NCAAF Week 1
Two new starting QBs in A&M-South Carolina game, but Gamercocks have senior QB Thompson who has started three times, played in 14, so he has edge in experience. Post-Manziel era starts with no experience at QB for Aggies- they're 5-10-1 vs spread as road underdog since '07. SC is 13-8 as home favorite since '11. Both teams have four starters back on offensive line.
ULM (+2.5) won 21-19 at Wake Forest LY, outgaining Deacons by 99 yards; not often a BCS school visits the Sun Belt. Warhawks may use transfer Thomas at QB- he played against Wake LY when he was at NC State. U:M is 14-12 as dog under Berry, 2-2 at home. Wake Forest has a new coach, is starting true freshman QB; they're 6-8 as road favorite over last decade.
Tulsa won eight of last nine games with Tulane, winning last four here, all by 28+ points., but Green Wave upset them 14-7 (+3) LY. Tulsa was 3-9 LY after being 29-11 the three years before that- they're 17-14 as a home favorite since '08, have 10 starters back on defense. Tulane has lot of options at QB, including Joe Montana's son; they're 13-6-1 as a dog under Johnson, 5-4-1 at home.
Boise State is 112-18 over last 10 years, 61-3 on blue turf, but they have new coach (8-5 in one year at Arkansas St); Broncos are home dog for first time since '05- they were 4-3 as road dog under Petersen. Long road trip for Ole Miss, which has SEC opener vs Vandy next; Rebels have a senior QB with 26 starts, nine starters back on defense- they covered 8 of last 10 non-SEC tilts. Boise has senior QB with only 5 career starts.
Temple-Vanderbilt haven't met since '06. Owls were 2-10 LY but 7-1 vs spread as an underdog- they've got 8 starters back on defense but lost 4 of 5 starters on OL. Vandy has new coach (from Stanford), four starters back on OL, soph QB has 3 career starts. Temple is 15-6 as road dogs since '08. Commodores were 9-3 as home favorites in last three years under Franklin (now at Penn St).
Third year at Washington State should yield results for Mike Leach, who has OL that weighs 20 pounds more per man than LY. Coogs have senior QB with 19 starts, but no senior starters on OL- they're 5-3 in last eight games as home favorite. Long road trip for Rutgers; they're 7-3 in last 10 tries as road dog. Knights have senior QB with 18 starts, all five starters back on OL, three of whom are seniors.
Armadillosports.com
South Carolina vs. Texas A&M Odds and Pick
By: Craig Williams
Sportingnews.com
The South Carolina Gamecocks, 6-to-1 to top the SEC and 30-to-1 to win the College Football Playoff, jump right into the fire with a Week 1 Thursday night matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network), who are ranked No. 18 in Sporting News' preseason Top 25. The Gamecocks check in at No. 10 on Matt Hayes' list.
Line: South Carolina -10.5, Total: 58
Line movement: The spread here has bounced between 10.5 and 11, with some shops around Las Vegas still dealing South Carolina -11 as of Tuesday. The total opened at 56, but has been bet up to 58 at multiple books.
Trends that matter: The Aggies and Gamecocks have a chance to create their own trends as this matchup will be their first. South Carolina was 7-0 straight-up and 4-3 ATS at home last season. Texas A&M went 2-2 SU and 0-4 ATS on the road. Keep in mind, though, that each team will be breaking in a new starting quarterback this season.
Tough acts to follow: Both Texas A&M and South Carolina are replacing wildly productive quarterbacks. Aggies sophomore Kenny Hill may be under the strongest microscope as he steps into the void left behind by Johnny Manziel. Hill attempted only 22 passes last season, but head coach Kevin Sumlin said that Hill's "body of work" earned him the job over true freshman Kyle Allen. The competition is ongoing, however, Sumlin stressed.
Fun fact: The Aggies and Gamecocks are both replacing quarterbacks currently playing for the Cleveland Browns. Manziel, of course, continues to cast a large shadow over former South Carolina QB Connor Shaw, but that does not reflect the value Shaw had at the head of the Gamecock offense from 2011-13. He compiled 7,534 total yards, 72 total touchdowns and 33 wins over that span. Unlike A&M, South Carolina will at least have experience -- relatively speaking -- on its side with senior Dylan Thompson, who has attempted 218 passes in his collegiate career.
