Navy-Air Force
Time: 2:30 PM ET
Spread: NAV -3.5
Total: 56
Betting Odds courtesy of Bookmaker
Navy is 2-3 on the season, while Mountain West conference Air Force is 3-1 and 1-1 in Conference. Navy is 3.5-point favorites behind a running game that ranks 2nd in the nation, with 358.4 yards per game. That’s large in part due to the fact that the Midshipmen have little passing game to speak of, ranking 126th with just 90.6 yards per game.
The Midshipmen have lost the last two weeks, to Western Kentucky and Rutgers. Neither game was particularly close, with the Midshipmen averaging a nine point loss over those two contests. The Midshipmen opened the season with a 34-17 loss to Ohio State, but followed that with victories over Temple and Texas State.
QB Keenan Reynolds kind of is a one-man attack for Navy on offense. He hasn’t been very accurate (see: 43.8 percent completion), but he’s rushed for 361 yards and seven TDs. In the air, he’s thrown just 1 INT, but has only 1 TD, as well. Besides Reynolds’ TD prowess, the Midshipmen have eight other rushing TDs.
Noah Copeland, Chris Swain, Ryan Williams-Jenkins and Geoffrey Whiteside all have rushed for over 200 yards on the season, while Copeland has been the primary back. He’s rushed for an average of 8.4 yards per carry and has the team-high 63-yard rush.
The story for Air Force is much the same, of course. The Falcons rank 6th in the nation in rushing yardage (323.0 per game) and 122nd in passing yardage (129.3 per game). The Falcons have a plus-12 point differential in its four games.
Air Force has defeated Nicholls State, Georgia State and Boise State, and fell 17-13 to Wyoming.
Kale Pearson has been the second-leading rusher (200 yards) and the QB has thrown for 57.8 percent completion on 517 yards. He’s avoided miscues and has yet to throw an interception while having thrown three TDs.
Jacobi Owens is the best backfield option with 539 yards on 90 carries (6.0 per carry) and four TDs on the year. Pearson himself has rushed for three TDs, while Devin Rushing, Garrett Brown and Broam Hart have accounted for four TDs between them.
Pearson’s main passing target Jalen Robinette has been very effective when the Falcons air it out. He’s averaging 19.8 yards per reception and has 238 yards on the season. Garrett Brown has been solid as well, leading the team in receptions (16) and has all three receiving TDs by the Falcons.
TRENDS:
Navy: UNDER 5-0 in last 5 after accumulating 450 yards or more in previous game; UNDER 6-0 in last 6 after accumulating less than 170 passing yards in previous game; UNDER 6-0 in last 6 after allowing more than 450 yards in previous game.
Air Force: 0-7 ATS in last 7 following ATS win; 0-4 ATS in last 4 after allowing less than 20 points in previous game; UNDER 7-1 in last 8 OCT games.
Head-to-head: Navy 5-0 ATS in last 5 at Air Force; Navy 10-1 ATS in last 11 meetings; UNDER 5-1 in last 6 meetings at Air Force
