NCAAFB Betting News, Match-Ups and Trends For Saturday 12/15/18

New Mexico Bowl
Underdogs covered five of last six New Mexico Bowls. Utah State won this bowl four years ago, but lost 23-21/26-20 in last two bowls. Aggies are 10-2, losing first/last game; they were held 100 YR in both losses. State is 9-3 vs spread in last dozen games as a favorite. North Texas is in its 3rd straight bowl; they lost 38-31/50-30 in bowls last two years. Favorites covered their last five bowl games. UNT is 9-3 this year; their last three games were all decided by exactly 3 points. Under Littrell, Mean Green is 10-9 as an underdog, 1-1 this year. Mountain West teams are 3-4 in this bowl last seven years. Under is 10-1 in UNT games this season; over is 8-3-1 in Utah State games. Last seven years, MW teams are 13-11 vs spread when playing a C-USA opponent.

Cure Bowl, Orlando
Tulane is in its first bowl since 2013; they had to beat a poor Navy team 29-28 in finale just to get to 6-6 and be bowl-eligible. Green Wave beat ULL 41-39 (-5) in OT in last meeting two years ago. Tulane won four of its last five games overall; they’re 1-4 vs spread as a favorite this year, after being 7-4 last two years. UL-Lafayette is in 6th bowl in last nine years, but first one that wasn’t in New Orleans; Ragin’ Cajuns are 7-0 when they score 31+ points, 0-5 when they don’t. Tulane allowed 31+ in only one of its last six games. Dogs won two of three Cure Bowls, with Sun Belt team winning last two. Last five years, Sun Belt teams are 9-7 vs spread when playing an AAC team. Five of last six Tulane games, four of last five ULL games stayed under total.

Las Vegas Bowl
Fresno State won Mountain West title game in Boise Dec 1st; only 14 days between games for them. Underdogs won last two Las Vegas bowls; favorites are 4-3 vs spread in last seven. Pac-12 teams are 4-2 vs spread in last six visits here. Herm Edwards is coaching his first bowl game; ASU’s star WR Harry is skipping this game so he doesn’t get hurt- he is headed to NFL. ASU won four of its last five games; they’re 4-1 in games decided by 4 or fewer points. Sun Devils are 2-3 in last five bowls, losing 43-42/52-31 in last two. Bulldogs snapped 4-game bowl losing streak when they won Hawai’i Bowl 33-27 LY. Since 2012, Mountain West teams are 4-6 vs spread when favored over a Pac-12 team. Eight of last nine Fresno games stayed under the total.

Camellia Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Eastern Michigan is in just its third bowl game ever, 2nd since 1985; they lost Bahamas Bowl 24-20 to Old Dominion two years ago. Eagles won five of their last six games after a 2-4 start; they’re 2-4 this year in games decided by less than 7 points. EMU is 4-6 vs spread in its last 10 games as a favorite. Georgia Southern has one of most experienced OL’s in country; they’re in only their 5th year of I-A football. GSU is Eagles pounded Bowling Green 58-27 in its only bowl game, three years ago. MAC teams are 14-11 vs spread in their last 25 games vs Sun Belt opponents. Sun Belt teams split four Camellia Bowls; average total in four games was 61.3. Seven of last nine EMU games stayed under total; five of last six Ga Southern games went over.

New Orleans Bowl
Favorites won/covered last three New Orleans Bowls; Sun Belt team won this game five of last seven years. Appalachian State is 10-2 with an OT loss at Penn State that they led in the last minute of regulation. ASU is 3-0 in bowl games, scoring 31+ points in all three- this is only their 5th year as a I-A team. Middle Tennessee State won five of last seven games, splitting pair with UAB; they’re 4-3 vs spread as an underdog this year. Sun Belt teams covered eight of their last ten games with C-USA opponents. Six of last eight ASU games stayed under the total; three of Blue Raiders’ last four games went over. ASU’s coach has already jumped ship for the Louisville job; MTSU’s senior QB is the head coach’s son, so this will be an emotional game for them.

Saturday's Early Bowl Tips
December 13, 2018
By Joe Williams

**Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette**

Cure Bowl History

-- The Tulane Green Wave (6-6 straight up, 5-7 against the spread) of American Athletic Conference meet the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (7-6 straight up, 9-4 against the spread) of the Sun Belt Conference at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida for the AutoNation Cure Bowl.

-- The Green Wave are bowling for the first time since 2013 when they lost to these same Ragin' Cajuns in the New Orleans Bowl by a 24-21 count. Tulane hasn't won in the postseason since 2002 out in the Hawai'i Bowl, pushing past the hometown team on Christmas Day by a 36-28 count. All time the Green Wave have posted a 4-8 record in 12 bowl appearances. This will be their first appearance in the Cure Bowl.

-- The Ragin' Cajuns will be making their sixth-ever bowl appearance, and their first-ever outside of the city of New Orleans. They posted a 4-1 record in five showings in the New Orleans Bowl, winning their first four in the Big Easy before suffering a 28-21 setback against Southern Mississippi in 2016, their most recent appearance in the postseason.

-- Tulane stumbled out of the chute with a 1-3 SU/2-2 ATS record, including losses to Power 5 teams at home against Wake Forest on Aug. 30, 23-17, and on the road against Ohio State on Sept. 22, 49-6. However, in perhaps their most impressive victory of the season, the Green Wave took it to fellow bowl team Memphis, 40-24, winning outright as 14 1/2-point underdogs at home. Unfortunately they were unable to carry over the momentum, losing two in a row to slide to 2-5 SU/3-4 ATS. That's when Tulane kicked it into high gear, winning a pair of road games at Tulsa and South Florida before taking down East Carolina at home to get back to .500. Bowl eligibility wasn't a certainty after getting throttled at Houston 48-17 on Nov. 15, and they held off a poor Navy team 29-28 to just inch over the finish line and end up 6-6. The Green Wave enter bowl season on an 0-3 ATS slide.

