three straight in the series with the Blue Devils, intercepting QB Daniel Jones a total of seven times in its most recent victories. Duke wants to build off the momentum of its 28-14 victory at Georgia Tech.

IMPACT PLAYER

Duke seems to look for T.J. Rahming when the Blue Devils need a big play. Rahming caught four passes for 91 yards and a 48-yard touchdown in the Georgia Tech victory, and all four of his catches went for first downs or touchdowns while also becoming the fourth player in program history with 200 career catches. He'll try to find some seams in a Virginia defense that ranks third in the conference against the pass.

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Washington St. finally gets its 'GameDay'
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Long before the sun rises over the rolling hills of the Palouse, the fans in crimson and gray will make their pilgrimage. They'll come stumbling out of RVs parked the night before in nearby lots. They'll walk through campus past the Bryan Clock Tower or make the hike up College Hill

They'll don jerseys bearing the names Leaf, Thompson, Bledsoe, Gleason and they'll display the number "3" in memory of quarterback Tyler Hilinski. They'll carry signs disparaging Dawgs to the West and Ducks to the South. They'll celebrate the "Popcorn Guy" and the "Fireball Chugger."

And flags. Oh, will there ever be flags. Crimson. White. Gray. Black. All with the unmistakable Cougars logo. And the most famous of those flags - Ol' Crimson - will be front and center.

ESPN's ''College GameDay'' is coming to Pullman on Saturday ahead of No. 25 Washington State's Pac-12 showdown with No. 12 Oregon and it could be unlike any setting ever for college football's version of Woodstock.

''We're going to try and set some records this weekend,'' Washington State athletic director Pat Chun said.

After 15 years of the Washington State flag being a backdrop fixture for every ''College GameDay'' broadcast - from Tempe to Tallahassee, Boise to Blacksburg - Ol' Crimson will finally come home when the broadcast goes live in the early morning hours from the intersection of Cougar Way and Ferdinand's Lane in the shadow of Martin Stadium.

That's 34 states, 72 cities leading to this moment.

''When we go to a place that we've never been to, it's guaranteed to be electric,'' said Lee Fitting, ESPN's vice president of production. ''Starting the show in the dark is cool. I just picture a dark fall morning, there could be some mist or fog and thousands of flags sort of dimly lit. It's going to be a really cool on-air moment.''

The show's trip to Pullman is the realization of a dream for many: For the founders of Ol' Crimson who created a movement that made sure the flag was flying at every broadcast since October 2003 and for Washington State fans who have made getting the show to the campus a collective mission.

''Even though I was the first one to start it and keep it going, I'm still amazed that something I thought of 15 years ago, did 15 years ago, would have this kind of effect,'' said Tom Pounds, who started the tradition of flying the flag in 2003. ''It still amazes me.''

What began as an attempt to draw attention to the school and lure the show to Pullman carries far deeper meaning for Washington State students, alums and fans. Ol' Crimson flying in the background of each of the past 216 GameDay broadcasts is a public representation of the bond created by being a Coug.

It's not easily explained.

Washington State is defined by its remoteness. Dealing with isolation at the school some 290 miles east of Seattle is part of the curriculum. Pullman is not a destination location, yet it becomes the foundation for a relationship between the students, the campus and the community that spans generations and creates inseparable bonds.

''There's something in the DNA of a Coug. ... There is a bond like none other, I would argue, and I gauge it on walking through the airport, wearing the Coug logo and how many `Go Cougs' I get,'' Chun said. ''I tell people there are less than a dozen schools around the country where you verbally hear that.''

The early days of Ol' Crimson came during some of the worst years in Washington State's football history. Between 2004 and 2014, the Cougars never won more than six games. Between 2008 and 2012, Washington State's combined record was 12-49. Now they've become relevant again, going to four bowl games in five years under Mike Leach. This week, the Cougars returned to the AP Top 25.

''It was kind of funny because they were so bad for so long it was like, `What the hell is the Wazzu flag doing here?''' Fitting said. ''We showed it as a bit of a spoof and had some fun with it. Then it was, this is turning into a thing. Over time, as I like to describe it, the flag signifies college football. Its tradition. Its pageantry and its passion. And that's what makes college football great. And that's what makes the flag behind GameDay great. Because people are passionate about it. They're making an effort to fly it. We recognize it.''

Fitting said there were a few times the show came close to a Pullman trip. The closest was Halloween 2015 when the Cougars were hosting Stanford in a game key to the Pac-12 North race. The show ended up going to Notre Dame at Temple that week in Philadelphia, in part because the broadcast came from in front of Independence Hall.

''We would have gone to Pullman if we didn't get the desired location in Philadelphia. And mid-afternoon on Monday, the mayor's office called and said you're good to go with your location,'' Fitting recalled. ''And Wazzu was left out and I got absolutely lambasted on social media.''

There are no more campaigns for the Cougs to take on. When the "College GameDay" equipment arrived in Pullman on Wednesday, it was greeted by a police escort and thousands of fans.

And while Ol' Crimson is coming home this Saturday, it'll be back out on its college football road trip next week.

''ESPN is still going to expect us to be there next week for (show) 218,'' Pounds said. ''That's all there is to it.''

