FIU at Louisiana Tech NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 9/21/2019

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Joe Aillet Stadium

J'Mar Smith and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs play the FIU Golden Panthers at Joe Aillet Stadium on Saturday, September 21, 2019. Louisiana Tech opens this matchup as 8-point favorites. The O/U opens at 51.5. The Golden Panthers are 0-3-0 ATS and 1-2-0 when betting on the total. The Bulldogs are 1-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-2-0 against the spread.

Key FIU Golden Panthers Injuries

09/15/19 QB James Morgan Ankle is questionable Friday vs Louisiana Tech

Key Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Injuries

No key injuries to report

In their last contest, the FIU Golden Panthers faced the New Hampshire Wildcats and earned the victory by a score of 30-17. Running the show from under center for the Golden Panthers was Kaylan Wiggins who went 12/18 with 127 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He finished the game without throwing an interception. Kaylan Wiggins led the team in rushing during the game. He had a long run of 70 yards and he added 2 TD's for the game. He scurried for 187 yards by way of 14 carries which gave him an average of 13.4 yards per tote. Austin Maloney led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 37 yards on 2 receptions. He averaged 18.5 yards per reception during the game. The FIU Golden Panthers ran the football 52 times and racked up a total of 310 yards earning them an average of 6.0 yards per attempt. On the day, the Golden Panthers got 24 first downs and they had 8 penalties for 77 yards which shows us how undisciplined this team can be. In the game, they totaled 71 plays which added up to 437 yards. In terms of defense, FIU conceded 19 completions on 38 tries for a total of 224 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. Against the run, the Golden Panthers conceded 146 yards on 28 attempts which gave them an average of 5.2 yards per rushing attempt allowed. Overall, they allowed 370 yards and earned 1 turnover.

The Golden Panthers come into this matchup with a record of 1-2 for 2019. For total yardage, they rank 10th in C-USA and 99th in the nation with 921 yards. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation with an average of 19.3 points per game, which has them at 115th in the nation. As a unit, they have an average of 173.3 yards on the ground per contest which is 4th in Conference USA. The Golden Panthers have one of the average defenses in college football, allowing 26.3 points per contest putting them 5th in Conference USA. When it comes to yards through the air, the Golden Panthers have conceded 401 yards. Opponents are completing 58.9% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.3 yards per try. When talking about yards on the ground, FIU is giving up 198 yards per game ranking them 10th in Conference USA and 113th in the nation. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 5.3 yards per rush putting them 12th in Conference USA and 119th in Division 1 overall. In total, they have conceded 594 yards rushing through 3 contests.

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The last time they took the field, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs played Bowling Green (who fly to Kent State on Saturday) and earned the victory by a score of 35-7. Leading the way at QB for the Bulldogs was J'Mar Smith who went 19/26 with 267 yards through the air and completed 2 touchdowns. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Justin Henderson paced the team in rushing during the game. He broke a long run for 75 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He scurried for 95 yards via 9 carries which gave him an average of 10.6 yards per carry. Adrian Hardy was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 95 yards on 6 receptions. He averaged 15.8 yards per catch during the game. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs ran the football 36 times and racked up a total of 129 yards which had them averaging 3.6 yards per carry. In the game, they ran 68 plays for a total of 453 yards. In the game, the Bulldogs racked up a total of 20 1st downs and they had 8 penalties for 85 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. In terms of defense, Louisiana Tech allowed 18 catches on 38 throws for a total of 171 yards, and a completion percentage of 47.4%. On the ground, the Bulldogs allowed 119 yards on 47 runs which means they allowed 2.5 yards per carry allowed. In the game, they conceded a total of 290 yards and earned 1 turnover.

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The Bulldogs head into this game 2-1. In discussing the offensive production, the Bulldogs have an offense that could be called mediocre in D-1. Louisiana Tech hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 124 rushing yards per contest, putting them 96th in Division 1. As a team, they have compiled a total of 372 rushing yards through 3 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Bulldogs average 418.7 yards per game overall which has them at 63rd in college football and 5th in C-USA. The Bulldogs are giving up 22 points per contest which puts them at 3rd in Conference USA and 54th in D-1. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road units in the nation. They are giving up 237 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Bulldogs are currently ranked 9th in the conference. In terms of points allowed, they have given up 66 points in total. In discussing yards on the ground, they are allowing 162.7 yards per contest which puts them at 85th in D-1 and 7th in the conference. For this season, they have allowed 488 yards on the ground and 3.9 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Golden Panthers/Bulldogs college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Golden Panthers +8

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