Hot off their 36-10 beat down of playoff hopeful Louisville, the Houston Cougars now head over to the Liberty Bowl to play the Memphis Tigers. The gridiron match-up is set to begin on Friday, November 25th. the contest between the two AAC schools will be broadcast on the ESPN3 Network. As of today, odds makers have the Cougars as a -4 favorite and the games total now sits at 61.
The Houston Cougars claimed their 3rd straight victory on the year after they beat the 5th ranked Louisville Cardinals, 36-10, on Thursday. Houston’s defense was impenetrable, holding Heisman Trophy favorite, Lamar Jackson, to his lowest scoring output over the 2016 season.
Houston (9-2):
Guiding Houston to victory, was quarterback Greg Ward Jr. The senior signal-caller completed 25 of 44 passes for 233 yards and two scores. On the season, the Cougars are averaging 37.5 points per game on 444.2 total yards per game.
Greg Ward Jr. has been solid this year, passing for 2,841 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The multi-dimensional quarterback also leads the Cougars in rushing with another 453 yards and nine scores.
When Houston’s quarterback isn’t taking on the running responsibilities, he is handing the ball off to tail back duke Catalon. Catalon has been efficient, running for 450 yards and three more trips to the end zone. Dillon Birden is also a red zone option via the ground, racking up six more touchdowns for the Cougar offense.
Four athletic wide outs are the focus when Greg Ward Jr. moves the football down the field through the passing attack. together, they have reeled in 209 balls for well over 2,4000 yards and 12 trips to pay-dirt.
Besides their manhandling of Lamar Jackson, the cougar’s defense has been as much as you could ask for and then some. Houston is superb against the run, ranking 2nd in the country, giving way to only 93.5 yards per contest. The back half is pretty good too, allowing only 210 yards through the air (45th).
Memphis (7-4):
The Memphis Tigers improved to 7-4 on the year after feasting on the Cincinnati Bearcats this past Friday. The Tigers made it look easy, cruising to a 34-7 victory over the hapless Bearcats after taking a 27-0 lead at halftime.
Leading the charge for Memphis was QB Jason Steward, who replaced starter Riley Ferguson who exited with an undisclosed injury. Against Cincinnati, Steward completed 13 of 15 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. It’s unclear if Riley Ferguson will play, but if he does, the starter will bring his 2,917 yards throwing with 24 scores and nine picks with him.
The Tigers are more balanced than one might think, running the football about 45 percent of the time in 2016. Three tail backs handle the work-load for the Tigers, scampering for over 1,600 yards on 274 carries and 14 end zone appearances. Doroland Dorceus leads this trio with over 700 yards and eight touchdowns.
Wide receiver Anthony Miller is making the opposing secondaries sing the blues this year. The stand-out has amassed 1,114 yards on 69 catches and a team-high nine scores. He also leads a group that has collected 1,500 yards and 11 more touchdowns.
Defensively, Memphis has struggled a bit during their 2016 campaign. The Tigers hold a respectable 25.7 scoring average against them (49th), but surrender 426 yards a game (80th). Memphis’ front seven has been especially vulnerable, yielding to over 200 yards a contest against opposing teams running backs.
Trends and Notes:
The Cougars are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
The Tigers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games.
The Under is 4-0 in the Cougars last 4 games overall.
The Over is 4-0 in the Tigers last 4 home games.
The Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
Game Prediction:
This match-up should bring out the best of both teams. Memphis is at home and will need this victory to keep their AAC title hopes alive. Houston is hot, coming off an upset over Lamar Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals last week.
Both of these offenses should find plenty of ways to matriculate the pig-skin down the field in this game. there is nothing wrong with thinking dog in this spot, as Houston has played worse on the road this season. Memphis should give the Cougars all they can handle.
Las Vegas set the over/under in this affair at 61 when they found out that Memphis’ Riley Ferguson would be suiting up. The total here is too low, so I’m recommending you jump on this over and watch these two clubs go up and down the grid-iron.