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Oregon, Washington St tops Pac-12
October 18, 2018
By The Associated Press

Here are some things to watch in Week 8 of the Pac-12 Conference football season:

GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 12 Oregon at No. 25 Washington State. This is a key game in determining who will remain alive for the North Division title. The Ducks (5-1, 2-1) feature running back CJ Verdell, who has rushed for 100 yards or more in three straight games, while the Cougars (5-1, 2-1) lead the nation in passing offense at 410.4 yards per game behind the arm of Gardner Minshew. The game will have a festive atmosphere as ESPN's ''College GameDay'' makes its first appearance at Washington State.

MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: Colorado at No. 15 Washington. Both teams are looking to bounce back from road losses. The Buffaloes (5-1, 2-1) have yet to allow a touchdown during the fourth quarter but face a tough challenge in containing Huskies QB Jake Browning and RB Myles Gaskin. Washington (5-2, 3-1) probably saw its College Football Playoff hopes dashed last week but the winner of this game will become the conference's first team to become bowl eligible this season.

NUMBERS GAME: The tradition of waving Washington State's Ol' Crimson in the background on ESPN's GameDay has reached 216 consecutive appearances. . Utah QB Tyler Huntley last week became the ninth conference player since 1996 to throw, rush and catch a touchdown in the same game. . UCLA RB Joshua Kelley is the first Bruin to have three straight 100-yard games since Jordon James in 2013.

UPSET WATCH: USC at Utah. The Utes are favored by seven at home, but the Trojans have won three straight and are 15-1 against the Pac-12 South during coach Clay Helton's tenure.

IMPACT PERFORMER: Oregon State RB Jermar Jefferson. The freshman leads the conference in rushing and is fourth in the nation, averaging 144.2 yards per game. He needs 135 yards to become the first Beavers running back to reach 1,000 yards since Jacquizz Rodgers (1,440) in 2009.

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Friday's Tip Sheet
October 18, 2018
By Brian Edwards

**Colorado State at Boise State**

-- As of Thursday afternoon, most sports books had Boise State (4-2 straight up, 3-3 against the spread) installed as a 23.5-point home favorite with a total of 62.5 or 63. William Hill was offering the Rams on the money line for a 12/1 return (risk $100 to win $1,200).

-- Boise State has only played at home twice this season, going 1-1 both SU and ATS. Bryan Harsin’s club smashed UConn by a 62-7 count as a 34-point home ‘chalk’ back in Week 2, but it dropped a 19-13 decision to San Diego State on Oct. 6 as a 13.5-point favorite.

-- BSU bounced back from the loss to the Aztecs last week to slip past Nevada, 31-27, as a 14.5-point road favorite. The 58 combined points slithered ‘under’ the 59.5-point total. Senior QB Brett Rypien threw for 299 yards and a pair of TDs, but he was intercepted three times. Trailing 10-7 early in the second quarter, the Broncos got a huge momentum-shifting play out of senior CB Tyler Horton, who intercepted Ty Gangi and returned the pick 99 yards for a TD. John Hightower had an 88-yard TD run for BSU and turned seven touches into 179 all-purpose yards.

-- Rypien, a second-team All-MWC selection last year and a first-team All-MWC choice in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns, has completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,858 yards with a 14/5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His favorite target is Sean Modster, a senior WR who has 34 receptions for 480 yards and two TDs. A.J. Richardson has 27 catches for 430 yards, while Hightower has caught 21 balls for 306 yards and three TDs. Hightower has also rushed for 163 yards and two scores on merely eight attempts for a 20.4 yards-per-carry average. Junior RB Alexander Mattison has run for 416 yards and six TDs, but he’s only averaging 3.9 YPC.

-- BSU is ranked 19th in the nation in total offense, 10th in passing yards and 31st in scoring with its 36.2 points-per-game average. The Broncos are ranked 23rd in the country in total defense, 37th in pass defense, 30th at defending the run and 38th in scoring ‘D’ (21.8 PPG).

-- BSU’s other loss came at Oklahoma State (44-21) as a 1.5-point road favorite on Sept. 15. The Broncos’ two other wins came at Troy (56-20) and at Wyoming (34-14).

-- Since joining the Mountain West Conference, BSU has gone 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS when facing Colorado State. However, the Broncos needed to overcome an 18-point halftime deficit and rally from 14 points down with less than four minutes remaining to capture a 59-52 victory in Ft. Collins last year. Gamblers backing BSU got an incredibly fortunate cover as a 6.5-point road ‘chalk.’ Rypien threw for 331 yards with a 4/1 TD-INT ratio, while Mattison rushed 23 times for 242 yards and three TDs.

-- Colorado State (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS) is 1-1 both SU and ATS on the road. Since starting 1-4 both SU and ATS, Mike Bobo’s squad has won back-to-back contests both SU and ATS at San Jose State (42-30) and vs. New Mexico (20-18).

-- CSU edged the Lobos as a one-point home favorite thanks to Wyatt Bryan’s 26-yard walk-off field goal as time expired. The Rams played turnover-free football, had a 24-15 edge in first downs and 423-299 advantage in total offense. K.J. Carta-Samuels connected on 24-of-42 passes for 311 yards and one TD without an interception. Preston Williams, the former 5-star recruit to Tennessee who sat out last season after transferring, had nine receptions for 93 yards and one TD. Izzy Matthews rushed for 92 yards on 26 totes.

-- Colorado State owns a 6-2 spread record in eight games as a road underdog during Bobo’s four-year tenure. Meanwhile, Boise State is an abysmal 9-19 ATS in 28 games as a home favorite on Harsin’s watch.