For what it's worth, Thompson appears eager to take advantage of his opportunity. "I want everyone to know I am putting in more time than any quarterback in the (SEC) and in the country," Thompson told the Greenville News during spring practice.
Injuries that matter: There was some concern last Thursday that South Carolina RB Mike Davis (ribs) wouldn't be able to play in the season opener, but Steve Spurrier said his junior back should be ready to go. "Hopefully, Mike will be full speed, 100 percent by Thursday," said Spurrier. "We think he will be."
The Linemakers' lean: Despite losing Johnny Manziel, we think Texas A&M will continue to run its offense flawlessly, as has been the case in each of Kevin Sumlin's six years as head coach -- five of those teams averaged over 500 yards per game. The system will make sophomore Kenny Hill a success, just like everyone else Sumlin has had at QB. He handpicked this kid to run his offense, and he's going to be special.
South Carolina, too, will be in great shape behind Dylan Thomson, who has played parts of the last three seasons and done very well. We can envision a fourth-straight 11-2 year for the Gamecocks.
But this is just too many points for South Carolina to be laying. Our plays: Aggies +11 with a small lean to UNDER 58.
Weather: The forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid-80s. Neither wind nor rain is expected to be a factor. Check out wunderground.com for an updated forecast.
Thursday Night College Football: Texas A&M vs. South Carolina
Nellysports.com
College football is back and the Thursday night schedule opens up with several big games. The SEC headlines the opening night slate with a matchup of two prominent programs as Texas A&M visits South Carolina. Mississippi and Vanderbilt are also in action in later matchups on Thursday’s six-game slate.
Match-up: Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks
Venue: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina (grass)
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2014
Time/TV: 6:00 PM ET – SEC Network
Line: South Carolina -10.5, Over/Under 58
Last Meeting: None
The impact of Jonny Manziel at Texas A&M has been huge and it will be a great challenge for the Aggies to maintain its position among the elite teams in the SEC. While the Aggies did not win a championship in either of the past two seasons Texas A&M went 20-6 with two bowl wins to wipe away mostly mediocre results in the past two decades. Most expected Texas A&M to struggle in the move to the SEC but so far it has been a great success and the university is reaping the rewards in many ways, including another great recruiting class for Kevin Sumlin.
While Texas A&M will play a soft non-conference schedule in 2014, they draw one of the tougher overall schedules in the conference. There are no easy outs in the West division and the draw from the East features last year’s top two teams, with Missouri in November and this challenging opening game with South Carolina. The Aggies also have daunting travel with five of the first eight games of the season away from home and in addition to this visit to Columbia, the Aggies are playing on the road against both Alabama and Auburn this season.
Sophomore Kenny Hill has been named the starter for Texas A&M, beating out freshman Kyle Allen who many had projected to win the job. Hill did see the field last season, completing 16 passes while also rushing for 37 yards. He fits the bill as a dual-threat player that has some of the mobility that was so valuable for Manziel, and he is not much bigger than Manziel at just 6’1”.
Just as pressing as the loss at quarterback is the loss of NFL draft pick Mike Evans who had monster numbers for the Aggies last season with nearly 1,400 receiving yards while importantly bailing Manziel out on some of his wild scrambles. The Aggies have four receivers on the roster that had receptions last season but the offense is very young at the skill positions. Even with the loss of several higher profile offensive linemen in recent years the Aggies will still have an experienced unit that could be one of the best lines in the SEC, which should help the transition considerably.
While Manziel was the most talked about player at the NFL draft this spring, the #1 pick in the draft was South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. While Clowney did not have huge statistics last season he certainly took a lot of attention from opposing teams. South Carolina actually took a substantial step back defensively in its 2013 statistics compared with 2012 though it marked a third consecutive season that South Carolina has finished 11-2 with a bowl win over a Big Ten team under Steve Spurrier, now in his 10th season with the program. It will be interesting to see if South Carolina can maintain its strong defensive reputation with a lot of new players in key spots this season.
