NCAAF Game Preview & Betting Pick ‘Em – Week 8

Three previews for the Week 8 NCAAF games and our picks based on spreads for 10 games on the slate.

(10) Oregon vs UCLA

This is a big game in the Pac 12, matching up two teams with conference championship aspirations. Both are in tight competition on their side of the conference and need to win to stay in the race.

Oregon is tied with Oregon State in conference record, but will meet them in the last game of the season. The Ducks were high in the rankings after an upset against Ohio State, but then fell to an average Stanford team in overtime due to many injuries on the team. This team is a defensive squad that is top-50 in scoring defense in the NCAAF, allowing under 24 points per game. Their offense scores 31 per game, but the passing game doesn’t have a receiver over 200 yards and the only Devy player is out for the season with CJ Verdell.

UCLA is a game behind the Utah Utes in the South Division and tied with Arizona State. With a loss to the latter already, they can’t afford to drop another game. The passing attack is led by Kyle Phillips and Greg Dulcich but the offense really relies on the run game. UCLA is top-15 in rushing yards per game and rushes the ball 62% of the time on offense. They have a triple-headed rushing attack of RB Zach Charbonnet, RB Brittain Brown, and dual QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

The biggest key of this game will be if UCLA can establish the run, so too much is not put on the shoulders of Thompson-Robinson passing the ball. Even with injuries, Oregon’s defense is only allowing 136 rush yards a game, so this game most likely will be decided in the trenches.

NCAAF Devy Players to Watch

1. Zach Charbonnet- RB- UCLA: Charbonnet was a highly touted prospect that went to Michigan but after a disappointing 2nd season he transferred to UCLA. This season, he has shown playmaking with almost 700 yards and 7 TDs and is the leading rusher for the Bruins. He has gained a lot of his value back and needs to have a good game for UCLA to beat Oregon.
2. Greg Dulcich – TE- UCLA: Depending on what site you look at Dulcich is either a top 10 TE in the 2022 NFL Draft or honorable mention. Dulcich is the leading receiver in yards and avg yards per reception. He is someone that Corian Thompson Robinson looks for and needs to get loose against a good Oregon defense.

UCLA +3

• Brandon @hayeb3: Oregon -3
• Brian @vandygrad92: Oregon -3
• Joe @TheHQNerd: UCLA +3

Clemson vs (23) Pittsburgh

Heinz Field will be rocking on Saturday as the 5-1 Pittsburgh Panthers host the 4-2 Clemson Tigers in one of the most highly anticipated NCAAF matchups for the Pitt program in recent years.

Dabo Swinney’s Clemson team has the talent, but they have failed to live up to the hype this season. High expectations were placed on Sophomore quarterback D.J. Uigalelei. DJU has struggled to meet those expectations thus far, completing just 55.7 percent of his passes for 974 yards with six total touchdowns and three interceptions. Uiagalelei’s top receiving options are Justyn Ross and Joe Ngata. Ross has returned from a severe neck injury to lead the team with 28 receptions. With highly touted five-star Freshman Will Shipley still out, the Tigers use a combination of Kobe Pace and Phil Mafah on the ground.

Senior quarterback Kenny Pickett leads the Pittsburgh Panthers. Pickett is enjoying a career year in his last hurrah. He’s completing 69.8 percent of his passes with 21 touchdowns to only one interception. He’s also contributed 180 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Pickett’s primary weapon via the air is star Sophomore wide receiver, Jordan Addison. Addison has totaled 34 receptions for 586 yards and nine touchdowns through six games. The Panthers are led on the ground by Israel Abanikanda, who leads the team with 344 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Saturday, we find out just how good this Pittsburgh team is. This isn’t the Clemson we are used to seeing annually, but they still have Dabo Swinney and a ton of talent on both sides of the football. Kenny Pickett gets his chance to take this Pitt program to the next level and possibly carve his name into the Heisman Trophy conversation.

NCAAF Devy Players to Watch

1. Justyn Ross- WR – Clemson: Justyn Ross has been solid in his return from injury leading Clemson in receptions and touchdowns. Ross is a super talented receiver with an ideal size and speed combo. He’s still working back to be the player that broke out for 1,000 yards in his Freshman season, making him a high-end devy asset. Ross is still one of the most talented wide receivers in the 2022 draft class.
2. Kenny Pickett – QB – Pittsburgh: Jordan Addison was too easy of a choice here, so im going with his quarterback. Kenny Pickett has always been a toolsy quarterback, but he has battled inconsistency. Pickett has good size and weight for the NFL. He’s mobile enough and has a knack for extending plays. Pickett has a strong arm and a quick release. All eyes will be on Kenny Pickett this Saturday versus a stingy Clemson defense. If he’s up to the task, the Kenny Pickett bandwagon is going to get even bigger.

Pittsburgh +1

• Brandon @hayeb3: Pittsburgh +1
• Brian @vandygrad92: Pittsburgh +1
• Joe @TheHQNerd: Pittsburgh +1

Nevada vs Fresno State

In a year in which many of the 2022 quarterbacks class have struggled, both of the quarterbacks in this game have not. Carson Strong and Jake Haener have played well throughout the season, and are both top ten quarterbacks in their class.

Nevada sits at 5-1, with its sole loss being a 38-17 defeat at Kansas State. Meanwhile, Fresno State is 5-2. Fresno’s two losses are a 31-24 loss to Oregon and a 27-24 defeat at Hawaii.

On the season, Strong has completed 167 of 246 passes for 1990 yards and 16 touchdowns. On an offense that passes 62 percent of the time, Toa Taua leads the team in rushing with 65 carries for 391 yards and four touchdowns.

Strong has four receiving threats that have 20 or more catches, and a fifth (Elijah Cooks) that is tied for the team lead with four touchdowns. The four with more than 20 catches are:

• TE Cole Turner – 34 catches for 403 yards and four TD’s
• WR Melquan Stovall – 28 catches for 365 yards and one TD
• WR Romeo Doubs – 26 catches for 387 yards and two TD’s
• WR Justin Lockhart – 20 catches for 275 yards and one TD

For Fresno, Haener has completed 179 of 264 pass attempts for 2326 yards and 20 touchdowns. Fresno runs a more balanced attack, only passing on 55 percent of its plays. Ronnie Rivers paces the rushing attack, with 112 carries for 493 yards and three touchdowns.

Fresno has two primary players that receive a higher percentage of targets. These two wide receivers are:

• 1) Jalen Cropper – 48 catches for 546 yards and ten touchdowns
• Josh Kelly – 30 catches for 462 yards and two touchdowns

NCAAF Devy Players to Watch

1. Carson Strong- QB- Nevada: although Strong (Preseason Devy QB17)  is the highest projected draftee, there are several potential second and third-day prospects to watch as well. As Nevada has been so pass-heavy, look for Strong to be the deciding factor if they pull off the upset.
2. Jake Haener- QB- Fresno State:Haener was the Devy QB35 per Undroppables preseason rankings. Per Yahoo Sports, he had risen to 2022’s  QB9 by late September, while Strong was QB5.
3. Cole Turner – TE – Nevada: Turner was the preseason TE10, and has met these lofty expectations. As previously mentioned, he is leading the team in receptions and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns.

Fresno State -1

• Brandon @hayeb3: Fresno State -1
• Brian @vandygrad92: Fresno State -1
• Joe @TheHQNerd: Fresno State -1

Other NCAAF Game Picks Based on the Spread