The AAC’s second-leading rusher, Marlon Mack (576 yards, 3 TDs), will be on display when the South Florida Bulls play the Connecticut Huskies. It’s been a rough season for South Florida (2-3) and it hasn’t gotten any better as of late, having lost three of their last four. The game will begin Saturday, Oct 17 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Connecticut routed UCF 40-13 last week. Arkeel Newsome had an outstanding performance on the ground in the win, gaining 84 yards and two TDs on 13 carries. He was also a threat in the passing game with 67 yards on two receptions. Bryant Shirreffs also had a big game with 256 yards and a TD through the air. Not to be outdone, South Florida cruised past Syracuse 45-24. Marlon Mack had a big game on the ground for the Bulls, rushing for 184 yards and two TDs on 20 carries. Ryeshene Bronson had a big game as well, totaling 81 receiving yards and a TD on three receptions.
Connecticut is favored by a slim one-point margin in its matchup against the Bulls.
Heading into Week 7 of the college football season, the Huskies are 3-3 for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). Connecticut’s defense will look to improve its stats against the pass when the Bulls come to town. South Florida’s 184.8 passing yards per game ranks 101st in the nation. One of the keys to the game will be how the Bulls deal with Connecticut’s forceful defense. The defense ranks 25th in the nation in interceptions with 1.3 per game.
Across the field, the Bulls are a good bet so far, with a respectable record of 3-1-1 ATS. Their SU record, 2-3, hasn’t been quite as good. South Florida has found a lot of success on the ground. Its 223.8 rushing yards per game ranks 18th in Division I. Switching gears to the South Florida defense, it has some favorable matchups that it may be able to take advantage of as well. South Florida’s defense ranks in the top half of the nation for rushing yards allowed and will look to bolster its statistics this week against the 118th-ranked rushing attack of the Huskies, which only averages 110.8 yards on the ground per game. The pass rushers for the Bulls have got to be excited about their matchup this week against the Huskies, who rank 124th in the country with an average of 3.5 sacks allowed per game. The Bulls make it hard on their opponents down the stretch, averaging 9.8 points in the final quarter.
Predictions: SU Winner – South Florida, ATS Winner – South Florida
Notes
Connecticut is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games.
Connecticut is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut’s last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut’s last 5 games at home.
Connecticut is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games at home.
Connecticut is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Connecticut is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing South Florida.
Connecticut is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against South Florida.
Each team is 2-1 SU when leading at halftime this season.
Remarkably, South Florida is winless (0-2) SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet 2-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
According to overall FBS team rankings, South Florida is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 18th-ranked rushing attack will face the 57th-ranked run defense of Connecticut, while its 28th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 118th-ranked rushing game of the Huskies.