South Carolina also lost its starting quarterback from last season in Connor Shaw, who ironically is with Manziel on the Cleveland Browns roster, at least for the time being. Shaw had a great college career also playing as a dual-threat quarterback though injuries kept him from having as consistent success. Missing some time has allowed Dylan Thompson, now a senior in the starting role to gain plenty of experience. Thompson threw for 783 yards last season including starting two games and he also started a game in the 2012 season. Thompson is much more of a pocket passer than Shaw so the Gamecocks will lean on the running backs this season.
Mike Davis is the lead running back for South Carolina and he averaged 5.8 yards per carry last season en route to a nearly 1,200 yard season. Davis had an injury scare earlier this month and has missed some practice with a rib injury but he is expected to be a full participant for the opener. It is a position where South Carolina has some depth so it will be a committee approach for most of the season and especially in the opener as Texas A&M allowed 222 yards per game on the ground last season.
The Aggies do have a lot of experience on defense including most of the key players on the defensive line returning to action but statistically Texas A&M was the worst rush defense in the SEC season in 2013. Expect the Aggies to attempt to bottle up the run in this game and force Thompson to make some throws but the Gamecocks also possess a veteran receiving corps that lost only one key player from last season’s rotation.
South Carolina is undefeated at home the past two seasons with consecutive 7-0 campaigns in Columbia, but there have been a few close calls with three wins by seven or fewer points in that span, all coming against SEC opponents. Texas A&M is actually 7-2 on the road under Sumlin and the most famous win for the program in this era came in a pretty tough venue in Tuscaloosa. This will be the biggest underdog spread for the Aggies since that 29-24 win over Alabama in 2012. The Aggies were twice a road underdog last season but they came up short in both instances.
Line Movement: The line opened at -11 before dropping to 10 and climbing back to 10.5 at most outlets. The total has climbed from 57 to 58.
Last Meeting: This is the first ever meeting between Texas A&M and South Carolina
Texas A&M Historical Trends: This program has not performed well away from home going just 66-93-3 ATS in road games since 1980 and the more recent numbers are no better with a 25-45-1 ATS record since 1999. Texas A&M is just 2-6 the last three years as an underdog and 25-41-1 ATS as an underdog going back to 2000. Texas A&M is 8-18 ATS as a road underdog of 10 or more points going back to 1982.
South Carolina Historical Trends: South Carolina is 32-3 S/U and 21-13 ATS at home since 2009. Under Spurrier South Carolina is 8-1 S/U but just 5-4 ATS in home openers, winning each of the last seven home openers S/U with covers in five of the last six. Under Spurrier South Carolina is 25-17-2 ATS as a home favorite, losing outright just three times in those 44 games.
There are five additional games on the Thursday night opening slate – here is a quick look at two of the other prominent games:
Mississippi vs. Boise State
Line: Mississippi -10, Over/Under 54
This game will be played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, one of two games this weekend in the building as Alabama and West Virginia will face off Saturday in Atlanta. The Broncos have played in a number of big national openers against high profile teams, featuring mixed results including an ugly loss last season against Washington. After eight impressive seasons in Boise Chris Petersen left for the Washington opening as a new era opens. Last season Boise State fell to 8-5 for its worst season in over a decade but that was incredibly inexperienced team. This year’s team should be better as one of the favorites in the Mountain West though this is a tough opening draw for Bryan Harsin who takes over after just one season at Arkansas State. After a 2-10 2011 season Hugh Freeze has led two successful seasons for the Rebels with bowl wins. The next step is competing for a SEC title and there is a lot of experience on this team even though the Rebels are often forgotten in the loaded SEC West. With veteran QB and nine starters back on a very talented defense Ole Miss could be a sleeper in the West division and the SEC as a whole. Both teams have great recent records in neutral site games with Mississippi going 17-5-1 ATS since 1985 and Boise State going 10-3 ATS since 2000.