-- Tulane posted very marginal numbers on offense this season except for in the run game. They were 30th in the country with 208.7 yards per game, as Darius Bradwell (165-982-9) and Corey Dauphine (116-754-7) are an impressive one-two punch. They were just 103rd in passing, posting a dismal 186.2 yards per game, and 25.7 points per game (PPG) to rank 93rd. Defensively the Green Wave had trouble stopping the pass, ranking just 115th with 265.2 yards per contest. They were halfway decent agaisnt the run, giving up just 153.9 yards per game to check in 50th in the country.

-- ULL checked in 39th in the country with 437.2 yards per game, and they were potent in the run game with 229.2 yards per game to finish 19th in the land. Trey Ragas managed 1,141 rushing yards (5.8 yards per carry) with eight scores, and Elijah Mitchell scored 12 times on the ground, too. WR Ja'Marcus Bradley (38-557-10) is the threat in the pass game. They also posted 32.5 PPG to rank 39th in the nation. The Cajuns were defensively challenged, ranking 96th in the nation with 432.3 yards per game, and they were hammered for 210.0 per game to rank 107th in rush defense. They also gave up 33.7 PPG to finish 105th overall.

-- The Green Wave are slight favorites in this one. As a favorite of 9 1/2 or less, they went 2-2 SU/1-3 ATS this season. ULL was a single-digit 'dog on three occasions, going 2-1 SU/ATS.

-- The Green Wave enter 2-5 ATS over the past seven games, and they're 1-4 ATS in the past five following a straight-up victory. They're also 1-4 ATS in their past five games on a fieldturf surface.

-- The Ragin' Cajuns are 8-2 ATS in their past 10 games overall, and they're 4-1 ATS in the past five neutral-site games and 4-1 ATS in their five bowl games all-time. They're also 4-0 ATS in the past four games after a straight-up loss while going 4-1 ATS in the past five on fieldturf.

-- The under has cashed in five of the past six games overall for Tulane, while going 5-1 in their past six outside of the conference. The under is also 4-1 in the past five against teams with a winning overall mark.

-- The over is 11-1 in the past 12 non-conference tilts for ULL. However, the under is 4-1 in their past five overall, and 7-1 in the past eight appearances in the month of December.

-- In this series, the underdog has connected in five straight meetings, and ULL is 4-1 ATS in the past five in this series.

-- Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network.

**Utah State vs. North Texas**

New Mexico Bowl History

-- In the Gildan New Mexico Bowl at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. it will be the Utah State Aggies (10-2 straight up, 9-3 against the spread) of the Mountain West Conference facing off against the Conference USA representative North Texas Mean Green (9-3 straight up, 4-8 against the spread).

-- The Mean Green fired out to a 4-0 SU/3-1 ATS record, including a 27-point thumping of Power 5 conference member Arkansas back in Sept. 15 on the road. QB Mason Fine and the offense rolled up 44 or more points in each of the first four games and they were sailing along until Sept. 29 when Louisiana Tech upset them at home by a 29-27 score. They rebounded with a pair of conference wins at UTEP and against Southern Miss, but they lost a coin-flip game at UAB by a 29-21 margin to take a second conference loss. A second straight trip to the C-USA title game was still in reach, but a 24-21 loss as 14 1/2-point favorites at Old Dominion put the final nail in their coffin. They were able to finish up strong with a revenge-game win over FAU, 41-38 on Nov. 15, and 24-21 at UTSA to close out the season. They didn't exactly finish up strong, going 0-5 ATS in their final five outings, and 1-7 ATS in the last eight.

-- As far as Utah State, they were looking like a legit Group of 5 representative. They opened the season with a 38-31 loss at Michigan State, easily covering a 23 1/2-point spread. In fact, they covered their first six games until a non-cover at Wyoming on Oct. 20. They Aggies didn't lose again until Nov. 24 in Boise State, failing in their bid for a chance to go to the Mountain West Conference championship game and a more prestigious bowl. They also ended up 3-3 ATS in the final six outings after their perfect 6-0 ATS start.

-- When UNT has the ball they're be very up-tempo and fun to watch. They were 15th in the country in total yards (472.8 yards per game), 11th in passing yardage per game (316.2 YPG) and 21st in scoring (36.4 PPG). Defensively they were strong against the run, allowing just 113.4 YPG to finish 15th, and they gave up just 21.8 PPG to finish 31st. If Utah State is going to exploit them, it will be on the pass. UNT was 92nd in the nation against the pass, allowing 246.1 yards per game.

-- Fine threw for 3,734 yards, 27 TDs and five INTs, and his favorite target is WR Rico Bussey Jr. (68-1,017-12). WR Jalen Guyton (50-702-5) is also a threat in the pass game, while it's all about RBs Deandre Torrey (161-942-14) and Loren Easly (74-386-4) in the run game.

-- For USU, they're 11th in the land in total yards (493.8 YPG), 18th in passing yards (288.8 YPC) and third overall in the nation with 47.2 PPG. Defensively, the Aggies were gashed for 240.1 yards per game, just 84th in the nation. QB Jordan Love completed 65.8 percent of his attempts, throwing for 3,208 yards, 28 TDs and five INTs. Mason vs. Love will be one of the better bowl game matchups we'll see all season. RB Darwin Thompson (132-951-14) is the stud, with Gerold Bright (125-785-8) as the strong change-of-pace guy.

-- For the Aggies, they'll be playing for interim coach Frank Maile, as Matt Wells took the job at Texas Tech. They have lost their past two bowl appearances, and they're 4-8 overall in 12 all-time bowl games. They won their only previous appearance in the New Mexico Bowl, pushing aside UTEP 21-6 in Wells' second season in Logan.

