As you might know, the Midshipmen were one of the toughest offenses to prepare for under Niumatalolo because of their triple-option scheme. Navy found plenty of success with this strategy during his 15-plus years as head coach. 

Now at SJSU, Niutmatalolo’s offense is much more pass-heavy. Despite the change of pace, there hasn’t been a lull in his offense’s production. A primary reason is because of offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann, who Niumatalolo hired shortly after he was named the Spartans’ head coach in January. Stutzmann served as the passing game coordinator at Texas State in 2023 and held various offensive positions at a handful of programs over the past few decades. 

We’ve already been introduced to the potential of this spread offense under Stutzmann and Niutamalolo. Behind wide receiver Nick Nash’s incredible start to the season and some quality quarterback play, San Jose State is averaging 33.5 points and 416 yards per game. 

Sitting at 4-2, the Spartans have been one of the more surprising teams in the Mountain West. College football betting odds had the Spartans’ preseason win total at 4.5 games, a number they should easily go over. Their ability to put points on the board is a big reason why.  

Yet, even with the success, there has been somewhat of a quarterback dilemma in San Jose. Washington State transfer Emmett Brown won the job in the spring and has started every game this season. Brown played pretty much the entirety of each of the first four games, where he averaged 322.5 passing yards per game and passed for 13 touchdowns. He tossed four interceptions. 

Two weeks ago against Nevada, however, the Spartans and Brown were struggling and trailed 28-21 in the third quarter. Backup QB Walker Eget was called into the game and led the Spartans on a game-tying possession and a go-ahead scoring drive.

Following that performance, there was some chatter about who would be the starter going into last Saturday’s contest against Colorado State. Brown started, but Eget came in on the fourth possession of the game and led SJSU on a promising drive that ultimately stalled because of penalties. Eget played all but one play in the second half and tossed a late interception that stymied SJSU’s comeback attempt.

During last week’s weekly press conference, Niutamalolo applauded the mental focus of Eget to get tossed into the Nevada game with what seemed like no notice and not skip a beat. He also noted Stutzmann’s ability to have his QBs prepared for the moment and that Eget typically spends time in practice getting reps with the starters.

However, it was noticeable last week that Eget’s timing was off with his wideouts. There were a couple of throws he missed in the second half that could have turned into much-needed chunk plays.

During Brown’s only play in the second half, the snap went over his head and he was forced to throw the ball away. The Spartans punted two plays later.

Stutzmann has been known to utilize two quarterbacks. In 2019, while he was the passing game coordinator for Hawaii, a young Chevan Cordeiro took some snaps from Cole McDonald in a season where McDonald passed for 4,135 yards and 33 TDs. 

This situation is a little different, and there might be more of a 50/50 split going forward until one of these guys does enough to be the primary option. Of course, utilizing two different QBs can have its advantages, but it can also cause some issues like we saw last week. 

I don’t know who will be starting this week against Wyoming, but I’d argue Eget didn’t do enough to earn the nod. I don’t believe Brown did anything to cost him the job, either. But I will say Brown won the starting job in the spring for a reason and had the Spartans’ offense rolling just a few weeks ago. 

The post Column: Does San Jose State Football Have A Quarterback Dilemma? appeared first on HERO Sports.

They’ll have the chance to do that this week against a Navy team that’s ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press Top 25. College football betting odds have Navy as a 16.5-point favorite.

The 49ers are on a two-game win streak after beating Rice two weeks ago and are coming off a dominant 55-24 win over East Carolina where they scored four first-half touchdowns. Most of the production was on the ground as Charlotte rushed for 311 yards and six touchdowns. Junior running back Hahsaun Wilson led the way with 164 yards and three scores. He averaged 10.9 yards per carry.

Charlotte already has as many wins as it had the last two seasons, where it went 3-9 both years, and is 2-0 in AAC play. 

Now in head coach Biff Poggi’s second season, the 49ers look like they have improved. How much improvement they’ve made, though, will be telling in the upcoming month. 

