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Marshall at Boise State
September 3, 2019
By Matt Blunt

Marshall at Boise State
Venue/Location: Albertsons Stadium in Boise, ID
Time/TV: Friday, Sept. 6, 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Line: Boise State -11, Total 55

After last week had a handful of great games on Friday, this week there are just two games that pit FBS programs against one another, and it's the later of the two out on the Smurf Turf that I'll be focusing on here.

Last week's piece ended up playing out alright, as Rutgers is going into Iowa this week off a win of 20+ over Massachusetts, staying away from Oklahoma State wasn't the best idea as they brought out their offense early and often against a bad Oregon State team, while the Best Bet on the 'over' in the Colorado-Colorado State showdown cashed with relative ease.

It was a nice start to a season of Friday Showcase breakdowns, and hopefully this week brings more rewards to all those inclined to join.

Marshall and Boise State both come into this game with 1-0 SU records, but while Marshall beat up on FCS Virginia Military (56-17), Boise State was on the road in Tallahassee, engineering a great 2nd half comeback to beat Florida State. The Broncos outscored FSU 17-0 in the final 30 minutes, as a combination of great in-game adjustments and a gassed FSU team who appeared to have shot their full shot in the opening 30 minutes enabled Boise State to comeback. Given that it was true freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier that orchestrated that comeback for the Broncos, this “rebuilding” year for Boise State may have turned into a “contending” year after just a single game.

But just like we will see next week when Week 2 of the NFL season arrives, Week 2 in college football is known for overreactions as well. Excitement for the season means football consumption is at an all-time high in Week 1 in terms of sheer volume of games consumed (bettors trying to get a handle on teams across the country), and there are always some snap judgements made after good/bad Week 1 performances. Keep that in mind as you navigate your way through the entire college football betting board this week, but Boise State contending for a Mountain West title this year with their youthful roster is still not something I'm sold on yet. That being said, Boise State is still Boise State, and you've got to give them the benefit of the doubt in terms of recruiting quality talent and coaching them up once they arrive on campus.

But it's that same positive, potential overreaction on the Broncos win that has seen early money for this game push the number Marshall's way after opening up at -12. An early week move like that is very understandable on multiple levels, as the perception of how good Boise State is this year is definitely inflated a touch after the Florida State win, and laying double digits with a freshman QB in his first career home start against FBS competition is still a big ask. Marshall's a team that's still projected to be the program that does very well in Conference USA this season, and relies on a great returning O-line to spark a highly explosive running game.

Yet, at the same time, Marshall was not challenged in any aspect of football in its Week 1 win over VMI, and taking that initial step up for a team can bring some issues. For one, it's a road game on a short week, meaning that travel cuts into prep time on the field in that regard for Marshall, and the home field advantage that the Smurf Turf brings Boise State is one of the better ones in the land.

There will likely be no 6.1 yards per rush for Marshall this week like they had a week ago, and their 55% 3rd down conversion rate on offense (6-for-11) should take a hit as well. Boise's State's comeback against FSU was fueled by the ability of their defense to get off the field on 3rd down – Florida State was 1-for-12 on 3rd down in the game – and the offense's ability to stay on the field on 3rd down (10-for-19) against what should be a quality program. Remember, Marshall went 55% on 3rd down against VMI, Boise State nearly did the same (53%) against Florida State. The opening number of 12 points was warranted and may even end back up there by the time kickoff arrives.

So while it's still fine to take a long-term cautious approach with Boise State this year – there will be some dud games for the freshman QB – I do believe backing them this week is the right move. Going against the early line move does bring some minor concerns, but you can't underestimate (or perhaps quantify) the confidence someone like Hank Bachmeier gained from that comeback win at FSU last week, and hopefully that rolls over into Friday's game as well.

With Marshall's defense still having a big question mark in terms of their ability to stop the run this year, Boise State should be able to use the running game – RB Robert Mahone had 142 yards rushing on 24 attempts vs FSU (2 TDs) – to open up the pass, because Marshall's secondary enters the year as the strength of the unit and one that's probably eager to get a crack at Bachmeier. But if they are forced to come down into the box to help stop the run – which I believe they will be – things can really start to open up for Bachmeier and Boise's attack can get on a roll from there.

Playing under the lights on the Smurf Turf typically is rough for visiting teams as it is, and with Marshall as a program on a 0-7 ATS run after allowing fewer than 20 points, and 3-7 ATS when coming off a win of 20+ points, the initial move on them makes sense, but it won't be the one that gets bettors to the payout window.

Best Bet: Boise State -10.5

Best Bet YTD Record: 1-0 ATS

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Boise at home and ready for Marshall
September 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

For the second straight week, Hank Bachmeier gets a chance to make a first impression.

It will be hard for Boise State's freshman quarterback to top what he did in the season opener.

''You thought after having a four-year starter at quarterback there would be a little bit of a drop-off there,'' Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. ''But this kid, he didn't look like a freshman out there. He took some shots in that Florida State game, stood right in there and delivered the ball.''

Bachmeier and the 24th-ranked Broncos play their first game on the blue turf Friday night when they host Marshall, one of the preseason favorites in Conference USA. While it's an intriguing matchup of two Group of Five teams, all eyes will be on Bachmeier.

Bachmeier helped create the excitement with his performance last week in Boise State's 36-31 comeback win over Florida State. Down by 18 in the second quarter, the Broncos (1-0) outscored Florida State 23-0 the rest of the way, with Bachmeier turning in a sterling performance. He completed 30 of 51 passes for 407 yards and a touchdown. It was the best passing debut by a Boise State quarterback since the school went to the FBS level in 1996 and the 407 yards nearly cracked the top 10 performances all time in school history.

The 18-point comeback was the biggest by Boise State against a Power Five opponent since overcoming a 14-0 hole to rout Oregon State 42-14 in 2006.

''Hank showed toughness in there and that's part of it. You don't want your quarterback to get hit but at times to stand in there and deliver a ball you've got to do that sometimes,'' Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. ''Just the overall game, his poise, composure and staying in it. As the game was not going our way early on I think guys mentally can get themselves out of it and it's hard to get refocused in three and a half hours and get yourself back on track and he never seemed to lose that throughout the game.''

Marshall (1-0) opened with a 56-17 thumping of VMI. Sophomore Isaiah Green threw a career-high four touchdowns while the Thundering Herd compiled 620 yards of offense, including 280 on the ground. Holliday is hoping his team understands the challenge will be far different out west.

''It's a challenge we're looking forward to. I know when you're in this business as a coach or as a player, these are the kind of games that you want to go play,'' Holliday said. ''I talk to these kids all the time because you play this great game, you get opportunities a lot of people don't get. This is one of them.''

Other things to watch as the Broncos and Thundering Herd meet for just the second time:

CRACKING 100

Boise State running back Robert Mahone rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns against Florida State, and averaged nearly 6 yards per carry. It's a pretty good start for a program trying to continue a 10-year streak of having a 1,000-yard rusher. He'll be challenged by a Marshall defense that has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in the past 15 games. Marshall was one of just four teams that didn't allow a 100-yard rusher last season, along with Clemson, Southern Miss and Northern Illinois.

PLENTY OF TARGETS

Eleven different players caught passes for Marshall against VMI, including five different players with a TD catch. Corey Gammage led the Herd with five catches for 82 yards, while Tavin Richardson and Armani Levias had three catches each.

NO HANGOVER

One of Harsin's big concerns going into Week 2 was that his younger players would be affected by the attention they got after the win over Florida State.

''There was a lot of hype from this last game and there can be a major hangover because of that,'' he said. ''Everybody is on their phone, they want to see how many times their name gets retweeted and they want to see the pictures that Boise State football puts out there.''

