Isaac Wilson has been lacking under center for Utah, and Jason Ence's underdog picks believe the Utes are ripe for an upset as TCU comes to town.
Isaac Wilson has been lacking under center for Utah, and Jason Ence's underdog picks believe the Utes are ripe for an upset as TCU comes to town.a week ago, I’m back looking for a clean sweep in my Week 8 college football underdog picks. Here are the three games I feel offer the best opportunities to see the favorites get taken down.Last week wasn’t a letdown from the Mississippi win like many may think, but rather more of the same for ateam that simply can’t move the ball.
But it was penalties on both sides of the ball that really hurt the Wildcats. Kentucky ranks 115th in penalties per play and 81st in flags per game. If they can’t dominate time of possession and run the ball, it’ll allow the Gators to pin their ears back with a pass rush that is sacking the quarterback once every 12 drop-backs.
So why do I think the Horned Frogs are in a position to pull off the upset? First of all, Utah’s defense may not be as good as the numbers indicate. The Utes don’t get to the quarterback very often with a sack rate of just 4.43%. While they’re allowing the fifth-lowest completion rate in college football, they haven’t faced many elite passing attacks.
When he’s given time to throw, Josh Hoover has been money. He’s already over the 2,000-yard mark on the season, with a 9:4 TD/INT ratio in conference play. And he rarely gets phased. He’s posting a 92.8 QBR under pressure according to PFF, compared to just a 22.1 QBR for Utah’s quarterbacks this season.
For me, that answer is simple, and it’s the South Carolina offense. While the Gamecocks haven’t done a great job protecting LaNorris Sellers, he’s been improving when given time. He made some impressive throws last week as the Gamecocks nearly upset Alabama on the road, losing by two despite being 21.5-point underdogs.
South Carolina has already played one team this season with an iffy offense and elite defense, when it went on the road and defeated Kentucky 31-6 despite being a 9.5-point dog. The Gamecocks won by swarming the Kentucky quarterback and causing mayhem with their pass rush, and finding enough plays to eventually wear down the Wildcats.
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