Rutgers vs. Washington State
Line: Washington State -8, Over/Under 61
This game is a neutral site game in Seattle at CenturyLink Field. In the opening game last season on the road Washington State out-gained Auburn in a tough 31-24 loss. Little did anyone know that Auburn would wind up playing for a national championship at the end of the season. While there were several ugly losses along the way, Washington State wound up back in the postseason in just the second season for Mike Leach in Pullman, though the season ended with a stunning bowl loss. The Cougars allowed 458 yards per game last season but the offense returns quarterback Connor Halliday and nearly the entire receiving corps as this will again be a very productive offensive team. Washington State has lost by combined score of 150-64 in the last three Seattle games but there will be much more of a home field edge this time around given the long travel for Rutgers. Rutgers is pegged to be one of the bottom teams in its first season in the Big Ten but the schedule is a huge factor in the lack of optimism. This is an experienced team and Kyle Flood has done a nice job in two seasons as Rutgers has made back-to-back bowl trips, exceeding most expectations. The strength of the Knights has been stopping the run in recent seasons and that won’t be much of an issue in this matchup but Rutgers does have veteran lines that should allow the team to compete in this game if they can cash in on offensive opportunities to keep up with the high scoring Cougars. Rutgers has been a great team to back as an underdog in the last decade, going 46-22-2 ATS when getting points since 2002. Washington State is just 17-24 ATS as a favorite since 2003 and the Cougars are just 4-11 ATS in neutral site games since 2001.
College Football: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Texas A&M vs South Carolina
Things kicks off Thursday with South Carolina Gamecocks in a season lidlifter against Johnny Football-less Texas A&M. Gamecocks knocking off Badgers in the Capital One Bowl ended the 2013 campaign 11-2 (7-6 ATS) overall behind 34.1 PPG on 452.3 YPG with the defense surrendering 20.3 PPG on 350.0 YPG. Aggies off a 9-4 (5-8 ATS) season including a win vs Duke in the Chick-fil-A Bowl racked up 44.2 PPG on 538.3 YPG. At the defensive end, Aggies gave up 32.2 PPG on 475.8 YPG and surrendered an SEC-worst 222.3 rushing yards/game. Gamecocks are the clear favorite in this game (-10.5) but, the number shouldn’t dissuade anyone from taking Spurrier's troops. Sports handicappers familiar with early-season efforts by Gamecocks over the past few years know the squad has won fourteen consecutive season opener's (7-7 ATS) along with seven straight in front of the home crowd posting a 5-2 ATS mark against the betting line. What should also set off a trigger in the minds of those with a penchant for sports gaming, Gamecocks' running the table at home in 2013 going 7-0 (4-3 ATS) are now 18-0 (12-6 ATS) at Williams-Brice Stadium. Best of luck this season but above all enjoy the games.
Boise State vs. Ole Miss Point Spread and Pick
By: Larry Hartstein
Sportingnews.com
Coming off its worst season in 15 years, Boise State travels across the country to face No. 18 Ole Miss in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Thursday in Atlanta. (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Broncos lost five games – and their mystique – last year and are rebuilding under new coach Bryan Harsin.
Boise State has not been this big of an underdog since visiting Oregon on Sept. 20, 2008. The Broncos also were getting 10 points in that game; they won outright 37-32.
The Line: Ole Miss -10.5, Total: 53.5
Line movement: The spread has been back and forth between 10 and 10.5 for the most part, although some books have flashed 9.5. The total has fallen a full 4 points from CG Technology's initial release of 57.5. You can find 53s and 54s around Vegas, too.
Trends that matter: The Rebels are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six neutral-site games. They’re playing this one in SEC country at the Georgia Dome, a long trek for Boise State.
It’s a fast track in Atlanta. The OVER is 9-3 in Ole Miss’ last 12 games on Fieldturf.
Quarterback differential: The Rebels own the edge at quarterback, where Bo Wallace enters his third season as the starter. Boise State’s Grant Hedrick took over at midseason last year and struggled against the toughest opponents.
Wallace accounted for three touchdowns in the Music City Bowl win over Georgia Tech and says his arm finally feels normal following his January 2013 shoulder surgery.
"I have a lot more confidence this year," Wallace told the Associated Press . "I had a great camp. Last year I didn't have a good camp at all. It took me two or three weeks just to get back in the groove. But from day one (this year), I've felt good and I still feel good."
Same records, but…. Both teams went 8-5 SU last year, but the Rebels played a much tougher schedule. Ole Miss lost by three to Texas A&M, by eight at Auburn and in overtime at Mississippi State.
The Broncos lost both their games against BCS conference opponents, falling by a combined 76-29 to Washington and Oregon State.