Maybe he shouldn't be as concerned as the Broncos have won 17 straight home openers.

WE MEET AGAIN

It's been a long time since the only previous meeting between the schools. Marshall and Boise State met in the 1994 Division I-AA (now FCS) national semifinals. The Broncos pulled out a 28-24 win at home and faced Youngstown State in the national title game played on Marshall's home field. The Broncos fell in the title game 28-14.

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Wake Forest looks to improve defense
September 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) Wake Forest got a close win over Utah State in the season opener. Coach Dave Clawson admits there's still plenty the Demon Deacons need to improve, especially on defense.

The defense picked off three passes but gave up 596 yards, including 416 yards passing, in the 38-35 win. The Demon Deacons (1-0) will have a quick turnaround to fix those issues, traveling to Houston to play Rice (0-1) on Friday night.

''We gave up 13 plays for 393 yards and the rest were a little over 200,'' Clawson said. ''We didn't tackle well. We had poor angles. We had some communication breakdowns in the back end. Those are things that we have to coach, correct and get better at.''

Rice will present a different challenge for the Wake Forest defense after rushing for 181 yards and throwing for just 62 yards last week in a 14-7 loss at Army.

''It is completely opposite to what we do and what we have seen,'' Clawson said. ''They use multiple personnel groups and use groupings with two, three, even four tight ends. It is hard to prepare for. They stretch you out.''

On offense, Wake Forest threw for 401 yards. The Demon Deacons averaged 3.1 yards per carry, finishing with 178 yards rushing on 58 carries and a fumble.

''I think anytime something doesn't go well you have to ask, `Why didn't it go well? Was it what we're doing, how we're doing it, who's doing it?''' Clawson said. ''It's always a combination of those three things. So I think at times we were a little bit too robotic with our snap count that they were able to predict the quarterbacks sneak, they were off the ball before we were.''

More things to know about the Wake Forest-Rice game:

FINISHING DRIVES

Rice had trouble finishing drives in the opener against Army, going 0 for 1 in the red zone, 3 for 11 on third downs and 0 for 1 on fourth down.

''It's very simple,'' said Rice coach Mike Bloomgren. ''I love averaging six yards a carry. I love protecting the football and with the way our defense is playing, I think it's a formula that can win a lot of games. But we need a couple of more points on the scoreboard. That's the bottom line.''

SHORT-YARDAGE WOES

Wake Forest needs to perform better in short-yardage situations. The Demon Deacons were stopped on fourth downs twice inside the Utah State 5, and they settled for a field goal after another drive stalled inside the 10.

''They were physical and they were able to tighten things up and get the backfield and at times we just didn't execute well,'' Clawson said.

SECONDARY TEST

Rice's defensive line saw a lot of action against Army, holding the Black Knights to 231 yards rushing, but the secondary had a rather light night as Army finished 3 of 8 passing for 53 yards. Bloomgren knows that will be different against Wake Forest. Quarterback Jamie Newman finished 34 of 47 for 401 yards and three touchdowns against Utah State.

''This is going to be a tempo,'' Bloomgren said. ''Their quarterback threw for over 400 yards the other night. He's playing at a really high level.''

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAKE at RICE 08:00 PM
RICE +19.0
U 58.5

MRSH at BSU 09:00 PM
BSU -12.0
O 57.0

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Rice quarterback Wiley Green leaves game against Wake Forest
September 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) Rice quarterback Wiley Green was carted off the field with 4:44 left in the first quarter Friday night against Wake Forest.

Green was trying to dive head-first into the end zone, but was met by Royce Francis and Justin Strnad at the goal line. The Rice training staff immediately ran across to the field to the far sideline to attend to Green, who was placed on a backboard.

Green gave a thumbs-up sign as he left the field.

After a 10-minute delay, play resumed with Tom Stewart in at quarterback. The Owls scored on the next play, a 1-yard run by Aston Walter to cut Wake Forest's lead to 14-7. Green completed 3 of 5 passes for 69 yards.


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Newman throws for 312 yards, 3 TDs in Wake 41-21 win
September 6, 2019

HOUSTON (AP) Jamie Newman was 21 of 27 for 312 yards and three touchdowns, Scotty Washington had seven catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns and Wake Forest beat the Rice Owls 41-21 on Friday night.

Newman, who started 13 of 14, also rushed for 29 yards. Sage Surratt finished with six catches for 45 yards and a score, and Kenneth Walker III had 125 yards on nine rushes, including a school-record 96-yard touchdown run with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, for the Demon Deacons (2-0). Wake outgained Rice, 513-321 yards.

Tom Stewart completed 19 of 30 for 185 yards and a touchdown after replacing starter Wiley Green, who was carted off the field with 4:44 left in the first quarter. Brad Rozner finished with 103 yards on six catches for Rice (0-2).

Green was trying to dive head first into the end zone and being met by Royce Francis and Justin Strnad. The Rice training staff immediately ran across to the field to the far sideline to attend to Green, who was placed on a backboard. Green gave a thumbs up as he left the field. Green was 3 of 5 for 69 yards.

After Rice tied it at 14, Wake scored the next 27 points, with Newman finding Washington for touchdowns of 25 and 59 sandwiched around two Nick Sciba field goals to give the Demon Deacons a 34-14 lead with five minutes left in the third.

THE TAKEAWAY

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons were able to keep pressure on Rice's quarterbacks throughout and finished with four sacks and eight tackles for loss and stopped Rice on the goal line to open the fourth quarter. The Wake offensive line gave Newman plenty of time to throw and keep drives alive. Wake Forest finished 7 of 14 on third downs.

Rice: The Owls were able to recover from an early 14-0 deficit with two quick scores in three minutes to tie the game with 1 1/2 minutes left in the first, but struggled offensively from there. The Owls had a tough time running the ball, finishing with 67 yards on 37 carries. Rice won the time of possession by 12 1/2 minutes.

TARGETING

Rice starting cornerback Tyrae Thornton was ejected with 9:02 left in the first quarter after being called for targeting on a tackle of Surratt.

UP NEXT

Wake Forest: Hosts North Carolina in the third straight Friday night game to start the season.

Rice: Faces No. 9 Texas on Sept. 14 at NRG Stadium.


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BOISE ST. 14, MARSHALL 7

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Bachmeier helps No. 24 Boise State beat Marshall 14-7
September 6, 2019
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BOISE, Idaho (AP) Hank Bachmeier threw for 282 yards and a touchdown and No. 24 Boise State held its second straight opponent scoreless in the second half to grind out a 14-7 victory over Marshall on Friday night.

Boise State won despite the lack of explosive offense shown in its opener last week in a 36-31 victory at Florida State. The Broncos snapped Marshall's streak of 19 victories when the Thundering Herd score first,

The Broncos' running game came to life in the second half after starting running back Robert Mahone left in the first half with an apparent right shoulder injury. George Holani finished with 103 yards on 22 carries, the first running back to eclipse the 100-yard mark against Marshall since Southern Miss's Ito Smith had 150 on Nov. 25, 2017.

In his second start as a true freshman, Bachmeier was 22 of 34 with an interception and a rushing touchdown.

Brenden Knox rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries to lead the Thundering Herd (1-1). They finished with 172 total yards.

THE TAKEAWAY

Marshall: While the Thundering Herd had their streak of 15 games without a 100-yard rusher snapped, the secondary needs the most immediate attention. Marshall allowed five pass plays of 20 yards or more, igniting Boise State's first two scoring drives.

Boise State: After last week's opener, one area of emphasis for the offensive line was getting better protection for its quarterback. The Broncos still have work to do there as Bachmeier was under duress all night long and was strip-sacked once, resulting in a takeaway for Marshall.

