The BYU Cougars (7-0) face off against the UCF Knights (3-4) on Saturday, October 26th. This game will be played at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando and televised on ESPN. BYU is coming off a win in their previous game, while UCF is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Iowa State. Kickoff is set for 3:30 ET.
BYU Cougars vs UCF Knights
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BYU Offense Breakdown
BYU’s offense is averaging 34.9 points per game, placing them 22nd in the nation as they head into week 9. Our power rankings have them 29th. Jake Retzlaff has thrown for 1,642 yards, with 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 94.
BYU ranks 51st in rushing, averaging 171.9 yards per game. LJ Martin leads the team with 256 rushing yards, averaging 5 yards per carry, and has scored four touchdowns. Darius Lassiter has 450 receiving yards and four touchdowns this season.
UCF Offense Breakdown
UCF’s offense has been driven by their rushing attack, ranking 2nd in the nation with 280.3 yards per game. They are 3rd in rushing attempts, averaging 46.9 per game. RJ Harvey leads the team with 890 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, and an average of 6 yards per carry. Overall, UCF is 38th in scoring, with 31.3 points per game, and they are 50th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9.
Quarterback KJ Jefferson has thrown for 1,012 yards, with seven touchdowns and four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 96. UCF ranks 102nd in passing yards per game. Kobe Hudson leads the receivers with 503 yards and three touchdowns. UCF is converting 43.2% of their third-down attempts.
BYU Team Defense
BYU’s defense has been solid this season, ranking 24th nationally by allowing just 19 points per game. They’ve been particularly effective against the pass, holding opponents to 183.1 passing yards per game, which ranks 34th in the country. Quarterbacks have managed a passer rating of only 55.2 against BYU, the fifth-lowest in the nation, completing just 52.3% of their throws.
In their recent game against Oklahoma State, BYU’s defense gave up 35 points but also forced two interceptions. They allowed 421 total yards, including 269 rushing yards on 37 attempts, while holding Oklahoma State to 152 passing yards on 18 completions.
BYU Team Defense
UCF’s defense struggled in their recent game against Iowa State, allowing 38 points in a 38-35 loss. They gave up 530 total yards, including 256 rushing yards on 48 attempts and four rushing touchdowns. Through the air, UCF allowed 274 passing yards but did manage to force two interceptions.
On the season, UCF ranks 55th nationally, giving up 25.7 points per game. Opponents have averaged 250 passing yards per game against UCF, completing 66.1% of their passes. The Knights have faced the 22nd fewest rushing attempts in the country, allowing just 116.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks 41st nationally.
BYU vs UCF Trends
- Across their last five road contests, BYU has been good against the spread posting a mark of 4-1. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 25 points per game.
- UCF has a 1-2 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 27 points per game while allowing 32. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
- Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the UCF Knights have a straight up record of 4-6. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-3.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the BYU Cougars have gone 4-6 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.
Cougars vs Knights Prediction
BYU comes into this game as the slight -1.5 point spread favorite over UCF, and we have a projected final score of 26-25 in favor of BYU. UCF is the pick to cover the spread as the slight underdog.
For the over/under, with the line sitting at 55.5 points, our projection of 51 total points suggests that taking the under is the best play.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:October 22, 2024 BYU Cougars, UCF Knights