-- The Mean Green will be making their third straight bowl appearance in three years under the tutelage of Seth Littrell, and they're hoping the third time is a charm. They lost in the New Orleans Bowl to Troy last season, and to Army in the Heart of Dallas Bowl in 2016. Overall they're just 2-7 in nine previous trips, and this will be their first-ever appearance in the New Mexico Bowl.

-- Utah State is 4-0 ATS in the past four non-conference games, and 9-3 ATS in the past 12 games overall. However, they're 4-15 ATS in the past 19 against winning teams.

-- North Texas is 10-3 ATS in their past 13 non-conference battles, but they're 0-4 ATS in the past four against winning teams, 2-5 ATS in the past seven games in December and 0-5 ATS in the past five overall.

-- The 'under' has cashed in six straight bowl games for Utah State, but the over is 23-9 in their past 32 overall. The over is 4-0 in the past four non-conference games and 4-1 in their past five against winning sides.

-- The 'under' is 4-0 in UNT's past four outside of the conference, 12-3-1 in the past 16 overall and 5-2 in their past seven on a grass surface.

-- Kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Arizona State vs. Fresno State**

Las Vegas Bowl History

-- In the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas it will be the Arizona State Sun Devils (7-5 straight up, 7-5 against the spread) taking on the Mountain West Conference champion Fresno State Bulldogs (11-2 straight up, 9-4 against the spread).

-- The season started with a lot of promise for AZ State and first-year coach Herm Edwards, as they spanked UTSA and upset a then-ranked Michigan State team 16-13 on Sept. 8 to open 2-0 SU/ATS. However, a two-game losing skid at San Diego State and Washington splashed cold water on the start, and the Sun Devils found themselves 3-4 SU/4-3 ATS through seven games heading into a late-October battle at USC. They won that one 38-35 in exciting fashion behind stud WR N'Keal Harry, who will be skipping this one to get ready for his pro career and the NFL Draft. Sparky also edged rival Arizona 41-40 on Nov. 24 in Tucson for a seventh win.

-- Fresno State fell 21-14 at Minnesota on Sept. 8, and it appeared maybe it might be a so-so season. However, a 38-14 thumping of UCLA on the road renewed hope, and they punished Toledo 49-27 to wrap up September at 3-1 SU/ATS. They wouldn't lose again until Nov. 9 on a Friday night in Boise State, 24-17. However, they would avenge that loss on the Smurf Turf on Dec. 1 in the MWC Championship Game to punch their ticket to Vegas.

-- Arizona State ranked 44th in total yards (427.2 yards per game), and they ranked 56th in passing yards (241.3 YPG). However, those stats are out with the window with Harry in street clothes. Defensively, AZ State ranked 71st in total yards (402.8 YPG), 82nd in passing yards allowed (238.7 YPG) and 65th against the run (164.2 YPG). QB Manny Wilkins is still playing, though, and he passed for 2,896 yards, 19 TD and four INT while running for 416 yards and eight more scores. RB Eno Benjamin (277-1,524-15) will also be leaned upon, adding to his impressive stat line.

-- Fresno State finished 50th in total yards (421.0 YPG), while posting 274.2 YPG to rank 25th in the country. They were also 26th in the land (34.9 PPG). Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed just 323.8 yards per game to rank 17th in the land, and they were third in points allowed with just 13.7 PPG.

-- QB Marcus McMaryion was a dual-threat option who didn't make many miscues. He passed for 3,453 yards, 25 TD and three INT while rushing for seven touchdowns. RBs Ronnie Rivers (108-531-8) and Jordan Mims (113-436-6) are solid on the ground, while WR KeeSean Johnson (93-1,307-8) and TE Jared Rice (51-624-3) are the top options in the pass game.

-- Fresno State won last season in the Hawai'i Bowl, snapping a six-game bowl skid. That includes their only other trip to the Las Vegas Bowl, a 45-20 pounding inflicted by USC. The Bulldogs are 2-1 all-time against Pac-12 members at the time. They also played Colorado in the Aloha Bowl in 1993, but they were in the Big 12 then.

-- Arizona State has a long bowl history, going 14-15-1, including two trips to the Salad Bowl. They appeared in the Las Vegas Bowl once before, getting smacked around by Boise State 56-24 back on Dec. 22, 2011. Arizona State is 2-6 across their past eight postseason appearances.

-- The Sun Devils are 2-7 ATS in their past nine bowl games and just 1-6 ATS in their past seven battles against Mountain West foes. They are an impressive 10-4 ATS in the past 14 against teams with a winning overall record.

-- The Bulldogs are an amazing 26-7-1 ATS in the past 34 overall and 16-5 ATS in the past 21 against teams with a winning record. They're also 8-2 ATS in the past 10 non-conference battles. However, Fresno is 1-6 ATS in the past seven bowl games and 4-9 ATS in the past 13 against Pac-12 foes.

-- The 'over' has cashed in eight of the past 10 neutral-site games for Arizona State, and 4-1 in the past five non-conference games. They over is also 6-1 in their past seven bowl appearances.

-- The 'under' is 22-8 in the past 30 overall for Fresno State, but the over is 5-2-1 in their past eight bowl appearances. The over is also 16-4-1 in their past 21 against the Pac-12 and 4-1 in the past five outside of the conference.

-- Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Saturday's Late Bowl Tips
December 14, 2018
By Brian Edwards

**Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia Southern**

-- The Raycom Media Camelia Bowl will take place Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Crampton Bowl. Kickoff for Georgia Southern vs. Eastern Michigan is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

-- As of Tuesday afternoon, most betting shops had Georgia Southern (9-3 straight up, 9-3 against the spread) installed as a one-point favorite with a total of 47.5 or 48. However, by Friday afternoon, most spots had GSU favored by three points with the total at 45. The Eagles were +140 on the money line (risk $100 to win $140).