UP NEXT

Marshall: Hosts Ohio on Sept. 14.

Boise State: Hosts Portland State on Sept. 14.

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CFB AUGUST/ SEPT. OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


09/06/2019.........0-4-0 0.00............-22.00
09/02/2019.........1-0-1 100.00%......+500
09/01/2019........ 1-0-1 ....100.00%..... +5.00
08/31/2019........21-24-0... 46.67%..... -27.00
08/30/2019........ 5-8-0 ......38.46%..... -19.00
08/29/2019........ 6-6-0...... 50.00%...... -3.00

Totals..............34-42-0...... 44.73%..... -61.00


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS.............UNITS. ............O/U...............UNITS.............TOTALS

09/06/2019.............0 - 2.............-11.00.............0 - 2................-11.00............-22.00
09/02/2019.............0 - 0.............+0.00..............1 - 0...............+5.00.............+5.00
09/01/2019.............1 - 0.............+5.00..............0 - 0...............+0.00.............+5.00
08/31/2019.............7 - 11...........-25.50..............5 - 9...............-24.50............-50.00
08/30/2019.............2 - 3.............-6.50...............3 - 2...............+4.00.............-2.50
08/29/2019.............1 - 3.............-11.50.............4 - 1...............+14.50...........+3.00

Totals....................11 - 19...........-49.50............13 - 14.............-12.00.............-61.50

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Saturday’s 6-pack

NHL over/under point totals for 2019-20:

Anaheim Ducks 81.5

Arizona Coyotes 89.5

Boston Bruins 100.5

Buffalo Sabres 83.5

Calgary Flames 96.5

Carolina Hurricanes 95.5

Movie Quote of the Day
“……Who cares? I’ll tell you. Me. I’m not your best friend. I’m your only friend. I don’t make anything? I’m making you money. And lest we forget, that’s the only reason any of you became stockholders in the first place. You want to make money! You don’t care if they manufacture wire and cable, fried chicken, or grow tangerines!

You want to make money! I’m the only friend you’ve got. I’m making you money. Take the money. Invest it somewhere else. Maybe, maybe you’ll get lucky and it’ll be used productively. And if it is, you’ll create new jobs and provide a service for the economy and, God forbid, even make a few bucks for yourselves.

And if anybody asks, tell ’em ya gave at the plant. And by the way, it pleases me that I am called “Larry the Liquidator.” You know why, fellow stockholders? Because at my funeral, you’ll leave with a smile on your face and a few bucks in your pocket. Now that’s a funeral worth having!”
Danny DeVito, in Other People’s Money

Saturday’s quiz
What city hosts the Camellia Bowl every December?

Friday’s quiz
Mitchell Trubisky played his college football at North Carolina.

Thursday’s quiz
Adrian Peterson is the only active NFL player who has been the NFL MVP but isn’t a QB.

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

13) Good Lord I’m tired of hearing about Antonio Brown; Oakland Raiders gave up 3rd and 5th round draft picks for Brown, who turned into a huge pain in the neck. The latest drama between Brown and GM Mike Mayock happened after HBO’s Hard Knocks turned their cameras off for the summer. Too bad.

Brown has $30.125M of guaranteed money in his contract, so he “apologized” Friday because otherwise they were going to cut him, and he was going to lose the $30M. Go figure.

12) Line on Monday’s Denver-Oakland game moved from pick ‘em to Broncos -2 as soon as news of Brown’s Thursday hijinks became public. Total also dropped a point; we’ll see if the spread moves back to where it was, now that Brown is back in Monday’s lineup.

11) Week 1 of the NFL season should be called National Overreaction Week.

Everyone that wins is going to the Super Bowl; the losers are all going to get fired or replaced by their backup.

Green Bay’s 10-3 win in Chicago Thursday was a dull, defensive struggle, and now the teams not playing their starters in preseason are getting the blame. All of which raises the question, is it worth it to risk a starter getting hurt in a meaningless game to be sharper in Week 1?

10) Jacob deGrom has a 2.18 ERA in his last 60 starts; Mets are 24-36 in those games.

9) Seven American League games Friday night; only one of 14 starting pitchers got a decision; lot of close ballgames, plus a few teams were using openers.

8) Phillies’ catcher JT Realmuto has started 118 games behind plate this year, 14 more than anyone else in the major leagues.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Astros’ P Aaron Sanchez (shoulder) is done for the year.
— Cubs put P Craig Kimbrel (elbow) on IL.

6) When the A’s/Tigers resumed a suspended game from May 19 Friday, Oakland was missing three of the nine players in their lineup when the game was stopped back then. Detroit was missing four of nine.

A’s closer Liam Hendriks wasn’t the closer back in May; he was in the game when it was stopped in the 7th inning back then, so he was on the mound when the game resumed Friday.

5) NHL’s San Jose Sharks hired former LA Dodgers’ general manager Ned Colletti as a scout; he once covered the Philadelphia Flyers as a beat writer, but has never worked in a hockey front office, so this is a very unusual move.

4) Glad to see Vlade Divac getting inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this week; he was one of my favorite players to watch, a big guy who was a terrific passer. Divac was a big part of the 2002 Sacramento Kings, who lost the Western Conference final to the Lakers in seven games, one of the toughest losses I can remember in the NBA playoffs.

3) Thursday night’s Green Bay-Chicago game averaged a 12.8 rating and 22.0M viewers, up 13% and 16% vs last year’s Falcons/Eagles Week 1 Thursday game. It was the highest-rated and most-watched Week 1 Thursday game since 2016.

2) Wake Forest 41, Rice 21— If Wake Forest gets to a bowl game this year, it’ll be the 4th year in a row for the Deacons; Wake Forest has never played in four consecutive bowls.

1) Altering an official government weather forecast is actually illegal. Who knew?

[StarDust Bum]

LSU at Texas
September 6, 2019
By Brian Edwards

LSU Tigers at Texas Longhorns

Venue/Location: Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
Time/TV: Saturday, Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: LSU -6.5, Total 56.5

LSU travels to Austin to face Texas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday night in a marquee Week 2 showdown. The winner will collect an outstanding resume builder that could be crucial come December.

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas opened the Tigers as four-point favorites Monday afternoon. The betting shop sent the total out at 55.5 points on Tuesday. The number on the side reached five late Monday afternoon, went to 5.5 on Tuesday and was six by lunch on Wednesday.

As of Friday afternoon, most books had LSU (1-0 straight up, 1-0 against the spread) as a 6.5-point road favorite. The total has steadily climbed all week to 57 points, while the Longhorns were +210 on the money line.

Texas head coach Tom Herman has thrived in the underdog role in two years as head coach at Houston and two seasons at Texas. Since his arrival in Austin, Herman is 2-0 ATS with one outright win as a home underdog. Going back to 2015, the Longhorns are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six as home puppies.

In his combined ‘dog spots at Texas that include home, away and neutral-site games, Herman has produced an 8-2 spread record with five outright victories. In his two seasons at UH, the Cougars won outright in all five games as underdogs on Herman’s watch, including victories by double-digit margins (examples: 52-31 vs. 16th-ranked Navy (+3), 38-24 vs. ninth-ranked FSU (+7), 33-23 vs. third-ranked OU as a 12-point ‘dog & 36-10 as 15-point ‘dog vs. third-ranked U of L & Heisman winner Lamar Jackson). Herman owns a 13-2 spread record with 10 outright wins in 15 total games as a ‘dog since becoming a HC.

Texas (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) opened the season with a 45-14 win over La. Tech as a 19-point home ‘chalk.’ The 59 combined points elevated ‘over’ the 55.5-point total when the Longhorns added a Casey Thompson two-yard touchdown run with 1:09 remaining.