The non-conference slate wasn’t the easiest as Charlotte played James Madison, North Carolina, and Indiana. Things don’t get much easier going forward. Following this week’s contest at Navy, the 49ers will visit Memphis and then host Tulane. Those are three teams that are ranked in the top 10 in the HERO Sports G5 Top 25. They’ll then have a bye week before hosting USF.

It’s a great thing for the 49ers that they’re coming off a bye and are playing their best football so far going into this stretch. 

The bye week was much needed as they prepare for quarterback Blake Horvath and the Navy rushing attack. Charlotte will need to be better against the run if it wants a chance to win this game. It is allowing 182 rushing yards per contest. 

Charlotte will also have a quarterback situation to figure out here in the near future. Starter Max Brown was injured in Week 2 against North Carolina and is expected to be returning soon after recovering from thumb surgery. Brown is expected to remain the starter when he returns, but freshman Deshawn Purdie has been playing well in his absence. Trexler Ivey has also spent some time under center, but Purdie has played much better.

Ivey started against Rice before he was replaced by Purdie in the second half, where Charlotte scored all 21 of its points. 

Purdie has passed for 717 yards and four touchdowns through four games this season. He’s only thrown one interception. The 49ers are 3-0 in the games where he has taken a majority of the snaps.

It’s hard to turn away from a quarterback who has the hot hand, but Brown is the more experienced signal caller. I don’t necessarily think that means he will give the 49ers the best chance to pick up an upset in one of these games, however.

I think Charlotte can beat FAU and UAB in its last two weeks of the season, meaning a win in these next four games could lead to a bowl game. It’ll be fun to see how it all plays out.

Charlotte at Navy Football Prediction

I predict Navy will win by three touchdowns and cover the 16.5-point spread. The Midshipmen are 4-1 against the spread this season and 3-0 as a favorite. As mentioned above, Charlotte’s rush defense has been suspect, and the inexperienced Purdie will have a tall task ahead of him.

The post Charlotte 49ers Football Riding Its First Win Streak Since 2021 appeared first on HERO Sports.

Now, JMU will enter another critical Sun Belt East matchup when it visits Georgia Southern. The Eagles are 4-2 and 2-0 in league play while the Dukes are 5-1 and 1-1. Whoever wins this contest will sit atop the division.

How To Watch JMU-Georgia Southern

The game kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday and will air on ESPN+.

JMU-Georgia Southern Betting Odds

JMU is a 10-point college football betting odds favorite.

JMU-Georgia Southern Coaches & Overall Records

JMU: Bob Chesney (5-1)

GSU: Clay Helton (62-40 overall, 16-16 at GSU)

Last meeting: Oct. 13, 2023; JMU won 41-13.

This is only the third meeting between these programs this century. Before winning last year’s matchup, JMU had lost eight straight to the Eagles.

JMU Preview

It’s surprising JMU isn’t 6-0 heading into this game.

Following the Dukes’ upset defeat to ULM two weeks ago, they bounced back with a dominant win over Coastal Carolina. They controlled the contest from start to finish and led 29-7 at the half. The 39-7 final score could have been a much wider margin. 

While we’ve seen plenty from JMU’s offense this season, its defense made a statement against Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers entered the game averaging 38.4 points per game but found no offensive traction last week. There was only one possession where CCU ran a play on JMU’s side of the field. 

Following that performance, JMU allows just 16.3 points per game, which ranks first in the Sun Belt and is tied for the 15th best mark in the FBS. The Dukes allow 316.2 total yards per game and have surrendered just 11 touchdowns on the season. 

JMU’s defense has been much more physical than opposing offenses for most of the year. The Dukes have disrupted their opponents’ rushing attack — allowing just 107 YPG and four TDs on the ground — and have made opposing QBs beat them through the air. Last week, CCU starting quarterback Ethan Vasko was 5 for 18 with two interceptions, including a pick-six from Lloyd Summerall III. JMU’s defense is firing on all cylinders. 

