Hoping to extend their undefeated record, the No. 21 Houston Cougars (6-0) travel to take on the Central Florida Knights (0-7). The AAC’s third-leading passer, Greg Ward Jr. (1,524 yards, 9 TDs), will be featured in this game. It kicks off Saturday, Oct 24 at 12:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on ESNN.
In last week’s matchup, UCF lost to Temple 30-16. Aaron Cochran had a good performance in the loss, putting up seven total yards. He had zero yards on the ground and seven yards receiving. Houston is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it easily got past Tulane 42-7. Demarcus Ayers had a solid performance for the Cougars, grabbing six receptions for 93 yards. Chance Allen put up 69 receiving yards and a TD on three catches.
This week’s matchup between the Knights and Cougars has even odds and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available.
Sitting at 0-7 Straight Up (SU) and 1-6 Against The Spread (ATS), the Knights will look to improve heading into Week 8. The Knights throw the ball often. Their 38.7 passing attempts per game are 19th-highest in the country. During their last five games, the Knights gave up 207.4 passing yards per game. UCF’s special teams squad is a force to be reckoned with. They average 123.4 return yards per game, 15th in Division I.
As for their opponent, the Cougars head into Week 8 with records of 4-2 ATS and 6-0 SU. Chances are Houston will continue to rely on its run game, where its 280.3 rushing yards per game ranks 10th in the nation. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Knights to keep up with Houston’s defense in a few areas. The Cougars have the 11th-ranked run defense in the nation, giving up just 98.5 yards per game on the ground. The Houston defense will take advantage of every opportunity the Knights give it. The Cougars generate 2.3 turnovers per game, 11th in the country. UCF needs to keep its intensity through the fourth quarter against the Cougars, who average 11 points in the final 15 minutes of regulation. Houston has put in some strong special teams performances this season. The team has averaged 111.5 return yards per game, ranking them 23rd in the nation.
Predictions: SU Winner – Houston, ATS Winner – Houston
Notes
Central Florida is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games.
Central Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
Central Florida is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Central Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Central Florida is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Central Florida’s last 6 games when playing Houston.
Central Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston.
Houston is 5-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. UCF is 0-3 SU when leading after three quarters.
Houston has drawn an average of 8.6 penalties on opponents over its last five games, but UCF is a perfect 3-0 SU this season when penalized at least eight times in a game.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Houston is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 10th-ranked rushing attack will face the 57th-ranked run defense of UCF, while its 11th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 128th-ranked rushing game of the Knights.
