Hey everyone.
Here’s the Week 2 Boxscore and Wagering review.
FBS vs FBS only.
Let’s go!
Boxscore review:
American
Florida Atlantic 38 Navy 30 — The Owls flew out to a 38–7 lead with a few minutes left in the 3rd quarter but had to hang on for a 38–30 victory. FAU held a 428–393 yard edge and finished +2 in turnover margin.
UTSA 31 Texas St 26 — Gutsy win for the Roadrunners, who were down 17–7 at the half but rallied for a 31–26 victory. Texas St held a 481–398 yard edge but finished –3 in turnover margin, and UTSA grabs a rare road win over a good Group of Six team that beat them in each of the last two seasons.
Tulane 28 South Alabama 24 — Tulane scored a TD with a minute left to avoid the upset. Misleading final alert, as the Jags held the advantage in first downs (25–13) and total yardage (478–424). Tulane went with a new starting QB in former Ball State specimen Kadin Semonza, who looked okay.
Appalachian St 27 East Carolina 24 — Another tough outing for the ARRRR Pirates, who scored first but then watched the Mountaineers systematically build a 27–17 lead. A meaningless late TD cut the margin to three. The yardage battle was close, but East Carolina finished –2 in turnover margin. A fun one for MEGALOCKS Lean Club and Moneyline Underdog Club members.
South Florida 28 Army 24 — The Black Knights choked this one away, yo. They had a 10‑point lead with five minutes left, allowed a TD, couldn’t run out the clock, and then surrendered a 38‑yard TD pass on 4th and 6 in the dying seconds. There’ll be some extra sit‑ups and burpees this week in West Point. The boxscore shows an evenly played game, and that’s exactly what it was.
Boise St 38 Memphis 20 — The Tigers led 20–17 at the half, and then Boise St woke up and smoked them in the 2nd half to the tune of 21–zip. The Broncos posted a 578–519 yard edge and won the rushing duel 357–135. The victory puts Boise State in the early driver’s seat for a G6 CFP bid.
Tulsa 23 Sam Houston 17 — Tulsa had to survive a goal‑to‑go situation late to move to 2–0. The yardage battle was basically dead even, but the key difference was Tulsa going 4/6 on 4th down, repeatedly keeping drives alive. Sam Houston definitely looks a lot better this season, and the Golden Hurricane look good enough to contend in the American Conference.
Penn St 27 Temple 9 — Gritty effort from Temple, as they were tied 3–3 with mighty Penn St very late in the first half. The Nittany Lions posted a 416–283 yard edge, but note that HOOT HOOT held the ball for 31 minutes, and made it tough for Penn St to get them off the field.
North Texas 44 UNLV 6 — WHOA, NELLIE. One week after outgaining the National Champs from Indiana, the Mean Green destroyed UNLV. Just a wee bit of a misleading final, as UNLV was outgained by 444-301 but finished –4 in turnover margin. That’ll do it.
Notre Dame 52 Rice 0 — Blowout city. Notre Dame didn’t need to score in the 4th quarter. They posted a 478–128 yard edge, and that tells you everything you need to know.
UAB 26 ULM 20 — Tough one for the Warhawks, as they led 20–10 in the 3rd quarter but couldn’t seal the deal. UAB posted a 381–257 yard edge and deserved the victory.
Ole Miss 41 Charlotte 9 — Ole Miss led 27–CACK at the half and then took the air out of the ball, as expected, with the epic clash vs LSU up next. The Rebels held a 420–322 yard edge, but Charlotte hogged the ball for 37 minutes, making the final score look a bit more competitive.
ACC
Clemson 22 Georgia Southern 7 — Miserable performance from the Clemson offense, who lost their starting quarterback to injury, but backup true freshman Tait Reynolds looked okay is his debut action. The Tigers posted a 347–266 yard edge but went a lousy 2/14 on 3rd down.
Pitt 12 UCF 7 — Pitt survives an ugly game, winning the yardage duel 315–206 and holding a good running team in UCF to a paltry 20 rushing yards. UCF scored their only points with just under three minutes left, got the ball back with over a minute remaining, but couldn’t get anything going.
Virginia Tech 44 Old Dominion 21 — The Hokies led 24–6 at the break, and Old Dominion kept fighting in the second half but never seriously threatened. VT posted a 416–310 yard advantage, but note they were outgained on the ground 123–89, a small eyebrow‑raiser given the final margin.
Tennessee 45 Georgia Tech 24 — The Yellow Jackets scored off a blocked punt to take a 10–7 lead, but Tennessee took control shortly thereafter. The Volunteers booked a 447–356 yard edge, were +2 in turnover margin, and outrushed GT 299–135.
Duke 31 Illinois 27 — Duke trailed 24–21 at the half but buckled down and came away with some sweet revenge after getting blown out by the Illini last year. The boxscore was pretty even across the board, reflecting a legitimately competitive game.
