UTEP at Southern Miss NCAA Football Picks 9/28/2019

Saturday, September 28, 2019

M. M. Roberts Stadium

M. M. Roberts Stadium is the site where Jack Abraham and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles will take on the UTEP Miners on Saturday. The odds on this matchup have Southern Miss as 25.5-point favorites. The Miners are 0-3-0 ATS and 2-1-0 when betting on the total. The Golden Eagles are 2-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-2-0 against the spread.

Key UTEP Miners Injuries

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

Key Southern Miss Golden Eagles Injuries

09/14/19 RB Trivenskey Mosley Knee is out indefinitely
07/08/19 WR Quez Watkins Academics is out indefinitely

In their last game, the UTEP Miners went up against the Nevada Wolf Pack and took the loss by a score of 37-21. Running the show from under center for the Miners was Brandon Jones who went 8/11 with 106 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with 1 pick on the day. Treyvon Hughes led the team on the ground for that contest. He had a long run of 17 yards and he ran for 2 TD's during the game. He rushed for 80 yards via 17 carries which gave him an average of 4.7 yards per tote. Jess Trussell was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 53 yards on 3 receptions. He notched an average of 17.7 yards per reception for that contest. The UTEP Miners ran the football 47 times and totaled 162 yards earning them an average of 3.4 yards per rush. In the game, the Miners racked up 17 1st downs and they had 7 penalties for 82 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. Overall, they finished with a total of 64 plays which added up to 278 yards. When discussing the defense, UTEP conceded 15 completions on 21 tries totaling 203 yards, and a completion percentage of 71.4%. Against the run, the Miners conceded 200 yards on 38 carries which gave them an average of 5.3 yards per run allowed. For the game, they gave up a total of 403 yards and forced 2 turnovers.

The Miners head into this game 1-2 in 2019. For total yardage, they are currently ranked 13th in Conference USA and 122nd in college football with 917 yards. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation averaging 20 points per game, putting them 113th in college football. As a team, they have an average of 159.7 yards on the ground per game which is 7th in the conference. The Miners have one of the worst defenses in the nation, allowing 36.3 points per contest which has them at 12th in the conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Miners have allowed 438 yards. Opponents are completing 69.5% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.3 yards per try. In terms of yards on the ground, UTEP is giving up 154 yards per contest putting them 6th in C-USA and 80th in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.6 yards per rush putting them 10th in C-USA and 95th in D-1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 462 rushing yards through 3 games.

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In their last game, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles took on the Alabama Crimson Tide and were defeated 49-7. De'Michael Harris led the team in rushing in the game. His longest run of the day went for 21 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He ran for 34 yards by way of 8 carries which meant he averaged 4.3 yards per carry. De'Michael Harris led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 50 yards on 3 catches. He earned an average of 16.7 yards per reception in the game. Leading the way at QB for the Golden Eagles was Jack Abraham who went 17/26 with 174 yards passing and added 1 touchdown. He threw 1 interception during the game. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles ended up rushing 32 times and generated 52 yards earning them an average of 1.6 yards per run. In the game, the Golden Eagles earned 15 1st downs and they had 6 penalties for 55 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. For the game, they ran 58 plays which added up to 226 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Southern Miss conceded 20 catches on 25 attempts totaling 338 yards, and a completion percentage of 80.0%. Overall, they gave up a total of 514 yards and earned 1 takeaway. On the ground, the Golden Eagles conceded 176 yards on 35 attempts which gave the opponent an average of 5.0 yards per run allowed.

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The Golden Eagles head into this game 2-2. Southern Miss is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 92.5 yards on the ground per contest, ranking them 122nd in the country. As a team, they have compiled a total of 370 rushing yards through 4 games, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Golden Eagles average 396.3 yards per contest overall putting them 76th in the country and 7th in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles are giving up 34.8 points per contest which puts them at 10th in C-USA and 112th in D-1. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road groups in college football. They are conceding 291.8 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Golden Eagles are ranked 14th in the conference. In regard to points given up, they have given up 139 total points. When it comes to yards rushing, they are giving up 122.5 yards per contest which puts them at 49th in D-1 and 3rd in the conference. For this season, they have allowed 490 yards rushing and 7.2 rushing TDs.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Miners +25.5

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