Houston Cougars vs SMU Mustangs Prediction, 12/5/2020 College Football Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Houston Cougars vs SMU Mustangs

Date: Saturday, December 5, 2020

Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium

TV: ESPNU

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-1)

Total/Over-Under: 69

Shane Buechele and the SMU Mustangs (7-3) host the Houston Cougars (3-3) at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Saturday, December 5, 2020. Houston opens this matchup as 1-point favorites. The total is set at 69.

In their last outing, the Houston Cougars went up against the USF Bulls and added a win to their record by a score of 56-21. Clayton Tune led the team on the ground for the game. His longest run of the day went for 26 yards and he ran for 2 TD's in this game. He ran for 120 yards on 10 carries which means he ran for an average of 12.0 yards per tote. Keith Corbin was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 67 yards on 4 catches. He earned an average of 16.8 yards per catch for the game. Clayton Tune went 14/25 with 165 yards through the air and tossed 3 touchdowns. He walked away with 1 interception for the contest.

In terms of scoring points, the Houston Cougars are averaging 33.2 points per game. As a unit they average 158.0 yards on the ground which ranks them 71st in Division 1. The Cougars have earned 2,555 total yards for this campaign. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, Houston has amassed 11 touchdowns via the pass and 11 rushing touchdowns. When talking about passing yards, the Cougars have given up 1,466 yds which has them ranked 70th in Division 1. For the year, they are conceding 435.2 yards/game which ranks them 101st in the nation. The Cougars sit in 106th in Division 1 regarding team defense, allowing 33.0 PPG. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.6 yards per rush and 190.8 rushing yards per game for the season. In their 6 games played, they are conceding 244.3 yards per contest via the pass as well as conceding a completion percentage of 57.3%. In total, they have given up 1,145 running yards through 6 games.

For his career, Tune has passed for 3,890 yds with 30 touchdowns and 17 picks. Since his college career started, he has attempted a run 159 times for a total of 530 yards. His QB rating is 137.0 with a TD percentage of 6.1% and an interception rate of 3.4%. He is throwing for 216.1 yds per game. Clayton Tune has connected on 285 of his career 494 passes for a completion percentage of 57.7%.

In the last game they played, the SMU Mustangs went up against the East Carolina Pirates and left there with a loss by a score of 52-38. Shane Buechele went 35/50 with 314 yards through the air and threw 2 TD's. He walked away with 2 picks for the contest. Ulysses Bentley IV paced the team on the ground in this contest. His longest run of the day went for 18 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He rushed for a total of 36 yards on 12 carries which meant he was running for 3.0 yards per run. Austin Upshaw led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 78 yards on 8 catches. He had an average of 9.8 yards per reception in this contest.

Concerning their scoring prowess, the Mustangs are ranking 17th in the country with an average of 38.6 PPG. Over the course of the season thus far, the Mustangs have compiled 3,180 yards through the air as well as an average of 318.0 throwing yards per outing, ranking them 15th in college football. They have an average of 176.5 yards per game via the ground game and have toted the ball for 1,765 yards overall. The SMU Mustangs are averaging 494.5 yards per outing which is good for 13th in college football. SMU has surrendered a total of 1,803 yards rushing (180.3 yards/game) and 19 touchdowns rushing for the campaign. The Mustangs are relinquishing 30.9 points per contest, ranking them 88th in Division 1. In total, they have given up 309 pts. They have conceded 22 touchdowns through the air as well as 241.9 yards per game, which puts them in 88th in the nation.

Buechele has passed for 87 TD's while tossing 32 interceptions in his collegiate career. His touchdown percentage when attempting a pass is 5.8% and his interception percentage is 2.1%. He has rushed for 478 yards on 290 attempts. He averages 253.5 yds per game through the air with a 143.0 QB rating. In the 46 games in his collegiate career, Shane Buechele has connected on 952 of 1,507 attempts for 11,660 yards.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Cougars -1

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here