USF vs East Carolina Expert College Football Picks Against the Spread 10/26/2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

Jordan McCloud and the USF Bulls travel to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Saturday where they'll take on the East Carolina Pirates. East Carolina opens this contest as 1-point underdogs. The Bulls are 4-3-0 ATS and 3-3-1 when betting on the total. The Pirates are 1-6-0 when wagering on the over/under and 4-3-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the USF Bulls faced the Navy Midshipmen and were beaten 35-3. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Bulls was Kirk Rygol who went 4/7 with 64 yards through the air but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Jordan Cronkrite paced the team in rushing for that game. He broke a long run for 25 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He rushed for a total of 76 yards on 17 carries which had him averaging 4.5 yards per run. Jacob Mathis was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 34 yards on 2 catches. He earned an average of 17.0 yards per catch for that game. The Bulls ended up running the ball 37 times and racked up a total of 150 yards giving them an average of 4.1 yards per attempt. In the game, the Bulls racked up 13 1st downs and they totaled 8 infractions for 65 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. For the game, they ran 67 plays which gave them a total of 264 yards. When discussing the defense, USF gave up 1 completions on 4 throws totaling 23 yards, and a completion percentage of 25.0%. For the game, they allowed 458 yards and earned 3 turnovers. On the ground, the Bulls gave up 435 yards on 58 tries which is an average of 7.5 yards per carry allowed.

The Bulls head into this game 3-4 this year. For total yards, they are currently ranked 11th in the conference and 111th in the nation with 2,304 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country with an average of 23.4 points per game, which has them at 98th in the nation. As a team, they have an average of 157 yards on the ground per contest which is 9th in the conference. The Bulls have one of the average defenses in college football, allowing 29.6 points per contest ranking them 9th in the conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Bulls have conceded 1,205 yards. Teams are completing 62.5% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 6.9 yards per try. When talking about rushing yards, USF is allowing 213.1 yards per game ranking them 12th in the AAC and 117th in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.5 yards per carry ranking them 9th in the American Athletic Conference and 79th in the nation overall. In total, they have conceded 1,492 yards rushing through 7 games.

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In their last game, the East Carolina Pirates went up against the UCF Knights and took the defeat by a score of 41-28. Demetrius Mauney led the team on the ground for that contest. He tore off a long run of 18 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown in the game. He rushed for a total of 74 yards via 21 carries which gave him an average of 3.5 yards per run. C.J. Johnson was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 106 yards on 8 receptions. He earned an average of 13.3 yards per catch for that contest. Running the show from under center for the Pirates was Holton Ahlers who went 23/37 with 313 yards through the air and added 1 TD. He gave away 1 pick in the game. The Pirates ended up rushing 49 times and earned a total of 170 yards earning them an average of 3.5 yards per run. On the day, the Pirates earned 31 1st downs and they totaled 9 penalties for 95 yards telling us that this team had an undisciplined week of practice. Overall, they ran 86 plays which added up to 483 yards. When discussing the defense, East Carolina gave up 24 catches on 40 throws totaling 414 yards, and a completion percentage of 60.0%. Overall, they conceded 611 yards and forced 1 takeaway. In the running game, the Pirates gave up 197 yards on 47 carries which is an average of 4.2 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

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The Pirates come into this game with a record of 3-4. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Pirates leave a lot to be desired in terms of scoring in D-1. East Carolina has built a respectable ground game this year by averaging 162.1 rushing yards per game, putting them 69th in the country. As a team, they have compiled a total of 1,135 rushing yards through 7 games, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Pirates average 380.6 yards per contest overall which has them at 88th in the country and 9th in the conference. The Pirates are conceding 25.9 points per game which puts them at 7th in the American Athletic Conference and 57th in college football. In terms of points allowed, they have given up 181 total points. When it comes to yards on the ground, they are allowing 170.1 yards per game which puts them at 80th in college football and 7th in the conference. This year, they have given up a total of 1,191 yards rushing and 16.1 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the middling units in the country. They are giving up 231.7 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Pirates are currently ranked 8th in the conference.

Who will win tonight's Bulls/Pirates college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Bulls -1

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