USC at BYU NCAA Football Picks 9/14/2019

Saturday, September 14, 2019

LaVell Edwards Stadium

Kedon Slovis and the USC Trojans travel to LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the BYU Cougars. The spread on this contest has USC as 3-point favorites. The total is set at 53. The Trojans are 1-1-0 ATS and 2-0-0 when betting on the total. The Cougars are 1-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-1-0 against the spread.

Key USC Trojans Injuries

09/06/19 WR Bru McCoy Illness is out indefinitely
09/01/19 QB JT Daniels Knee is out for season
08/17/19 LB Solomon Tuliaupupu Foot is out for season

Key BYU Cougars Injuries

08/01/19 WR Neil Pau'u Suspension is out for season
07/08/19 RB Beau Hoge Leg is out for season

In the last game they played, the USC Trojans faced the Stanford Cardinal and were on the winning end of this game by a score of 45-20. Running the show from under center for the Trojans was Kedon Slovis who went 28/33 with 377 yards passing and tossed 3 touchdowns. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Vavae Malepeai led the team on the ground in the game. He broke a long run for 11 yards and he added 2 touchdowns during the game. He scurried for 42 yards by way of 12 carries which meant he was running for 3.5 yards per run. Tyler Vaughns was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 106 yards on 5 receptions. He notched an average of 21.2 yards per catch in the game. The USC Trojans ran the football 28 times and earned 115 yards which earned them an average of 4.1 yards per rush. Overall, the Trojans totaled 23 first downs and they totaled 8 penalties for 93 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. In all, they totaled 61 plays for 492 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, USC allowed 22 catches on 36 attempts totaling 237 yards, and a completion percentage of 61.1%. In the game, they gave up a total of 335 yards and earned 1 turnover. Against the run, the Trojans allowed 98 yards on 30 tries which means they allowed 3.3 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Trojans head into this game 2-0 for 2019. For total yardage, they currently sit at 5th in the Pac-12 Conference and 36th in D-1 with 939 yards. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 38 points per contest, ranking them 41st in D-1. As a team, they have an average of 145 rushing yards per contest which is 8th in the Pac-12. The Trojans have one of the top tier defenses in the country, giving up 21.5 points per game which has them at 7th in the Pac-12. When it comes to passing yards, the Trojans have allowed 649 yards. Opponents are completing 54.7% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 6.6 yards per attempt. In discussing yards on the ground, USC is giving up 152 yards per contest which has them at 9th in the conference and 78th in Division 1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.3 yards per carry putting them 11th in the conference and 93rd in D-1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 304 yards rushing through 2 games.

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In their last contest, the BYU Cougars took on the Tennessee Volunteers and left there with a loss by a score of 26-29. Leading the way at QB for the Cougars was Zach Wilson who went 19/29 with 232 yards passing and tossed 1 TD. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Ty'Son Williams led the team in rushing for the game. He had a long run of 16 yards and he tallied 2 touchdowns during the game. He rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries which had him averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Micah Simon was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 127 yards on 7 catches. He earned an average of 18.1 yards per catch for the game. The BYU Cougars rushed the ball a total of 30 times and totaled 107 yards earning them an average of 3.6 yards per run. For the game, they totaled 60 plays which added up to 339 yards. Overall, the Cougars racked up 18 first downs and they had a total of 7 penalties for 63 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. On the defensive side of the ball, Brigham Young gave up 17 catches on 28 throws totaling 176 yards, and a completion percentage of 60.7%. In the running game, the Cougars gave up 242 yards on 49 carries allowing their opponent an average of 4.9 yards per attempt allowed. In the game, they conceded a total of 418 yards and forced 1 turnover.

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The Cougars head into this matchup 1-1. BYU needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 99.5 rushing yards per game, putting them 114th in college football. As a team, they have a total of 199 yards rushing through 2 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Cougars average 319.5 yards per contest overall ranking them 108th in the nation and 2nd among FBS Independent teams. The Cougars are allowing 28 points per game ranking them 3rd among D-1 Independent teams and 91st in Division 1. In terms of points allowed, they have given up 56 points in total. In discussing rushing yards, they are giving up 252 yards per game ranking them 128th in college football and 4th among Independent teams. For this year, they have given up a total of 504 yards on the ground and 2 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the top units in D-1. They are conceding 141 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Cougars currently sit at 2nd among Independent teams.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Trojans -3

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