The offense is just as dangerous with QB Alonza Barrett III leading the way. Barrett has 1,781 total yards, 20 total touchdowns, and just one interception this season. Five different pass catchers have double-digit receptions for the Dukes. JMU is averaging 39 points per game.

Georgia Southern Preview

Things looked bleak for Georgia Southern last week as it entered the fourth quarter trailing Marshall 23-3. 

The tide quickly changed, though, when GSU forced a safety early in the fourth quarter and then went on to force three turnovers and score three TDs in the final seven minutes of the game. It will likely be one of the more improbable comebacks we’ll see this season. 

GSU’s defense made big plays down the stretch last week, but overall it has struggled this season. The Eagles’ 474 yards allowed per game ranks last in the Sun Belt, and they’re also allowing 30.5 points per contest. A bright spot on this side of the ball  has been linebacker Marques Watson-Trent, who leads the league with 55 total tackles. He also has 4.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. 

Following a Week 1 outburst where the Eagles scored 45 points against Boise State, I expected their offense to be potent like it was last season. That hasn’t entirely been the case, but it hasn’t struggled by any means. GSU is averaging 30 points and 368.7 yards per game. 

The ground game has been a weak spot for this offense, and if the Eagles want to pick up an upset win over JMU, they’ll need to find some success on the ground and avoid being one dimensional. Quarterback JC French is averaging 219 passing YPG and has seven TD passes to two interceptions. 

Outside of a 39-point loss to Ole Miss, the Eagles have played well this season and have a pair of quality wins over Nevada and Marshall.

JMU-Georgia Southern Prediction

I predict JMU will win and cover the 10-point spread. 

The comeback from the Eagles last week was great, and I’m sure it’ll give them a ton of momentum going into this week. However, with the way JMU played last week, I can’t picture the Dukes taking their foot off the pedal. 

I think Barnett will be successful against GSU’s defense and the Dukes’ defense will continue to be disruptive.

The post Sun Belt Game of The Week: JMU at Georgia Southern Prediction & Preview appeared first on HERO Sports.

This week we’ll go back to the MAC and the “Battle of the Bricks” for my selection.

Ohio (Spread +3.5, Moneyline +145) at Miami (Ohio)

After entering the half with a 24-0 lead, Ohio nearly crumbled down the stretch against Central Michigan last week. The Bobcats survived with a 27-25 victory. 

The first half looked similar to the Bobcats head coach Tim Albin-led teams that we’re used to seeing, however. The Bobcats played stout defense, and five of their six offensive drives went for 50-plus yards. They scored on four of them and fumbled in the red zone on the other. 

Nobody really expected big things from Ohio this season, but the Bobcats are quietly 4-2 and 2-0 in league play. A win here will be huge for conference championship aspirations. 

Miami’s offense finally made some strides last week, but the Bobcats’ defense has been pretty consistent this season. They’re allowing just 331 yards per game, which ranks second in the conference. They’re also only giving up 23.3 points per game. The RedHawks are averaging just 17.7 PPG. 

Ohio running back Anthony Tyus leads the conference with 99.2 rushing yards per game and will go up against a solid RedHawks linebacking core. However, they’ll also have to handle Bobcats quarterback Parker Navarro, who leads the league in total offense with 258.8 total yards per outing, including 79 rushing YPG.

The RedHawks are led by QB Brett Gabbert, whose 231 passing YPG leads the conference, but the Bobcats have only allowed six TD passes on the season.

The underdog has won four of these last five meetings, and I like the underdog to keep things close again in this rivalry. The Over/Under is just at 44.5, meaning this is expected to be a relatively low-scoring meeting and a closer game.

FAU (+6.5, +200) at UTSA

I don’t know if there’s been a more inconsistent team this season than the Owls. They finally put together back-to-back performances to feel good about despite falling to North Texas last week. Still, it was refreshing to see some life from this program.

