New Mexico at San Jose State NCAA Football Picks 10/4/2019

Friday, October 4, 2019

CEFCU Stadium

CEFCU Stadium is the venue where Josh Love and the San Jose State Spartans will take on the New Mexico Lobos on Friday. San Jose State opens this matchup as 7.5-point favorites. The Lobos are 1-2-0 ATS and 3-0-0 when betting on the total. The Spartans are 0-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-2-0 against the spread.

Key New Mexico Lobos Injuries

09/25/19 WR Elijah Lilly Shoulder is out for season
09/18/19 QB Brandt Hughes Shoulder is out for season
09/10/19 DL Aaron Blackwell ACL is out for season

Key San Jose State Spartans Injuries

No key injuries to report

In the last game they played, the New Mexico Lobos played the Liberty Flames and were beaten 17-10. Ahmari Davis paced the team in rushing for that contest. His longest run of the day went for 35 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He ran for 99 yards on 18 carries which had him averaging 5.5 yards per run. Marcus Williams was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 33 yards on 3 catches. He notched an average of 11.0 yards per reception for that contest. Leading the way at QB for the Lobos was Tevaka Tuioti who went 12/26 with 139 yards passing and added 1 TD. He tossed 2 interceptions during the game. The New Mexico Lobos ran the football 42 times and racked up a total of 224 yards which gave them an average of 5.3 yards per carry. For the contest, the Lobos earned a total of 18 first downs and they had 6 penalties for 40 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. In all, they finished with a total of 68 plays which added up to 363 yards. In terms of defense, New Mexico gave up 24 completions on 36 tries totaling 306 yards, and a completion percentage of 66.7%. On the day, they allowed a total of 467 yards and earned 1 turnover. Against the run, the Lobos gave up 161 yards on 30 tries giving the other team an average of 5.4 yards per attempt allowed.

The Lobos head into this matchup 2-2 for the 2019 season. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 29.5 points per contest, putting them 72nd in the nation. As a unit, they have an average of 206 yards on the ground per contest which is 3rd in the conference. For total yards, they rank 5th in the MWC and 66th in the nation with 1,809 yards. The Lobos have one of the worst defenses in the nation, allowing 41.5 points per game putting them 12th in the Mountain West. When it comes to rushing yards, New Mexico is allowing 146.8 yards per game which has them at 9th in the Mountain West and 64th in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.3 yards per rush ranking them 9th in the Mountain West and 81st in the nation overall. In total, they have allowed 587 rushing yards through 4 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Lobos have allowed 985 yards. Teams are completing 62.4% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.9 yards per attempt.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

In their last game, the San Jose State Spartans faced the Air Force Falcons and lost 41-24. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Spartans was Josh Love who went 19/35 with 198 yards passing but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He walked away with no picks. Nick Nash led the team in rushing for that contest. He broke a long run for 19 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He scurried for 62 yards by way of 11 carries which gave him an average of 5.6 yards per carry. Tre Walker was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 69 yards on 6 receptions. He averaged 11.5 yards per reception for that contest. The San Jose State Spartans ran the football 31 times and racked up 98 yards earning them an average of 3.2 yards per rush. On the day, the Spartans racked up 26 1st downs and they had a total of 4 penalties for 20 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. Overall, they ran 73 plays which gave them a total of 378 yards. When discussing the defense, San Jose State conceded 5 catches on 10 throws for a total of 131 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. Against the run, the Spartans conceded 382 yards on 69 tries which gave the opponent an average of 5.5 yards per run allowed. For this contest, they gave up a total of 513 yards and earned 2 takeaways.

Related: Get college football picks & tips on all of today's games

The Spartans step onto the field holding a record of 2-2. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Spartans have one of the middle tier offenses in Division 1. San Jose State needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 119.3 rushing yards per game, which has them at 105th in college football. As a unit, they have a total of 477 yards rushing through 4 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Spartans average 404 yards per game overall putting them 72nd in college football and 6th in the Mountain West. The Spartans are giving up 29.3 points per game which puts them at 8th in the Mountain West and 84th in D-1. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road units in the country. They are allowing 236.8 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Spartans are ranked 9th in the Mountain West. When it comes to points allowed, they have given up 117 total points. In discussing yards rushing, they are giving up 219.8 yards per game ranking them 119th in D-1 and 11th in the conference. In 2019, they have allowed 879 yards rushing and 8 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Lobos/Spartans college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Lobos +7.5

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald