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Posts Tagged ‘SMU Mustangs’

December 24th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan
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The 2012 Hawaii Bowl picks are set to go here at Cappers Info, and we are ready to make our free bowl picks for all of the games on the schedule. Check out the Fresno State vs. SMU picks and predictions for what should be a remarkable game.

Hawaii Bowl Picks: Fresno State Bulldogs vs. SMU Mustangs
Date: Monday, December 24th, 8:00 ET
Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
Hawaii Bowl Betting Odds: Fresno State -12.5
Fresno State vs. SMU Live TV Coverage: ESPN

There is no doubt whatsoever that the Bulldogs are the better team in this game, but the better team doesn’t always prove to be the one that wins when push comes to shove. QB Derek Carr has 36 TDs on the campaign, and he is clearly going to be making a run at the NFL just like his older brother, QB David Carr did out of Fresno State as well. RB Robbie Rouse is one of the best all-around backs in the nation, as he has rushed for 1,468 yards and 12 TDs and caught 58 passes for 406 yards and two trips to the end zone. This is a team that has picked up a lot of great wins this year thanks to both the offense and the defense, and it is one of the rare teams that ranked in the Top 25 in a ton of categories on both sides of the football.

It’s not like SMU is a slacking team, though. The club did post some big time wins this past season, including a victory over the Houston Cougars on national television in which the squad put up 72 points. QB Garrett Gilbert clearly has some talent, as he was recruited and attended the University of Texas before transferring to SMU. He hasn’t had the greatest year in the world, throwing for just 2,720 yards with 14 TDs and 13 picks, but he has the ability to do some remarkable things. RB Zach Line is a veteran in this offense, and he posted another 1,000+ yard campaign with 1,207 yards and 12 TDs.

Here’s what we really like about the Mustangs in this one, though. They always seem to be prepared for bowl games. Last year, they really took advantage of the Pitt Panthers in the BBVA Compass Bowl, blowing them away 28-6 when everything point towards U-Pitt winning that game. Head Coach June Jones is comfortable on the Island, and we expect that his team is at least going to come up with a gamely effort to stick around with a superior Fresno State outfit. It won’t be an upset, but it’ll be an interesting encounter on Christmas Eve night.

Fresno State vs. SMU Pick: Hawaii Warriors +12.5
Hawaii Bowl Score Prediction: Fresno State 31 – SMU 27

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December 24th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan

BovadaThe Fresno State Bulldogs and the SMU Mustangs are set to kick off the 2012 Hawaii Bowl on Monday 12/24, and I’m set to make my Hawaii Bowl pick for the affair at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI. Kickoff is set for 8:00 ET, and I’ve got the perfect NCAA football pick for the Hawaii Bowl.

2012 Hawaii Bowl
Fresno State Bulldogs (9-3, 11-1 ATS) -12.5
SMU Mustangs (6-6, 7-5 ATS) +12.5
Over/Under 59.5

Fresno State was one of the best ATS teams in the country this year, but they were all over the place with ‘totals’. On one hand, the team put up 40.2 points per game and ranked 14th in the nation in total yardage at 489.2 yards per game. That seems like a surefire over, but when I look at the defensive stats for Fresno, I can’t help but be equally impressed. The team allowed just 335.8 yards and 22.2 points per game. There’s a reason that this team was just 5-6 towards the ‘over’ on the season, and there were some games that both ended up way past the number and nowhere near the number either.

SMU was largely in the same boat when you really think about it. This is a team that put up 72 against the Houston Cougars and 44 against the Memphis Tigers, but it is also the same club that scored 17 points or fewer five times on the season. What I do know about this team though, is that it has a secondary that just flat out stinks. Part of the problem for Head Coach June Jones and the gang is that the offense tries to run up to the line of scrimmage as quickly as possible with a no huddle attack, and that leaves the defense vulnerable, especially with the number of very short drives that the team has on offense. As a result, 271.2 yards per game were put up through the air against this defense.

