Washington State at Utah NCAA Football Game Picks 9/28/2019

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Rice-Eccles Stadium

Rice-Eccles Stadium is the site where Tyler Huntley and the Utah Utes will take on the Washington State Cougars on Saturday. The spread on this game has Utah as 7-point favorites. The Cougars are 1-3-0 ATS and 2-2-0 when betting on the total. The Utes are 1-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-3-0 against the spread.

Key Washington State Cougars Injuries

09/14/19 WR Jamire Calvin Foot is out indefinitely

Key Utah Utes Injuries

09/22/19 RB Zack Moss Shoulder left last game, is questionable Saturday vs Washington State

In their last game, the Washington State Cougars took on the UCLA Bruins and took the loss by a score of 67-63. Max Borghi led the team in rushing during the game. He broke a long run for 56 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He rushed for a total of 123 yards by way of 15 carries which gave him an average of 8.2 yards per carry. Easop Winston Jr. was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 114 yards on 10 receptions. He had an average of 11.4 yards per reception during the game. Running the show from under center for the Cougars was Anthony Gordon who went 41/61 with 570 yards through the air and added 9 TD's. He walked away with 2 interceptions on the day. The Washington State Cougars ended up running the ball 21 times and generated 150 yards which earned them an average of 7.1 yards per attempt. In the game, they ran 82 plays for a total of 720 yards. In the game, the Cougars racked up 28 first downs and they had a total of 7 infractions for 38 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, Washington State allowed 25 catches on 38 throws totaling 507 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.8%. In the running game, the Cougars allowed 150 yards on 37 carries giving the other team an average of 4.1 yards per rushing attempt allowed. For the game, they allowed 657 yards and earned 1 turnover.

The Cougars head into this matchup 3-0 for this year. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 52.8 points per contest, putting them 5th in the nation. As a team, they are averaging 68.3 rushing yards per contest which is 11th in the Pac-12 Conference. For total yards, they are currently ranked 6th in the conference and 37th in the nation with 1,701 yards. The Cougars have one of the middle tier defenses in the country, allowing 28.8 points per contest which has them at 7th in the conference. In discussing yards rushing, Washington State is giving up 137.8 yards per game ranking them 7th in the conference and 58th in the country. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.7 yards per rush putting them 12th in the Pac-12 Conference and 102nd in the nation overall. In total, they have conceded 551 rushing yards through 4 games. When it comes to passing yards, the Cougars have conceded 1,428 yards. Opponents are completing 61% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.0 yards per attempt.

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In their last game, the Utah Utes faced the USC Trojans and took the defeat by a score of 30-23. Devin Brumfield led the team in rushing for the game. He had a long run of 30 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He scurried for 63 yards by way of 10 carries which meant he averaged 6.3 yards per tote. Jaylen Dixon led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 38 yards on 1 catch. He had an average of 38.0 yards per catch for the game. Running the show from under center for the Utes was Tyler Huntley who went 22/30 with 210 yards through the air and tossed 1 touchdown. He walked away with no picks. The Utah Utes rushed the ball a total of 49 times and earned a total of 247 yards earning them an average of 5.0 yards per attempt. Overall, they totaled 79 plays for 457 yards. For the contest, the Utes racked up 27 first downs and they had a total of 16 penalties for 120 yards telling us that this team had an undisciplined week of practice. When discussing the defense, Utah gave up 23 completions on 32 attempts for a total of 368 yards, and a completion percentage of 71.9%. On the day, they allowed 396 yards and earned 2 takeaways. Against the run, the Utes gave up 28 yards on 19 attempts which means they allowed 1.5 yards per run allowed.

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The Utes come into this matchup with a record of 3-1. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Utes have one of the middle tier offenses in the country. Utah has shown the nation they have a formidable rushing attack by averaging 231.3 rushing yards per contest, which has them at 27th in college football. As a unit, they have a total of 925 yards rushing through 4 games, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Utes average 443.8 yards per game overall which has them at 46th in the nation and 6th in the conference. The Utes are allowing 14.8 points per game which puts them at 3rd in the Pac-12 Conference and 21st in Division 1. In discussing points given up, they have given up 59 total points. When talking about rushing yards, they are giving up 55.8 yards per game which puts them at 4th in the country and 1st in the Pac-12 Conference. For 2019, they have given up 223 yards on the ground and 3.2 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road groups in the nation. They are conceding 222.8 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Utes are currently ranked 7th in the conference.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Utes -7

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