-- Carta-Samuels has completed 61.0 percent of his throws for 1,934 yards with a 16/6 TD-INT ratio. Williams has played lights out, hauling in 52 receptions for 671 yards and seven TDs. Olabisi Johnson has caught 36 balls for 533 yards and four TDs. Matthews has 425 rushing yards for two TDs with a 3.9 YPC average. The senior RB also has 18 grabs for 116 yards and one TD.

-- CSU could be without four starters Friday night on the blue carpet. Johnson (ankle) is listed as ‘questionable’ along with senior center Colby Meeks and junior DT Richard King. Senior OG Tyler Bjorklund is ‘doubtful’ due to an ankle issue.

-- The ‘under’ is 5-2 overall for the Rams, 1-1 in their two road assignments. They’ve watched their games average combined scores of 59.7 PPG.

-- Totals have been an overall was for BSU both overall (3-3) and at home (1-1). The Broncos have seen their games average combined scores of 58.0 PPG.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

**Air Force at UNLV**

-- As of Thursday afternoon, most spots had Air Force (2-4 SU, 4-2 ATS) listed as a 10-point road favorite with a total of 57. The Rebels were +330 on the money line (risk $100 to win $330).

-- Air Force is winless in three road games, but it has produced a 2-1 spread record. The Falcons covered the spread as eight-point underdogs at FAU in a 33-27 loss, failed to cover in a 42-32 loss at Utah State as 9.5-point ‘dogs and took the cash in last week’s 21-17 setback at San Diego St. as 11-point puppies.

-- Troy Calhoun’s club ended a three-game losing streak two weeks ago by blasting Navy 35-7 as a 2.5-point home underdog. The Falcons shut down Navy’s vaunted ground attack by limiting it to 129 rushing yards on 41 attempts (3.1 YPC). They enjoyed a 17-9 advantage in first down and a 399-178 edge in total offense. Sophomore QB Donald Hammond rushed for 60 yards and three TDs on 19 carries, in addition to throwing for 142 yards and one TD without an interception.

-- Air Force came up short against the 5-1 Aztecs last week. The 38 combined points went below the 42.5-point tally to provide the Falcons with a third straight ‘under.’ Hammond left the game with an injury and is ‘questionable’ at UNLV. Junior RB Cole Fagan rushed for 90 yards on 16 carries.

-- Air Force has compiled a 12-16 spread record in 28 games as a road favorite during Calhoun’s 12-year tenure.

-- Air Force is 28th in the country in total defense, eighth at defending the run and 37th in scoring ‘D’ (21.8 PPG).

-- UNLV (2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS) will be without star QB Armani Rogers for at third consecutive game Friday night at Sam Boyd Stadium. Tony Sanchez’s team has lost 50-14 at home to New Mexico and 59-28 at Utah State since the sophomore QB went down with a toe injury that’s expected to keep him out for another 3-4 weeks. Rogers rushed for 780 yards and eight TDs as a true freshman in 2017. In UNLV’s first four games this year, he had run for 488 yards and six TDs while averaging 6.9 YPC. He had completed just 41.5 percent of his throws for 369 yards, but he had a decent 6/4 TD-INT ratio.

-- Third-year sophomore QB Max Gilliam, who was an original 2016 Cal-Berkeley signed, has started the past two games. He has completed only 45.8 percent of his passes for 373 yards with a 5/2 TD-INT ratio this season.

-- UNLV senior RB Lexington Thomas has been upgraded to ‘probable’ vs. Air Force after sustaining a concussion last week. Thomas is third in career rushing yards (3,040) at UNLV and can become the school’s all-time leader if he can run for 694 more rushing yards this year. He’s run for 556 yards and six TDs with a 5.7 YPC average in 2018.

-- UNLV owns an atrocious 1-5 spread record in six games as a home underdog during Sanchez’s four-year tenure.

-- Air Force is 7-2 SU and 4-5 ATS in the past nine games of this rivalry. The Falcons had to shake off a 27-7 intermission deficit at home vs. UNLV last season to capture a 34-30 come-from-behind victory. The Rebels took the cash, however, as nine-point underdogs. The ‘over’ had hit in four straight games and eight of the past nine in this series, but the 64 combined points inched ‘under’ the 65.5-point tally. Rogers rushed for 148 yards and one TD, while Thomas rushed for 91 yards and one score on 17 attempts.

-- The ‘under’ is 5-1 overall for the Falcons, 2-1 in their road outings. They’ve seen their games average combined scores of 50.8 PPG.

-- The ‘over’ is 4-2 overall for the Rebels, 2-1 in their home games. They’ve watched their games average combined scores of 66.8 PPG.

-- CBS Sports College will have the broadcast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- North Texas is 6-1 for the first time in 30 years going into this week’s C-USA showdown vs. UAB at Legion Field in Birmingham. Junior QB Mason Fine, a first-team All-Conference USA choice in 2017, has a stellar 16/1 TD-INT ratio. The Mean Green is a 1.5-point underdog to the Blazers, who are 5-1 both SU and ATS and 3-0 both SU and ATS at home. North Texas is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in three road assignments. The Mean Green have seen the ‘under’ cash at a 7-0 clip.

-- How many times has Navy been a double-digit underdog during Ken Niumatalolo’s 11-year tenure? Only once. That was two seasons ago when the Midshipmen captured a 46-40 win over Houston as a 17-point home underdog. If the line holds at +11.5 like it was as of Thursday afternoon, Niumatololo’s squad will be a double-digit ‘dog once again the Cougars, who take a three-game winning streak to Annapolis.

