Memphis at South Alabama NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 9/14/2019

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Ladd-Peebles Stadium

Ladd-Peebles Stadium is the site where Cephus Johnson and the South Alabama Jaguars will take on the Memphis Tigers on Saturday. South Alabama opens this matchup as 18.5-point dogs. The total opens at 60. The Tigers are 1-1-0 ATS and 1-1-0 when betting on the total. The Jaguars are 1-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-1-0 against the spread.

Key Memphis Tigers Injuries

09/08/19 DL O'Bryan Goodson Leg is questionable Saturday vs South Alabama
09/08/19 RB Patrick Taylor Jr. Ankle missed last game, is questionable Saturday vs South Alabama

Key South Alabama Jaguars Injuries

No key injuries to report

In their last game, the Memphis Tigers played the Southern Jaguars and ended up getting the win by a score of 55-24. Running the show from under center for the Tigers was Brady White who went 17/21 with 337 yards through the air and completed 2 TD's. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Kenneth Gainwell paced the team in rushing for the game. He broke a long run for 46 yards and he ran for 2 touchdowns for the game. He scurried for 85 yards by way of 16 carries which meant he averaged 5.3 yards per run. Damonte Coxie led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 112 yards on 6 catches. He averaged 18.7 yards per catch for the game. The Memphis Tigers ended up running the ball 42 times and totaled 177 yards which had them averaging 4.2 yards per run. Overall, they totaled 70 plays which added up to 575 yards. In the game, the Tigers totaled 23 first downs and they had 6 penalties for 44 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. When discussing the defense, Memphis conceded 8 completions on 19 tries for a total of 90 yards, and a completion percentage of 42.1%. On the ground, the Tigers conceded 168 yards on 39 tries which gave the opponent an average of 4.3 yards per attempt allowed. For this contest, they allowed 258 yards and earned 0 turnovers.

The Tigers head into this game 2-0 this year. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 35 points per game, which has them at 50th in college football. As a unit, they are averaging 184.5 yards on the ground per contest which is 7th in the American Athletic Conference. For total yardage, they rank 3rd in the AAC and 34th in college football with 939 yards. The Tigers have one of the top tier defenses in D-1, allowing 17 points per contest which has them at 4th in the American Athletic Conference. When talking about rushing yards, Memphis is giving up 124 yards per contest ranking them 8th in the AAC and 57th in D-1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.4 yards per rush putting them 6th in the conference and 48th in college football overall. In total, they have allowed 248 yards rushing through 2 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Tigers have conceded 570 yards. Opponents are completing 44.7% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 4.8 yards per try.

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The last time they took the field, the South Alabama Jaguars went up against the Jackson State Tigers and added a win to their record by a score of 37-14. Tra Minter led the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 49 yards and he tallied 2 TD's in the game. He racked up a total of 189 yards via 16 carries which gave him an average of 11.8 yards per carry. Kawaan Baker led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 41 yards on 2 receptions. He had an average of 20.5 yards per reception for the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Jaguars was Cephus Johnson who went 11/18 with 120 yards through the air and added 1 TD. He threw 2 picks in the game. The South Alabama Jaguars rushed the ball a total of 60 times and earned 413 yards which earned them an average of 6.9 yards per carry. For the game, the Jaguars had a total of 29 1st downs and they totaled 11 infractions for 101 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. On the day, they ran 79 plays for 538 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, South Alabama gave up 15 catches on 26 attempts for a total of 123 yards, and a completion percentage of 57.7%. On the day, they allowed a total of 265 yards and earned 2 turnovers. In the running game, the Jaguars gave up 142 yards on 30 attempts allowing their opponent an average of 4.7 yards per run allowed.

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The Jaguars step onto the field holding a record of 1-1. South Alabama has made teams game plan around their running game by averaging 248 rushing yards per contest, which has them at 22nd in the nation. As a unit, they have a total of 496 rushing yards through 2 games, and if they want to continue their dominance, they'll want to keep running the ball. The Jaguars average 426 yards per game overall which has them at 59th in the country and 7th in the conference. The Jaguars are conceding 24.5 points per contest which puts them at 4th in the conference and 67th in Division 1. Their passing defense is one of the top units in Division 1. They are allowing 150.5 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Jaguars currently sit at 3rd in the Sun Belt. When talking about points given up, they have allowed 49 points in total. When it comes to yards on the ground, they are allowing 120 yards per contest which puts them at 52nd in Division 1 and 3rd in the Sun Belt. This year, they have conceded 240 yards on the ground and 3 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Tigers/Jaguars college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Tigers -18.5

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