The No. 22 Navy Midshipmen (7-1) are looking to extend their three-game winning streak as they play the Southern Methodist Mustangs (1-8). The game starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov 14 and will air on CBSS.
Navy cruised past Memphis 45-20 last week. Chris Swain had a big game on the ground in the win, carrying 18 times for 108 yards and three TDs. DeBrandon Sanders had 82 rushing yards on eight attempts. SMU is hoping for a different outcome after losing big against Temple 60-40. Jeremiah Gaines had a good game for the Mustangs, pulling in two receptions for 50 yards and one TD. Matt Davis added 167 yards and a TD through the air.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is 64 points and the Mustangs are a huge 20-point underdog.
Heading into Week 11 of the college football season, the Midshipmen are 7-1 Straight Up (SU) and 6-2 Against The Spread (ATS). In the past five games, Navy is 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. A focal point of Navy’s offense is the running game, which ranks third in the country with 326.5 rushing yards per game. During their last five games, the Midshipmen have improved their pass coverage, giving up an average of 226.0 passing yards. It is critical for the Mustangs to prepare for Navy’s big-play defense, which ranks 12th in the nation with 2.1 turnovers per game. The Midshipmen are one of the best in the country at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 10.1 points.
Across the field, the Mustangs head into Week 11 with records of 4-5 ATS and 1-8 SU. The Mustangs went 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS over the last five games. The SMU pass defense has given teams fits during the past five games. During that time, opponents have gained an average of only 219.4 passing yards against this frightening group. The Mustangs usually get going immediately from the initial kickoff, averaging 9.6 points in the first quarter this year. SMU has put in some strong special teams performances this season. The team has averaged 122.8 return yards per game, ranking them 10th in the nation.
Predictions: SU Winner – Navy, ATS Winner – Navy, O/U – Over
Notes
Navy is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Navy’s last 6 games.
Navy is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Navy’s last 6 games at home.
Navy is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Methodist.
Southern Methodist is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Navy.
Navy is 6-0 SU when leading after three quarters this year.
The Navy defense has forced an average of 2.1 turnovers per game this season. SMU is only 1-6 SU when turning the ball over at least 2.0 times in a game.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Navy is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its third-ranked rushing attack will face the 122nd-ranked run defense of SMU, while its 30th-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 79th-ranked running game of the Mustangs.
