Previewing Thursday's college football TV games
A look at Thursday night's game slate:
No. 10 UCLA (3-0) at No. 12 Arizona State (3-0)
Time/TV: 10 p.m. ET/Fox Sports 1. Surface: Grass.
Line: UCLA by 4. Sagarin difference: UCLA by 2.23.
Synopsis: The marquee matchup tonight is this much-anticipated Pac-12 South clash, which figures to be a tight affair regardless of the absence of one team's starting QB and the unknown availability of the other's. To begin with what is known, the Sun Devils' Taylor Kelly (foot) is out, so the ASU offense will be in the hands of Mike Bercovici.
Bercovici has one scoring pass to his credit in limited action this season, and he'll have to show the entire playbook to make the Bruins' defense respect the deep threat posed by WR Jaelen Strong. TB D.J Foster can do it all from the backfield, but circumventing UCLA LBs Eric Kendricks and Myles Jack will be difficult without air cover. UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley's status will be determined on game day, but the Sun Devils are preparing as though the dual threat with an injured non-throwing elbow will play. If he can't, Jerry Neuheisel has at least shown he can handle the spotlight by leading the Bruins' rally at Texas. No matter who is taking snaps, UCLA's line must do a better job keeping the backfield clear, particularly of ASU DT Jaxon Hood.
Texas Tech (2-1) at Oklahoma State (2-1)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN. Surface: Artificial.
Line: Oklahoma State by 13. S agarin difference: Oklahoma State by 13.81.
Synopsis: Kicking off the evening is this Big 12 tilt that figures to feature the kind of offensive fireworks one might expect from the league. There's little doubt that the Red Raiders can put up points, even on the road. QB Davis Webb has plenty of targets in coach Kliff Kingsbury pass-first system. His most frequent end-zone finder thus far has been WR Bradley Marquez. But the concern for the Red Raiders is the other side of the ball, a defense that sprang all kinds of leaks against Arkansas and now has a new coordinator in Mike Smith.
The Cowboys hope to have similar success with QB Daxx Garman at the controls. Starting in his first Big 12 contest with J.W. Walsh sidelined following foot surgery, Garman does have a win under his belt against UTSA. He'll look early and often for WRs Brandon Sheperd and David Glidden.
Appalachian State (1-2) at Georgia Southern (2-2)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET/ESPNU. Surface: Grass.
Line: Georgia Southern by 16 ½. Sagarin difference: Georgia Southern by 12.01.
Synopsis: On the undercard is this battle of long-time Southern Conference rivals who have taken their game to the Sun Belt. The transition thus far seems to have gone more smoothly for the Eagles, who already have a victory in their new league and whose two losses against ACC opponents have come by a total of five points. QB Kevin Ellison directs the option-based attack with RB Matt Breida serving as his primary pitchman. When the Eagles throw it, look for WR Kentrellis Showers, who has taken three of his eight receptions to paydirt.
This is the first SBC game for the Mountaineers, whose most recent outing was a 21-20 loss at Southern Miss thanks to a blocked extra point. Freshman Taylor Lamb, a Georgia native, has taken over at QB for Appalachian State. His backfield rotation is led by RB Marcus Cox, and WRs Simms McElfresh and Malachi Jones are his top aerial targets.
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Lines furnished by Glantz-Culver. Jeff Sagarin's power ratings show the relative strength of teams; 4.06 points were added to the home team's rating to calculate the difference.
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