UTSA at UTEP NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 10/5/2019

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Sun Bowl

Frank Harris and the UTSA Roadrunners are headed to Sun Bowl on Saturday where they'll meet the UTEP Miners. UTEP opens this matchup as 2-point underdogs. The Roadrunners are 1-3-0 ATS and 1-2-1 when betting on the total. The Miners are 2-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 0-3-0 against the spread.

Key UTSA Roadrunners Injuries

09/29/19 QB Frank Harris Arm injured last game, is questionable Saturday vs UTEP
09/23/19 TE Leroy Watson Neck is out indefinitely

Key UTEP Miners Injuries

08/26/19 RB Quadraiz Wadley Toe is out for season

In their last game, the UTSA Roadrunners went up against the North Texas Mean Green and lost 45-3. Lowell Narcisse led the team in rushing in the game. He tore off a long run of 42 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He ran for 98 yards via 15 carries which meant he was running for 6.5 yards per run. Sheldon Jones was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 41 yards on 6 catches. He notched an average of 6.8 yards per catch in the game. Running the show from under center for the Roadrunners was Lowell Narcisse who went 16/36 with 124 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He gave away 2 interceptions during the game. The UTSA Roadrunners ended up rushing 42 times and added 167 yards which earned them an average of 4.0 yards per rush. Overall, the Roadrunners got 18 1st downs and they had a total of 1 penalty for 15 yards telling us that they had a strong outing in terms of discipline. On the day, they ran 82 plays which added up to 295 yards. When discussing the defense, UTSA allowed 17 completions on 26 attempts for a total of 211 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.4%. For this contest, they gave up a total of 501 yards but didn't get any takeaways. On the ground, the Roadrunners allowed 290 yards on 44 attempts which gave the opponent an average of 6.6 yards per carry allowed.

The Roadrunners come into this game with a record of 1-3 in 2019. For total yards, they sit in 12th in the conference and 119th in D-1 with 1,311 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the worst in the country with an average of 16.3 points per game, which has them at 127th in D-1. As a unit, they have an average of 166.5 rushing yards per contest which is 4th in the conference. The Roadrunners have one of the worst defenses in college football, allowing 36.5 points per contest putting them 12th in Conference USA. In terms of rushing yards, UTSA is giving up 256.5 yards per game putting them 14th in the conference and 130th in the nation. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 6.5 yards per carry putting them 14th in Conference USA and 131st in college football overall. In total, they have allowed 1,026 rushing yards through 4 contests. When it comes to passing yards, the Roadrunners have allowed 645 yards. Opponents are completing 59.5% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.0 yards per try.

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In the last game they played, the UTEP Miners went up against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and lost 31-13. Kai Locksley paced the team in rushing during the game. His longest run of the day went for 63 yards and he tallied 1 TD in the game. He ran for 114 yards by way of 12 carries which gave him an average of 9.5 yards per carry. Alan Busey was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 51 yards on 3 catches. He had an average of 17.0 yards per reception during the game. Leading the way at QB for the Miners was Kai Locksley who went 8/15 with 109 yards through the air but wasn't able to throw a ball for a TD. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. The UTEP Miners rushed the ball a total of 25 times and racked up a total of 126 yards which gave them an average of 5.0 yards per carry. In all, they ran 53 plays which added up to 294 yards. For the contest, the Miners had a total of 14 first downs and they totaled 7 penalties for 60 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In terms of defense, UTEP gave up 19 catches on 28 throws for a total of 351 yards, and a completion percentage of 67.9%. On the day, they conceded 520 yards and forced 1 turnover. In the running game, the Miners gave up 169 yards on 36 tries giving the other team an average of 4.7 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

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The Miners head into this matchup 1-3. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Miners have one of the most lackluster offenses in Division 1. UTEP hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 151.3 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 78th in D-1. As a team, they have a total of 605 yards rushing through 4 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Miners average 302.8 yards per contest overall putting them 119th in D-1 and 12th in the conference. The Miners are giving up 35 points per contest ranking them 11th in the conference and 111th in college football. In discussing points allowed, they have allowed 140 total points. In regard to rushing yards, they are conceding 157.8 yards per game ranking them 78th in the nation and 6th in Conference USA. This season, they have allowed a total of 631 yards on the ground and 7.2 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the mediocre units in the nation. They are conceding 279.5 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Miners are currently ranked 14th in the conference.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Roadrunners -2

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