Herman’s team held just a 454-413 edge over the Bulldogs in total offense, and La. Tech had a 25-24 advantage in first downs. However, the Bulldogs committed three turnovers and had just one takeaway with a fumble recovery.

Texas led 38-0 going into the fourth quarter. Junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger completed 28-of-38 passes for 276 yards and four TDs without an interception. He also had 34 rushing yards on eight attempts. Brennan Eagles had three catches for 59 yards and two TDs, while Collin ‘Baby Megatron’ Johnson hauled in four receptions for 59 yards and one TD. Devin Duvernay added nine grabs for 55 yards and one TD.

Sophomore RB Keaontay Ingram had 11 carries for 78 yards and one TD. He might be the only RB on scholarship that’s available Saturday against the Bayou Bengals. RBs Daniel Young (ankle) and Kirk Johnson (shoulder) remain ‘out’ indefinitely, while Jarrett Smith is listed as ‘questionable.’ Ingram ran for 708 yards and three TDs with a 5.0 yards-per-carry average as a freshman in 2018.

Ehlinger and Johnson were two of five starters returning on an offense that averaged 31.1 points per game last year. Ehlinger completed 64.7 percent of his throws for 3,292 yards with a 25/5 TD-INT ratio in ’18. He also had 691 rushing yards (before subtracting sacks that gave him 482 net rushing yards) and 16 TDs. Johnson opted to return for his senior campaign after producing 68 catches for 985 yards and seven TDs last season.

Texas brought back only three starters from a defense that allowed 25.9 PPG last year. Sophomore B.J. Foster, who had six tackles last week, is the star of this unit. He recorded 46 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, five passes broken up, a pair of QB hurries and one interception in ’18.

The Longhorns finished last season with a 10-4 SU record and a 6-8 ATS mark. They lost just 17 lettermen from a squad that beat five ranked teams, including No. 7 Oklahoma (48-45) and No. 6 Georgia (28-21) at the Sugar Bowl.

LSU returned 16 starters overall, eight on each side of the ball, from a team that went 10-3 SU and 7-6 ATS. The Tigers bested five ranked opponents, including four Top-10 teams at the time they squared off. Ed Orgeron’s bunch capped the year with a 40-32 win over seventh-ranked UCF as a 7.5-point favorite at the Fiesta Bowl. The victory ended UCF’s 25-game winning streak.

LSU trounced Miami 33-17 at Jerry World in last year’s opener. The Tigers won 22-21 at seventh-ranked Auburn as 10-point underdogs in Week 3. They also thumped Georgia 36-16 as 7.5-point home puppies when the Bulldogs were ranked second in the country.

For the first time in more than a decade, LSU entered the 2019 campaign with a starting QB it has confidence in coming back from a solid season (sorry, Jordan Jefferson). Joe Burrow didn’t arrive in Redstick until August of 2018, but he became a big man on campus quickly. Burrow, the grad transfer from Ohio St., connected on 57.8 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards with a 16/5 TD-INT ratio.

Like Ehlinger, Burrow can make plays with his legs. He had 593 rushing yards (before sacks) and seven TDs. His top-five pass catchers are back, including Justin Jefferson, who had 54 catches for 875 yards and six TDs in ’18.

LSU crushed Ga. Southern 55-3 as a 27-point home favorite in Week 1. The Tigers took a 42-3 lead into halftime. The 58 combined points went ‘over’ the 51.5-point total when Lanard Fournette found paydirt on a two-yard TD run with 5:47 left in the third quarter.

LSU enjoyed huge advantages in first downs (22-8) and total offense (472-98). Burrow completed 23-of-27 throws for 278 yards and five TDs without an interception. Jefferson had five receptions for 87 yards and one TD, while Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 45 yards and one TD on just nine totes. Terrace Marshall, a former five-star recruit who is a true sophomore, had four catches for 31 yards and three TDs.

LSU is 4-3 ATS as a road favorite since Orgeron replaced Les Miles midway through the 2016 season.

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

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
-- Jeff Tedford is 8-0 ATS as an underdog since taking over at Fresno State. Four of those eight covers were outright victories, and two of the L’s (outright, but the Bulldogs covered) came in back-to-back road games at top-ranked Alabama and at sixth-ranked Washington in Weeks 2 and 3 of his first year in 2017. Fresno St. is a 3-point home underdog vs. Minnesota at 10:30 p.m. Eastern on the CBS Sports Network.

-- Eastern Michigan has taken the cash in six straight games as a double-digit underdog, including a 24-20 loss at Kentucky as a 14.5-point ‘dog in 2017. EMU hasn’t lost by more than 15 points in 35 games in a row dating back to a 61-21 loss at Missouri in Week 2 of 2016. The Eagles are 14-2 ATS in their past 16 games as road underdogs. QB Mike Glass had three TD passes without an interception in a 30-23 win at Coastal Carolina last week. He also ran for a score and now has a 12/1 TD-INT ratio in his career at EMU, in addition to seven rushing TDs. Meanwhile, Kentucky ended a 0-10 ATS slide as a home favorite by covering in last week’s 38-24 win over Toledo as a 10-point home ‘chalk.’ These teams collide at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on the SEC Network.

-- Iowa is banged up going into Saturday’s Big Ten opener vs. Rutgers as a 19.5-point home favorite. Junior OT Alaric Jackson is out for at least two weeks. He was a second-team All-Big-10 selection in 2018 and a preseason second-team All-American in Phil Steele’s magazine. DBs Riley Moss and Julius Brents are also ‘out’ against the Scarlet Knights. Moss had 24 tackles, three PBU and two interceptions in ’18, while Brents had 13 tackles, three PBU and one interception. Also, junior starting OG Cole Banwart is listed as ‘questionable.’ Rutgers trailed 14-0 and 21-7 vs. UMass early last week, but it rallied to cover in a 48-21 win.

-- Stanford star QB K.J. Costello (29/11 TD-INT in ’18) is ‘out’ at USC after sustaining a concussion on a cheap shot vs. Northwestern last week. Also, OT Walker Little is out for at least a month, probably longer, after dislocating his knee against the Wildcats, who failed to cover in a 17-7 loss as six-point underdogs due to a Bad Beat I’d rather not discuss. Little is projected first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. USC’s J.T. Daniels is also ‘out’ and it’s a season-ending ACL tear.

-- South Carolina QB Jake Bentley is out at least 4-6 weeks with a broken foot. The Gamecocks were seeking a second opinion to see if Bentley might need season-ending surgery. Bentley has a 19-14 record in 33 career starts since taking over when South Carolina was 2-4 midway through the 2016 campaign. Bentley has a 55/32 career TD-INT ratio, but he threw two interceptions (and missed a wide-open Shi Smith for what would’ve been an easy go-ahead TD pass late in the fourth quarter) in last week’s 24-20 loss to North Carolina. The Gamecocks went into the final stanza with a 20-9 advantage facing a true freshman QB (Sam Howell). True freshman Ryan Hilinski will get his first career start Saturday vs. Charleston Southern and then face Alabama next week. Hilinski was a great recruiting score for Will Muschamp out of California. Hilinski was a high four-star player who most recruiting publication ranked in the top three of pro-style QBs in the 2019 class. His older brother, Tyler Hilinski, played at Washington State but took his own life in January of 2018. Tyler was diagnosed with stage-1 CTE after his tragic death. Ryan's parents have moved from California to South Carolina to be close to him. If Hilinski plays well over the next month and change, he'll become the present and future at QB for South Carolina. Since Bentley hasn't used a redshirt, that could be an option and he could become a hot commodity as a grad transfer for 2020.

