MTSU at Iowa NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 9/28/2019

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Kinnick Stadium

Kinnick Stadium is the site where Nathan Stanley and the Iowa Hawkeyes will take on the MTSU Blue Raiders on Saturday. MTSU opens this matchup as 23.5-point dogs. The Blue Raiders are 1-2-0 ATS and 3-0-0 when betting on the total. The Hawkeyes are 1-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-2-0 against the spread.

Key MTSU Blue Raiders Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Iowa Hawkeyes Injuries

09/22/19 DB Kaevon Merriweather Foot is questionable Saturday vs Middle Tenn St
09/22/19 DL Brady Reiff Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Middle Tenn St
09/22/19 WR Brandon Smith Shoulder is questionable Saturday vs Middle Tenn St
09/22/19 DB Matt Hankins Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Middle Tenn St
09/03/19 DB Riley Moss Leg is out indefinitely
09/03/19 OL Alaric Jacskon Knee is out indefinitely
09/03/19 DB Julius Brents Knee is out indefinitely

In their last game, the MTSU Blue Raiders played the Duke Blue Devils and were defeated 41-18. Running the show from under center for the Blue Raiders was Asher O'Hara who went 19/27 with 201 yards passing and added 2 touchdowns. He finished the game without throwing an interception. Asher O'Hara paced the team on the ground during the game. He had a long run of 28 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He racked up a total of 67 yards by way of 18 carries which meant he was running for 3.7 yards per carry. Jimmy Marshall was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 42 yards on 3 catches. He notched an average of 14.0 yards per reception during the game. The MTSU Blue Raiders ran the football 32 times and earned 138 yards giving them an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. For the game, the Blue Raiders earned 19 first downs and they totaled 2 penalties for 20 yards telling us that they had a strong outing in terms of discipline. For the game, they ran 59 plays which added up to 339 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, MTSU gave up 24 completions on 27 tries totaling 237 yards, and a completion percentage of 88.9%. In the game, they conceded a total of 463 yards but didn't add to their total of forced turnovers. Against the run, the Blue Raiders gave up 226 yards on 45 attempts which gave the opponent an average of 5.0 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Blue Raiders head into this matchup 1-2 this season. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country with an average of 28 points per game, which has them at 80th in D-1. As a team, they are averaging 147.3 rushing yards per contest which is 9th in Conference USA. For total yardage, they are currently ranked 9th in the conference and 100th in D-1 with 1,244 yards. The Blue Raiders have one of the most lackluster defenses in the country, allowing 35.7 points per game ranking them 11th in the conference. In terms of yards rushing, MTSU is allowing 222 yards per contest ranking them 13th in Conference USA and 123rd in the nation. Opposing teams are running for an average of 5 yards per rush which has them at 11th in Conference USA and 110th in college football overall. In total, they have conceded 666 rushing yards through 3 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Blue Raiders have allowed 802 yards. Opponents are completing 68.8% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.7 yards per attempt.

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In their last game, the Iowa Hawkeyes took on the Iowa State Cyclones and won by a score of 18-17. Running the show from under center for the Hawkeyes was Nate Stanley who went 22/35 with 201 yards passing but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He ended the game with no interceptions. Mekhi Sargent paced the team in rushing for that contest. He broke a long run for 22 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He rushed for a total of 58 yards via 13 carries which meant he averaged 4.5 yards per run. Brandon Smith led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 51 yards on 4 receptions. He had an average of 12.8 yards per reception for that contest. The Iowa Hawkeyes ran the ball a total of 37 times and totaled 112 yards giving them an average of 3.0 yards per attempt. In the game, the Hawkeyes earned a total of 18 1st downs and they totaled 4 penalties for 15 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. In all, they totaled 72 plays which added up to 313 yards. When discussing the defense, Iowa conceded 25 completions on 35 throws for a total of 327 yards, and a completion percentage of 71.4%. On the ground, the Hawkeyes conceded 91 yards on 19 carries which means they allowed 4.8 yards per rushing attempt allowed. In the game, they conceded 418 yards and forced 2 turnovers.

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The Hawkeyes head into this matchup 3-0. In discussing the offensive production, the Hawkeyes have one of the average offenses in college football. Iowa has made teams respect their running game by averaging 173 rushing yards per contest, which has them at 58th in the nation. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 519 yards rushing through 3 contests, so they will want to continue to try to improve on the run game so opponents will have to respect all facets of the game. The Hawkeyes average 405.3 yards per contest overall putting them 70th in college football and 9th in the Big Ten Conference. The Hawkeyes are giving up 10.3 points per game ranking them 4th in the Big Ten Conference and 7th in college football. In terms of points given up, they have given up 31 total points. In regard to rushing yards, they are allowing 78 yards per contest ranking them 15th in the nation and 6th in the Big Ten. For this season, they have given up 234 yards rushing and 0 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the elite units in the country. They are conceding 184.7 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Hawkeyes sit in 7th in the Big Ten Conference.

Who will win tonight's Blue Raiders/Hawkeyes college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Blue Raiders +23.5

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