The Houston Cougars (2-0) take on the Texas State Bobcats (1-2) with a three-game win streak that dates back to last season on the line. The country’s fifth-leading passer, Greg Ward Jr. (511 yards, 4 TDs) will be featured in this game. It kicks off Saturday, Sep 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on the ESP3.
In its last game before the bye, Houston got a close victory over Louisville 34-31. Greg Ward Jr. had a great game through the air in the victory, connecting on 23 of 33 pass attempts for 236 yards, three TDs and one interception. He was also a threat running the ball, gaining 98 yards on 21 carries. Demarcus Ayers had 53 yards and a TD on eight catches. Texas State fell to Southern Miss 56-50 in its matchup. Tyler Jones had a huge game through the air for the Bobcats, connecting on 31 of 46 pass attempts for 310 yards and three TDs. He added 160 yards and two TDs on 18 carries. Robert Lowe had a great game as well, adding 90 yards and a TD on 12 carries.
Houston is a 16-point favorite against the Bobcats.
Sitting at 2-0 Straight Up (SU) and 1-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Cougars will look to improve heading into Week 4. A focal point of Houston’s offense is the running game, which ranks 16th in the country with 249 rushing yards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Cougars look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. If the Bobcats want to win this game, they will have to keep Houston from taking the ball away. The Cougars have the 22nd-most fumbles recovered per game in the nation with one. The Cougars are the best in the country at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 19 points. Houston’s special teams squad is a force to be reckoned with. They average 172 return yards per game, second in Division I.
Over on the other sideline, the Bobcats head into Week 4 with records of 1-2 both ATS and SU. Chances are Texas State will rely on its passing attack against a defense that allows 318.5 passing yards per game, ranking 120th in the nation. Moving on to the Texas State defense, it has some favorable matchups that it may be able to take advantage of as well. The Cougars need to be careful with the football against the Bobcats. Their defense ranks seventh in the country with 1.3 fumbles recovered per game. Teams need to stay focused in the first quarter against the fast-starting Bobcats, who average 12.7 points in the first 15 minutes. Texas State has put in some strong special teams performances this season. The team has averaged 128.7 return yards per game, ranking them 24th in the nation.
Predictions: SU Winner – Houston, ATS Winner – Houston
Notes
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston’s last 7 games.
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games at home.
Texas State is 1-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Houston is 1-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Nationally, the Houston passing attack is ranked 32nd, while the Texas State pass defense is only ranked 123rd. The Bobcats passing game is ranked 41st, compared to the 120th-ranked pass defense of the Cougars.
Houston has given up 27.5 points per game this year, which is ranked only 72nd in the nation. Texas State has scored 43.0 points per contest this year and is ranked 15th in all of FBS.
