Houston vs UCF NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 11/2/2019

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Spectrum Stadium

Clayton Tune and the Houston Cougars head to Spectrum Stadium on Saturday where they'll take on the UCF Knights. UCF opens this matchup as 22.5-point favorites. The Cougars are 4-4-0 ATS and 3-4-1 when betting on the total. The Knights are 5-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 4-4-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Houston Cougars went up against the SMU Mustangs and lost 34-31. Mulbah Car led the team on the ground during the game. His longest run of the day went for 44 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for 136 yards on 18 carries which means he ran for an average of 7.6 yards per carry. Marquez Stevenson was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 211 yards on 5 receptions. He notched an average of 42.2 yards per catch during the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Cougars was Clayton Tune who went 18/33 with 407 yards passing and tossed 2 touchdowns. He walked away with 1 pick during the game. The Cougars rushed the ball a total of 40 times and added 103 yards which earned them an average of 2.6 yards per carry. On the day, the Cougars had a total of 22 first downs and they totaled 11 penalties for 129 yards which shows us how undisciplined this team can be. For the game, they ran 75 plays for a total of 510 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Houston conceded 20 catches on 38 throws totaling 203 yards, and a completion percentage of 52.6%. For the game, they gave up 385 yards and forced 1 takeaway. Against the run, the Cougars conceded 182 yards on 34 tries which gave them an average of 5.4 yards per run allowed.

The Cougars step onto the field holding a record of 3-5 for the 2019 season. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 30.9 points per game, ranking them 55th in the country. As a team, they have an average of 208.4 rushing yards per contest which is 4th in the AAC. For total yards, they rank 5th in the conference and 55th in the country with 3,278 yards. The Cougars have one of the most lackluster defenses in D-1, allowing 31.1 points per game putting them 10th in the conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Cougars have conceded 1,611 yards. Opponents are completing 59.5% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.8 yards per try. When talking about yards on the ground, Houston is allowing 171.9 yards per contest putting them 6th in the AAC and 80th in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 5.1 yards per carry which has them at 11th in the American Athletic Conference and 111th in college football overall. In total, they have allowed 1,375 yards rushing through 8 games.

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The last time they took the field, the UCF Knights took on the Temple Owls and notched a win by a score of 63-21. Otis Anderson led the team on the ground for the game. He had a long run of 54 yards and he tallied 1 TD for the game. He ran for a total of 205 yards on 17 carries which gave him an average of 12.1 yards per carry. Gabriel Davis was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 83 yards on 3 catches. He had an average of 27.7 yards per reception for the game. Leading the way at QB for the Knights was Dillon Gabriel who went 10/21 with 218 yards through the air and tossed 3 touchdowns. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Knights ended up running the ball 48 times and earned a total of 385 yards which earned them an average of 8.0 yards per rushing attempt. Overall, the Knights got 24 first downs and they had 9 infractions for 68 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. Overall, they ran 71 plays which gave them a total of 614 yards. When discussing the defense, UCF gave up 16 completions on 31 throws totaling 221 yards, and a completion percentage of 51.6%. On the ground, the Knights gave up 45 yards on 40 runs which gave them an average of 1.1 yards per rushing attempt allowed. In the game, they allowed a total of 266 yards and forced 2 takeaways.

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The Knights come into this matchup with a record of 6-2. UCF is making teams fear their ground game this season by averaging 233.9 rushing yards per contest, putting them 17th in the country. As a team, they have compiled a total of 1,871 yards rushing through 8 games, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Knights average 561.4 yards per contest overall which has them at 2nd in D-1 and 1st in the AAC. The Knights are conceding 21.6 points per game which puts them at 3rd in the AAC and 34th in the country. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road groups in college football. They are allowing 213.6 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Knights are ranked 7th in the American Athletic Conference. In terms of points given up, they have given up 173 total points. In discussing rushing yards, they are allowing 125.6 yards per game ranking them 33rd in college football and 3rd in the American Athletic Conference. For the 2019 season, they have conceded a total of 1,005 rushing yards and 6.4 rushing TDs.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Cougars +22.5

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