-- Most books have Alabama listed as a 55.5-point home favorite vs. New Mexico St. During Nick Saban’s dynastic tenure, the Crimson Tide have been horrible for our purposes when laying big numbers. Alabama is 2-10 ATS when favored by 45.5 points or more, 1-7 ATS when -48.5 or more and 1-4 ATS when favored by at least 50 points.

[StarDust Bum]

SIZE=1]Hawaii aims for another Pac-12 win
September 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith expected plenty of growth from his team coming off a 2-10 record last year and one game hasn't done anything to change those expectations.

The Beavers (0-1) will look to rebound from a season-opening 52-36 loss to Oklahoma State when they face Hawaii at Aloha Stadium on Saturday.

The Rainbow Warriors (1-0) are seeking their second win against a Pac-12 team in as many games. They survived a 45-38 shootout against Arizona two weeks ago and are coming off a bye week.

''I think there's been attention to detail, I think there's been urgency and we talked about that,'' Smith said of the practices since the loss to the Cowboys.

''These kids will respond, they're going to battle. One game won't define a season - we talked about that - it's always a big deal the first game because there's so much lead-up time, there's like six or eight months leading up to this first game, so yeah, it's a big thing, but it's a long season and it won't define us,'' Smith said.

The Beavers defense will face another prolific offense in Hawaii.

The Rainbow Warriors prefer to air it out, as evidenced by their 436 passing yards against Arizona.

''It's a different scheme, starting really with their pace of play,'' Smith said. ''Oklahoma State wanted to get back on the ball and snap it and go; these guys aren't trying to do that. This is an effective offense, though. Yeah, they throw it, but they run it effectively, too - I think they ran it over 20 times against Arizona - so we've got to be able to defend both.''

Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich, whose team is a 6 1/2-point favorite Saturday, said the Beavers will be a formidable opponent.

''They were in all (their) football games last year. They just weren't able to pull out as many wins as they wanted, but I think they're proven. I think they're on the right path and they're going to be as challenging as we could have asked for, to be honest with you, because they're extremely efficient offensively. They put you in a lot of binds, they're smart coaches, they set you up, they've got good receivers with speed and height and with the running back committee they've got, they can use three or four guys and not miss a beat,'' Rolovich said.

RECRUITING MISHAP

The Beavers made news during the summer of 2018 after Rolovich tweeted out photos of recruiting material that was mailed by Oregon State to the Hawaii campus and addressed to several players who were on the Rainbow Warriors roster. Oregon State self-reported the incident and received a secondary violation from the NCAA.

At his news conference Monday, Smith said the issue forced the program to audit its recruiting process but that the mishap is in past.

''We just looked into our protocol a ton of exactly how we're getting things out and we actually implemented some things so that that thing didn't take place again, so we've got a fail-safe of about two or three checks,'' Smith said.

FAMILIAR FACES

Oregon State assistants Legi Suiaunoa (defensive line) and Kefense Hynson (wide receivers) and special teams coordinator Jake Cookus each spent time on the Hawaii coaching staff before joining the Beavers. Suiaunoa and Hynson were with the Rainbow Warriors for two seasons (2016-17) and were part of Rolovich's inaugural staff. Cookus oversaw the special teams for Hawaii under former coach Norm Chow in 2015.

Hawaii linebackers coach Mark Banker had two stints as an Oregon State assistant, including 12 seasons as defensive coordinator from 2003-14. Oregon State transfer Isaiah Tufaga made three starts at linebacker and appeared in nine games as a freshman for the Beavers in 2018 but must sit out this season due to transfer rules.

SERIES HISTORY

Oregon State has won the last four meetings against Hawaii and leads the series 7-3. The teams last met in 2014, when the Beavers won 38-30 at Aloha Stadium to improve to 5-3 against the Rainbow Warriors in Honolulu. Hawaii's last victory in the series came on Christmas Day 1999 - a 23-17 win over Oregon State in the Oahu Bowl. Smith was the starting quarterback for the Beavers in that game.[/SIZE]

[Udog]

Saturday Night's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Here’s a look at what must be considered before wagering on Saturday's slate in all FBS vs. FBS matchups. All lines courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas Superbook:

Primetime Matchups

Wyoming (-7/47) at Texas State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+: Bobcats QBs Tyler Vitt and Gresch Jensen each threw a pair of interceptions in a season-opening 41-7 loss at Texas A&M and took turns disappointing new coach Jake Spavital enough that he declined to name a starter prior to this home opener. Wyoming has no such problems since Sean Chambers has separated himself as the guy upon returning from a broken leg, protecting the ball and helping the Cowboys rally past Missouri for an upset in Laramie last Saturday. It was the school’s first win over a Power-5 school in over a decade. Although Wyoming has some personnel issues to deal with in the back, safety Alijah Halliburton comes off a 17-tackle game over Mizzou that included a fumble recovery. The determining factor in this one should be Wyoming’s ability to keep Texas State’s passing game from finding a rhythm as its depth concerns are tested in near-100 degree weather. Both of the Cowboys’ wins in the series have by 41-10 scores.

North Texas at SMU (-3.5/73), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3: The Mean Green hope to win a Conference USA title after fading down the stretch last season and are after a second straight win over the Mustangs following a 46-23 rout in the 2018 season opener. North Texas snapped a three-game losing streak in the series but hasn’t won in Dallas since 1933. SMU has won 11 of the last 15 Safeway Bowls and got good news this week with Nebraska transfer Cam’Ron Jones becoming eligible and joining UCLA transfer Brandon Stephens in a revamped secondary. Texas transfer QB Shane Buechele threw for 360 yards. Half of the yardage went to West Virginia transfer Reggie Roberson, Jr., who caught 11 balls. UNT QB Mason Fine is likely to surpass the 10,000-yard mark for his career and comes is in as the NCAA’s leading active passer. We could get a shootout here in 100-degree weather.

BYU at Tennessee (-3.5/53), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN: After a demoralizing loss to rival Utah, the Cougars will have company in misery as they visit Knoxville given what happened to the Vols last week. Tennessee fans will flood Neyland Stadium hoping they’re team responds after sleepwalking through an upset loss to Georgia State, a Sun Belt member that came in as a 24.5-point favorite. A couple of guys left the team and we’re about to find out how far embarrassment goes as a motivating factor. Tennessee’s streaks of 30 straight wins over non-Power-5 schools and 11 consecutive non-conference home wins ended last week against a team that isn’t as loaded as the visiting Cougars, who are expecting to get better play out of QB Zach Wilson after he got roughed up by the Utes. Coming off shoulder surgery, he may not be 100 percent yet. The Vols will look to force game-changing mistakes the way Utah managed to, but they’ll have to stop the run to put BYU in compromising positions in order to make the most of the pressure 100,000 fans can put on a visitor.

UCF (-12.5/67.5) at Florida Atlantic, 7 p.m. ET, CBSSN: The combination of Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush and freshman Dillon Gabriel looked sharp in attempting to take over for McKenzie Milton (knee), who will miss the season for the Knights after finishing sixth in last year’s Heisman Trophy voting. The opponent they looked sharp against was FBS member Florida A&M, so this first road trip to face Lane Kiffin’s Owls should be more telling, helping the Knights prepare for upcoming games against Stanford and Pittsburgh. FAU was lit up by Ohio State last Saturday and fell behind 28-0 in the first quarter but gained its bearings and surrendered just 17 points over the final three quarters. UCF lost defensive back Bam Moore to a knee injury and will have to replace his contributions in trying to contain a fast-paced FAU attack that notched a backdoor cover in Columbus when QB Chris Robison found a rhythm. UCF won 56-36 in Orlando last year and has won both meetings in this series.

