NCAAF Week 3 Recap: News and Notes
by Scott Rickenbach
West Virginia @ Maryland – This one had a tight finish but it certainly should not have come to that. The Mountaineers led 34-10 at the midway point of the third quarter. But the Terrapins then proceeded to score 21 straight points. Of course credit goes to Maryland for this but West Virginia suffered the “letdown” that is quite common for teams that build a huge lead. Don’t be fooled by the 37-31 final here. The Mountaineers, my play in this one, were the better and got the deserved win. Though a let-up is unacceptable, it is human nature sometimes. West Virginia should learn their lesson from this and put it to use in the weeks ahead.
Nevada @ San Jose State – A sickening game for all of you holding Nevada tickets. Unfortunately this included me as I had my strongest play of the weekend on the Wolf Pack. Despite total domination in the first half, Nevada only led 14-7 at the half. The Spartans only score up to that point had come off of a key turnover by the Wolf Pack. Then, in the fourth quarter, San Jose State was able to get the backdoor cover courtesy of a fourth down touchdown. As for the Wolf Pack, despite a 23-15 edge in first downs, they blew the cover in the game because of that key 1st half turnover (7 points for San Jose State) and because Nevada had two separate drives end at the Spartans 1 yard line. The net of those two drives was just 3 points for the Wolf Pack and they also had three key turnovers inside Spartans territory.
Navy @ South Carolina – A tough loss for totals players holding an over ticket! This included yours truly. These teams combined for a total of just two punts! That’s an over players dream! Both teams were so successful moving the ball they never had to punt! What was the problem then? A couple of key turnovers and key fourth down stops that combined to kill a game that had all the makings of a solid winner for over players. Note that there were four fourth down stops and two turnovers that helped to combine to keep points off the board.
Central Florida @ Florida International – Another game where turnovers played a key role. The biggest one was the fumble by the Golden Knights very late in the 2nd quarter that was returned for a touchdown by the Panthers. Florida International’s offense did very little for much of this game. Yet they got the outright win thanks to turnovers as Central Florida’s other turnover set up the Panthers on the 8 yard line of the Golden Knights. So a defensive touchdown and an 8 yard TD “drive” is what let to Florida International’s win.
The reason the four games are mentioned above is two-fold. First off, this information helps to properly gauge these 8 teams for the upcoming weeks’ match-ups. Secondly, it shows just how tough things can get for any handicapper when the ball doesn’t bounce your way and these were the 4 games I was involved with Saturday and that resulted in a tough 1-3 day in NCAAF. Though I have had a huge September so far in MLB and NFL, NCAAF is a different story.
After the first two weeks, and getting off to a 6-6 start (no breaks in the 6 wins, plenty of bad beats in the 6 losses), things took a turn for the worse in Week 3. You can bet this situation will be rectified in the coming weeks. Knowledge of how games played out is key in that regard and the above analysis sheds a little light on that. Note that this is a healthy exercise for any capper and/or bettor to engage in each week. Thanks for checking in here and best of luck always – Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach
d full of perseverance…that’s what handicapping and sports betting are all about. Keep a level head and stay the course. The ball will start to bounce our way on the tight games and that’s certainly when it’s fun to be “along for the ride”. Thanks for checking in here and best of luck always. Looking forward to a huge football season! – Scott Rickenbach
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