-- Eastern Michigan (7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS) is bowling for only the third time in school history and hasn’t won a bowl game since 1987. Chris Creighton’s squad won each of its last three regular-season contests and five of its past six. The Eagles could’ve easily folded their tents after starting 2-0 before losing four consecutive one-possession games, including a pair of overtime losses at San Diego State (23-20) and vs. No. Illinois (26-23). Remember, EMU lost three OT games in 2017 during a six-game losing streak in which the Eagles went 4-1-1 ATS and lost by only 23 combined points.

-- EMU forced three turnovers and had three stops on fourth-down attempts in its 28-20 non-covering win at Kent State in the club’s regular-season finale. Senior RB Ian Eriksen led the way with 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries.

-- EMU has faced six foes who are going bowling, posting a 2-4 SU record and a 3-3 ATS mark. The Eagles won 20-19 at Purdue as 15-point underdogs when Chad Ryland buried a 24-yard field goal in walk-off fashion. Senior QB Tyler Wiegers, a grad transfer from Iowa, completed 20-of-28 passes for 312 yards and one TD with an interception against the Boilermakers. EMU also beat Toledo by a 28-26 count as a two-point home underdog. The Eagles led 28-3 at halftime and 28-6 with less than 12 minutes remaining. But the Rockets outscored them 20-0 in the final stanza and sliced the deficit to two with 20 ticks remaining. EMU got the stop on the two-point conversion, though, to preserve the victory.

-- Wiegers has connected on 64.8 percent of his passes for 1,887 yards with an 11/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Blake Banham is his favorite target, hauling in 54 receptions for 714 yards and five TDs. Arthur Jackson III has 43 catches for 506 yards and three TDs, while Mathew Sexton has 36 grabs for 506 yards and three TDs.

-- EMU’s leading rusher is Shaq Vann, who has 590 yards, five TDs and a 4.4 yards-per-carry average.

-- EMU has been an underdog six times this year, compiling a 4-2 spread record with a pair of outright victories at Purdue and vs. Toledo. The Eagles are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 non-conference games and 24-11 in their past 35 contests (regardless of the venue or ‘chalk’-‘dog role).

-- EMU is ranked fifth in the nation in pass defense, 35th in total defense and 32nd in scoring ‘D’ (22.0 points per game). This unit, which gave up only one TD in the last three games of the regular season, is led by junior DE Maxx Crosby, who has produced 62 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, seven QB hurries, four forced fumbles, three passes broken up and one pick-six. Crosby now has 20 career sacks to rank him in a tie for second-most in program history. There are numerous other defensive standouts for the Eagles, including junior DB Brody Hoying, junior safety Vince Calhoun, senior LB Kyle Rachwal and senior DE Jeremiah Harris.

-- We should point out that EMU has already faced a triple-option attack this season when it lost to Army. Couple that with its extra prep time for the postseason, and you have a stop unit that should be better prepared for GSU’s unique attack (at least when comparing to other regular-season foes who have such short prep time).

-- In his first full season as head coach, Georgia Southern’s Chad Lunsford has done a sensational job. He took over (a 0-6 team!) for Tyson Summers on an interim basis for last year’s final four regular-season games and went 3-2-1 ATS with a pair of outright victories. Now he has the storied program, one that made the jump to FBS into the Sun Belt conference in 2014 after winning a slew of national titles at the lower level over the last several decades, playing in its second bowl game. The Eagles went 9-3 in 2014 but weren’t eligible for the postseason during their first year at the FBS level. They smashed Bowling Green 58-27 as seven-point underdogs in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl, only to go 5-7 in Summers’s first year on the job in 2016.

-- Georgia Southern sprinted out to a 7-1 start both SU and ATS with its lone defeat coming by a 38-7 score at Clemson as a 31.5-point road underdog. The Eagles appeared to take control of the Sun Belt East division when they rocked eventual SBC champ, Appalachian State, by a 34-14 count as 11-point home underdogs on Oct. 25. However, they dropped their next two games in blowout fashion at ULM (44-25) and vs. Troy (35-21).

-- Georgia Southern bounced back to win its final two regular-season games both SU and ATS at Coastal Carolina (41-17) and at Georgia State (35-14). In the win over the Panthers in Atlanta, GSU raced out to a 28-0 lead and didn’t give up any points until there was 9:45 remaining in the final stanza. Sophomore QB Shai Werts completed 8-of-11 passes for 105 yards and two TDs without an interception. He also rushed for 75 yards and one TD on 13 attempts. RB Wesley Fields ran 16 times for 151 yards and one TD. Werts threw a 58-yard TD pass to Colby Ransom and had a 38-yard scoring strike to Darion Anderson.

-- GSU posted a 3-1 record both SU and ATS in four games as a single-digit favorite during the 2018 regular season.

-- Werts completed 65-of-109 passes (59.6%) for 954 yards and 10 TD passes without an interception. He also ran for 822 yards and a team-high 13 TDs while averaging 5.0 YPC. Fields rushed for a team-best 959 yards and nine TDs, averaging 5.4 YPC. Fields also had 10 receptions for 237 yards and one TD. Sophomore RB Wesley Kennedy had 15 catches for 182 yards, in addition to 395 rushing yards and three TDs with a 7.2 YPC average.

-- GSU is ranked ninth in the nation in rushing yards and scores at a 31.1 PPG clip. The Eagles are ranked 27th in the country in scoring ‘D’ (21.6 PPG).

-- Totals were an overall was for the Eagles (6-6), but they saw a 5-0 run of ‘overs’ snapped when the 49 combined points dropped ‘under’ 60 in the regular-season finale at Georgia State. GSU’s games averaged combined scores of 52.7 PPG.

-- The ‘under’ has been a steady money maker for the Eagles this season, going 8-4 overall. They’ve seen the ‘under’ cash in three straight games and seven of their past nine. Eastern Michigan’s games have averaged combined scores of 49.5 PPG.