UTSA’s offense has struggled to find the end zone this season while FAU’s defense has been respectable. Prior to last week’s 41-37 loss, FAU hadn’t given up more than 20 points all season. 

FAU is 2-1 against the spread this year as an underdog, and UTSA is 1-5 ATS, including 0-2 as a favorite.

Nevada (+3, +125) vs. Fresno State

The Wolf Pack have landed on the honorable mentions list twice already this season, and there’s good reason why. They’re 5-1 against the spread and 3-1 ATS at home. 

Even though it lost to San Jose State two weeks ago, Nevada is playing great and coming off a win over Oregon State where it only threw 13 passes. The Bulldogs have been better against the pass than the run this season.

Nevada is feisty and has already been in five one-possession games this year. UNR has covered four of these last five meetings, and I like head coach Jeff Choate’s squad to continue surprising.

The post CFB Betting: The Group Of Five Underdog Of The Week Is Ohio +3.5 at Miami (Ohio) appeared first on HERO Sports.

The reigning MAC champ is 1-4 and could very easily be 0-5 if UMass didn’t give the game away twice, both at the end of regulation and in overtime. Miami went 11-3 last season and returned 12 starters, including sixth-year quarterback Brett Gabbert. College football betting odds had Miami as a preseason favorite to win the MAC at +225.

What’s gone wrong for the RedHawks?

For starters, the offense hasn’t been good at all. Miami is only averaging 13.7 points per game and hasn’t scored more than 20 points in a contest. With only nine touchdowns, the RedHawks are the only team in the league that hasn’t scored double-digit TDs. The run game has struggled, and a lot of it has to do with the offensive line.

Despite returning four starters and high expectations, the O-line has been getting beat at the line of scrimmage more often than not and has struggled to generate any push. Miami is averaging only 79 rushing yards per game after averaging 158 YPG last season. It has already given up 15 sacks so far this year. 

Considering Gabbert likes to sling the ball and put pressure on the secondary, it’s surprising that the offense hasn’t been able to generate many points. One of the reasons has been turnovers. Gabbert has tossed seven interceptions on the season to just five touchdowns. The interceptions are tied for most in the league while the TD passes are the seventh most. 

It’s unusual for Gabbert to toss so many picks. He’s already thrown more than he has in any season besides 2019, where he had eight interceptions. Gabbert was named the MAC Freshman of the Year that season. 

Let’s not forget, though, that Gabbert is coming off a severe season-ending leg injury that forced him to miss the final six games of last season. 

There’s a chance the injury is limiting Gabbert’s potential, but it’s not the only factor that’s played into the slow start for this offense. There’s been a handful of factors that have led to Miami getting in scoring position. Kicker Dom Dzioban is 9 of 11 on field goal attempts, and one miss has come from 40-plus yards and the other from 50-plus. He’s been solid when he needs to be.

The only problem is, Miami also just isn’t able to sustain drives. The eight turnovers on the season also don’t help. In the second half last week against Toledo, the RedHawks were finally able to put together back-to-back quality drives until one of them resulted in a red zone interception which sealed the game for Toledo.

The inability to sustain drives has put a lot of pressure on the defense — which, all things considered, has played great. Miami still has one of the best defenses in the MAC and the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year in Matthew Salopek. The defense has done what it’s needed to do to give the RedHawks a chance to win each game. It should also be considered that Miami played a strong non-conference slate, facing three Power Four programs. Still, I’d argue the RedHawks should have won at least one of those games.

If the RedHawks can figure some things out, and the defense can continue playing at a high level, then Miami still has a chance to flip its season around and make a run in the MAC. I don’t anticipate the RedHawks making it back to the MAC title game, let alone winning it. There hasn’t been a repeat conference champion in the MAC since 2011-12 when Northern Illinois did it. 

But there’s potential for Miami to still reach a bowl game. That’ll need to start with a win this week at Eastern Michigan. The RedHawks are a 2.5-point favorite.