-- Wyoming has failed to cover the spread in six straight games since getting the cash in its season-opening win at New Mexico State. The Cowboys host Utah St. on Saturday. Speaking of the Aggies, they’re 5-1 SU and 6-0 ATS. Furthermore, Utah St. has seen the ‘over’ go 6-0. Utah St. was favored by 15 with the total at 51 as of Thursday.

-- Rutgers is noted in a 1-5 ATS slump going into Saturday’s home game vs. Northwestern as a 20.5-point underdog.

-- Besides Utah State, there are two other teams who remain unscathed for our purposes. Washington State is 6-0 ATS and Appalachian State is 5-0 versus the number.

-- Colorado WR Laviska Shenault has 60 receptions for 780 yards and six TDs, and he’s also run for 87 yards and five TD on 15 carries. However, Shenault is ‘questionable’ at Washington due to a toe injury. The Buffaloes, who are 5-1 after losing 31-20 at USC last week, were 16.5-point road underdogs as of Thursday. RB Travon McMillian, a grad transfer from Virginia Tech, has been upgraded to ‘probable' at UW despite dealing with a leg contusion. McMillian has rushed for 560 yards and four TDs with a 5.5 YPC average.

-- Nation’s Biggest Disappointments:
1) Wisconsin
2 ) FSU
3) Auburn
4) Nebraska
5) Arizona
6) UCLA
7) Arkansas State
8) TCU
9) Louisville
10) Navy

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, October 19

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COLORADO ST (3 - 4) at BOISE ST (4 - 2) - 10/19/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOISE ST is 143-105 ATS (+27.5 Units) in all games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 143-105 ATS (+27.5 Units) in all lined games since 1992.
BOISE ST is 89-61 ATS (+21.9 Units) after playing a conference game since 1992.
BOISE ST is 80-50 ATS (+25.0 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
BOISE ST is 56-33 ATS (+19.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1992.
COLORADO ST is 64-43 ATS (+16.7 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1992.
BOISE ST is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
BOISE ST is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOISE ST is 1-1 against the spread versus COLORADO ST over the last 3 seasons
BOISE ST is 2-0 straight up against COLORADO ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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AIR FORCE (2 - 4) at UNLV (2 - 4) - 10/19/2018, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
UNLV is 1-0 against the spread versus AIR FORCE over the last 3 seasons
AIR FORCE is 1-0 straight up against UNLV over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Friday, October 19

Colorado State @ Boise State
Colorado State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado State's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado State's last 5 games on the road

Boise State
Boise State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado State
Boise State is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home

Air Force @ Nevada-Las Vegas
Air Force
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Air Force's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Air Force's last 5 games when playing on the road against Nevada-Las Vegas

Nevada-Las Vegas
Nevada-Las Vegas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Air Force
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nevada-Las Vegas's last 5 games when playing at home against Air Force


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Friday, October 19

Colorado State @ Boise State

Game 307-308
October 19, 2018 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado State
71.180
Boise State
91.957
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boise State
by 21
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boise State
by 23 1/2
61 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado State
(+23 1/2); Under

Air Force @ UNLV

Game 309-310
October 19, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Air Force
80.112
UNLV
72.569
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Air Force
by 7 1/2
48
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Air Force
by 11
57
Dunkel Pick:
UNLV
(+11); Over


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Friday’s games

Boise State won its last six games with Colorado State, but games last two years were 28-23/59-52; Rams lost last three games on the Blue Turf by 5-13-28 points. Boise scored 31+ points in all four of its wins, were held to 21-13 in losses; they’re 5-16 vs spread in their last 21 home games, all as a favorite- three of their last four games stayed under. CSU won its last two games after a 1-4 start; under Bobo, Rams are 6-2 as road underdogs- they’re 1-1 in true road tilts this year, losing 48-10 at Florida (+20), winning 42-30 at San Jose State (-3).

Air Force lost three of last four games, with one win over rival Navy; over last 3+ years, Falcons are 2-7 as road favorites- four of their last five games stayed under total. AF held San Diego St to 297 TY LW, but lost 21-17 on late TD pass. UNLV’s backup QB is completing 45.8% of his passes, not good enough. Rebels lost last three games, allowing 50-59 points in last two. Under Sanchez, UNLV is 1-5 as home underdogs. Air Force won its last two games with UNLV, 34-30/48-21; they won two of last three visits to the Strip, winning by 27-15 points.


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Friday, Oct. 19

COLORADO STATE at BOISE STATE...Bobo 3-11 last 14 vs. spread since mid 2017, though has covered last two TY. Boise however just 2-11 last 13 as MW chalk on blue carpet. Road team has covered last 3 and 6 of last 7 in series.
Colorado State, based on team and series trends.


AIR FORCE at UNLV...Sanchez just 3-7 vs. line last 10 at Sam Boyd, and 4-9 vs. line last 13 as MW host.
Air Force, based on team trends.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s List of 13: Trends on non-top 13 college football games

13) Kentucky beat Vanderbilt last two years, 44-21/20-13, but Wildcats failed to cover its last six games as a home favorite. Vandy is 2-5 in its last seven games as road underdogs. Under is 4-1 in Kentucky games this year.

12) North Carolina is 0-3 on road this season, with losses by 7-22-37 points. Since 2013, UNC is 6-3-1 vs spread as road underdogs. Syracuse lost its last two games, 27-23/44-37; they’re 1-5 in last six gams as home favorites. This is teams’ first football meeting as ACC rivals.