Western Kentucky at Florida International (-8/57), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+: The Hilltoppers opened the Tyson Helton era with a loss to FBS member Central Arkansas but have no time to wallow with the Conference USA opener on tap. FIU is feeling the same way after getting destroyed at Tulane, but should find it easier to rebound given the continuity Butch Davis has established and the fact they get to play this one down in Miami. The Panthers also get back RB D’Vonte Price, who was absent in New Orleans last week but found the end zone twice in last season’s 38-17 rout of WKU. Davis has beaten the Hilltoppers twice and will look to neutralize pass rusher DeAngelo Malone in order to get the James Morgan-led offense to perform to start living up to expectations. The ‘Toppers are hoping converted DB Gaej Walker can keep producing at running back after breaking off 152 yards in his debut.

Coastal Carolina at Kansas (-7/53), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+: Les Miles looks to become the first Kansas head coach to open 2-0 since Turner Gill did so in 2011. He lost his next 10 and was canned and replaced by Charlie Weis, who won six games over three seasons. So, yes, two wins is a big deal in Lawrence. The Jayhawks held off FCS member Indiana State, rallying after falling behind on a fumble in the end zone with 4:26 left. Carter Stanley rallied KU to a win and Hasan Defense added a pick-six, but there’s not a lot to get excited about outside of seeing Miles stress out. The Chanticleers are indeed live ‘dogs as they arrive coming off a home loss to Eastern Michigan to open the season. Coastal runs an offense that is difficult to prepare for but fell victim to four Fred Payton interceptions, which is double what he had all of last season. If the Chants can overcome being displaced from their normal schedule due to Hurricane Dorian, they should be in this game come fourth quarter if they can avoid turnovers.

Liberty at Louisiana (-14/65.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+: Word is that Hugh Freeze will coach from the press box in something resembling a dentist’s chair and he’ll be hoping for better results than his Flames supplied in being suffocated by Syracuse in a 24-0 loss. Buckshot Calvert struggled as his protection broke down and the offense finished with -4 rushing yards. Liberty visits the Cajundome, where Louisiana went 5-1 last season and is 37-19. The Ragin’ Cajuns lost to Mississippi State at the Superdome last Saturday but held its own in falling 38-28. They lost starting guard Ken Marks to a season-ending injury but have the numbers to move forward given their experience up front. Levi Lewis settled in as the starting quarterback and adds a dimension they lacked last season due to his speed and elusiveness.

Western Michigan at Michigan State (-15/46.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, BTN: The Spartans dominated Tulsa in its opener but weren’t terribly adventurous on the offensive end. We’ll see if they choose to remain vanilla against the in-state foes from Kalamazoo, which is very much a possibility since Arizona State comes through next week before Big Ten play begins and the offensive line remains a work in progress. Mark Dantonio has been talking about a new-look offense for weeks and we’re still waiting to have our minds blown. The defense held the Golden Hurricane to -73 rushing yards. Western hammered Monmouth 48-13 and has one of the MAC’s top rushers in LeVante Bellamy running behind a veteran offensive line, but they haven’t beaten Michigan State in East Lansing in 100 years, losing 10 straight matchups. Senior QB Jon Wassink lost to Sparty 28-14 three seasons ago.

LSU (-6.5/57.5) at Texas, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC: The Tigers looked sharp in destroying Georgia Southern 55-3 in Baton Rouge, unveiling a new-look offense that scored 42 points by halftime. QB Joe Burrow had a school-record 253 yards at the break and finished 23-for-27 with five scores. Production like that won’t come as easily against the Longhorns on the road in Austin. Tom Herman went 5-1 at Memorial Stadium last season, losing to West Virginia by a single point and posting victories over USC and TCU. Sam Ehlinger tied a career-high with four TD passes against Louisiana Tech, so both schools that consider themselves DBU will need to be on alert. LSU safety Grant Delpit and Texas’ tandem of Caden Sterns and Brandon Jones are among the country’s best at their positions and the Tigers have a good one emerging in JaCoby Stevens, so every possession is going to be riveting.

Tulane at Auburn (-17/51.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2: After escaping what appeared to be certain defeat in Arlington last Saturday night, Auburn looks to build on its fortunate survival against Oregon by handling Tulane in what will be its toughest remaining non-SEC game until bowl season. Anticipation over Bo Nix’s debut at Jordan-Hare may have taken a hit if the Tigers came in 0-1, but on the heels of a frantic comeback that featured a fourth-down conversion and a go-ahead touchdown toss, the atmosphere should be electric. LSU transfer Justin McMillan looked fantastic against FIU and will give Auburn’s defensive front fits with his elusiveness. He’ll have to beat the Tigers with his arm to engineer an upset, which means Alabama native Darnell Mooney has to have a big night. Auburn is expected to have buck rusher T.D. Moultry and WR Will Hastings available and came out of the win over the Ducks relatively unscathed.

Arkansas at Ole Miss (-6/50.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, SECN: Georgia routed Vandy in the first SEC game of the season last week, but this second league contest should be much more competitive. Neither team looked particularly sharp in its opener with Ole Miss losing at Memphis and the Hogs struggling with FCS member Portland State. Ben Hicks will again start ahead of Nick Starkel for Arkansas, while the Rebels saw proress from redshirt freshman Matt Corral in nearly engineering a comeback win at the Liberty Bowl, improving after a slow start. Rich Rodriguez is calling plays for the first time in league play and at home but is already under fire after catching the brunt of the blame for Saturday’s 15-10 loss to the Tigers after producing just 93 passing yards and 3.3 yards per play. Arkansas can pull off the road upset if it tackles well and gets a big game from RB Rakeem Boyd, who can make life easier on whoever plays quarterback for Chad Morris if he gets enough touches. The Razorbacks have dropped all eight of its SEC openers, falling by an average of 21 points. The Rebels snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with a 37-33 win in Fayetteville last season.

Nevada at Oregon (-15/63), 7:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12: The Ducks will look to prevent last Saturday’s meltdown from taking them down twice as they welcome the Wolf Pack into Autzen Stadium. Oregon fans are displeased with head coach Mario Cristobal, whose questionable decisions down the stretch helped cost the team an upset of Auburn. Justin Herbert said in the lead-up to last week’s showdown that he didn’ come back for his senior year to lose in Week 1 so it will be interesting to see how he responds. WR Juwan Johnson and TE Cam McCormick will be game-time decisions after missing the Auburn loss but Brenden Schooler (foot) and Mycah Pittman (shoulder) remain out. Nevada stunned Purdue at home with a frantic comeback led by redshirt freshman Carson Strong, who will be making his first road start. The Wolf Pack need to get backs Toa Taua and Kelton Moore going to work the clock and keep pressure off strong. Oregon has won the last six matchups between the schools.

Buffalo at Penn State (-30.5/56), 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX: The Nittany Lions had no problem replacing Trace McSorley in their first game without him, scoring 44 first-half points in a 79-7 demolition of Idaho. Sean Clifford found star WR KJ Hamler twice but should have much more resistance with the Bulls in town, although that’s not necessarily a team strength. Buffalo is replacing standout Tyree Jackson with sophomore Matt Myers, who accounted for three scores against Robert Morris but will now test himself against the best defense he’ll see all season. Penn State beat Buffalo 27-14, failing to cover the number as a 17-point favorite, it the most recent meeting between the schools back in 2015.