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And that to me, is the tiebreaker of the bunch. The Bulldogs are going to get their yards, as QB Derek Carr is going to be gunning the ball all over the place. Expect Carr to have a good shot to get the four scores necessary to get to 40 for the season, and WR Davante Adams should end up with a huge game when push comes to shove against a secondary that has allowed some big time passing games. Still, I need QB Garrett Gilbert and SMU offense to do some damage as well. I just hope that I see the good SMU offense that put tons of points on the board in certain games this year, or at least not the one that was so dreadful in so many games on the campaign.

Fresno State vs. SMU Picks & Tips: Over 59.5

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Posted in College Football Tips, Football Tipster |

 
October 18th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan

BovadaThe Houston Cougars and the SMU Mustangs are set to kick off their college football clash on Thursday 10/18, and I’m set to make my college football pick for the affair at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8:00 ET, and I’ve got the perfect NCAA football pick for this outstanding clash.

Houston Cougars (3-3, 3-3 ATS) -5
SMU Mustangs (2-4, 3-3 ATS) +5
Over/Under 60

It has been a tale of two seasons for the Cougars, knowing that they lost their first three games of the season both SU and ATS and have rallied for three straight SU victories and covers as well. The hope is that this keeps going through the rest of the season, and then perhaps we can talk about this team as a Conference USA title contender. However, SMU is a tough team that isn’t going to go down quietly either.

The more that I look at this game, the more that I think it is going to be one that fails to reach the ‘total’. Houston has been doing a heck of a lot better job defensively since the first two weeks of the year have passed, allowing just 22.3 points per game since that point. Meanwhile, SMU couldn’t really get much of anything going over the course of the last two weeks against Tulane and UTEP, something that definitely gets my antennae up when I’m handicapping college football.

Last year’s clash between these two resulted in just 44 points hitting the board, far short of the 75 required to get to the ‘total’. The ‘under’ is 5-2 in Houston’s last seven games dating back to last season, but most importantly to me, it is 20-5-1 in SMU’s last 26 games following an SU defeat. That’s more than good enough for me to think that this game is going to stay in the 40s or the 50s.

Houston vs. SMU Tips: Under 60

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Posted in College Football Tips, Football Tipster |

 
September 2nd, 2012 By Jack Wilshire

Making sports betting picks is one of my specialties, and today at Cappers Info, I’m making my Sunday night Football Tipster pick based upon the football trends and college football odds for the SMU Mustangs vs. Baylor Bears game on Sunday, September 2nd.

SMU Mustangs (0-0, 0-0 ATS) +8.5
Baylor Bears (0-0, 0-0 ATS) -8.5
Over/Under 57.5

This is a tough game for sure, but I think that I have the right angle on this game to get the job done. The line on Baylor has been coming down from 13 to 8.5, but I’m just not so sure that this movement is right.

SMU has failed to cover nine in a row in this series, and QB Garrett Gilbert probably isn’t the greatest quarterback to take over as a run and gun quarterback. Head Coach June Jones just doesn’t feel like he is making this work in Dallas.

Yes, Baylor has lost QB Robert Griffin III, and yes, the team has a lot of rebuilding to do, but those nine straight covers against SMU really loom large. The Bears have covered eight in a row at home and four in a row overall. They have covered four straight against Conference USA teams and four out of five in the month in September. This is all just far too much to ignore. This is Baylor or nothing for me, and I think that the Bears are clearly the right side.

SMU @ Baylor Tips: Baylor -8.5

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January 7th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan

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The duel between the Pitt Panthers and the SMU Mustangs is a great game to make BBVA Compass Bowl picks on, but we are wondering if the Arizona State Sun Devils shouldn’t sponsor this game. SMU’s Head Coach June Jones was once reported to have the job, and Pitt’s former coach Todd Graham is the man that ended up with it just 11 months after taking the job in the Steel City. Needless to say, it should make for a great game in Sweet Home Alabama.

