Cincinnati – Purdue
Time: NOON ET
Spread: CIN -6
M/L: CIN -235, PUR +195
Total: 59.5
Betting odds c/o 5dimes
CINCINNATI BEARCATS
Cincinnati won 28-7 over Tennessee-Martin in Week 1. The Bearcats QB Hayden Moore threw 21 of 34 for 260 yards with two TDs and one interception. He rushed for 13 yards on five attempts, as the Bearcats had 140 rushing yards on 34 attempts (4.1 yards per carry).
Tion Green had 97 yards on 16 carries, with a long rush of 23 yards. Devin Gray caught five passes for 111 yards and Nate Cole had six catches for 64 yards and a TD. The Bearcats had 21 receptions for 260 yards in the game and outscored UT-Martin 22-0 in the second half.
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The Bearcats have been less stable on the defensive end of the ball. The team has cycled through three DCs in three seasons, and Steve Clinkscale left for Kentucky after the Bearcats underwhelmed defensively again last season. Cincy allowed 31.2 points per game while giving up 408.6 yards per game (No. 78 in the nation).
Tommy Tuberville had to take some pride in the fact that last season did constitute an improvement. The Bearcats moved up from No. 96 in the nation to No. 78, but obviously further improvement is still requisite if the Bearcats are to contend in the AAC. The defense was quicker last year, but the secondary sustained a lot of injuries and depth was not sufficient to replace it.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
The Purdue Boilermakers won just two games last season, a Week 2 victory over lowly Indiana State and its lone Big Ten win, a 55-45 victory over Nebraska. Its offense lingered near the bottom of the Big Ten, averaging just 25.1 points and 368.6 yards per game, good for No. 92 and No. 95 in the nation. Improvement on that end of the ball is the focus of the season for Purdue who boasts the second-least-likely odds of securing a Big Ten title at +50000 on oddsmaker 5dimes.
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Purdue will return sophomore QB David Blough, and the pass game was a relative strength to the Boilermakers poor season. Purdue averaged 237.3 yards per game passing last season, ranking No. 54 in the nation. Blough started eight games last season and passed for 1,574 yards and 10 TDs as a redshirt freshman taking over for Austin Appleby last season.
At RB the Boilermakers will turn to Markell Jones who rushed for 875 yards and 10 TDs last year as a true freshman. He averaged 72.9 of Purdue’s 131.3 rushing yards per game last season, and junior DJ Knox will be the backup though he is likely to redshirt. He had 145 yards in Week 1.
Senior DeAngelo Yancey caught 48 passes for 700 yards and five TDs last season and Cameron Posey will be the No. 2 passing target behind him. The OL has three first-year starters, including RT Matt McCann who beat out returning senior Cameron Cermin in the spring.
The Purdue Boilermakers defeated Eastern Kentucky 45-24 in Week 1. Blough threw 25 of 43 for 245 yards with a TD and one interception, and he rushed for 18 yards on four carries, with two rushing TDs. Markell Jones carried a big load, rushing 24 times for 145 yards (6.0 yards per carry) with a TD.
Brian Lankford-Johnson was also very effective with a 48 yard rush and 58 yards for the Boilermakers who had 261 team rushing yards. WR Domonique Young had a big afternoon too with eight catches for 74 yards. Cameron Posey, Tario Fuller and Markell Jones all combined for an additional 14 catches and 97 yards.
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