Florida Atlantic at Ball State NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 9/14/2019

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Scheumann Stadium

Scheumann Stadium is the site where Drew Plitt and the Ball State Cardinals will take on the Florida Atlantic Owls on Saturday. The spread on this game has Florida Atlantic as 3-point favorites. The total opens at 63. The Owls are 1-1-0 ATS and 0-1-1 when betting on the total. The Cardinals are 1-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-1-0 against the spread.

Key Florida Atlantic Owls Injuries

08/23/19 P Sebastian Riella Knee is out indefinitely

Key Ball State Cardinals Injuries

No key injuries to report

In their last contest, the Florida Atlantic Owls faced the UCF Knights and were on the losing end of this game by a score of 48-14. Malcolm Davidson led the team in rushing for the game. He had a long run of 32 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He ran for 64 yards by way of 8 carries which means he ran for an average of 8.0 yards per carry. Harrison Bryant was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 51 yards on 4 catches. He averaged 12.8 yards per reception for the game. Leading the way at QB for the Owls was Chris Robison who went 18/40 with 177 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with 1 interception in the game. The Florida Atlantic Owls rushed the ball a total of 47 times and generated 137 yards which gave them an average of 2.9 yards per rush. For the contest, the Owls earned 22 1st downs and they had 7 penalties for 97 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In the game, they ran 87 plays which gave them a total of 314 yards. In terms of defense, Florida Atlantic allowed 8 catches on 20 throws for a total of 262 yards, and a completion percentage of 40.0%. Overall, they conceded a total of 574 yards and forced 0 turnovers. In the running game, the Owls allowed 312 yards on 47 runs which gave the opponent an average of 6.6 yards per run allowed.

The Owls step onto the field holding a record of 0-2 for the 2019 season. For total yards, they sit in 13th in C-USA and 116th in the nation with 542 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the worst in the country with an average of 17.5 points per contest, which has them at 109th in the nation. As a team, they are averaging 79.5 yards on the ground per contest which is 14th in C-USA. The Owls have one of the most lackluster defenses in D-1, allowing 46.5 points per contest which has them at 14th in C-USA. When talking about rushing yards, Florida Atlantic is giving up 274.5 yards per contest which has them at 14th in the conference and 130th in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 5.8 yards per carry putting them 12th in Conference USA and 121st in Division 1 overall. In total, they have allowed 549 rushing yards through 2 contests. When it comes to passing yards, the Owls have allowed 383 yards. Teams are completing 58.7% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 10.7 yards per try.

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In their last contest, the Ball State Cardinals took on the Fordham Rams and notched a win by a score of 57-29. Leading the way at QB for the Cardinals was Drew Plitt who went 32/40 with 439 yards passing and threw 6 TD's. He gave away 1 pick during the game. Caleb Huntley paced the team on the ground during the game. He tore off a long run of 16 yards and he tallied 1 touchdown for the game. He ran for a total of 64 yards by way of 13 carries which had him averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Riley Miller led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 116 yards on 6 catches. He notched an average of 19.3 yards per catch during the game. The Ball State Cardinals ran the ball 33 times and totaled 155 yards giving them an average of 4.7 yards per rushing attempt. Overall, they ran 75 plays for 599 yards. In the game, the Cardinals totaled 29 first downs and they totaled 8 penalties for 68 yards which shows us how undisciplined this team can be. When it comes to their defensive performance, Ball State gave up 20 catches on 35 attempts totaling 221 yards, and a completion percentage of 57.1%. Overall, they allowed a total of 326 yards and earned 2 turnovers. Against the run, the Cardinals gave up 105 yards on 37 carries giving the other team an average of 2.8 yards per carry allowed.

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The Cardinals head into this matchup 1-1. Ball State is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 127.5 yards on the ground per contest, putting them 99th in Division 1. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 255 rushing yards through 2 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Cardinals average 498.5 yards per game overall which has them at 31st in Division 1 and 1st in the conference. The Cardinals are conceding 31.5 points per game ranking them 8th in the conference and 104th in the country. In regard to points given up, they have given up 63 points in total. When it comes to rushing yards, they are allowing 126.5 yards per game which puts them at 58th in college football and 5th in the conference. For this year, they have given up a total of 253 yards on the ground and 5 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the mediocre units in the country. They are giving up 273.5 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Cardinals are currently ranked 10th in the MAC.

Who will win tonight's Owls/Cardinals college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Owls -3

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