**Middle Tennessee vs. Appalachian State**

-- Conference USA and the Sun Belt Conference will have their representative collide Saturday night in the Big Easy at the New Orleans Bowl. Kickoff from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

-- As of late Friday afternoon, most books had Appalachian State (10-2 SU, 8-4 ATS) favored by 6.5 points with a total of 47. The Blue Raiders were +200 to win outright (risk $100 to win $200).

-- App State shook off the loss of four-year starting QB Taylor Lamb, who is the school’s third all-time leader in career passing yards with 9,786 after graduating following the 2017 campaign that was capped by a 34-0 win over Toledo as a seven-point underdog in the Dollar General Bowl, to have another terrific season. The Mountaineers, who joined the FBS and SBC in 2014, won the league’s first championship game, remained perfect in terms of winning records at the FBS level (5-for-5) and are going bowling for the fourth straight season.

-- Unfortunately for the program, the enormous success led head coach Scott Satterfield to get a job offer from Louisville, and it was absolutely one he couldn’t turn down. Therefore, Appalachian State is without its head coach. Defensive Line coach Mark Ivey is serving as the team’s interim head coach.

-- Another hurdle App State overcame this season was the loss of star RB Jalin Moore, a two-time All-SBC first-teamer who went down with a season-ending injury in early October. Moore had rushed for 400 yards and six TDs with a 6.3 YPC average, but Darrynton Evans stepped up nicely to fill those shoes. Evans has run for 1,079 yards and seven TDs while averaging 6.5 YPC. Marcus Williams Jr. has run for 536 yards and four TDs with a 4.6 YPC average.

-- Sophomore QB Zac Thomas replaced Lamb and had an outstanding debut season as the starter. Thomas has connected on 62.6 percent of his throws for 1,862 yards with an 18/4 TD-INT ratio. He’s run for 476 yards and 10 TDs while averaging 5.7 YPC. There were no jitters for Thomas whatsoever in his debut at Penn State. in front of more than 105,000 hostile fans. In a 45-38 overtime loss to PSU, Thomas hit on 25-of-38 passes for 270 yards and two TDs with one interception. He ran for 43 yards and one TD. He has seven TD passes without a pick in the Mountaineers’ past five outings.

-- Thomas’s favorite wideout is Corey Sutton, who has 36 receptions for 695 yards and eight TDs. Dominique Heath has caught 22 balls for 299 yards and five TDs, while Evans has 12 catches for 87 yards and one TD.

-- All 10 of App State’s wins have come by double-digit margins. The Mountaineers were double-digit favorites in 11 of their 12 games, as they covered the spread easily as 24-point ‘dogs in Happy Valley. Since 2015, they’re 7-2 SU and 6-3 ATS in nine games as single-digit ‘chalk,’ but we should note that they were 1-2 both SU and ATS in three such spots in 2017.

-- App State is 3-0 and 2-1 ATS in the program’s first three bowl games that have come in the past three campaigns. We noted last year’s win over Toledo and in ’16, the Mountaineers nipped Toledo (yes, they played in bowls twice in a row) 31-28 as one-point favorites. In the 2015 Camelia Bowl, they edged Ohio 31-29 as 7.5-point ‘chalk.’

-- App State junior OT Victor Johnson, a first-team All-SBC selection in 2017 who started all 26 games as a freshman and sophomore, missed the regular-season finale with a leg injury. Johnson is ‘questionable’ vs. the Blue Raiders.

-- App State is ranked fifth in the nation in total defense, third at defending the pass, 30th in run defense and sixth in scoring ‘D’ (15.7 PPG). This unit is led by junior LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, who had a team-high 95 tackles, 7.5 TFL’s, seven passes broken up, three QB hurries, two forced fumbles and one sack. Junior LB Jordan Fehr recorded 84 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two TFL’s, two PBU and two QB hurries, while LB Noel Cook had 69 stops, 3.5 sacks, 6.5 TFL’s, one interception, one PBU and three QB hurries.

-- Middle Tennessee (8-5 SU, 8-5 ATS) is led by senior QB Brent Stockstill, who will face a stout secondary led by junior CB Clifton Duck (first-team All-SBC last year) and senior CB Tae Hayes, a second-team All-SBC choice in 2017 who had six PBU, three interceptions (for 75 return yards), three TFL’s and two blocked punts/kicks this season.

-- Rick Stockstill’s squad won seven of its last nine regular-season games to win C-USA’s East Division. MTSU locked up the division by blasting UAB 27-3 as a 3-point home underdog in the regular-season finale. Stockstill connected on 22-of-29 passes for 261 yards and two TDs without an interception to pace the winners.

-- The win over UAB set up a rematch with the Blazers at Johnny ‘Red’ Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro just seven days later. This time around, however, it was UAB that captured a 27-25 triumph as a 1.5-point road underdog. UAB’s Nick Vogel buried a 28-yard field goal with 3:23 remaining to lift his team to victory. Stockstill completed 29-of-45 attempts for 362 yards and two TDs, but he was intercepted twice.

-- Stockstill was already his school’s leader in career passing yards coming into his senior campaign. After throwing for 3,214 yards this year, he has 12,126 passing yards and a career 105/33 TD-INT ratio. Stockstill also ran for 178 yards and a pair of TDs this season.

-- Junior WR Ty Lee, a first-team All-C-USA selection in 2017, had another stellar season by making 67 catches for 828 yards and seven TDs. Patrick Smith had 54 receptions for 526 yards and six TDs.

-- MTSU’s ground attack is led by RB Chaton Mobley, who has a team-best 579 rushing yards, four TDs and a 5.0 YPC average. RB Tavares Thomas had a team-high five rushing TDs and caught 34 balls for 232 yards and four TDs.