Wake Forest 38 Purdue 36 (2 OT) — The Demon Deacons win a wild one and move to 2–0. Purdue scored a TD in the second OT but missed the 2‑point conversion. Wake Forest responded with a TD and hit their conversion to seal it. Purdue looks better than anticipated so far and won the yardage battle 455–411. Wee bit of a tough break for under backers (50.5) as the game left regulation tied 23–23.
California 21 Syracuse 18 — Big win for Cal in a tough spot, traveling halfway around the globe. Misleading final alert, as Syracuse won the yardage test 436–249 and held the ball for 34 minutes. However, the Orange were –3 in turnover margin and took 15 penalties for 132 yards.
Boston College 28 Rutgers 21 — The Eagles take the Red Bandana Game, which they controlled pretty much from start to finish, although they still had to survive a late Rutgers drive. BC held a 402–384 yard advantage, and both teams were sloppy in the turnover department — BC with 3, Rutgers with 4.
Big 12
Texas Tech 35 Oregon St 24 — The Red Raiders looked very mortal for the second week in a row but got the win in a very tough venue. The game was tied 21–21 heading into the final frame. Misleading final alert: Oregon St had more total yards by a wide margin (472–352) but couldn’t run the ball and finally ran out of gas in the 4th quarter.
BYU 28 Arizona 17 — The Wildcats led 17–14 at the half but couldn’t score in the final two quarters. BYU posted a 365–327 yard advantage and picked up a big conference win.
Utah 43 Arkansas 10 — Big win for the Utes, who led 43–3 late and were never threatened. WOO PIG played a bit better than the final score suggests, holding the ball for 32 minutes, but they simply didn’t have the offensive talent to keep things competitive.
Kansas St 34 Washington St 7 — Nice game from the Wildcats, who buried the Cougars in a tough travel spot and never let them breathe. Kansas St owned a massive 487–166 yard advantage, a full‑on statistical bludgeoning.
Texas A&M 48 Arizona St 20 — Misleading final alert: The game was 24–20 after the 3rd quarter, and Arizona St actually held a 369–255 yard edge over the course of the game. The problem? The Sun Devils committed four turnovers and allowed two defensive scores to the Aggies, which is how you turn a competitive game into a blowout.
Missouri 38 Kansas 21 — Total domination from the Tigers, and the MOB STEAM goes 0–2 on Friday night (Kansas, Rutgers). Missouri owned a 469–255 yard advantage, and don’t forget that star RB Ahmad Hardy will be back at some point, which only adds more juice to an already dangerous squad.
Oklahoma St 39 Oregon 31 — The Cowboys SHOCKED THE WORLD, and dare we say, it was domination despite the close final score. Oklahoma St had a massive edge in first downs (25–12) and total yards (554–281) just one week after losing by two touchdowns at Tulsa.
Iowa 16 Iowa St 13 — Iowa wins a BAG OF VOMIT special that featured 13 punts and 10 three‑and‑outs. The Hawkeyes held a 284–255 yard advantage and trailed 13–10 heading into the 4th quarter before grinding out the win in vintage Ferentz fashion.
Big Ten
Texas 24 Ohio St 23 – WOWEE WOW. Ohio St led 23-3 after three quarters but Texas came roaring back in the 4th quarter with three long TD drives to steal the victory. The Buckeyes had a 372-336 yard edge and looked home and cooled before we saw the second biggest comeback in Texas Longhorns history. Fun fact: the 20-point rally was the largest fourth-quarter comeback to ever defeat an AP No. 1-ranked team in college football history.
USC 49 Louisiana 30 — The Trojans got more fight than they anticipated from the Cajuns, who made the long trip out to California and refused to roll over. USC won the yardage battle 483–358 and now turns the page to Big Ten play, with a trip out to Rutgers on deck.
Michigan 17 Oklahoma 10 — Another great performance from the Michigan defense, but the Wolverines have scored just 29 points over their first two games, which is…not ideal. Oklahoma actually held a 289–263 yard advantage, but they were –2 in turnover margin and outgained on the ground 152–100.
Washington 16 Utah St 14 — That was a mighty struggle for the Huskies, who were favored by 28 points and never found real separation. Washington held a 356–271 yard edge, but they were certainly assisted by the +3 turnover margin. Washington has only scored 40 points in the first two games but the defense has been stout.
Nebraska 56 Bowling Green 7 — Total slaughter as expected. CORN led 35–zip at the half and booked a 546–169 yard edge.
Mississippi St 38 Minnesota 13 — Tough travel spot for the Bulldogs, but they smoked the Gophers and led 28–6 at the half, never looking back. Mississippi St posted a 479–292 yard edge and now heads to face South Carolina next time out in what’s suddenly become a very interesting matchup.
UCLA 28 San Diego St 10 — It seems impossible, but this game was tied 0–0 at the half, and yes, that caught us by surprise. The Bruins finally got it rolling after the break and even managed a front‑door cover thanks to a TD with two minutes left. UCLA posted a 365–189 yard advantage and held the Aztecs to 45 passing yards.