11) Home side won both Maryland-Iowa games as Big 14 rivals; Terrapins lost 31-15 in last visit here. Maryland is 3-6 in its last nine games as road underdogs. Iowa is 5-1, scoring 48-42 in winning its last two games; Hawkeyes are 4-2-1 in last seven games as home favorites.

10) Marshall won four of last five games with Florida Atlantic, losing 30-25 (+7) at FAU last year; Owls lost 27-21/35-16 in last two visits here. Under Kiffin, FAU is 3-2 as road favorites. Since 2012, Marshall is 3-5 vs spread as a home underdog.

9) Eastern Michigan beat Ball State last two years, 56-14/48-41; Eagles lost four of last five games- their last four games were all decided by 3 or fewer points. Over last 11 years, EMU is 1-1 as a road favorite. Ball State is 2-7 in its last nine games as home underdogs.

8) Penn State won its last four games with Indiana, winning 45-31/13-7 in last two visits here; under Franklin, Nittany Lions are 7-3 vs spread as road favorites, 1-9 coming off a loss- they lost last weeks, both at home. Hoosiers are 2-6 in last eight games as home underdogs.

7) Utah State scored 55.8 ppg in winning its last five games since a 38-31 loss at Michigan State in their opener; all six of their games went over total. Wyoming is 7-4 in last 11 games as a home underdog, but are 0-2 in that role this year. Aggies/Wyoming split their last six meetings.

6) Fresno State won its last four games with New Mexico, winning 35-24/49-32 in their last two trips to Albuquerque. Bulldogs won/covered their last four games, giving up 3-3 points in last two weeks. Lobos are 6-2 in last eight games as a home underdog.

5) Cal Bears won three of last four games with Oregon State; they lost two of last three visits to Corvallis. California lost its last three games; they’re 2-7-1 in last ten games as road favorites. Beavers is 0-5 vs I-A teams, with one loss by less than 19 points; they’re 1-4 vs spread this year.

4) Florida State won its last six games with Wake Forest, winning last three, by 7-11-8 points; since 2014, Seminoles are 11-15 as home favorites- their last three games went over. Deacons lost 63-3 to Clemson LW; they’re 10-4 in last 14 games as road underdogs.

3) Minnesota/Nebraska split their last six meetings; Gophers won LY’s game, 54-21. Minnesota lost its last three games, allowing 40 ppg; they’re 3-6-2 in last 11 games as road underdogs. Cornhuskers are 0-6 SU this year; their last four games went over the total.

2) SMU won its last three games with Tulane, by 3-4-28 points; their last two visits here were decided by total of five points. SMU is 0-3 on road this year, losing by 23-25-28 points; they’re 2-4-1 in last seven games as road dogs. Tulane is 7-3 in last 10 games as home favorites.

1) Home side won last three Nevada-Hawai’i games; Wolf Pack lost last visit here 38-17, after winning previous two trips to Paradise. Nevada is 5-9 in its last 14 games as road underdogs. Hawai’i is 3-12 vs spread in its last 15 games as a home favorite.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CSU at BSU 09:00 PM

BSU -24.0

O 63.5


AFA at UNLV 10:00 PM

AFA -9.5

O 55.5

[StarDust Bum]

Rypien leads Boise State in romp over Colorado State 56-28
October 19, 2018

BOISE, Idaho (AP) Brett Rypien threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns to lead Boise State over Colorado State 56-28 on Friday night.

Boise State (5-2, 3-1 Mountain West), which had to rally from a 35-10 halftime deficit last season against the Rams, flipped the script this time in racing out to a 35-7 halftime lead and never looked back.

''I just thought the fast start tonight was the key to our success, and some of the plays we made on special teams . they were outstanding,'' Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. ''If you lose momentum in a game, you have to find a way to get it back. . But we kept that momentum throughout the game, which was key for us.''

Colorado State (3-5, 2-2) was its own worst enemy, turning the ball over three times and giving up a wild punt return for a touchdown. K.J. Carta-Samuels was 19-of-30 passing for 238 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

''Too many things went wrong for us tonight to have a chance to win,'' Colorado State coach Mike Bobo said. ''I didn't think we had to play a perfect game, but we certainly needed to play better than that.''

In the first half, the Broncos' offense was so efficient that the only third down it failed to convert occurred when Rypien stumbled over his own feet after taking a snap under center. But that was about the only miscue he had in finishing with the same number of touchdowns as incompletions (22 of 26 passing).

Rypien hit A.J. Richardson twice on scoring strikes of 13 and 35 yards in the first half before finding Sean Modster for a 17-yard touchdown near the end of the second quarter. Modster also scored on a 26-yard reception in the fourth.

Boise State defensive back Avery Williams had an interception along with a 44-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the Broncos' first since Nov. 23, 2013 against San Diego State.

THE TAKEAWAY

Colorado State: Suffering a blowout loss wasn't the way the Rams wanted to begin a critical stretch of conference games, especially if they had any plans to play in the Mountain West title game. With two losses in conference action, Colorado State has no margin for error and will need to get some help along the way to get to the championship.

Boise State: The Broncos successfully re-established their dominance at home after struggling in a 19-13 loss to San Diego State two weeks ago. Boise State still controls its own fate and will need to protect its home turf against three good opponents - BYU, Fresno State, and Utah State - to finish the regular season in order to have the opportunity to defend its Mountain West title.