-- MTSU is bowling for a fourth straight year and for the eighth time in Rick Stockstill’s 13-year tenure. The Blue Raiders had lost four bowl games in a row and five of six under Stockstill until beating Arkansas State 35-30 as 3.5-point underdogs in last year’s Camelia Bowl. They are 4-7 in 11 all-time postseason appearances.

-- MTSU was an underdog seven times this season, going 4-3 ATS with three outright wins vs. FAU (25-24), at Marshall (34-24) and vs. UABG (27-3).

-- Totals have been an overall wash for ASU (6-6), but the ‘under’ finished the regular season on a 6-2 run. The Mountaineers have seen their games average combined scores of 52.3 PPG.

-- The ‘under’ is 7-6 overall for the Blue Raiders, but they saw the ‘over’ go 3-1 in their last four contests. Their games are averaging combined scores of 54.5 PPG.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Arizona State was already going be without likely first-round pick WR N’Keal Harry for Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl showdown vs. Fresno State. Then on Thursday, reports leaked out that ASU won’t have leading tackler Merlin Robertson. The LB, who garnered Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors, is dealing with a personal matter and didn’t make the trip to Vegas in order to be with his family. Robertson had 77 tackles, 8.5 TFL’s and five sacks for the Sun Devils, who were six-point underdogs as of Friday afternoon. Side Note: Herm Edwards’s ASU squad hasn’t lost by more than seven points all season.

-- Kentucky junior RB Benny Snell has announced his intentions to turn pro a year early. However, on a bright note for UK fans, Snell says he will play in the team’s bowl game vs. Penn State. PSU was favored by 6.5 points as of Friday. Josh Allen, who some draftniks have as a top-10 pick in the first round, will also play for the ‘Cats vs. the Nittany Lions.

-- Players skipping bowls to stay healthy for the Draft include West Virginia QB Will Grier, WVU’s best o-lineman Yodney Cajuste, Baylor TE Jalen Hurd, Houston DT Ed Oliver, Iowa TE Noah Fant, LSU CB Greedy Williams, South Carolina WR/special-teams All-American Deebo Samuel, N.C. State’s first-team All-ACC LB Germain Pratt, N.C. State’s best WR Kelvin Harmon, Oklahoma State RB Justice Hill and Michigan DL Rashan Gary. Florida WR Tyrie Cleveland (broken collarbone) is ‘out’ vs. Michigan and LSU will also be sans DB Kristian Fulton vs. UCF.

-- According to VegasInsider.com sources, Stanford star TE Kaden Smith’s lower-body injury that prevented him from playing in the Cardinal’s last two regular-season games (and might’ve cost him The Mackey Award, as he was one of three finalists) “continues to linger” and he’s unlikely to play in the team’s bowl game. Smith, who is listed as 'questionable,' is projected to be a second or third-rounder if he skips his last two years of college to turn pro. We’re told he won’t announce his decision until after the bowl game.

Tulane Green Wave vs. UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns Preview and Predictions 2018-12-15

CURE BOWL STORYLINES

1. A pair of Louisiana teams that finished strong will travel to Orlando to meet in the AutoNation Cure Bowl on Dec. 15, when Tulane takes on Louisiana Lafayette. The Green Wave of the American Athletic Conference won four of their last five games, including a 29-28 win over Navy in the finale of the regular season to gain bowl eligibility for the first time since 2013, when they also faced the Ragin' Cajuns. Louisiana had won three straight and four of five to reach the Sun Belt conference title game - where it lost to Appalachian State 30-19 - to qualify for a bowl game for the sixth time in eight seasons.

2. The Pelican State foes have plenty of history, and their last two encounters have been memorable. Louisiana blew a 21-point lead before kicking a late field goal to top Tulane 24-21 in the 2013 New Orleans Bowl. The Green Wave got a measure of revenge with a 41-39 win in quadruple overtime at home in 2016 in coach Willie Fritz's first season at the helm.

3. Louisiana enters bowl season with the 19th-ranked rushing offense in FBS action with an average of 229.1 yards per game, while Tulane is 30th (208.3). Ragin' Cajuns sophomore Trey Ragas tops all rushers in the game with 1,141 yards - most in the Sun Belt - and teammate Elijah Mitchell, who was tied for second in the conference with 12 touchdowns on the ground, needs 49 yards to join him in the 1,000-yard club. Junior Darius Bradwell (984 yards, nine TDs) leads the ground game for the Green Wave, one of six players on the team with at least 120 rushing yards.

TV: 1:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Tulane -3.5

ABOUT TULANE (6-6, 5-3 American): Despite the strong ground game the Green Wave rank 93rd among FBS teams in scoring (25.7), which led to the recent dismissal of offensive coordinator Doug Ruse and the promotion of Alex Atkins - an assistant under Fritz first at Georgia Southern and again at Tulane - to interim offensive coordinator duties. "I think he's chomping at the bit (to call plays)," Fritz told reporters of Atkins. "He's never had an opportunity to call. This will give him some real good experience as well. I'm sure he's going to take some suggestions from our other offensive staff as well as the head coach." Senior Justin McMillan took over at quarterback midway through the season and had 10 TDs (four on the ground) over the final five games.

ABOUT LOUISIANA (7-6, 5-3 Sun Belt): Senior Andre Nunez has thrown for 2,136 yards with a 64.4 percent completion rate and 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Junior Ja'Marcus Bradley leads the team with 557 receiving yards and 10 TDs while senior Ryheem Malone has a team-high 41 catches, including six for 91 yards and a score in a 31-28 win over Louisiana Monroe on Nov. 24 to clinch the Sun Belt West. Four of the Ragin' Cajuns losses came to No. 1 Alabama, No. 18 Mississippi State and twice to Appalachian State, three teams with a combined record of 31-6.