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BBVA Compass Bowl Matchup: SMU Mustangs vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
BBVA Compass Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, January 7th, 1:00 ET
BBVA Compass Bowl Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
BBVA Compass Bowl Odds: Pittsburgh -3
BBVA Compass Bowl Total: 48
BBVA Compass Bowl TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3.com

The big question in this game is how these teams are going to react to their coaching situations. Generally, we would like to think that the Panthers would find some way to rally around without their head coach, while we think that SMU may still have some questions for Jones about his loyalty, especially since he skipped out on his previous employers, the Hawaii Warriors rather quickly and with a huge element of surprise when he came here to Dallas for the Mustangs. There’s no doubt that the better schemer in this game is going to be Jones, as he has won some big time bowl games at pretty much all of his stops along the way, and he has had some extra time to prepare for this one on January 7th.

Remember that these Mustangs are the team that kept the TCU Horned Frogs from being in the BCS this year. On the road, the team was able to pull off an OT victory against what turned out to be a darn stout TCU team. However, two weeks later, the Mustangs were crippled by the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, who went on to win Conference USA, and they haven’t covered a spread since that points and were lucky to escape with a win over the Rice Owls in the regular season finale as 13 point favorites. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh had to beat the Syracuse Orange in its final regular season game just to make a bowl, but in the end, this was a team that really played better ball down the stretch, covering five in a row in conference and coming up with three wins and two just crushing late defeats in games against the Big East co-champs, Cincinnati and West Virginia that could have been won.

There are definitely some injury concerns on both sides. SMU’s best season in quite some time was last year, and QB Kyle Padron and RB Zach Line were leading the way. Padron was benched right at the start of the year and was miserable when he was in there, but missing Line really hurts. Beyond him, RBs Rishad Wimbley and Jared Williams only combined for 65 carries and 303 yards on the campaign, a far cry from the 1,224 yards and 17 TDs that Line had on the ground by himself. Predominantly a running team, the Panthers have been in trouble trying to find healthy running backs of late. RB Ray Graham, who was arguably the best back in the Big East this year, has been sidelined for the last month and won’t be available for this one either, and his backup, RB Zach Brown has missed a few games with a sternum injury as well. He at least has a shot of playing in the BBVA Compass Bowl, but hopes aren’t high that he can give it a go for the full game.

We just don’t see the Mustangs being able to pull this one out. We’ve doubted Jones and have been wrong before, but this isn’t nearly as good of an SMU team as he normally has to work with. One other note to remember about Pitt… This is a team that has now had four different head coaches in the last 13 months. Dave Wannstedt was fired, Mike Haywood was dismissed before ever really settling down with the job after some off the field legal issues, and Graham has now hopped out of town. If the team can survive that and still live to tell about a bowl game, there is no way that we can doubt that it will win it as well.

Free BBVA Compass Bowl Pick: Pittsburgh -3

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Posted in College Football |

 
December 29th, 2010 By Andrew Ryan

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Once again, the Lone Star State will be the sight of a bowl game on Thursday afternoon, as the SMU Mustangs take on the Army Black Knights in NCAA football betting action. The Armed Forces Bowl should be one of the great ones this year, as these two teams should be putting on a tremendous show.

Armed Forces Bowl Matchup: Army Black Knights vs. SMU Mustangs
Date: Thursday, December 30th, 12:00 ET
Location: Gerald Ford Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Armed Forces Bowl Line: SMU -7.5
Over/Under 51.5

Black Knights Notes: The Black Knights really didn't play much of a schedule this year, but they are going to be proud to be in a bowl game for the first time since the 1996 Independence Bowl. There wasn't a single win against a bowl eligible team this year, and this was an offense that really wasn't all that good. Averaging 340.1 yards per game is nothing to write home about, though the triple option attack really isn't that prone to putting up tremendous numbers. A scoring average of 27.5 points per game was one of the best marks that the Cadets have seen in years, and QB Trent Steelman is to thank. Steelman might have only led a passing attack that ranked dead last in the country, but he was the man running the machine in the triple option. Steelman rushed for 694 yards and a team high 11 TDs this year. RB Jared Hassin might be able to become the second Army running back to reach the 1,000 yard mark in two decades. He is at 931 yards and nine scores so far on the season. Defensively, Army did rank No. 22 in the land at 322.8 yards per game, and though a scoring average of 25.2 points per game was respectable, that average soared up to 34.6 points per game against bowl teams.

