No. 23 Texas Longhorns (-4) at UCLA Bruins, Total 43.5 |
Texas heads out on the road for the first time this year after picking up home wins over Rice (34-9) and BYU (17-16). The Longhorns will be seeking to gain revenge from last year’s 34-12 home loss to the UCLA Bruins a year ago, as the team was 3-0 and ranked seventh in the country at that time.
Head coach Mack Brown has seen some great success in September during his time in Austin, winning 36 of 40 games.
A quarterback controversy has been a major story around campus, as junior Garrett Gilbert has been replaced by a combination of sophomore Case McCoy and freshman David Ash.
McCoy’s name is definitely familiar to college football fans, as he’s the younger brother of current NFL quarterback Colt McCoy, who also starred in Austin. He went 7 of 8 for 57 yards and led the winning drive last week against BYU.
The defense has seemingly moved past coordinator Will Muschamp leaving for Florida, giving up just a single first down and 50 yards of total offense in the fourth quarter in two games thus far.
college football betting players will find that the Longhorns are 9-18 ATS over the last two-plus seasons in betting prediction, while the ‘under’ is 17-11 in those contests.
UCLA owns a 3-2 advantage in this series and has captured the last three meetings, including a 49-31 win in the 1998 season-opener at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins held a 189-yard rushing advantage in last year’s win.
Offensively, the team is also searching for a main option at quarterback, as head coach Rick Neuheisel is unsure who will start between Richard Brehaut and Kevin Prince. Much of the choice depends on the health of Prince who suffered a concussion in the season-opening loss to Houston.
Either quarterback will benefit in playing behind an offensive line that is the national leader with zero sacks allowed through the first two contests of 2011. The running game exploded for 221 yards in the second half against San Jose State last week behind the unit.
Playing at the Rose Bowl has certainly been an advantage for the team, posting a 35-16 recover over the last eight-plus seasons. UCLA has also won 21 of its last 25 non-conference matchups played inside the venue.
Success against ranked opponents inside the Rose Bowl has also been found, winning seven of he last 13 such games.
Bettors will find that the Bruins are 10-16 ATS over the last two-plus seasons and the ‘under’ is 17-10 in those contests.
