UTSA at North Texas NCAA Football Picks and Tips 9/21/2019

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Apogee Stadium

Apogee Stadium is the site where Mason Fine and the North Texas Mean Green will take on the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday. The odds on this game have North Texas as 18-point favorites. The O/U is set at 58. The Roadrunners are 1-2-0 ATS and 1-1-1 when betting on the total. The Mean Green are 2-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-2-0 against the spread.

Key UTSA Roadrunners Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key North Texas Mean Green Injuries

09/15/19 WR Rico Bussey Jr. Knee left last game, is questionable Saturday vs Tex San Antonio

In their last contest, the UTSA Roadrunners took on the Army Black Knights and lost 31-13. Sincere McCormick paced the team on the ground for that game. He broke a long run for 11 yards and he added 1 TD in the game. He rushed for a total of 27 yards via 5 carries which meant he was running for 5.4 yards per carry. Carlos Strickland II led the team in receiving yardage by racking up 38 yards on 4 catches. He notched an average of 9.5 yards per reception for that game. Leading the way at QB for the Roadrunners was Frank Harris who went 23/31 with 187 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He tossed 1 pick in the game. The UTSA Roadrunners ran the football 27 times and earned 51 yards which had them averaging 1.9 yards per attempt. Overall, they finished with a total of 60 plays which gave them a total of 260 yards. On the day, the Roadrunners racked up 13 1st downs and they had a total of 7 penalties for 54 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. In terms of defense, UTSA allowed 2 completions on 2 tries for a total of 18 yards, and a completion percentage of 100.0%. Against the run, the Roadrunners allowed 340 yards on 55 runs which gave them an average of 6.2 yards per attempt allowed. For the game, they gave up 358 yards and forced 2 takeaways.

The Roadrunners head into this game 1-2 for 2019. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation with an average of 20.7 points per contest, putting them 107th in Division 1. As a team, they have an average of 166.3 yards on the ground per game which is 6th in the conference. For total yardage, they sit in 9th in the conference and 91st in Division 1 with 1,016 yards. The Roadrunners have one of the worst defenses in college football, giving up 33.7 points per contest which has them at 9th in Conference USA. When it comes to yards through the air, the Roadrunners have conceded 517 yards. Teams are completing 56.9% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. In regard to rushing yards, UTSA is giving up 245.3 yards per contest putting them 14th in the conference and 125th in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 6.5 yards per carry which has them at 14th in the conference and 128th in the country overall. In total, they have conceded 736 yards rushing through 3 contests.

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In the last game they played, the North Texas Mean Green played the California Golden Bears and ended up taking the loss by a score of 23-17. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Mean Green was Mason Fine who went 21/40 with 210 yards through the air and completed 2 touchdowns. He tossed 1 interception in the game. Tre Siggers led the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 16 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He ran for 88 yards on 18 carries which gave him an average of 4.9 yards per carry. Jaelon Darden was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 75 yards on 2 catches. He earned an average of 37.5 yards per reception for the game. The North Texas Mean Green ran the football 31 times and racked up a total of 119 yards which earned them an average of 3.8 yards per rushing attempt. For the contest, the Mean Green had a total of 18 first downs and they totaled 9 penalties for 105 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. For the game, they ran 71 plays for 329 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, North Texas gave up 9 catches on 22 attempts for a total of 129 yards, and a completion percentage of 40.9%. Overall, they allowed a total of 278 yards and earned 0 takeaways. Against the run, the Mean Green gave up 149 yards on 48 tries allowing their opponent an average of 3.1 yards per run allowed.

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The Mean Green come into this matchup with a record of 1-2. North Texas has made teams respect their running game by averaging 174 rushing yards per game, putting them 60th in D-1. As a team, they have compiled a total of 522 yards rushing through 3 games, 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 Mean Green average 433.3 yards per contest overall ranking them 51st in the nation and 4th in C-USA. The Mean Green are giving up 34.3 points per contest which puts them at 10th in Conference USA and 108th in college football. When talking about points allowed, they have allowed 103 total points. In regard to yards rushing, they are allowing 181 yards per contest which puts them at 99th in college football and 8th in the conference. In 2019, they have conceded 543 rushing yards and 8.1 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the middling groups in Division 1. They are giving up 231.3 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Mean Green sit in 5th in C-USA.

Who will win tonight's Roadrunners/Mean Green college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Roadrunners +18

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