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UTSA QB Owen McCown.
Getty Images
There’s a lot going on in college football these days, and that makes it quite difficult to give every team its due.
Take FIU, for instance.
Projected to be one of the worst teams in the country before the season, the Panthers defied expectations and now find themselves playing in a bowl game during primetime on ESPN. Not too shabby for a team that won just 13 games combined over its last five campaigns.
The Panthers, who have not won a bowl game since 2018, are 6.5-point underdogs against UTSA at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on Friday night.
First Responder Bowl: FIU vs. UTSA odds, prediction
If this matchup holds true to form, we should have some fireworks Friday evening.
UTSA finished 19th in the country in scoring, 28th in yards per game and 30th in yards per play.
UTSA QB Owen McCown. Getty ImagesFIU lagged behind those numbers, but the Panthers put up some strong metrics for a Conference USA outfit, finishing 53rd in scoring, 39th in yards per game and 45th in yards per play.
The Panthers were especially effective on the ground, racking up 4.9 yards per rush (25th) and 187.3 yards per game (29th). That should play well against UTSA, which struggled to stop the run all season long.
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Things should also come pretty easily for the Roadrunners when they have the ball.
UTSA was among the most prolific offenses in the Group of 5, finishing the season ranked 39th in FBS scoring, per SP+.
The Roadrunners boast a well-balanced attack, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see them lean into the run a little bit more than usual on Friday evening. The Panthers were among the worst teams in the country at stopping the run, which should allow UTSA to get everyone involved on offense.
This game features one of the highest Over/Unders (59.5) of any bowl game, but I think there’s still room for it to grow, as we’ve got all the right ingredients for a back-and-forth battle.
The Play: Over 59.5 (-110, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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