PREDICTION: Louisiana 31, Tulane 30
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Utah State Aggies vs. North Texas Mean Green Preview and Predictions 2018-12-15

NEW MEXICO BOWL STORYLINES

1. Utah State begins life without coach Matt Wells when it takes on North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 15 in Albuquerque. Wells, the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year who bolted for Texas Tech on Nov. 30, went 44-34 - 2-2 in bowl games - in six seasons with the Aggies, marking the school's most successful stretch in more than 50 years. "This is a tremendous opportunity for our program," Utah State interim coach Frank Maile said in a news release. "It is a fantastic reward for all of the hard work and dedication that our players have put in, from all the offseason workouts, to watching film to the practice field. I am so happy for them."

2. The Aggies were ranked as high as No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll before ultimately falling to No. 23 with a fortunate victory at Colorado State followed by a 33-24 loss at No. 24 Boise State on Nov. 24 that prevented it from playing in the MWC title game. Utah State is third nationally in scoring at 47.2 points per game with North Texas 21st with a school-record 36.4 as each school's quarterback enjoyed a monster season. Aggies sophomore Jordan Love completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,208 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions while Mean Green junior Mason Fine completed 64.6 percent for 3,734 yards with 27 TDs and five picks.

3. North Texas and Utah State enter with spotty bowl records with each team losing last season. The Mean Green are 3-7 after a 50-30 loss to Troy in the New Orleans Bowl while the Aggies fell to 4-8 with a 26-20 setback to New Mexico State in the Arizona Bowl. Utah State has played in one New Mexico Bowl - a 21-6 victory over UTEP in 2014 which marked its last postseason victory.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Utah State -10

ABOUT UTAH STATE (10-2, 7-1 Mountain West Conference): Love's favorite target is senior wide receiver Ron'quavion Tarver, who hauled in 62 catches for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. Junior running backs Darwin Thompson (951 yards, 14 TDs) and Gerold Bright (785, eight) power the rushing game, although the tandem was held to a combined 206 yards and zero touchdowns in the last two contests. The defense is led by sophomore linebacker David Woodward, who was named a first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus after recording 124 tackles - 12.5 for loss - to go along with five sacks, four quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS (9-3, 5-3 Conference USA): Junior wide receiver Rico Bussey Jr. (68 catches, 1,017 yards), whose 12 touchdown catches are tied for seventh nationally, left the Mean's Green last game - a 24-21 victory at Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 24 - with an apparent hamstring injury. If Bussey is unable to play or is slowed, Fine can turn to other wideouts such as junior Jalen Guyton and sophomore Jaelon Darden, who combined for 96 receptions for 1,269 yards and nine TDs. North Texas also boasts a potent ground attack led by sophomore DeAndre Torrey, who has exploded for 614 of his 942 yards and seven of his 14 TDs on the ground in the last four games while adding his two receiving scores during that span.

PREDICTION: Utah State 35, New Mexico 24
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Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Fresno State Bulldogs Preview and Predictions 2018-12-15

LAS VEGAS BOWL STORYLINES

1. Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin should receive ample opportunities to break the single-season school rushing record when the Sun Devils meet Fresno State in the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 15 at Sam Boyd Stadium. Benjamin is 42 yards short of breaking the 46-year-old Arizona State record (1,565) set by Woody Green, and the Sun Devils will be without No. 1 receiver N'Keal Harry, which should allow even more carries for Benjamin. Harry, who had 73 catches for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns this season, has decided to skip the bowl game and begin preparing for the NFL Draft.

2. Fresno State should be plenty motivated in its first meeting against Arizona State since 1941. The Bulldogs earned this bowl bid with a dramatic 19-16 overtime win at Boise State on Dec. 1, putting themselves in position to win 12 games in a season for the first time in program history. Fresno State, which finished the regular season ranked No. 21 in the coaches' poll, will also be looking to win bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since winning three in a row from 2002-04.

3. When the Sun Devils lured Herm Edwards out of the ESPN studios and onto the sidelines as their head coach in early December of last year, many doubted his ability to be successful. Not only had Edwards not coached at the college level in nearly 30 years, but he hadn't coached anywhere since 2008, and that was at the NFL level. Edwards had his ups and downs this season, starting with a win over then-No. 13 Michigan State in his second game and bottoming out with a loss to Colorado on Oct. 6, but he led Arizona State to a second-place finish in the Pac-12 South Division after they were predicted to finish last.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Fresno State -4.5

ABOUT FRESNO STATE (11-2, 7-1 Mountain West Conference): Fresno State quarterback Marcus McMaryion is familiar with the Pac-12 after playing his first two college years at Oregon State, but the Beavers didn't play Arizona State those seasons. He was a big reason the Bulldogs went from a one-win team in 2016 to a 10-win team in 2017, emerging as the only West Coast team to win a bowl game last season. McMaryion took his play to another level this season, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes, throwing 25 touchdowns and getting intercepted just three times - none in the past four games.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (7-5, 5-4 Pac-12 Conference): The Sun Devils also have an experienced senior quarterback who has fought through battles to maintain his starting job and continued to flourish. Manny Wilkins has completed 63 percent of his passes, throwing 19 touchdowns with four interceptions, and his calmness under pressure has allowed Arizona State to go 4-1 this season in games decided by three points or fewer. Wilkins won't have his favorite receiver to find, so look for junior wide receivers Kyle Williams and Brandon Aiyuk to get extra targets.

PREDICTION: Arizona State 28, Fresno State 27
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Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Eastern Michigan Eagles Preview and Predictions 2018-12-15

CAMELLIA BOWL STORYLINES

1. Eastern Michigan and Georgia Southern are set to square off for the first time in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl on Dec. 15 in Montgomery, Ala. Georgia Southern won seven of its first eight games, including a 34-14 victory over Appalachian State, before dropping back-to-back contests in early November to see their Sun Belt title dreams evaporate, but won their final two games to punch their ticket to the postseason for the second time since joining the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014. Eastern Michigan turned some heads with a 20-19 road victory against Purdue on Sept. 8, but a bowl bid seemed out of reach after a 2-4 start before the defense, which gave up one touchdown over their final three games, took charge and led the Eagles to their first winning record in Mid-American Conference play since 1989.

