Week 2: UTEP vs Houston Preview & Pick

UTEP vs Houston Free Week 2 College Football Pick

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Week 2: Texas El Paso Miners vs Houston Cougars Preview & Pick

Houston was considered by many to be BCS busters in 2009, but a Week 4 upset loss to Texas El Paso crushed any hopes the Cougars had of making a run. Now, Houston gets a shot at revenge.

Miners vs Cougars
Date/Time: Friday, Sept. 10 10:15 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX
Week 2 UTEP Miners vs Houston Cougars Lines
Oddsmakers currently have the Cougars listed as 20-point favorites versus the Miners, while the game’s total is sitting at 74½.
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Houston’s offense might be the best in the country. The Cougars stomped all over Texas State in last week’s 68-28 win. The greatest damage came in the first half, as Houston’s starters racked up a 54-7 lead before most of them took the rest of the game off. Case Keenum was deadly efficient, going 17-22 for 274 yards and five touchdowns. The receiving corps is incredibly deep; 10 different players caught passes, and five different players snagged touchdowns. The ground game is a bit of an afterthought but, with Keenum at the helm, who cares?

Don’t let the 28-point effort by Texas State fool you—Houston played fairly well on defense before the scrubs checked into the game. Texas State scored 21 points in the last 18 minutes of the game, hardly the fault of Houston’s starting “D.” The Cougars harassed their opponent into four turnovers and three sacks.

UTEP is coming off a decisive 31-10 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The biggest question on offense heading into Week 2 is the status of running back Donald Buckram. Buckram sat out last week with a bruised knee; he was absolutely vital in UTEP’s 58-41 win over Houston last year, rushing for a whopping 262 yards and four touchdowns. Joe Barnyard and Vernon Frazier stepped up in Buckram’s place last week, combining for 183 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries.

Defensively, UTEP is getting a feel for new defensive coordinator Andre Patterson. It was a solid, if unspectacular, effort against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Unfortunately, solid probably won’t cut it against the high-flying Cougars. The Miners did produce two picks and two sacks against Pine Bluff, and those are the big plays they’ll need if they have any hope of slowing down Keenum.

Ultimately, this game comes down to offense vs. offense. There’s no way UTEP can stop or even slow Keenum and Co.—the Cougars are going to get their points. That means UTEP has to outgun Houston and, with Buckram nursing a knee injury, that’s doubtful. Even if Buckram dresses he likely won’t be 100 percent. Another concern for UTEP is quarterback Trevor Vittatoe. He underwent shoulder surgery last season and, though he says it isn’t bothering him, Vittatoe didn’t look especially sharp against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. There are just too many question marks on UTEP; through in the revenge factor Houston is seeking, and the Cougars should be able to cover the spread.

UTEP at Houston pick: Houston (Give the points)

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