Maryland 38 UConn 14 — The final score says it all. FEAR THE TURTLE delivered a tight, professional road performance and outgained UConn 475–223.
Michigan State 35 Eastern Michigan 7 — The Spartans did what they had to do: get to 2–0 by taking care of a mid‑tier MAC squad without any drama. Sparty posted a 472–219 yard advantage, rushed for 258, and threw for 214, a clean, balanced performance that fits the final score perfectly.
CUSA
Georgia 70 WKU 20 – Georgia outgained the Toppers 493-225 and led 49-6 at the half. WKU has lost their first two contests by a combined tally of 119-34 and now head on the road to face Indiana. Enjoy!
Ohio 29 Jacksonville St 27 (4 OT) — Misleading final alert: The Cocks outgained Ohio 447–262, were only –1 in turnover margin, and led by 10 points heading into the 4th quarter. Ohio tied the game late and then won it in FOUR OTs, surviving a thriller they probably shouldn’t have. Jacksonville St had a shot to win it on the final play of regulation but missed a very makeable FG.
Georgia St 31 Kennesaw St 17 — Yes, guy. Georgia St moves to 2–0 after taking down the defending Sun Belt champs on the road, a legitimately impressive early‑season scalp. The Panthers led 21–3 at the break and cruised from there, stacking a 483–332 yard advantage in a game that was never in doubt.
Vanderbilt 35 Delaware 26 — Very impressive effort by the Blue Hens, who went into SEC country and absolutely held their own. Delaware actually led 17–14 at the half, but the Commodores flipped the script by winning the third stanza 21–zip. Vanderbilt won the yardage battle by one yard (339–338) despite being 3‑TD favorites.
Florida International 33 Buffalo 20 — The Panthers led 14–3 after the first quarter and it was all over from that moment on. FIU stacked a 540–308 yard edge, a clean, methodical beatdown that was pretty impressive.
Hawaii 29 New Mexico St 19 — It was a game Hawaii had to have, and they got it. The Rainbow Warriors posted a 420–380 yard edge and were +2 in turnover margin. Hawaii jumped out to a 16–0 lead, New Mexico St clawed back to tie it 16–16, but Hawaii eventually delivered backers a front‑door cover with a 4Q TD — a proper Timmy Chang home‑field voodoo special.
Marshall 28 MTSU 26 — The Herd had to work for this one. They trailed 20–14 heading into the 4th quarter, surged ahead to 28–20, and then had to stop a late two‑point conversion from MTSU. Very even game overall — MTSU actually won the yardage duel 352–310.
MAC
Fresno St 49 Sacramento St 3 — Senseless slaughter as anticipated. Fresno State led 32‑CACK at halftime and outgained the Hornets 542–262, a full‑scale Central Valley napalm job.
Mountain West
North Dakota St 38 Air Force 32 — Very strong effort from the Bison, who grab an important Mountain West win and continue to look fully comfortable at the FBS level. Air Force rallied late to make it interesting, but they were chasing all game after falling behind 14–0. The Falcons actually held a 386–374 yard edge, and each team turned it over once, but NDSU controlled the key moments and closed the show like a seasoned outfit.
Pac-12
See other conference sections.
SEC
Alabama 45 Kentucky 17 — Kentucky led 17–13 at the half, and then ROLL TIDE flipped the switch and detonated the second half 32‑CACK, turning what looked like an easy cover for the Cats into a bloodbath. Alabama’s nasty defense took over after the break, and the Tide finished with a 343–209 yard edge. Next up: a revenge game vs Florida St, and you can bet the locals in Tuscaloosa have that one circled in blood‑red ink.
LSU 45 Louisiana Tech 14 — The Tigers only led 10–7 at the break, but once they came out of the locker room they turned it on and buried Louisiana Tech in the second half. LSU stacked a massive 528–140 yard advantage, and now the epic battle with Ole Miss sits right on the immediate horizon. Get cho popcone, yo.
Auburn 43 Southern Miss 8 — Crisp, no‑nonsense performance from the Tigers following the nail‑biting escape against Baylor. The offense was cooking, the defense was locked in, and Auburn boasted a 610–221 yard edge.
Sun Belt
See other conference sections.
Betting review
“Official” plays
Utah -13 (W)
Texas ML (W)
Leans (smaller plays)
4-4. (6-2 last week)
Moneyline Underdogs
Yes, guy. We got 3/5 home and they were the three biggest dogs — App St, North Texas, FAU. That was a decent 3X payout, and as we say on the ML Underdog blog posts, if you decide to join in on the fun, put more on the 3X combos.
Jax St lost in 4-OT and prevented a sweet payday. That would have meant several 3X tickee tickee and one 4X tickee tickee. Air Force lost by six points, but was chasing all game.
Season Win Total Club
Commentary will start later in September. Check the blog page for a list of the action.
Futures Club
Commentary will start later in September. Check the blog page for a list of the action.
Enjoy the games, PLAY SAFE, and we’ll see you next time for WEEK 3!