2. Georgia Southern's triple-option attack gave opposing defenses fits en route to one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football following a 2-10 campaign in 2017. The Eagles are ninth nationally in rushing yards per game (260.8) after averaging 342.5 over their last two regular-season contests and aim for their second bowl win in program history following a 58-27 victory against Bowling Green in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl. "A bowl game is hard to get to and it's a reward for our players, staff and fans," Georgia Southern head coach Chad Lunsford told reporters. "We had a great season, but to be able to have the opportunity to pick up a 10th win against a great opponent in Eastern Michigan is something we won't take lightly."

3. Eastern Michigan is heading in the right direction under head coach Chris Creighton as he's guided the Eagles to two postseason berths in the last three seasons following a 29-year bowl drought. Eastern Michigan won five straight MAC games, including a 17-7 victory over in-state rival Central Michigan, and hope to put an exclamation point on a successful season by notching their first bowl since since 1987. "Our guys are grateful for the opportunity and proud of their accomplishment at the same time," Creighton told reporters. "It's a really big deal and we had an incredible amount of fun a couple of years ago when we got to go for the first time in a while.

TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Georgia Southern -1

ABOUT GEORGIA SOUTHERN (9-3, 6-2 Sun Belt): Sophomore quarterback Shai Werts had a big year as he threw for 954 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding another 829 and a conference-leading 13 TDs on the ground. Wesley Fields is the Eagles' big play threat as he led the team in rushing (959) and receiving yards (237) to go along with 10 total touchdowns in the regular season. Kicker Tyler Bass, who was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza award, made 16-of-18 field goals - including eight successful attempts of 40 yards or longer - was named to the 2018 All-Sun Belt First Team along with offensive lineman Curtis Rainey and cornerback Kindle Vildor.

ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN (7-5, 5-3 MAC): Running back Ian Eriksen was named the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 26 after rushing for 118 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the 28-20 win over Kent State during the regular-season finale. Defensive lineman Maxx Crosby was named to the 2018 All-MAC First Team defense after a dominating season as the junior finished tied for sixth nationally in forced fumbles per game (0.36) and 10th in tackles for loss (1.6) per contest while recording his 20th career sack, which is tied for the second-most in program history. Tyler Wiegers threw for 1,887 yards and 11 touchdowns with three interceptions in his first season as a starter while Blake Banham caught a team-high 54 passes for 714 yards and five TDs.

PREDICTION: Georgia Southern 34, Eastern Michigan 31
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Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers Preview and Predictions 2018-12-15

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL STORYLINES

1. Appalachian State will start the post-Scott Satterfield era when it faces Middle Tennessee in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Dec. 15. Satterfield was announced as Louisville coach Dec. 4 and won't be with the Mountaineers in the bowl game, with defensive line coach Mark Ivey serving as the team's interim head coach. Satterfield had guided Appalachian State to three straight bowl game victories, but it remains to be seen how well the team will play with Satterfield's move and the transitions it brings.

2. Middle Tennessee dominated against Conference USA opponents, losing only once in eight league contests this season, but the Blue Raiders didn't win the conference championship thanks to a bad penalty at the end of the contest. Trailing UAB - which the Blue Raiders routed the previous week -- by two late in the championship game, Middle Tennessee State was ready to get the ball back with just over a minute to play but was called for 12 men on the field when the Blazers were punting, giving UAB a first down and essentially ending the contest. The Blue Raiders, who suffered three of their five losses on the road against SEC opponents, will certainly have something to prove after such a disappointing end to their season.

3. Appalachian State's defense has been stellar this season, holding opponents to 15.7 points and 280.1 yards per contest, allowing more than 20 only in its two losses. Middle Tennessee will certainly be a test for the Mountaineers' defense, having averaged 29.2 points and 391.1 yards per game, with senior quarterback - and the coach's son - Brent Stockstill throwing for 3,214 yards and 28 touchdowns. How well Stockstill and the Blue Raiders' offense can put points on the board, especially early in the contest, will tell if this is a competitive contest or another Appalachian State blowout.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Appalachian State -7

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (8-5, 7-1 Conference USA): Stockstill had a number of targets when dropping back to pass, led by junior wide receiver Ty Lee (67 catches, 828 yards, seven touchdowns) and senior wide receiver Patrick Smith (54, 526, six). Redshirt freshman running back Chaton Mobley led the ground attack for coach Rick Stockstill with 568 yards and four TDs, though junior Terelle West (288 yards) and senior Tavares Thomas (226) ran enough to keep the opposition guessing. Defensively, the Blue Raiders were up and down throughout the season and have given up 27 or more points in three of their last four outings, two of those losses.

ABOUT APPALACHIAN STATE (10-2, 7-1 Sun Belt): The Mountaineers have a balanced offensive attack with a running game powered by sophomore running back/wide receiver Darrynton Evans (1,079 yards, seven TDs) and a passing game orchestrated by sophomore quarterback Zac Thomas (1,862 yards, 18 TDs), who is also a threat to run the ball with 476 yards and 10 scores. The Appalachian State defense has been stout throughout the season, led by junior linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither's 95 tackles, including 8.5 for loss, and senior linebacker Anthony Flory's 91. Junior linebacker Jordan Fehr led the Mountaineers with 5.5 sacks among his 7.5 tackles for loss, while junior linebacker Noel Cook was also in opponents' backfields often, leading the team with 10 tackles for loss (3.5 sacks) among his 69 stops.

PREDICTION: Appalachian State 38, Middle Tennessee 24
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