Friday Night Lights – Kansas Jayhawks at South Florida Bulls
The Kansas Jayhawks (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) get their first big test of the season, and on the road no less, as they travel to Tampa on Friday to face the South Florida Bulls (2-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) in a huge NCAA inter-conference matchup that is scheduled for an 8 PM ET kickoff at Raymond James Stadium (natural turf), which also home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Friday, September 12
BetUS NCAA Betting Odds: SOUTH FLORIDA -3.5
Here are some of the NCAA football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* KU has covered 11 of its last 13 games
* KU has won 14 of its last 15 games SU
* KU has played its last five games UNDER the total
* KU has covered six of its last seven road games
* KU has won five of its last six road games SU
* KU has lost 16 of its last 23 road games SU
* KU has played four of its last five road games UNDER the total
* USF has won five of its last six games SU
* USF has won ten of its last 12 home games SU
I don’t know if this offers any perspective, but last season both these programs emerged, and both were at one point rated in the top five. When it came to the post-season, a point where both teams should have been highly motivated, South Florida was destroyed 56-21 by an Oregon team that had a first-time starter in the game, while Kansas beat Virginia Tech straight-up in the Orange Bowl. In other words, Kansas was a little more “for real,” or so it seemed. Of course, Kansas got away with a schedule that did not include Oklahoma or Texas last year (that’s not the case this season), while South Florida grabbed a major scalp against West Virginia on this field.
But to have life-and-death with a Central Florida club that was playing with a very limited quarterback and without the departed Kevin Smith was disconcerting, to say the least. Yes, defensive end George Selvie is a threatening presence for them. But KU’s Todd Reesing, who was 32 of 38 for 412 yards against Louisiana Tech, can get rid of the ball quickly, somewhat mitigating the effect of Selvie. And the USF secondary, which has had to replace NFL draftees Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams at the corners, has yet to be tested.
We like Matt Grothe as a gritty leader, but he needs to develop into a more accurate and dangerous passer. And South Florida needs to have a more efficient running game outside of that which Grothe himself supplies. Much has been made of some of the athletes the Bulls still have on defense, but Kansas, which has covered 11 of its last 13, used its own quickness on the defensive side to score a shutout of Louisiana Tech, who scored an upset over Mississippi State in their opener the week before. And take note that in its last three games combined, South Florida is minus-9 in the turnover category, And as most people who follow college football know, Kansas was tops in the nation in that category last year.
The Jayhawks are obviously more formidable at home than they are as a traveler. But we like the situation where we are getting points with a team that might be one of the nation’s best. Grab the 3.5 points with Kansas, the underdog in the BetUS NCAA football betting odds.