Injuries that matter: Ole Miss starting NT Isaac Gross, who’s been dealing with a neck strain, practiced Sunday and reported no soreness Monday, per USA Today. He’s expected to play. Gross has 19 tackles for loss in 26 career games.
The Linemakers’ lean: The line here is inflated because we have an SEC team playing one from the Mountain West, plus the latter comes in with a new coach. According to our power ratings, Ole Miss should be about a 6-point favorite on a neutral field, which is where this game will be contested. Boise State is traditionally very comfortable traveling, and while Bryan Harsin may be new to the sidelines, he still gets to play with Chris Petersen’s talent. We’re on the dog here.
Game of the Day: Texas A&M at South Carolina
By Covers.com
Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks (-10.5, 60.5)
The post-Johnny Manziel era is set to get underway for No. 20 Texas A&M, which faces a brutal season-opening test at SEC rival and ninth-ranked South Carolina on Thursday. Even though the Aggies must replace the former Heisman Trophy winner, many will argue that the Gamecocks endured an even bigger loss than Manziel with the departure of all-world defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the top overall pick in the NFL draft. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the schools.
South Carolina, which never has won an SEC championship, is coming off three consecutive 11-win seasons under legendary coach Steve Spurrier and was the preseason choice to win the East Division. Texas A&M was expected to struggle upon moving from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2012 but, buoyed by the wondrous talents of Manziel, the Aggies went 20-6 in their first two seasons and capped each with a bowl victory. Sophomore Kenny Hill will be in the spotlight after narrowly beating out Kyle Allen as Manziel's successor.
LINE HISTORY: The Gamecocks opened as 11-point favorites, where bet down to -10 and now sit at -10.5. The total which opened at 57 has steadily climbed to 60.5.
INJURY REPORT: Texas A&M: DB Victor Davis - out indefinitely (suspension). South Carolina: RB Mike Davis - probable Thursday (ribs), TE Rory Anderson - questionable Thursday (triceps), C Cody Waldrop - questionable Thursday (oblique), T Mike Matulis - doubtful Thursday (knee).
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Texas A&M (-12.5) - South Carolina (-20) + home field (-3) = South Carolina -10.5.
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "The question everyone's asking is how will the Gamecocks replace Jadeveon Clowney, but perhaps the biggest concern for Spurrier's squad is whether or not QB Dylan Thompson can step up in place of Connor Shaw. Thompson was inconsistent at best last season, throwing for 783 yards with 4 TDs and 3 INTs." - Covers Expert Jess Schule.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (2013: 9-4, 5-8 ATS): The Aggies led the SEC in scoring (44.2 ppg) and total offense (538.4 yards) for the second straight season, so the onus will be on Hill, who played sparingly as a freshman and threw for 183 yards on 16-of-22 over parts of four games. Senior Malcome Kennedy is the top returnee at wide receiver, but Ricky Seals-Jones and explosive freshman Speedy Noil are elite talents and will be counted on to replace NFL first-round pick Mike Evans, while Trey Williams, Tra Carson and Brandon Williams head a deep running back corps. Cornerback Deshazor Everett leads a defense that was singed for 151 points over the final four games last season and will hope for immediately production from freshman defensive end Myles Garrett, among the nation's top recruits.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (2013: 11-2, 7-6 ATS): The Gamecocks also have a change under center, with longtime backup Dylan Thompson poised to take the reins after backing up Connor Shaw the past three seasons. Although fifth-year senior Thompson is more of a pure passer compared to dual-threat Shaw, South Carolina is expected to rely heavily on a ground game featuring Mike Davis, a preseason first-team SEC selection who rumbled for 1,183 yards last season and will be running behind one of the top offensive lines in the conference. While replacing Clowney will be impossible, the Gamecocks also suffered other key losses on the defensive side and will need big seasons from nose tackle J.T. Surratt, cornerback Brison Williams and freshman linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams.
TRENDS:
* Aggies are 1-6 ATS in their last seven conference games.
* Gamecocks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Over is 7-2 in Aggies last nine conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Ganecocks last four conference games.
COVERS CONSENSUS: Almost 55 percent of the wagers are backing South Carolina at -10.5.