Mustangs Notes: Head Coach June Jones knows that he is probably still a year away from SMU really becoming a legitimate challenger for the Top 25. This offense is very, very close, though. Scoring just seven points against the UCF Knights in the Conference USA Championship Game wasn't great, but QB Kyle Padron is right about at the point of explosion, and this might be the game in which he really busts out. He threw for 3,526 yards and 29 TDs this year, and made 1,000 yard receivers out of both WR Aldrick Robinson and WR Cole Beasley. These two men combined for 144 receptions and 19 TDs. However, don't forget about RB Zach Line either. He rumbled for 1,391 yards and ten TDs. Finishing drives is a problem, though. Teams don't normally rank No. 34 in the land in total offense at 416.2 yards per game and only average 26.6 points per game in college football betting action. The defense was a lot more proportionate. The team ranked No. 60 in the country both in total 'D' (363.9 YPG) and scoring (26.4 PPG).

The Final Word: This might be a de facto home game for the Mustangs, but the Cadets are thrilled to be here. Army is going to have a decent shot at winning this game, especially if SMU is disappointed to be here instead of being in the Liberty Bowl. Steelman and the Black Knights should be able to at least keep this one within a TD, and it should be one of these down to the wire games. The Mustangs will pull off the victory, but they won't beat the Armed Forces Bowl odds.

Armed Forces Bowl Free Pick: Army +7.5
Armed Forces Bowl Prediction: SMU 27 – Army 24

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September 23rd, 2010 By Andrew Ryan
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Here at Cappers Info, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Check out the potentially ugly dogs that could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren't careful for the Week 4 of college football betting action!

SMU Mustangs (+700 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. TCU Horned Frogs, Friday 8:00 ET: It's not often that we think that a team that is a 17.5 point underdog can reasonably win a game outright, but SMU really has a chance in this one. The passing assault with QB Kyle Padron is good enough to lead the Mustangs to victory over almost any team in the country, anywhere. The key though is that this one is going to be played at home, not on the road, and we've already seen just how dangerous the 'Stangs can be there when they nearly toppled Texas Tech the day before Labor Day. TCU is good… In fact, TCU is great. However, the Horned Frogs are walking into what might be a very, very dangerous trap this week. HC Gary Patterson knows that there are some strong competitors waiting to make names for themselves and the HC June Jones on the other sideline is a natural at pulling off upsets like this to ruin a team's season.

Arkansas Razorbacks (+230 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide, Saturday, 3:30 ET: Sure, we realize that everyone and their brother is calling this upset and that picking against the No. 1 team in the land, a team that hasn't lost a game since the 2009 Sugar Bowl probably isn't all that wise, but we are going to go there anyway. QB Ryan Mallett has a chance not just to become the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, but we think he can legitimately win it going away with a big performance this weekend. And why not? This is the first legitimate test to an Alabama defense which has lost ten of its 11 starters from a year ago and will be tested for the first time against some big time competition. We know that HC Nick Saban isn't one to worry about the road ahead, but if we're members of the Crimson Tide, we're sitting there wondering how we're going to get through a schedule ahead that features games against Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Just getting through the first of the four games is going to be a major, major hassle.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+170 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Stanford Cardinal, Saturday, 3:30 ET: We're continuing with the theme of the home dogs in this one. We've discussed time and time again and prospects of perception in NCAA football betting. The perception on Notre Dame isn't great. The Irish are just 1-2 this season and just barely covered their first spread of the season last week in spite of the fact that it took a fluke, trick play in overtime to beat them in East Lansing. Meanwhile, perception on Stanford is great. The Cardinal are in the Top 25 and just came off of a huge beat down against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The problem is that Stanford really isn't this good and Notre Dame isn't this bad. QB Dayne Crist might be the better signal caller of the two in this game, even though we do love QB Andrew Luck. This is a long, long road trip for the Cardinal, and the last time they won in South Bend in a number of seasons, and there doesn't seem to be a good reason to make them such a big favorite in this game. This is a tremendous price on the Irish.