Miami (Ohio)-Eastern Michigan Football Prediction

I predict Eastern Michigan will win. The RedHawks just haven’t shown enough to trust them in this situation against a 4-1 EMU team. 

The Eagles haven’t played a difficult schedule, but I need to see some sort of life from Miami before I can roll with the RedHawks to pick up a quality conference win.

The post Miami (Ohio) Football Faces Uphill Battle After Slow Start appeared first on HERO Sports.

Coastal Carolina was ranked No. 23 in 2022 and JMU was ranked No. 24 last season. The Dukes have gotten the better of the Chanticleers since joining the Sun Belt and were victorious in both meetings. JMU outscored CCU by a combined 82 points in the wins. College football betting odds had the Chanticleers as a favorite in both.

Now, both teams enter this week at 4-1 but CCU is 1-0 in league play while the Dukes are 0-1 after last week’s critical loss to ULM. This will be an important game for these Sun Belt East foes that features the top two scoring offenses in the league.

How To Watch Coastal Carolina-James Madison

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday and will air on ESPN2.

Coastal Carolina-James Madison Betting Odds

JMU is currently an 8.5-point favorite.

Coastal Carolina-James Madison Coaches & Overall Records

CCU: Tim Beck (12-6)

JMU: Bob Chesney (4-2)

Last meeting: Nov. 25, 2023; JMU won 56-14.

This will be the fifth meeting between these schools, and the Dukes hold a 3-1 advantage.

Coastal Carolina Preview

Yes, the Chanticleers are 4-1, but I don’t think they’ve played a very tough schedule. I would argue their most difficult matchup came last week against a 1-4 Old Dominion team that was playing with its backup redshirt freshman quarterback. There aren’t any impressive wins on CCU’s resume — so far. 

That could change this week if the Chants pick up a road win at Bridgeforth Stadium. If they want to do that, they’ll likely need to find ways to slow down JMU’s offense just as ULM did last week. CCU currently allows 29.6 points and 395 yards per game. It has given up 80 total points in its last two outings. 

There’s a chance this game turns into a shootout, and outscoring the Dukes might be the way the Chanticleers win this game. Their 38.4 PPG rank second in the conference, and they’ve had a lot of success rushing the ball, averaging 197 YPG with 11 rushing touchdowns. Running back Christian Washington has been the lead guy, averaging 62.6 YPG with four rushing scores.

Dual-threat quarterback Ethan Vasko has been a good game manager and is averaging 220 passing YPG and has seven passing TDs to two interceptions. He’s added 220 yards and two scores on the ground. One thing that Vasko and the Chants do well is control the clock and play at their own pace. Their 31 minutes, 21 seconds of average time of possession ranks third in the conference. 

Controlling the game will be key this week.

James Madison Preview

The high-powered JMU offensive attack came to a screeching halt last week in its loss to ULM. After scoring 133 points over its previous two games, the Dukes could only muster 19 in the defeat. Surprisingly, it’s not the lowest total of the season. They scored 13 in a seven-point win over Gardner-Webb in Week 2. 

JMU’s biggest win so far this season came at North Carolina when it erupted for 53 first-half points. Behind that effort, the Dukes are averaging 39 points and 442.8 yards per game. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III is one of the early candidates for Sun Belt Player of the Year and is averaging 313.8 total YPG to go with 16 total touchdowns and just one interception. 

The Dukes have the top scoring defense in the conference, allowing just 18.2 points per game. Their rushing defense also ranks first (113.6 YPG). They should pose problems for CCU’s rushing attack and force Vasko to beat them with his arm. That’s good news for JMU, which is tied for the most interceptions in the FBS with 10, led by Terrence Spencers’ three picks. They’re also tied for the most takeaways with 15.

One thing the Dukes struggled with last week was field position. They started inside their own 20 seven different times, and the only possession that didn’t start inside their own 20 in the second half came at their own 25 following a ULM score. Forcing some turnovers should help JMU earn better field position this week.