Eastern Michigan at Kentucky (-15/52.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, SECN: The Wildcats were impressive in rallying past Toledo at home last week, surviving their first test against a quality MAC school. They’ll face another sound team with the Eagles in town and the fact Florida visits next week makes things trickier since they’ll be looking ahead to that after finally snapping a 31-year losing streak against the Gators last year. Eastern Michigan has an interesting weapon in new QB Mike Glass, who was nearly flawless in engineering an upset at Coastal Carolina and is similar to UK’s Terry Wilson in his ability to improvise and tuck and run out of the pocket. EMU has started off 2-0 in consecutive seasons after engineering road upsets at Rutgers and Purdue. It lost just 24-20 in Lexington back in ’17, covering as a 14-point underdog .

UTEP at Texas Tech (-34.5/65), 8 p.m. ET: The Red Raiders won their first game after dumping Kliff Kingsbury and hiring Matt Wells, beating Montana State 45-10. They’ll be expected to roll here and win at Arizona next week before settling in and defining their season post-bye with games at Oklahoma and home against Oklahoma State. If they can split those, they’ve got a shot at a big year. Alan Bowman threw for 433 yards, completing 40 throws and executing an offense that wants to snap it before the play clock bleeds down to 30 seconds, fire off a pass, line up and do it all again. The Miners aren’t expected to provide much resistance in Lubbock, coming off a 36-34 win over Houston Baptist and voted as most likely to bring up the rear in C-USA’s West Division.

Miami (FL) (-5/46.5) at North Carolina, 8 p.m. ET, ACCN: Mack Brown tasted victory in his return to coaching, pulling off an upset of South Carolina in Charlotte behind true freshman Sam Howell. The Tar Heels will debut in Chapel Hill in front of a sellout crowd and welcome in the Hurricanes, which reunites Brown with former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, who he fired when the two coached together at Texas. This one will be personal for the first-year ‘Canes head coach, who came up short in his debut against Florida in Orlando to open the college season. Jarren Williams will make his first true road start for UM, which is 6-3 over its last nine dates with UNC, winning thee last two by a combined margin of 71-29. Whichever makes the most appearances, the Heels’ turnover belt or Miami’s turnover chain, should supply a good indication of who wins here.

Late-night Snacks

Tulsa (-6.5/53.5) at San Jose State, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN3: After its historic futility in attempting to establish a ground game in East Lansing, Tulsa hopes to get its offense on track in Northern California as it attempts to hold serve and snap a 13-game road losing streak. The Golden Hurricane were able to pressure Michigan State and will try and clamp down on Josh Love and the Spartans, who opened the season with a 35-18 victory over Northern Colorado. San Jose State has beaten only one FBS opponent in each of the last two seasons and hasn’t beaten a non-conference opponent since 2012.

Arkansas State at UNLV (PK/64), 10 p.m. ET: The Rebels dominated Southern Utah 56-23 to open the season and are looking to open 2-0 for the first time since 1999. Dual-threat Armani Rogers can be a force struggled with turnovers in last season’s 27-20 loss in Jonesboro. UNLV tied a school record with seven rushing touchdowns, three of which came from junior Charles Williams. Arkansas State WR Kirk Merritt needs to be cleared from concussion protocol in order to return. Dahu Green (knee) is also looking to return. The RedWolves fell at home against SMU last week and remain without head coach Blake Anderson, whose wife lost a battle with cancer just before the season began. QB Logan Bonner had a strong first start and will look to pick up a victory on the road in Vegas by continuing to find Omar Bayless if his receiving corps remains shorthanded.

Stanford at USC (-3/43), 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Cardinal’s KJ Costello was expected to duel with the Trojans’ JT Daniels in a matchup of two of the Pac-12’s finest. Neither will play. Daniels was lost for the season with an ACL injury and Costello has been ruled out after a head injury, so backups Kedon Slovis, a true freshman, and sophomore Davis Mills will make their first starts. Slovis helped USC survive Fresno State and was coached by Kurt Warner in high school, while Mills is from the Atlanta area and helped the Cardinal hold off Northwestern last week. Stanford will rely on its ground game on the road and feels like it has an advantage up front, while USC was expected to throw the ball around the yard in order to take advantage of all its elite receivers. Slovis’ ability to find a rhythm with a few receivers while protecting the ball against a veteran defense will decide the winner here.

[Udog]

Today's biggest bets and line moves: Bettors on Texas A&M odds vs Clemson in College Football
Patrick Everson

Tee Higgins and top-ranked Clemson are 17-point home favorites against Texas A&M on Saturday. However, that number is down from the opener of -19, and books might actually need the Tigers.

College football heads into a Week 2 Saturday highlighted by a couple of major matchups. Covers checks in on the action and odds movement, with insights from Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill US.

No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies at No. 1 Clemson Tigers – Open: -19; Move: -18.5; Move: -18; Move: -17.5; Move: -17; Move: -16.5

Defending national champion Clemson went straight into Atlantic Coast Conference play in Week 1, but had no issues on its home field. The Tigers (1-0 SU and ATS), coming off a perfect 15-0 SU year (9-6 ATS) ripped Georgia Tech 52-14, narrowly covering the number as massive 37-point favorites.

Texas A&M also coasted in its opener, albeit against a lightweight nonconference foe. The Aggies (1-0 SU and ATS) topped Texas State 41-7 and also barely covered laying 33.5 points, after giving up a last-minute touchdown.

Last September. A&M gave Clemson a big scare by coming back from a 21-6 deficit to nearly force overtime. After a last-minute touchdown to pull within 28-26, the Aggies’ 2-point attempt failed, though they cashed as 12-point home underdogs.

“We did take a big bet on the moneyline, 40 dimes to win $260,000 on A&M,” Bogdanovich said of a $40,000 flier taken on the Aggies +650 to win this nonconference clash outright. “Sharps are on A&M as well, so this might be the rare occasion where we need Clemson.”

Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET.

No. 6 Louisiana State Tigers at No. 10 Texas Longhorns – Open: -4.5; Move: -5; Move: -5.5; Move: -6; Move: -6.5

If coach Tom Herman really has Texas on the rise, this week could offer some proof in a prime-time showdown against one of the nation’s best teams. The Longhorns (1-0 SU and ATS) rolled over Louisiana Tech 45-14 giving 19 points at home in Week 1.

LSU wants to prove it should be in the early conversation for the College Football Playoff, although Alabama will likely have plenty to say about that later in the year. In Week 1, the Tigers (1-0 SU and ATS) pounded Georgia Southern 55-3 laying 27 points at home.

“We’re dead even to it, and I think we’ll be pretty even at kickoff as well,” Bogdanovich said of action for this 7:30 p.m. ET meeting.

No. 23 Stanford Cardinal at Southern California Trojans – Open: -3; Move: -2.5; Move: -1.5; Move: -1; Move: -2; Move: -3

It’s a battle of teams without starting quarterbacks, though Southern Cal got the worse end of the deal, losing JT Daniels for the year after he tore his right ACL in Week 1. Daniels exited in the second quarter against Fresno State, but the Trojans still managed a 31-23 home win as 14.5-point faves. USC will now turn to freshman QB Kedon Slovis.

Stanford QB K.J. Costello took a shot to the head in Week 1 against Northwestern, and on Thursday, coach David Shaw said Costello would not play this week. Despite the starter missing the second half, the Cardinal nabbed a 17-7 home win as 6.5-point favorites, covering with 20 seconds left by pouncing on a Northwestern fumble for a touchdown.

The line for this Pac-12 After Dark clash dipped to USC -1, then climbed the ladder back to the opener of -3.

“Dead even to that game, too,” Bogdanovich said of a 10:30 p.m. ET matchup. “I have a feeling that will still be the case at kickoff.”

Cincinnati Bearcats at No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes – Open: -16.5; Move: -16

Last week, Ohio State had 28 points on the board before most people finished their first beer. The Buckeyes (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) scored four touchdowns in the first 8:10 of the game and breezed by Florida Atlantic 45-21, though they fell short of cashing as 27-point home favorites.