UP NEXT

Colorado State: The Rams return home to host Wyoming next Friday.

Boise State: The Broncos will play next Saturday at Air Force where they are winless in three previous games.


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Air Force gets first conference win 41-35
October 19, 2018

LAS VEGAS (AP) Isaiah Sanders accounted for four touchdowns Friday night to lead Air Force to a 41-35 win over UNLV.

Sanders completed 9 of 11 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 173 yards and three TDs. Rona Cleveland had three receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons.

Air Force (3-4, 1-3 Mountain West) held off a late rally by UNLV, which erased a 20-point deficit with 5:45 left in the third quarter by scoring 14 unanswered points.

The Falcons stopped UNLV (2-5, 0-3) on fourth-and-8 with less than two minutes left in the game, as Max Gilliam's pass to Darren Woods Jr. fell incomplete.

Gilliam, who was making his third start in place of injured starter Armani Rogers, was 26-of-38 passing for 261 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. The sophomore averaged 186.5 yards passing in his previous two starts for the Rebels, who rank 123rd nationally with just 123.7 yards per contest.

Lexington Thomas rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns for UNLV.

The Rebels held a 21-20 lead at halftime, but Air Force wasted no time in jumping on a UNLV defense that allowed 109 points and 1,100 yards in its previous two games.

The Falcons - which tallied 572 yards of offense - scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to pull ahead 41-21. The Rebels' defense has allowed more than 500 yards in four of their seven games this season.

Air Force, which has the 106th-ranked offense in the nation, had no trouble moving the ball against UNLV, converting on its first seven possessions - two field goals and five touchdowns.

TAKEAWAY

Air Force: The Falcons kept their bowl hopes alive by securing their third win of the season. After hosting preseason Mountain Division favorite Boise State next week, the Falcons close the season against Army, New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado State, who have a combined record of 12-14.

UNLV: While the Rebels continue to struggle defensively, Thomas continues to climb the ladder as UNLV's most successful running back. His 74-yard TD run was his second run of more than 70 yards this season, contributing to his 16th game with at least 100 yards rushing. He ranks second behind Mike Thomas on the all-time list for 100-yard games. Thomas (3,148) is two yards shy of passing Thomas (3,149) for career rushing yards. He is 586 shy of passing Tim Cornett (3,733) as the school's all-time rushing leader.

UP NEXT

Air Force: Hosts Boise State next Saturday

UNLV: Travels to San Jose State next Saturday

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s six-pack

— I’m not a big fan of 9:30 Sunday morning NFL games from London.

— Former Tennessee coach Butch Jones is now an assistant at Alabama.

— Raptors 113, Celtics 101— Really good game, better with Hubie Brown as analyst.

— Nets 107, Knicks 105— Caris LeVert with GW hoop; Knicks had only 3 turnovers (+19).

— Warriors 124, Jazz 123— Utah led this game 81-68 at halftime.

— NBA’s salary floor is $91.6M; the salary cap is $101.8M.

Quote of the Day
“Um, not as fast as you guys think it’s going to happen. I always kind of compare it to like instant oatmeal. It is not that fast. It takes a while to get to where you can close your eyes and know exactly where your guys are.”
Lebron James, on how long it will take for the Lakers’ chemistry to develop

Saturday’s quiz
Which four NBA teams came over from the ABA when the ABA folded in 1976?

Friday’s quiz
Olympia is the state capital of Washington.

Thursday’s quiz
Five current major league managers have won a World Series as a manager; Bochy, Hinch, Francona, Maddon, Yost.

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Saturday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind…..

13) G-League President Malcolm Turner announced that the league is implementing a “professional path” for would-be one and done college basketball players. The G-League will be offering $125,000 contracts, as well as access to NBA infrastructure and development tools.

Curious how many kids take this route, instead of playing college ball for a year?

12) Random movie trivia; remember when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a co-pilot with Peter Graves in the classic comedy Airplane!?

Kareem was on The Rich Eisen Show Wednesday; he said when the writers of Airplane! were casting the movie, they wanted Pete Rose to be the co-pilot, but they were filming during the summer and obviously, Rose was unavailable since that is also baseball season, so they chose Kareem to play the role.

11) More trivia from the past; New Orleans Saints had the first pick in the 1981 Draft; Dallas Cowboys called the Saints and offered them a ton for the #1 pick, but the Saints kept the pick and took South Carolina RB George Rogers.

Turns out the Cowboys wanted the guy who got picked #2; a linebacker named Lawrence Taylor. Wonder whatever happened to him?

10) There are players from 43 countries in the NBA; for the 5th year in a row, every NBA team had at least one international player.

9) NFL stuff:
— QB Brock Osweiler will start again for the Dolphins this week.
— Buffalo will start QB Derek Anderson at Indianapolis. Anderson has started only four times (2-2) since 2010- his career W-L record is 20-27.
— Arizona Cardinals fired OC Mike McCoy Friday.
— Browns traded RB Carlos Hyde to Jacksonville for a 5th-round draft pick.

8) Tremendous catch by Andrew Benitendi to end Game 4 of the Red Sox-Astros series late Wednesday night; he misses that ball, and Houston ties the game, maybe wins it right there.

It is also an example of how a ballpark with a very short LF fence occasionally takes hits away from the batter. No way is Benitendi that shallow if he’s playing in a ballpark other than Houston or Fenway.

