Liberty vs Rutgers NCAA Football Tips 10/26/2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

HighPoint.com Stadium

HighPoint.com Stadium is the venue where Johnny Langan and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will play the Liberty Flames on Saturday. Rutgers opens this game as 4.5-point dogs. The Flames are 3-4-0 ATS and 0-5-0 when betting on the total. The Scarlet Knights are 3-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-6-0 against the spread.

In their last outing, the Liberty Flames went up against the Maine Black Bears and won by a score of 59-44. Frankie Hickson paced the team on the ground in the game. He had a long run of 30 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He ran for 98 yards via 9 carries which meant he was running for 10.9 yards per run. Antonio Gandy-Golden was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 149 yards on 9 receptions. He averaged 16.6 yards per catch in the game. Leading the way at QB for the Flames was Stephen Calvert who went 23/35 with 351 yards passing and threw 5 TD's. He walked away with no picks. The Flames ran the ball 27 times and racked up a total of 138 yards giving them an average of 5.1 yards per run. In all, they finished with a total of 63 plays for a total of 489 yards. For the contest, the Flames racked up a total of 27 1st downs and they totaled 8 penalties for 87 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. On the defensive side of the ball, Liberty allowed 26 completions on 39 attempts for a total of 456 yards, and a completion percentage of 66.7%. Against the run, the Flames allowed 118 yards on 37 attempts which is an average of 3.2 yards per carry allowed. For the game, they conceded 574 yards and earned 2 takeaways.

The Flames step onto the field holding a record of 5-2 for this year. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country averaging 29.6 points per contest, putting them 66th in college football. As a unit, they are averaging 133.7 rushing yards per contest which is 3rd among Independent teams. For total yards, they are currently ranked 1st among Independent teams and 55th in college football with 2,867 yards. The Flames have one of the middle tier defenses in the country, giving up 24.3 points per contest putting them 3rd among Independent teams. When it comes to passing yards, the Flames have allowed 1,681 yards. Opponents are completing 58.6% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.8 yards per try. In discussing yards rushing, Liberty is giving up 198.7 yards per contest putting them 4th among D-1 Independent teams and 108th in Division 1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.9 yards per rush ranking them 4th among FBS Independent teams and 107th in Division 1 overall. In total, they have conceded 1,391 rushing yards through 7 contests.

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In their last contest, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights took on the Minnesota Golden Gophers and ended up taking the loss by a score of 42-7. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Scarlet Knights was Johnny Langan who went 9/19 with 48 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He gave away 3 picks during the game. Isaih Pacheco paced the team on the ground during the game. He broke a long run for 11 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He rushed for a total of 50 yards via 15 carries which gave him an average of 3.3 yards per carry. Eddie Lewis led the team in receiving yardage by earning 18 yards on 3 receptions. He earned an average of 6.0 yards per catch during the game. The Scarlet Knights rushed the ball a total of 40 times and racked up a total of 141 yards earning them an average of 3.5 yards per rushing attempt. On the day, the Scarlet Knights earned 16 first downs and they had 5 penalties for 55 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. In the game, they totaled 59 plays which added up to 189 yards. When discussing the defense, Rutgers gave up 15 catches on 28 tries for a total of 245 yards, and a completion percentage of 53.6%. On the day, they conceded 443 yards but went the whole game without forcing a turnover. In the running game, the Scarlet Knights gave up 198 yards on 45 carries which gave them an average of 4.4 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

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The Scarlet Knights step onto the field holding a record of 1-6. Rutgers needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 111.4 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 114th in Division 1. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 780 yards rushing through 7 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Scarlet Knights average 255.9 yards per game overall ranking them 130th in Division 1 and 14th in the conference. The Scarlet Knights are allowing 36.9 points per game which puts them at 14th in the conference and 123rd in Division 1. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road groups in the nation. They are giving up 241.6 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Scarlet Knights are currently ranked 12th in the Big Ten Conference. In discussing points allowed, they have given up 258 total points. In terms of yards on the ground, they are giving up 206.9 yards per contest which puts them at 113th in Division 1 and 14th in the conference. This season, they have conceded a total of 1,448 rushing yards and 18.9 rushing TDs.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Scarlet Knights +4.5

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