Tag: Week 0

Oct 20, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; SMU Mustangs quarterback Preston Stone (2) runs with the ball against the Temple Owls during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

SMU out to gain traction in opener at Nevada

Posted on | by Field Level Media

SMU moved up in status to the Atlantic Coast Conference and opens the season Saturday night when it visits downtrodden Nevada in Reno, Nev.

SMU finished off its 11 seasons in the American Athletic Conference with an 11-3 record in 2023, including 8-0 in conference play.

Last season’s gaudy record, combined with joining the ACC, has given the program its biggest push since the “Pony Express” era, when rushers Eric Dickerson and Craig James began an uprising that saw the Mustangs eventually win 10 or more games in four straight seasons (1981-84).

But everything was too wild during that time and multiple sanctions against SMU led to the program being shut down for two seasons (1987-88).

Now the Mustangs are back in the spotlight.

Quarterback Preston Stone passed for 3,197 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games last season before missing the final two due to a broken fibula. The Dallas native is well aware of SMU’s longstanding wish to match his long-ago success.

“Obviously, I didn’t live through the glory days,” Stone said. “But I’ve known about the Eric Dickerson, Craig James, (quarterback) Lance McIlhenney days since I was a little kid. It’s really cool how we’re making our way back to that.”

The Mustangs open against a Nevada squad coming off back-to-back 2-10 campaigns under the departed Ken Wilson.

Jeff Choate is the new coach after sharing defensive coordinator duties at Texas the past three seasons.

Choate’s lone head coaching experience came at FCS Montana State. He guided the Bobcats to a 28-22 record and two playoff appearances from 2016-19.

Now he’s attempting to revive a Wolf Pack program that lost 16 consecutive games before stunning San Diego State 6-0 last October.

The August quarterback battle never developed with Nebraska transfer Chubba Purdy — younger brother of Brock, the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback — unable to throw much due to a shoulder injury.

That helped incumbent Brandon Lewis hold on to the gig. He passed for 1,313 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games (10 starts) last season.

“I think there was a question mark maybe even within the locker room about, ‘Hey, how hard or is he preparing? How hard is he working?’” Choate told reporters of Lewis’ 2023 work habits. “There is no doubt that he was the hardest-working member of our football team this fall camp.”

The teams split six previous meetings. The most recent was SMU’s 45-10 rout in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl.

–Field Level Media

Jul 27, 2021; Hollywood, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly speaks with the media during the Pac-12 football Media Day at the W Hollywood. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

CFB Week 0 lines: Fresno State, UCLA lines climbing

Posted on | by Field Level Media

UCLA opened as an 11.5-point favorite but the Bruins are currently sitting at minus-17 over Hawaii in their opener.

There are five total college football games involving major conference teams on Aug. 28, which has formally been dubbed “Week 0.”

The Bruins are the second-biggest favorite of the opening weekend in college football with Fresno State (-27.5) the biggest heavy. Visiting UConn opened at +26.5 points but could fall to a four-touchdown dog by kickoff.

A win bet on Fresno State — also known as the moneyline — has -10000 odds, or an implied probability of 99.01 percent. Spelled out further, a bettor would need to wager $100 on the moneyline to win $1.

UCLA and Hawaii hold the distinction for the highest over-under of Week 0 at 70.

Week 1 of college football season gets underway Sept. 1 with UAB facing Jacksonville State, the appetizer for a smorgasbord on tap for Labor Day weekend. Multiple games are scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which features four top-20 matchups, none more anticipated than No. 5 Georgia against No. 3 Clemson in the primetime game on ABC.

The Tigers are 3.5-point favorites and have a -160 moneyline in the neutral site game in Charlotte, N.C.

No. 19 Penn State and No. 12 Wisconsin play at noon ET, and No. 1 Alabama faces No. 14 Miami at 3:30 p.m. ET, the same kickoff slot for Indiana (No. 17) at Iowa (No. 18). Alabama, the national championship favorite at +260 entering the season, is favored by 18.5 points over the Hurricanes.

The lone Power 5 matchup of Week 0 is a Big Ten game in Champaign, Ill., where the Fighting Illini opened as 9.5-point home underdogs. That line is closing almost by the day with Nebraska sitting as 7-point favorites as of Wednesday at noon ET.

That conference game kicks off the five-game slate at noon CT with a national TV audience on FOX. Illinois is a popular pick to surprise in former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema’s debut season.

Illinois’ moneyline is +220 after opening at +280.

In the only other game on the board for the late August weekend, UTEP holds firm as 9.5-point favorites at New Mexico State in a line that hasn’t moved since the morning odds were first released.

There is no line set for Southern Utah at San Jose State, which is the final game of Aug. 28 (10 p.m. ET).

All lines mentioned above are courtesy of PointsBetUSA.

–Field Level Media