7) Wednesday, Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff became 8th reliever in postseason history to strike out 8+ batters in a game. Before him, Pedro Martinez, was the last to do that, in the ’99 ALDS, Game 5 at Cleveland.

Of course, Woodruff wasn’t really a reliever, but Wade Miley walked the first hitter, a lefty, and was then lifted, so technically Woodruff relieved.

6) Falcons’ WR Julio Jones has the 2nd-most receiving yards (707) in the NFL this season but hasn’t scored a touchdown yet; he’s now gone 11 straight regular-season games without a TD catch, which is really odd for someone with his ability.

5) My Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook came in the mail yesterday; time to get serious studying college basketball.

In the last seven years, seven different teams have won the Big West conference tournament.

4) Speaking of the Big West, Mark Gottfried is the new basketball coach at Cal State-Northridge; one of his assistants is 80-year old Jim Harrick, who won a national title with UCLA in 1995.

3) Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan dropped his attempt to buy Wembley Stadium in London, which means the Jaguars won’t be playing half their home games there anytime soon.

2) Thru six games, Kansas City Chiefs have allowed 2,042 passing yards, the most PY any team has allowed thru six games, since 1940.

1) Here’s the thing about stealing signs: if you steal signals in football/baseball with the naked eye, more power to you; if you steal signals via technology, then you’re a cheater. Those are the rules.

[StarDust Bum]

Oregon at Washington State
October 19, 2018
By Brian Edwards

Matchup: No. 12 Oregon at No. 25 Washington State
Venue: Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington
TV/Time: FOX, 7:30 p.m. ET

If the Pac-12 is going to be represented in the College Football Playoff, it will be the winner of Saturday night’s game in Pullman between Washington State and Oregon. Either team will have to win out and get some help in front of it, but the latter tends to happen in November.

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas issued Washington State a team total of six (‘over’ -125, ‘under’ +105) this past summer. Expectations were low following the loss of Luke Falk, the school’s all-time leading passer with 14,481 career yards.

Not only that, but Falk’s heir apparent Tyler Hilinski, who helped the Cougars rally to an overtime win over Boise State last season, tragically passed away when he committed suicide shortly after the 2017 campaign ended.

Therefore, Mike Leach’s team only brought back a total of 10 starters (four on offense and six on defense) from a 9-4 team. However, Leach shrewdly landed East Carolina grad transfer QB Gardner Minshew, who has been nothing short of sensational. He’s led an offense that’s ranked No. 1 in the nation in passing yards, 14th in total yards and 15th in scoring with 41.8 points-per-game average.

Minshew has led Washington State to a 5-1 straight-up record and a 6-0 against-the-spread mark. Four of the team's five wins have come by margins of 19 points or more. The Cougars are 3-0 both SU and ATS at home.

Minshew has completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 2,422 yards with a 19/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Sophomore WR Tay Martin has been his favorite target, bringing down 40 receptions for 440 yards and six TDs. Easop Winston has 29 catches for 426 yards and five TDs, while Dezmon Patmon has 25 receptions for 370 yards and two TDs.

Junior RB James Williams has rushed for a team-best 260 yards and five TDs with a 4.1 yards-per-carry average. Williams is a serious threat in the passing game out of the backfield, too, as he has caught 32 balls for 283 yards and three TDs.

Leach’s team has home victories over San Jose State (31-0), Eastern Washington (59-24) and Utah (28-24). The Cougars won 41-19 at Wyoming and 56-37 at Oregon State, but they allowed a second-half lead to get away in a controversial 39-36 loss at Southern Cal as 4.5-point underdogs.

Washington State has had two weeks to prepare for the Ducks, who fall into a bit of a letdown scenario after capturing a huge overtime win at home over Washington last week. The Cougars took the cash by one-half point as 18.5-point road ‘chalk’ in their win at OSU two weeks ago.

The Beavers had two different leads, including a 30-28 advantage midway through the third quarter. But Minshew threw two of his five TD passes in the fourth quarter. He finished with 430 passing yards and five TDs without an interception in Corvaillis. Minshew connected on 30-of-40 throws, while Williams ran for 56 yards ono 10 carries and had four receptions for 78 yards and one TD.

Martin had eight catches for 119 yards and two TDs against the Beavers. Winston brought down seven balls for 99 yards.

Oregon (5-1 SU, 2-4 ATS) and WSU are both 2-1 in league play. After Stanford won 20-13 at ASU last night, the Ducks and Cougars are looking for a win to pull into a first-place tie in the Pac-12 North with both the Cardinal and UW, who are both 3-1 in conference action. However, both Stanford and Washington have two overall losses and barring 2007-like chaos at the top of the rankings, neither has a shot at the CFP.

Mario Cristobal’s team has bounced back nicely from an unfathomable home loss to Stanford back on Sept. 22. The Ducks had a 24-7 lead late in the third quarter and appeared to score a TD to extend their lead, but the score was reversed by replay officials. A couple of plays later, a fumble was scooped up by Stanford’s Joey Alfieri and turned into an 80-yard TD the other way.

Then Oregon fumbled with less than 90 seconds remaining while trying to ice the game with a seven-point lead. Stanford then forced overtime with a field goal on the final play of regulation and eventually won 38-31 in the extra session.

Since then, Oregon has won back-to-back games both SU and ATS, including a 42-24 win at California as a two-point road ‘chalk’ and last week’s 30-27 triumph over Washington as a 3.5-point home underdog. There were four ties in regulation and no team led by more than seven points.

