The Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers battle the Miami University RedHawks this week in a game that will feature the country’s third-leading passer, Brandon Doughty (1,134 yards, 5 TDs). Coming into the game, the Hilltoppers are 2-1 while the RedHawks are 1-2. The game kicks off Saturday, Sep 26 at 10:30 a.m. ET and will be shown on the CBSS.
In last week’s matchup, Western Kentucky got nipped by Indiana 38-35. Tyler Higbee had a huge game in the loss, grabbing 11 receptions for 109 yards and one TD. Taywan Taylor had a great game as well, adding 196 yards and a TD on nine catches. Miami (OH) fell to Cincinnati 37-33 in its matchup. Sam Martin had a great game for the RedHawks, pulling in four receptions for 124 yards and one TD.
A close score is not projected this week when the RedHawks, a big 21-point underdog, take on Western Kentucky.
Sitting at 2-1 Straight Up (SU) and 1-1-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Hilltoppers will look to improve heading into Week 4. A focal point of Western Kentucky’s offense is its passing game, which ranks fifth in the country with 378 passing yards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Hilltoppers look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. There will be plenty of opportunities for the Hilltoppers to steal the ball from Miami (OH). The RedHawks currently rank 101st in turnovers given up with 2.3 per game. The Hilltoppers hope to continue the trend of torching Miami (OH)’s defense during the second quarter, when they allow 11.3 points per game.
Over on the other sideline, the RedHawks head into Week 4 with records of 2-1 ATS and 1-2 SU. Passing the ball has resulted in very positive outcomes for the RedHawks, who average the 17th-best yards per pass in the nation with 14.8.
Predictions: SU Winner – WestKy, ATS Winner – WestKy
Notes
Western Kentucky is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
Western Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Western Kentucky’s last 9 games at home.
Miami (Ohio) is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road.
Miami (OH) is 1-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Western Kentucky is 2-0 SU when leading after three quarters.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Miami (OH) is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 101st-ranked rushing attack will face the 113th-ranked run defense of Western Kentucky, while its 103rd-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 125th-ranked running game of the Hilltoppers.
