jimmythegreek
The opening odds start here
Appalachian St -26 over South Alabama:
The Mountaineers (2-1) of Appalachian St open up Sun Belt conference play hosting the Jaguars (1-3) of South Alabama from Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, NC. App St couldn’t have hosted a more sweeter cupcake last week than FCS Gardner Webb pulverizing the Runnin’ Bulldogs 72-7. D’Andre Hicks (11-150 13.6 1 TD) and Jalin Moore (8-119 14.9 2 TD) led a ground attack for the Mounties that gained 432 yards on the ground rushing for 6 TD’s in all. The combination of starter Zac Thomas (11/15 185 1 TD) and backup Peyton Derrick (7/7 68 1 TD) combined to go 18/22 for 253 yards and 2 scores through the air, both to Dominique Heath (4-118 2 TD). App St led 52-7 at half and pitched a second half shutout allowing Gardner Webb to just 160 total yards including just 36 on the ground. Jordan Smith (13/27 117 1 TD 2 INT) was sacked 3 times, all by Jermaine McDaniel Jr. Meanwhile, the Jaguars, after picking up their first win a couple of weeks ago against Texas St put forth an inspired effort against Memphis but lost 52-35. I won’t get much into that contest as my forthcoming pick will feature highlights from that game coming up later.
The Mounties nearly pulled off a week 1 upset against 9th ranked Penn St falling short by a TD. Since then APSU has gone on to upend Charlotte and Webb by an average of nearly 51 points in each win which, by the way equals their scoring average good for 6th in the nation. Thomas (50/67 750 6 TD 1 INT) other than the opener has barely been tested thus far in an offense which over the past few seasons thrived on the ground game. Averaging nearly 52 points per contest, Thomas has a very solid receiving core in place led by Corey Sutton (13-281 2 TD) and Malik Williams (11-155 2 TD), whom each caught just 4 passes each seeing limited action in their last start. Heath (7-153 3 TD) is the third piece to this three headed monster and may see increased field time this week against a pass weary defense that yields 292 passing yards per contest, in the bottom 20 of the nation. App St of course has not completely abandoned their running game, as the tandem of Moore (37-245 6.6 3 TD), and Hicks (16-156 9.8 1 TD) have busted through the gut behind a stout offensive line for big yardage gains on a limited amount of carries. Overall this offense averages about 525 yards of total yardage per game, which is just under the top 10 in the country ranking 12th overall. App St will go back to the run utilizing Moore and Hicks against a below average South Alabama run defense that has yielded 206 yards per game. The Jaguars’ leading tackler is safety Nigel Lawrence with 41 stops, and cornerback Jalen Thompson’s three interceptions include a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown when Texas State was leading 31-15. They are going to have to be quick on the outside providing coverage against the likes of Sutton and Williams, plus are going to need to make plays against an explosive offense that since the start of the season shows no signs of slowing down.
USA’s Evan Orth (66/96 789 6 TD 1 INT) has matched Thomas when it comes to his TD to INT ratio, and perhaps taking chances down the field as he did against Memphis could help the Jags stay close in a toe to toe battle. South Alabama averages just under 29 points per contest, not nearly enough to pull off an upset, but if Orth is efficient could keep his squad around for a lengthier time than most expect. However, here’s where it all comes crumbling down for USA. Their success in running the ball is limited, averaging only 130 yards on the ground. The Jaguars have limited depth in the backfield, and carrying the bulk of the workload will be Kawaan Baker (21-134 6.4 4 TD), who had only 33 yards in the loss to Memphis despite finding the end zone once. Other than Baker, their short yardage specialist Tra Minter (47-120 2.6 3 TD) other than getting opportunities in the red zone hasn’t been much of a factor. Jamarius Way (28-437 2 TD) is like a one man wrecking crew when it comes to being Orth’s top target, and caught 10 passes for 185 yards and a score in the loss to the Tigers. The Mounties, other than their near huge upset of the Nittanies in the opener, have allowed 20 points per contest, but just 16 in total over Charlotte and Gardner Webb combined. App State’s front seven will work to slow down a passing game that might pose a test if not at the very least contained. This is where the quickness of Demetrius Taylor could make things tough for Orth. In the secondary, cornerbacks Clifton Duck and Tae Hayes have tackled well while keeping receivers in front of them, while safeties Desmond Franklin and Josh Thomas have also been forces to be reckoned with for opposing lines.
If the Mounties can control tempo and contain Orth and Way in the passing game, there’s no stopping this balanced offense which will utilize Thomas in the aerial attack finding his receivers combined with Moore and Hicks putting up huge numbers thanks to speed and agility gobbling up huge yardage at a break neck pace. Too much of a disparity here on the defensive side of the ball, and the Jaguars lack the personnel, size and speed App St possesses in the secondary and on the line to put up a legitimate challenge.