West Virginia Mountaineers (+250 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ LSU Tigers, Saturday, 9:00 ET: Are we certifiably insane to pick against the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge at night? West Virginia is a stronger team than it is letting on to at this point, and though QB Geno Smith really hasn't come forth with a huge outing on the road yet this year, this is a grand opportunity. We hate the Tigers this year and we know that the offense isn't going to be able to get through this defense for enough points to beat this type of a number if the Mountaineers end up scoring some points. Don't be shocked to see this game turn out to be a big, big upset that spoils the SEC and gives a huge boost to a Big East conference that is considered the weakest of the BCS conferences in the country.

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September 23rd, 2010 By Andrew Ryan

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#5 TCU Horned Frogs @ SMU Mustangs (+17.5)
Friday, September 24th
8:00 ET, Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX

The #5 TCU Horned Frogs will look to go 4-0 in non-conference play on Friday night when they take on the rival SMU Mustangs. TCU has looked quite dominant in their first three games of the season, winning by an average of 33 PPG. Last week against Baylor the Horned Frogs raced out to a 35-3 halftime lead en route to an easy 45-10 victory. QB Andy Dalton was extremely efficient and showed why he is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the MWC. Dalton completed 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears defense and piloted the Horned Frogs offense to 558 total yards. RB Ed Wesley also had a monster game for TCU, carrying the ball 19 times for 165 yards and two scores. Since coming to the program, SMU HC June Jones has brought some much needed respectability back to the Mustangs. Jones’ pass happy offense has been a delight for QB Kyle Padron, who has lit up the stat sheets in his second season as SMU’s quarterback. In their 35-21 win against Washington State last week, Padron went 19 of 34 for 280 yards and notched four touchdowns. WR Aldrick Robinson was the main recipient of Padron’s prowess, catching four passes for 111 yards and three scores. Padron will certainly need to be on his “A” game Friday night, if the Mustangs have any chance at upsetting the Horned Frogs.

Prediction: TCU 41 SMU 27

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September 4th, 2010 By Andrew Ryan

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Tulsa Golden Hurricane (-7) @ East Carolina Pirates
Sunday, September 5th
2:00 ET, Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, NC

This is clearly a case between a team that is on the rise and one that is on a freefall. The Golden Hurricane were quite possibly the best 5-7 team in the land last year, and they are still an incredibly feared by the opposition. QB GJ Kinne is a great dual threat, throwing for 2,732 yards and rushing for 399. He totaled 27 scores against just ten picks. Tulsa's problem last year was winning close games. Four of the team's seven losses came by ten points or less and all but losses to Oklahoma and East Carolina came by two TDs or less. On the contrary, the only game that was won by less than two touchdowns was the season ending game against Memphis. As for East Carolina, there are a ton of major issues. Skip Holtz has left for South Florida and QB Patrick Pinkney is gone as well. There are a number of major defensive players that have graduated as well. Bottom line: This isn't your daddy's East Carolina team. The Golden Hurricane should blow into the Carolinas and come out with a 'W'.

Prediction: Tulsa 41 – East Carolina 23
SMU Mustangs (+14) @ Texas Tech Red Raiders
Sunday, September 5th
3:30 ET, Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX

Be very, very careful, Texas Tech. The start of the HC Tommy Tuberville era might not be a good one if the Mustangs can sneak up on the Red Raiders. The offense for T-Tech is still very much so up in the air, as Tuberville is going to be asking players that have gotten used to the Air Raid assault to run the football a bit more. That's great news for RB Byron Batch, but might not be such great news for Texas Tech backers. As far as SMU goes, we know that HC June Jones is going to ask QB Kyle Padron to throw the pigskin all over the place, just as he did when he threw for 460 yards in the Hawaii Bowl last year. The Mustangs are looking to get back on the right path towards Conference USA glory, while it seems like the Red Raiders are going backwards in a hurry. This could be a Texas-sized Lone Star State upset. Taking the two TDs on the NCAA spreads is a great idea.

Prediction: SMU 34 – Texas Tech 30

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