The Idaho Vandals (1-3) travel to meet the Arkansas State Red Wolves (1-3) this week in a clash between a pair of teams off to slow starts. The WAC’s top passer, Matt Linehan (1,109 yards, 5 TDs), is a player to watch in this contest. It will begin Saturday, Oct 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESP3.
Arkansas State lost big against Toledo 37-7 last week. Blake Mack had a solid outing in the loss, totaling three receptions for 54 yards. Idaho didn’t play well either, getting blown out by Georgia Southern 44-20. Dezmon Epps had a big game for the Vandals, registering eight receptions for 170 yards and two TDs. Matt Linehan had a big game as well, totaling 284 yards and two TDs through the air.
Arkansas State is a considerable 20-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment.
Heading into Week 5 of the college football season, the Red Wolves are 1-3 Straight Up (SU) and 2-2 Against The Spread (ATS). One of the keys to the game will be how the Vandals deal with Arkansas State’s forceful defense. The defense ranks 10th in the nation in interceptions with 1.8 per game. Idaho’s defense could make it easy on the Red Wolves heading into halftime. The Vandals allow an average of 11 points in the second quarter, making them one of the worst in the country. On special teams, Arkansas State has some playmakers. They average 165.2 return yards per game, second in Division I.
On the other side, the Vandals have 1-3 SU and ATS records this season. The Vandals rely heavily on their air attack, averaging 40.5 passing attempts per game. Switching gears to the Idaho defense, it has some favorable matchups that it may be able to take advantage of as well. The Red Wolves need to secure the ball against the fumble-minded Vandals. They’re 21st in the country in fumbles recovered with one per game. Given Arkansas State’s history, this game could come down to penalties. The Red Wolves have been one of the most penalized teams in the nation this year, with 76 penalty yards per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Arkansas State, ATS Winner – Arkansas State
Notes
Arkansas State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Arkansas State’s last 11 games.
Arkansas State is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arkansas State’s last 6 games at home.
Arkansas State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Idaho.
Idaho is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arkansas State.
Idaho is 1-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Arkansas State is 1-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
According to national passing ranks, Idaho has an advantage on both offense and defense. Its passing attack (ranked 29th in the country) will face the 81st-ranked pass defense of Arkansas State, while its 79th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 88th-ranked passing game of the Red Wolves.