I’ll have a second play up shortly for week 5.
The Mountaineers (2-1) of Appalachian St open up Sun Belt conference play hosting the Jaguars (1-3) of South Alabama from Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, NC. App St couldn’t have hosted a more sweeter cupcake last week than FCS Gardner Webb pulverizing the Runnin’ Bulldogs 72-7. D’Andre Hicks (11-150 13.6 1 TD) and Jalin Moore (8-119 14.9 2 TD) led a ground attack for the Mounties that gained 432 yards on the ground rushing for 6 TD’s in all. The combination of starter Zac Thomas (11/15 185 1 TD) and backup Peyton Derrick (7/7 68 1 TD) combined to go 18/22 for 253 yards and 2 scores through the air, both to Dominique Heath (4-118 2 TD). App St led 52-7 at half and pitched a second half shutout allowing Gardner Webb to just 160 total yards including just 36 on the ground. Jordan Smith (13/27 117 1 TD 2 INT) was sacked 3 times, all by Jermaine McDaniel Jr. Meanwhile, the Jaguars, after picking up their first win a couple of weeks ago against Texas St put forth an inspired effort against Memphis but lost 52-35. I won’t get much into that contest as my forthcoming pick will feature highlights from that game coming up later.
The Mounties nearly pulled off a week 1 upset against 9th ranked Penn St falling short by a TD. Since then APSU has gone on to upend Charlotte and Webb by an average of nearly 51 points in each win which, by the way equals their scoring average good for 6th in the nation. Thomas (50/67 750 6 TD 1 INT) other than the opener has barely been tested thus far in an offense which over the past few seasons thrived on the ground game. Averaging nearly 52 points per contest, Thomas has a very solid receiving core in place led by Corey Sutton (13-281 2 TD) and Malik Williams (11-155 2 TD), whom each caught just 4 passes each seeing limited action in their last start. Heath (7-153 3 TD) is the third piece to this three headed monster and may see increased field time this week against a pass weary defense that yields 292 passing yards per contest, in the bottom 20 of the nation. App St of course has not completely abandoned their running game, as the tandem of Moore (37-245 6.6 3 TD), and Hicks (16-156 9.8 1 TD) have busted through the gut behind a stout offensive line for big yardage gains on a limited amount of carries. Overall this offense averages about 525 yards of total yardage per game, which is just under the top 10 in the country ranking 12th overall. App St will go back to the run utilizing Moore and Hicks against a below average South Alabama run defense that has yielded 206 yards per game. The Jaguars’ leading tackler is safety Nigel Lawrence with 41 stops, and cornerback Jalen Thompson’s three interceptions include a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown when Texas State was leading 31-15. They are going to have to be quick on the outside providing coverage against the likes of Sutton and Williams, plus are going to need to make plays against an explosive offense that since the start of the season shows no signs of slowing down.
USA’s Evan Orth (66/96 789 6 TD 1 INT) has matched Thomas when it comes to his TD to INT ratio, and perhaps taking chances down the field as he did against Memphis could help the Jags stay close in a toe to toe battle. South Alabama averages just under 29 points per contest, not nearly enough to pull off an upset, but if Orth is efficient could keep his squad around for a lengthier time than most expect. However, here’s where it all comes crumbling down for USA. Their success in running the ball is limited, averaging only 130 yards on the ground. The Jaguars have limited depth in the backfield, and carrying the bulk of the workload will be Kawaan Baker (21-134 6.4 4 TD), who had only 33 yards in the loss to Memphis despite finding the end zone once. Other than Baker, their short yardage specialist Tra Minter (47-120 2.6 3 TD) other than getting opportunities in the red zone hasn’t been much of a factor. Jamarius Way (28-437 2 TD) is like a one man wrecking crew when it comes to being Orth’s top target, and caught 10 passes for 185 yards and a score in the loss to the Tigers. The Mounties, other than their near huge upset of the Nittanies in the opener, have allowed 20 points per contest, but just 16 in total over Charlotte and Gardner Webb combined. App State’s front seven will work to slow down a passing game that might pose a test if not at the very least contained. This is where the quickness of Demetrius Taylor could make things tough for Orth. In the secondary, cornerbacks Clifton Duck and Tae Hayes have tackled well while keeping receivers in front of them, while safeties Desmond Franklin and Josh Thomas have also been forces to be reckoned with for opposing lines.
If the Mounties can control tempo and contain Orth and Way in the passing game, there’s no stopping this balanced offense which will utilize Thomas in the aerial attack finding his receivers combined with Moore and Hicks putting up huge numbers thanks to speed and agility gobbling up huge yardage at a break neck pace. Too much of a disparity here on the defensive side of the ball, and the Jaguars lack the personnel, size and speed App St possesses in the secondary and on the line to put up a legitimate challenge.
I’ll have a second play up shortly for week 5.
