Saturday, October 22, 2016

Gerald J. Ford Stadium

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

The Houston Cougars take on the SMU Mustangs on Saturday, October 22, 2016 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The opening line for this game has Houston as 24 point favorites. This season the Cougars are 4-3-0 against the spread and their over/under record is 4-3-0. The Mustangs have an over/under record of 2-4-0 and they are 4-2-0 against the spread.

Greg Ward finished with 254 yards through the air for Houston last week. He completed 26 passes out of 34 attempts for a 76% completion percentage. The Cougars were led in rushing by Greg Ward, who finished with 142 yards on 25 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 6 yards per carry. Linell Bonner was the team leader in receiving with a total of 97 yards and 13 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 7 yards per reception. As a team in that game Houston got a total of 30 first downs. Of those first downs, 15 came on the ground while 15 came through the air. They ran 89 total plays for 522 yards for the game. The Cougars ran for 268 yards on 55 attempts.

Ben Hicks finished with 258 yards passing for SMU last week. He went 29 for 52, resulting in a 56% completion percentage. The Mustangs were led on the ground by Braeden West, who finished with 124 yards on 22 carries. He ended the game with an average of 6 yards per rush. Courtland Sutton led the team in receiving with 98 yards and 8 catches. He finished the game with an average of 12 yards per reception. SMU had 22 first downs total. 4 came from running the ball and 14 came from a pass. They ran 87 total plays for 412 yards for the contest. The Mustangs ran for 154 yards on 35 carries as a team.

Houston scores 42.7 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 11th in Division 1. In the passing department, they average 26.4 passes on 38.1 attempts for a 69.3 percent completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 305.1 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 20th in college football. The Cougars run for an average of 200 yards per game on 48 attempts for an average of 4.2 yards per carry. That ranks them 42nd in the nation. They also run 86.1 plays per contest and average 5.9 yards per play for an average of 505.1 yards per game, ranking their offense 16th overall this season. The Cougars average 27.9 first downs per game which ranks them 3rd in the country. They accumulate 41.3 penalty yards per game via 4.1 penalties, which ranks 112th in the nation.

Houston allows 211.6 passing yards per game, ranking 51st in D-1, and they allow 19 points per contest on defense, which ranks 20th. They give up 17 completions on 30.1 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 56.4. The Cougars allow 87.1 rushing yards per game on 32.4 carries for an average of 2.7 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 3rd in the country. Houston allows 298.7 total yards per game including 4.8 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 10th in terms of yards per game. They force 1.3 turnovers per contest and get flagged for 4.4 penalties for 39.9 yards per game, ranking them 9th among D-1 teams.

SMU averages 23.2 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 104th in the country. In the passing department, they complete 19.8 passes per game on 39 attempts for a 50.9 percent completion percentage. They throw for 239.8 yards through the air per game, ranking them 52nd in Division 1. The Mustangs run for an average of 175.5 yards per game on 38.7 attempts for an average of 4.5 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 64th on the ground. They also run 77.7 plays per game and average 5.3 yards per play for a total of 415.3 yards per game, ranking them 62nd in the country on offense. The Mustangs get an average of 20.3 first downs per game, which ranks 84th in the nation. They average 55.8 penalty yards per game via 6 penalties, ranking them 61st in college football.

SMU allows an average of 263 passing yards per game, which ranks 96th in Division 1. Their defense overall allows 32.7 points per contest, which has them ranked 99th in the nation. They give up 23.3 completions on 40.5 attempts for a completion percentage of 57.6 per game. The Mustangs allow 191.8 rushing yards per contest on 42.5 carries for a 4.5 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 90th in the country. SMU allows 454.8 total yards per game for an average of 5.5 yards per play, which ranks 109th in D-1. They force 2.5 turnovers per contest and 9.2 penalties for 82.7 yards in each contest, ranking 127th in the nation.

Houston Betting Trends

Houston is 4-3-0 against the over/under this season

Houston has an ATS record of 4-3-0 this season

SMU Betting Trends

SMU is 2-4-0 against the over/under this season

SMU has an ATS record of 4-2-0 this season

Injuries to Watch

Houston

10/16/16 OL Alex Fontana Elbow "?" Saturday vs. SMU
10/16/16 RB Duke Catalon Concussion "?" Saturday vs. SMU
10/16/16 OL Mac Long Leg "?" Saturday vs. SMU
10/16/16 OL Marcus Oliver Ankle "?" Saturday vs. SMU
09/30/16 LB Tyus Bowser Facial out indefinitely
09/21/16 WR Tren'Davian Dickson Personal left the team
08/20/16 WR Marquez Stevenson Collarbone expected to miss 6-8 weeks

SMU

10/16/16 RB Xavier Jones Shoulder "?" Saturday vs. Houston U
09/19/16 LB Nick Horton Undisclosed out for season
09/12/16 QB Matt Davis Knee out for season
08/30/16 OL Chad Pursley ACL out for season

Josh's Pick: Take SMU

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