Akron at UMass NCAA Football Game Picks 9/28/2019

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium

Kato Nelson and the Akron Zips are headed to Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the UMass Minutemen. UMass opens this matchup as 6-point underdogs. The Zips are 0-4-0 ATS and 2-2-0 when betting on the total. The Minutemen are 3-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 0-4-0 against the spread.

Key Akron Zips Injuries

09/09/19 WR Jonah Morris Knee is out for season

Key UMass Minutemen Injuries

No key injuries to report

In their last contest, the Akron Zips took on the Troy Trojans and took the defeat by a score of 35-7. Running the show from under center for the Zips was Kato Nelson who went 15/29 with 200 yards through the air and threw 1 touchdown. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Brandon Lee led the team in rushing during the game. He had a long run of 16 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He rushed for 38 yards on 6 carries which meant he averaged 6.3 yards per carry. Nate Stewart was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 89 yards on 4 receptions. He notched an average of 22.3 yards per reception during the game. The Akron Zips ran the football 18 times and racked up 39 yards earning them an average of 2.2 yards per attempt. Overall, they ran 50 plays for a total of 242 yards. For the game, the Zips earned a total of 10 1st downs and they had 6 penalties for 41 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In terms of defense, Akron gave up 29 completions on 39 attempts totaling 215 yards, and a completion percentage of 74.4%. For this contest, they allowed a total of 485 yards and forced 1 takeaway. In the running game, the Zips gave up 270 yards on 56 tries which gave them an average of 4.8 yards per attempt allowed.

The Zips come into this game with a record of 0-4 for the 2019 season. For total yards, they sit in 9th in the Mid-American Conference and 108th in college football with 1,156 yards. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation with an average of 13.5 points per game, putting them 131st in college football. As a unit, they have an average of 46 yards on the ground per contest which is 12th in the MAC. The Zips have one of the most lackluster defenses in D-1, allowing 38.3 points per game which has them at 11th in the MAC. When it comes to yards through the air, the Zips have conceded 972 yards. Opponents are completing 66.7% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.9 yards per try. When talking about yards rushing, Akron is allowing 187.3 yards per contest which has them at 8th in the Mid-American Conference and 106th in the nation. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.4 yards per rush ranking them 6th in the MAC and 88th in college football overall. Overall, they have allowed 749 rushing yards through 4 games.

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In their last outing, the UMass Minutemen played the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and lost 62-28. Running the show from under center for the Minutemen was Randall West who went 8/11 with 120 yards passing and added 2 TD's. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Bilal Ally led the team in rushing for that game. His longest run of the day went for 8 yards and he notched 2 TD's for the contest. He rushed for a total of 42 yards via 11 carries which meant he averaged 3.8 yards per run. Zak Simon led the team in receiving yardage by earning 74 yards on 5 receptions. He earned an average of 14.8 yards per reception for that game. The UMass Minutemen ended up rushing 37 times and earned a total of 109 yards which had them averaging 2.9 yards per rush. For the game, the Minutemen totaled 20 first downs and they totaled 7 penalties for 69 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. For the game, they finished with a total of 73 plays which added up to 329 yards. When discussing the defense, UMass allowed 24 catches on 27 attempts for a total of 302 yards, and a completion percentage of 88.9%. In the game, they conceded 636 yards and forced 1 turnover. On the ground, the Minutemen allowed 334 yards on 46 runs giving the other team an average of 7.3 yards per attempt allowed.

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The Minutemen come into this matchup with a record of 0-4. In discussing the offensive production, the Minutemen have one of the most lackluster offenses in the nation. UMass is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 137.5 yards on the ground per game, putting them 85th in the country. As a unit, they have a total of 550 yards rushing through 4 games, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Minutemen average 304 yards per game overall ranking them 117th in college football and 6th among FBS Independent teams. The Minutemen are allowing 51.8 points per game which puts them at 6th among Independent teams and 131st in college football. When it comes to points allowed, they have allowed 207 total points. In terms of yards on the ground, they are conceding 278.8 yards per game which puts them at 131st in D-1 and 6th among FBS Independent teams. This year, they have given up a total of 1,115 yards rushing and 15.2 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road groups in the nation. They are allowing 277.5 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Minutemen sit in 5th among Independent teams.

Who will win tonight's Zips/Minutemen college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Minutemen +6

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