Coastal Carolina-James Madison Prediction

I predict James Madison will win by 10 points and pull away late behind some defensive stops. 

The Dukes will be hungry following last week’s loss, and I think the Chanticleers have caught some breaks this season. That should catch up to them this week.

The post Sun Belt Game of The Week: Coastal Carolina at James Madison Preview appeared first on HERO Sports.

Old Dominion was leading Coastal Carolina by 10 points before a pair of turnovers helped the Chanticleers take the lead. The Monarchs trailed by five in the fourth quarter, but mental mistakes in ODU’s secondary were key in CCU pulling ahead. 

The Monarchs ultimately fell 45-37 and didn’t cover the spread. College football betting odds had them as a six-point underdog.

We already saw one G5 Underdog cash this week with FIU almost knocking off Liberty. Hopefully there are more to come.

Kent State (Spread +7, Moneyline +205) vs. Ball State

It’s always a good thing when you can find a home underdog in a conference matchup.

Maybe it’s not so great when it’s one of the worst teams in the FBS. 

Regardless, I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t want to see a team go winless during the season, and that’s the path that the Golden Flashes are on. Unless they pick up a win here, of course.

I think this might be the best opportunity for Kent State to get a win this season. Some may think that will be against Akron, but the Zips have been better than Ball State. KSU suffered season-ending injuries to its top two quarterbacks in a loss to Penn State three weeks ago, but Tommy Ulatowski started two weeks ago against Eastern Michigan and passed for 345 yards and three touchdowns as the KSU offense looked the best it has all season. The junior started three games for the Golden Flashes last season. 

Now, Ulatowski gets a Ball State defense that’s allowing 48 points and 516 yards per game. Unfortunately, KSU is the only team in the MAC that allows more. Much of that production allowed came against Penn State and Tennessee, however, which set program records in total offense in those contests. Ulatowski also has two all-conference wideouts in Luke Floriea and Chrishon McCray who should thrive against this pass defense.

The Golden Flashes’ defense looked a little better against EMU, but the turnovers were crucial. They coughed the ball up four times despite not turning it over once against two top 10 teams. 

Kent State is coming off a bye week, so it should be refreshed and hopefully a little more polished and prepared. The home team has won six of these last seven meetings and has gone 5-2 against the spread.

Arkansas State (+14.5, +475) at Texas State

We saw last week that Arkansas State can hold its own against a potent offense. The Red Wolves outlasted South Alabama in a 18-16 game where quarterback Jaylen Raynor led ASU on a game-winning drive. 

If the Red Wolves’ defense can play anywhere close to how it did in that game then they should be within two scores here. 

Texas State has played to the level of its opponents this season and lost as a double-digit favorite to Sam Houston two weeks ago and defeated Lamar by a touchdown as a 34-point favorite in Week 1. 

The Bobcats’ defense has struggled against dual-threat QBs this season, and Raynor could be in for a big game in this Sun Belt meeting.

Middle Tennessee (+5, +175) at Louisiana Tech

This will be a battle of one-win teams in a Thursday night CUSA matchup. Both squads are coming off a bye week.

I like that the Blue Raiders are getting five points here against a team that struggles to score. I know, MTSU also has a hard time putting points on the board, and it is going up against what’s been a stout LA Tech defense. But I think quarterback Nicholas Vattiato can find ways to get the ball down the field and do enough to keep this a one-possession game. Vattiato leads the league in passing with 257 yards per game. 

LA Tech is 2-5 against the spread as a favorite at home dating back to last season.

The post CFB Betting: The Group Of Five Underdog Of The Week Is Kent State +7 vs. Ball State appeared first on HERO Sports.

That opinion was certainly tested last weekend as we saw three Top 10 teams get upset on the road — Alabama at Vanderbilt, Missouri at Texas A&M, and Tennessee at Arkansas. I would argue that those upsets wouldn’t have happened if the sites were flipped. Home-field advantage doesn’t mean a team will play well, but it does exist.