Cincinnati is coming off one of the best years in program history (11-2 SU) and, for the second straight year, opened the season with a victory over Power Five foe UCLA. The Bearcats dispatched the Bruins 24-14 laying 2.5 points at home in Week 1.

“Sharps are on the ‘dog,” Bogdanovich said of another game that, overall, has seen even action. “Cincinnati looked good last week, and Ohio State didn’t cover. We’d normally need the ‘dog, but this one figures to be fairly even.”

Kickoff is at noon ET.

Illinois Fighting Illini at Connecticut Huskies – Open: +20.5; Move: +20; Move: +20.5; Move: +21; Move: +21.5

This otherwise nondescript game merits mention in this space because, for the second straight week, multiple Las Vegas books have taken $55,000 wagers on Illinois, presumably all from the same bettor. Last week, the Fighting Illini (1-0 SU and ATS) drew five wagers of that size and one smaller five-figure play, and that bettor got paid out big as Illinois flattened Akron 42-3 giving 18 points at home.

UConn went a dismal 1-10 SU last year and was 2-9-1 ATS, 129th among the 130 FBS teams. The Huskies didn’t look much better in Week 1 this year, going off as 23-point home favorites against FCS foe Wagner and barely winning, 24-21.

“That’s all we’ve got is that one bet, $55,000 to win $50,000,” Bogdanovich said of a 3:30 p.m. ET start. “There are literally no other bets. It’s a garbage game.”

Other noteworthy games:

• No. 25 Nebraska at Colorado, 3:30 p.m. ET: It’s a renewal of a Big 8/Big 12 rivalry, though neither team has been in the conference for years. The Cornhuskers reside in the Big Ten and the Buffaloes in the Pac-12. Nebraska opened -4.5, briefly hit -5, then dipped to -3.5 before going back to the opener Friday afternoon. “This game has been all over the place,” Bogdanovich said. “Right now, we definitely need Colorado.”

• Army at No. 7 Michigan, Noon ET: The Wolverines opened -23, ticked down to -22 by Thursday, then went to -22.5 Friday afternoon. “Dead even to the game, balanced right now,” Bogdanovich said. “Michigan was a public team last week, but burned that money, so who knows where this ends up.”

• No. 17 Central Florida at Florida Atlantic, 7 p.m. ET: The visiting Knights opened -10.5 and dipped to -10 early in the week, but they’re up to -11.5 now. “All the money’s for Central Florida. We’ll definitely need the ‘dog,” Bogdanovich said.

• Miami at North Carolina, 8 p.m. ET: “We’re dead even to it,” Bogdanovich said. “Sharp money for the ‘dog, but I think it’ll end up pretty even.” The Hurricanes opened -6.5, dropped as low as -4 midweek, then rose to -5 Friday night.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

OHIO at PITT 11:00 AM
OHIO +4.0
U 54.0

RUTG at IOWA 12:00 PM
IOWA -19.0
U 49.0

BGSU at KSU 12:00 PM
BGSU +24.5

SYR at MD 12:00 PM
SYR +1.5
O 57.5

ARMY at MICH 12:00 PM
MICH -22.0
U 48.0

UAB at AKR 12:00 PM
O 45.5

CIN at OSU 12:00 PM
CIN +15.5

VAN at PUR 12:00 PM
VAN +7.0
O 55.5

WVU at MIZZ 12:00 PM
WVU +13.5
O 62.5

ODU at VT 12:00 PM
ODU +28.5
O 56.0

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LATE AFTERNOON GAMES

NIU at UTAH 01:00 PM
UTAH -23.0
U 44.5

USF at GT 02:00 PM
GT -6.5

SOMIS at MSST 03:30 PM
SOMIS +16.5

ILL at CONN 03:30 PM
ILL -21.0

NEB at COLO 03:30 PM
COLO +4.0

TAM at CLEM 03:30 PM
CLEM -16.5

CMU at WIS 03:30 PM
WIS -35.0

CHAR at APP 03:30 PM
O 55.0

NMSU at ALA 04:00 PM
U 65.0

UTSA at BAY 04:00 PM
UTSA +25.0
O 58.5

SDSU at UCLA 04:15 PM
UCLA -7.5
O 45.0

ULM at FSU 05:00 PM
ULM +22.5
U 65.5

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NIGHT GAMES BEST BETS:

UCF at FAU 07:00 PM
UCF -12.5
O 68.5

UNT at SMU 07:00 PM
UNT +3.5
O 73.5

BYU at TENN 07:00 PM
BYU +3.0
U 52.5

WYO at TXST 07:00 PM
TXST +7.5

CC at KU 07:00 PM
KU -7.0

WKU at FIU 07:00 PM
FIU -7.5

TULN at AUB 07:30 PM
AUB -16.5

EMU at UK 07:30 PM
UK -15.5

BUFF at PSU 07:30 PM
PSU -31.5
U 56.0

WMU at MSU 07:30 PM
WMU +14.5

LSU at TEX 07:30 PM
LSU -7.0
O 57.5

NEV at ORE 07:30 PM
NEV +24.0
O 60.5

LIB at ULL 07:30 PM
ULL -14.0
U 65.5

ARK at MISS 07:30 PM
ARK +5.0

UTEP at TTU 08:00 PM
TTU -34.5

MIA at UNC 08:00 PM
UNC +5.0

TLSA at SJSU 09:00 PM
SJSU +6.5
O 53.5

ARST at UNLV 10:00 PM
UNLV +1.0

STAN at USC 10:30 PM
STAN +3.0
U 43.0

MINN at FRES 10:30 PM
FRES +3.0

CAL at WASH 10:30 PM
WASH -13.5
U 42.5

ORST at HAW 11:59 PM
HAW -6.5
O 77.0

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Week 2 Top 25 scores

Week 2 of the 2019 college football season continued Saturday, Sept. 7, with 23 of 25 ranked teams playing. Check out the Top 25 scores and schedule below.

No. 6 LSU defeated No. 9 Texas 45-38 Saturday night in the year's first top 10 matchup. Earlier, No. 1 Clemson defeated No. 12 Texas A&M, 24-10 and No. 7 Michigan barely beat Army, winning 24-21 in 2OT.

College football rankings: Week 2 Top 25 scores, schedule
Here is the full schedule for Week 2 for the 2019 college football season. This will be updated as games go final. All rankings are from the AP.

Click here for a live scoreboard.

All times ET and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.

No. 1 Clemson 24, No. 12 Texas A&M 10

No. 2 Alabama 62, New Mexico State 10

No. 3 Georgia 63, Murray State 17

No. 4 Oklahoma 70, South Dakota 14

No. 5 Ohio State 42, Cincinnati 0

No. 6 LSU 45, No. 9 Texas 38

No. 7 Michigan 24, Army 21 (2OT)

No. 8 Notre Dame: Off

No. 10 Auburn 24, Tulane 6

No. 11 Florida 45, UT Martin 0

No. 13 Utah 35, Northern Illinois 17

California 20, No. 14 Washington 19

No. 15 Penn State 45, Buffalo 13

No. 16 Oregon 77, Nevada 6

No. 17 Wisconsin 61, Central Michigan 0

No. 18 UCF 48, Florida Atlantic 14

No. 19 Michigan State 51, Western Michigan 17

No. 20 Iowa 30, Rutgers 0

Maryland 63, No. 21 Syracuse 20

No. 22 Washington State 59, Northern Colorado 17

Southern California 45, No. 23 Stanford 20

No. 24 Boise State 14, Marshall 7

Colorado 34, No. 25 Nebraska 31 (OT)

No. 25 Iowa State: Off