Houston at North Texas NCAA Football Game Picks 9/28/2019

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Apogee Stadium

Mason Fine and the North Texas Mean Green host the Houston Cougars at Apogee Stadium on Saturday, September 28, 2019. North Texas opens this contest as 2.5-point dogs. The Cougars are 2-2-0 ATS and 1-2-1 when betting on the total. The Mean Green are 2-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-2-0 against the spread.

Key Houston Cougars Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key North Texas Mean Green Injuries

09/22/19 WR Rico Bussey Jr. ACL is out for season

In their last game, the Houston Cougars played the Tulane Green Wave and ended up taking the loss by a score of 38-31. D'Eriq King paced the team on the ground during the game. He broke a long run for 35 yards and he added 1 touchdown during the game. He ran for 116 yards via 17 carries which had him averaging 6.8 yards per tote. Marquez Stevenson was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 95 yards on 2 catches. He had an average of 47.5 yards per catch during the game. Leading the way at QB for the Cougars was D'Eriq King who went 16/33 with 229 yards through the air and added 2 touchdowns. He tossed 1 interception on the day. The Houston Cougars ran the ball 46 times and earned 304 yards which earned them an average of 6.6 yards per rush. For the contest, the Cougars totaled 28 first downs and they had a total of 3 infractions for 25 yards which is telling of the great week of practice this squad had. In the game, they ran 79 plays which gave them a total of 533 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Houston gave up 7 catches on 20 throws totaling 186 yards, and a completion percentage of 35.0%. For this contest, they gave up 511 yards and forced 1 turnover. On the ground, the Cougars gave up 325 yards on 50 tries which gave them an average of 6.5 yards per run allowed.

The Cougars come into this game with a record of 1-3 this season. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country with an average of 30.8 points per contest, ranking them 65th in the country. As a unit, they have an average of 255 yards on the ground per game which is 3rd in the AAC. For total yardage, they sit in 4th in the conference and 40th in the country with 1,688 yards. The Cougars have one of the most lackluster defenses in D-1, giving up 33.8 points per game putting them 12th in the conference. In discussing rushing yards, Houston is giving up 199.5 yards per game which has them at 12th in the American Athletic Conference and 110th in Division 1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 5.7 yards per carry ranking them 12th in the American Athletic Conference and 122nd in the nation overall. In total, they have allowed 798 rushing yards through 4 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Cougars have allowed 668 yards. Opponents are completing 60% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 9.3 yards per attempt.

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The last time they played, the North Texas Mean Green played the UTSA Roadrunners and won by a score of 45-3. Tre Siggers led the team on the ground during the game. He tore off a long run of 53 yards and he notched 2 TD's for the game. He scurried for 143 yards on 14 carries which means he ran for an average of 10.2 yards per tote. DeAndre Torrey was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 60 yards on 3 receptions. He earned an average of 20.0 yards per catch during the game. Leading the way at QB for the Mean Green was Mason Fine who went 15/22 with 195 yards passing and threw 2 TD's. He finished the game without throwing an interception. The North Texas Mean Green ran the ball 44 times and totaled 295 yards giving them an average of 6.7 yards per carry. For the game, the Mean Green earned 25 1st downs and they totaled 4 infractions for 38 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. Overall, they ran 70 plays which added up to 506 yards. When discussing the defense, North Texas conceded 17 catches on 40 throws for a total of 128 yards, and a completion percentage of 42.5%. In the running game, the Mean Green conceded 167 yards on 42 tries which means they allowed 4.0 yards per rushing attempt allowed. Overall, they conceded 295 yards and forced 4 takeaways.

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The Mean Green step onto the field holding a record of 2-2. North Texas has made teams game plan around their running game by averaging 204.3 yards on the ground per game, which has them at 37th in the nation. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 817 rushing yards through 4 games, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Mean Green average 451.5 yards per game overall ranking them 38th in D-1 and 2nd in Conference USA. The Mean Green are giving up 26.5 points per game ranking them 4th in the conference and 75th in college football. Their pass defense is one of the middling groups in the country. They are giving up 205.5 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Mean Green sit in 4th in Conference USA. In regard to points given up, they have given up 106 total points. When it comes to rushing yards, they are allowing 177.5 yards per game which puts them at 98th in Division 1 and 8th in C-USA. In 2019, they have conceded a total of 710 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Cougars/Mean Green college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Mean Green +2.5

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