We’ve also seen home-field advantage play a role for Group of Five programs hosting Power Four schools over the past few seasons. 

What are some of the Group of Five teams that have the best home-field advantage?

Top CFB Home-Field Advantage In The G5

• Boise State
• App State
• JMU
• Fresno State
• Wyoming

Best G5 CFB Home-Field Atmospheres

Boise State

There’s no doubt opposing teams hate playing on the blue turf. I’m sure opposing Boise State defenders often blend in with the field when a quarterback is scanning the field. I can’t imagine how many interceptions have been caused because of this. 

The Broncos landed on EA Sports’ College Football 25’s list of toughest places to play. At No. 24, they were the only G5 team to make the list.

Boise is 52-12 at home since 2014, and its fan base is as supportive as ever this season, selling out each game. With the way Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty is playing, I don’t blame them.

Appalachian State 

Kidd Brewer Stadium is filled beyond capacity every week. Last year’s average capacity was 115.8%, which was the highest in the FBS. The capacity at “The Rock” is 30,000. Last season’s game against East Carolina had 40,168 people in attendance, which tied the stadium record. It’s one of the reasons the Mountaineers have been one of the premier teams in the Sun Belt over the last decade.

Season tickets sold out for the third consecutive season, and each of App State’s home games have sold out this year.

The Mountaineers have a similar home record to Boise State, as they are 53-11 at home since 2014.

James Madison 

Like their conference rival App State, the Dukes also often surpass capacity at Bridgeforth Stadium. Last year’s average was 102%, which ranked eighth in the country.

JMU’s student section turns out for the games and is definitely rowdy. The Dukes were especially dominant at their house during their FCS years and have gone 64-8 at home since 2014. Not only do JMU fans take pride in filling up Bridgeforth, they’re also one of the best traveling fan bases in the G5.

Fresno State

One of the reasons it was probably an easy decision for the Pac-12 to add Fresno State was because of its following. 

There’s rarely an empty seat at Valley Children’s Stadium, and the student section is always in full force behind the red and white checkerboard end zone. It’s not just one of the most difficult places to play in the Mountain West but one of the toughest places to play in the G5. 

The Bulldogs host Washington State this week in a game where home-field advantage could be key.

Wyoming

It’s no secret teams hate traveling to Laramie, especially Power Four teams. A loss to Wyoming doesn’t look great on a resume. 

Not only does War Memorial Stadium sit as the highest elevated stadium in the country at 7,220 feet, but the weather can be brutal, especially late in the season. The wind howls, and the temperatures often drop in the negatives. 

That doesn’t stop the Wyoming faithful from showing up and filling the stadium, however. 

The post Best College Football Home-Field Advantages & Atmospheres In The Group of Five appeared first on HERO Sports.

Who’s a legitimate contender for the College Football Playoff, and who’s not. Which teams are struggling or thriving under first-year head coaches. And which teams could have a shot at winning their respective conference championships.

We know the easy answers and which teams are locked in as favorites like Boise State and Liberty, but who are some of the other teams that have great college football betting odds value to win their league title?

Navy +600 To Win The AAC

What a pleasant surprise the Midshipmen have been so far this season. They are currently tied for first in the AAC with Army. Both teams are 3-0 in conference play.

This isn’t a crazy selection, but there is still plenty of value here. Navy’s odds to win the conference are fourth shortest in the league after it was a +3500 long shot in the preseason. 

The Midshipmen already knocked off Memphis but still have to play the other top teams in the league. They should have no problems with Charlotte or Rice. The final three conference games of the season will be telling, however. Navy faces South Florida, Tulane, and East Carolina to close out the conference slate. 

Navy’s final game of the year is of course the meeting with Army, but that contest will not count as a conference game despite both teams being in AAC. There’s already been discussion that Army and Navy could meet in back-to-back weeks, both in the AAC title game on Dec. 6 and then again in their annual meeting on Dec. 14. 

This outcome looks more and more realistic each week.