Thursday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (0-0) at SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (0-0)
Sportsbook.ag Odds: South Carolina -11 & 61
The 2014-15 college football season kicks off Thursday night with an early SEC battle between ranked teams as No. 21 Texas A&M and No. 9 South Carolina meet at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Both of these programs finished in the top-25 at the end of last season with the Aggies going 9-4 (4-4 in SEC) while the Gamecocks were 11-2 (6-2 in SEC). Texas A&M lost some big names to the NFL draft following last season as starters QB Johnny Manziel, OT Jake Matthews and WR Mike Evans were all taken among the top-22 players. The loss of those players leaves a hole at some major positions which QB Kenny Hill, son of former major league pitcher Ken Hill, hopes he can help fill.
South Carolina was a dominant program last season with its only two losses coming against conference foes Tennessee and Georgia. The Gamecocks were a tough team that ranked in the top-45 at both rushing and passing, but will feel the losses of DE/OLB Jadeveon Clowney, who was taken as the first overall pick in the draft, and QB Connor Shaw who started for three seasons in Columbia. Still, the Steve Spurrier-coached team is ready with fifth-year senior QB Dylan Thompson and second team All-SEC HB Mike Davis leading the way.
This game is extra exciting with this being the first time in history that these two hard-nosed programs are meeting. The beginning of the season should provide plenty of fireworks as these two teams from the toughest conference in the league see what their new crop of players has in store for them. A couple of betting trends to keep in mind for this contest are that home teams such as South Carolina playing in the first month of the season after finishing the previous year on a win streak of 5+ games to give them an 80% win percentage, are 42-14 (75%) in the past 10 seasons. However, Texas A&M is 4-0 ATS in the previous two seasons when the total is between 56.5 and 63.
The Aggies were great last season in the passing game as they ranked seventh in the nation with 353.3 YPG, which led to 44.2 PPG (5th in FBS). Also, the team was able to gain 185.1 YPG on the ground (45th in nation). Much of their offensive production is in question with the departure of Johnny Manziel, but Kenny Hill hopes he can succeed with his own brand of dual-threat play. In his limited time last season as a freshman, Hill was 16-for-22 with 183 yards (8.3 YPA), 1 TD and 0 INT while also rushing for 37 yards on seven carries.
The players to keep an eye on in this offense will be HBs Trey Williams and Tra Carson who combined for 736 yards on 120 carries (6.1 YPC) with 13 touchdowns last year, and both should have a much bigger role in 2014 with the loss of 2013 leading rusher Manziel. As is the case with many large programs, Texas A&M took losses to its roster in many important areas. With its top two receivers (Mike Evans and Derel Walker) gone, WR Malcome Kennedy, who had 658 yards on 60 catches (11.0 YPC) with 7 TD last year, should get the call as the top option, but electric WR Ricky Seals-Jones (28.0 yards per reception) will also play a big role. DB Howard Matthews is expected to lead a defense that really struggled against the run last season (SEC-worst 222.3 rushing YPG allowed). Matthews had 90 tackles and three interceptions last year for a team that gave up 28+ points in 10 of their 13 games, and wound up with 32.2 PPG allowed.
Last season the Gamecocks brought a balanced offensive attack, which ranked 40th in passing yards (253.8 YPG) and 32nd in rushing (198.5 YPG). This led to 34.1 PPG (32nd in FBS), but it was their stingy defense (20.3 PPG, 12th in nation) that was the key to success. Just like the Aggies, South Carolina lost its starting quarterback, and will be relying on Dylan Thompson under center. It should take him no time at all to feel comfortable since he has been with this team for four years already, and was 52-for-89 (58.4%) for 783 yards (8.8 YPA) with 4 TD and 3 INT last year as Shaw’s primary backup.
The player in the offense to watch is HB Mike Davis who earned praise as one of the top backs in the SEC last year after posting 1,183 rushing yards (5.8 YPC) with 11 touchdowns, and also was an asset in the passing game with 352 receiving yards on 34 catches. He ran for 105+ yards in seven of the team's first nine games last season, but failed to top that mark once in his final three contests played. Although Davis has been bothered by a ribs injury, he is expected to start on Thursday night. South Carolina should feel comfortable with its wideouts, most notably WRs Shaq Roland (455 rec. yards, 5 TD) and Damiere Byrd (575 rec. yards, 4 TD). The loss of Clowney leaves the door open for LB Skai Moore (56 tackles, 4 INT) to lead the defense, as DB Brison Williams (45 tackles, 1 INT) also attempts to help continue a trend of great defenses at South Carolina.