Oregon forced UW to settle for a 22-yard field goal from Peyton Henry on the first possession of OT. Then RB C.J. Verdell found paydirt on a six-yard TD run to lift his team to victory. It was sweet vindication for Verdell, whose attempt to stretch the ball out to the first-down marker late in the fourth quarter against Stanford resulted in the fumble that gave the Cardinal new life.

QB Justin Herbert completed 18-of-32 passes for 202 yards and two TDs without an interception against the Huskies. Verdell rushed 29 times for 111 yards and two TDs, while Dillon Mitchell had eight catches for 119 yards and one TD.

Oregon played a cupcake non-conference slate, which certainly won’t help its cause if it gets into the CFP picture come late November. The Ducks beat up on Bowling Green (58-24), Portland State (62-14) and San Jose State (35-22) in non-covering home wins that preceded the defeat vs. Stanford.

Herbert has completed 63.1 percent of his throws for 1,613 yards with a 17/5 TD-INT ratio. He’s also run for 106 yards and one TD. Mitchell is his go-to guy, hauling in 35 receptions for 561 yards and three TDs.

Verdell has rushed for a team-best 531 yards and four TDs, averaging 5.5 YPC. He also has nine catches for 112 yards. Travis Dye has run for 320 yards and a pair of scores with a 5.2 YPC average, while Tony Brooks-James has 200 rushing yards, three TDs and a 4.8 YPC average.

The ‘over’ is 5-1 overall for the Cougars, 2-1 in their home games. They’ve watched their games average combined scores of 65.7 PPG. This is the highest total WSU has seen all season.

Totals have been an overall wash for the Ducks (3-3), and the ‘over’ hit in their lone road assignments in Berkeley when the 66 combined points jumped above the 58-point number. They've seen their games average combined scores of 67.8 PPG.

Oregon won seven in a row in this rivalry from 2008-2014, but Washington State has won three in a row over the Ducks. In fact, the Cougars have covered the spread in eight consecutive head-to-head meetings with Oregon. The ‘over’ is on a 7-3 run in this rivalry.

Washington State went to Autzen Stadium last year and collected a 33-10 win as a 1.5-point road favorite. The 43 combined points dropped ‘under’ the 60.5-point total. Herbert was injured and didn’t play, while Falk there's for 282 yards and three TDs without an interception. Williams rushed for 48 yards on 11 carries.

In its last visit to Martin Stadium in Pullman, Oregon lost 51-33 as a 2.5-point road ‘chalk’ and the 84 combined points soared ‘over’ the 74.5-point tally. Williams rushed for 91 yards and two TDs on 11 carries, while Martin had five receptions for 45 yards.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern on FOX proper.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- 5Dimes.eu updated its lines for upcoming Games of the Year. Some of those include Texas -3 vs. West Virginia, Michigan -7 vs. Penn State, Penn State -6 vs. Wisconsin, Memphis -3 vs. Houston, Oklahoma -4 at WVU, Ohio State -6.5 vs. Michigan and Notre Dame -4.5 at Southern Cal.

-- I backed the ‘under’ (closed at 57.5) on Thursday for an easy winner in Stanford’s 20-13 win at Arizona State as a two-point road favorite. ASU was threatening to score a game-trying TD in the final seconds, but a second-down play came up short of the first-down marker just inside the red zone and time ran out on the Sun Devils. With the game knotted at 6-6 midway through the third quarter, Stanford sophomore QB K.J. Costello found J.J. Arcega-Whiteside for a 28-yard scoring strike to put the Cardinal ahead for good. Cameron Scarlett’s one-yard TD run with 3:05 left in the third extended the lead to 20-6. ASU got a 10-yard TD run from Manny Wilkins with 7:50 remaining to make it interesting, but the Sun Devils came up short nonetheless. Costello threw for 231 yards and one TD without an interception, while Arcega-Whiteside finished with seven receptions for 91 yards and one TD. Bryce Love returned from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury, but he gained merely 21 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

-- Arkansas State captured a 51-35 win over Georgia State as a 13-point home favorite last night in Jonesboro. The 86 combined points easily jumped ‘over’ the 56.5-point total with more than a minute remaining in the third quarter. Senior QB Justice Hansen stole the show for the Red Wolves, throwing for 257 yards and three TDs without an interception. Hansen also ran for 76 yards and two TDs on 11 carries.

-- Temple RB Ryquell Armstead (ankle) has been upgraded to ‘probable for Saturday’s key AAC showdown vs. Cincinnati at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Armstead has rushed for 626 yards and six TDs. The unbeaten Bearcats have had two weeks to prepare for the Owls, who are 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS since starting the season with home losses to Villanova and Buffalo.

-- UCLA will be without a pair of former 5-star recruits – RB Soso Jamabo and LB Jaelan Phillips -- for the rest of the season due to concussion issues.

-- East Carolina has named true freshman QB Holton Ahlers as its starter for Satureday’s home game vs. undefeated UCF. Speaking of the Knights, they got a Herculean effort from their defense that held Memphis scoreless in the second half of last week’s 31-30 come-from-behind win at the Liberty Bowl.

-- Two of the nation’s premier defensive players are done for the season: USC’s Porter Gustin (ankle) and Ohio State’s Nick Bosa (core). Bosa is actually leaving school and starting to prepare for the NFL Draft despite Ohio State’s unbeaten status.