Sam Houston +600 To Win Conference USA

Last week, Sam Houston picked up a huge upset win over Texas State. The Bearkats were able to keep pace with the Bobcats’ offense and prevailed on a last-second field goal from Christian Pavon. The win moved them to No. 10 in the HERO Sports G5 Top 25. Outside of a loss to UCF, the Bearkats have looked great this year. They were +1800 to win the conference in the preseason.

From the way it looks now, SHSU should have no trouble with the remainder of its CUSA games besides Western Kentucky and Liberty. It plays WKU in two weeks and hosts Liberty in the final week of the season. If the Bearkats can defeat WKU, then their odds to make the CUSA Championship obviously drastically increase. There’s a chance they could meet Liberty in back-to-back weeks. 

The Bearkats have already knocked off one of the top G5 programs. Who says they can’t do it again?

Marshall +1400 To Win The Sun Belt

The odds for the Thundering Herd to win the Sun Belt have barely moved since the preseason when they were sitting at +1600. They haven’t really done much for their odds to be any shorter than that. 

What’s encouraging is that, outside of James Madison, the rest of the conference hasn’t looked much better. I like the way the Herd’s schedule plays out, and I think they have a serious chance to win each of their conference games. They avoid Texas State and Louisiana and get App State and Coastal Carolina at home. A win against App State this weekend will be key. Marshall’s toughest game will be in Week 14 against JMU. 

They’ll need to clean some things up, but the Thundering Herd could easily go 6-2 in league play, which could be enough to land a spot in the Sun Belt title game.

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The strong start includes a 13-9 victory on the road against Troy last week, where the Warhawks scored in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard Ahmad Hardy run to take the lead for good. The Trojans had two more possessions to respond, but ULM held them to just five total yards on those drives. It was the second victory for the Warhawks as an underdog this season. 

College football betting odds had ULM as a 6.5-point underdog against Troy. It was an 11.5-point underdog in a 32-6 win over UAB two weeks ago. The Warhawks’ only loss was against Texas.

It was almost fitting for head coach Bryant Vincent that ULM had its way with UAB.

Vincent served as the interim coach for the Blazers in 2022 when Bill Clark resigned prior to the season. The Blazers went 7-6 that year and picked up a win in the Bahamas Bowl. However, Vincent was passed on for the permanent position and UAB instead rolled with Trent Dilfer, who has since lost the trust of some UAB faithful.

ULM isn’t an easy place to win. Coaches have struggled to have consistent success with a program that doesn’t have a ton of resources or funding. The early success in the Vincent era has to be refreshing for the program and the school. The Warhawks have already surpassed their Over/Under preseason win total of 2.5 games and have already won more games than they did last season. 

A lot of the early success for the Warhawks can be attributed to their defense. It ranks second in the Sun Belt, allowing 20 points and 325.5 yards per game. The Warhawks have been dominant in the turnover department, already securing six turnovers on the season.

Defensive back Wydett Williams Jr. has been making plays all over the field and is tied with a team-high 34 total tackles. He’s added one sack, two interceptions, and one pass breakup. Defensive end Billy Pullen has been living in opposing backfields and already has 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss to go with a forced fumble. 

Things will only get more difficult for the Warhawks, and especially this defense, as they meet a red-hot James Madison team this weekend. JMU has scored 133 combined points in its past two games. To say this defense will be tested is an understatement.

ULM has only been to a bowl game once in program history, which was in 2012 when it went 8-5. That was the best mark during its time as a Division I program. It would be a long shot to say that the Warhawks could get close to eight wins this season, especially considering their difficult conference slate, but perhaps an eight-win season is in the near future if this program can find its footing under Vincent.

Could the Warhawks reach a bowl game, though? As it looks right now, I think there are two more games that they have a shot at winning — against Southern Miss next week and at Arkansas State on Nov. 23. If they manage to squeak out wins in those two contests, then they’d need a big time upset to reach bowl eligibility. 

It’s not impossible. Stranger things have happened.

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