BOISE STATE BRONCOS (0-0) vs. OLE MISS REBELS (0-0)
Sportsbook.ag Odds: Ole Miss -10.5, Total: 53.5
No. 18 Ole Miss looks to start its season on a positive note as travels to Atlanta to meet a Boise State team looking to give new coach Bryan Harsin a crucial victory.
The Rebels were a young team last season that relied on a lot of freshmen, but this year, the expectations are much higher as the team brings back a ton of talent. They got off to a fast start in 2013, winning their first three games by 14.3 PPG, including a pair of road contests at Vanderbilt and at Texas. After losing the next three contests, Ole Miss closed out the season on a 4-2 run capped off by a Music City Bowl win over Georgia Tech.
The Rebels will be tested against a Boise State program that saw long-time head coach Chris Petersen (92-13 record). The offensive-minded Harsin will have the Broncos offense revolving around RB Jay Ajayi, who is the fourth highest returning rusher in the country. The Broncos have been very successful in season openers against big-conference teams, defeating programs such as Georgia, Oregon and Virginia Tech in recent years. Bettors should know that favorites of 10.5 to 21 points with 425+ total YPG in the previous season with an experienced starting QB are 29-7 ATS (81%) in the past five seasons, but Boise State is 5-1 ATS as a neutral-field underdog since 1992. There are no significant injuries for either team.
No quarterback in the SEC has as much experience coming back as Ole Miss senior QB Bo Wallace (3,346 passing yards, 18 TD, 10 INT; 355 rush yards, 6 TD). However, for the Rebels to truly contend in the SEC, he will have to become more consistent. In his final three games, Wallace threw five interceptions as the Rebels went 1-2. He is an athletic quarterback, but he has a tendency to go for the big play too often. With a loaded defense and talent around him, Wallace just needs to limit mistakes. Sophomore WR Laquon Treadwell (72 catches, 608 yards, 5 TD) has a chance to become one of the elite receivers in all of the country. With Donte Moncrief graduated, Treadwell will undoubtedly become the focal point of the offense. The passing game should be able to compete with anybody, but the running game still remains a question mark. RB I’Tavius Mathers (563 rush yds, 5.9 YPC, 3 TD) looks to be the guy right now, but the Rebels will also use RB Jaylen Walton (523 rush yds, 4.6 YPC, 6 TD). DT Robert Nkemdiche (34 tackles, 2 sacks), had his big moments as a freshman, but struggled at times with injuries and constant double-teams. However, he has the talent and potential to become a double-digit sack guy, as he possesses amazing speed for a player his size. Ole Miss also returns All-American S Cody Prewitt (6 INT) while S Anthony Alford and hybrid Tony Conner (66 tackles) are two of the best athletes in the conference. The Rebels are coming into this season very optimistic, but they must not take this talented Boise State team lightly.
Leading the way for the Broncos offense will be Ajayi (1,425 rush yds, 5.7 YPC, 18 TD), who is an elusive runner. He is also a big part of the passing game, catching 22 passes out of the backfield for 222 yards last year. Under center will be QB Grant Hedrick (1,825 pass yds, 69% completions, 7.5 YPA, 16 TD, 5 INT), who really came on at the end of the year with 14 TD and 3 INT over his final five games. Hedrick also forces defenses to respect his feet, where he is able to get out and make some plays (277 rush yds, 4.1 YPC, 6 TD). When he gets out of the pocket, he is generally scrambling to allow his receivers more time to get open. The Broncos offense has the makings of an elite group, as receivers Matt Miller (216 career catches, 3rd most among active players) and Shane Williams-Rhodes (77 catches, 702 yards, 6 TD) are a dynamic receiving duo. The defense of the Broncos has a lot of talent, but is also very young. Shutdown CB Donte Deayon (6 INT, 54 tackles) and S Darian Thompson (63 tackles, four interceptions) will need to lead from the back.
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