COLLEGE FOOTBALL REWIND
Saturday NCAA Football Recap: Things are looking up in Texas
KALAH WINTERS
Oct 29, 2017, 9:51 am
A Major victory for for the Houston Cougars. Taking a look back at the highs and lows for Texas colleges:
How ‘bout them Cougars! Coach Major Applewhite and the Houston Cougars soared to new heights with their dazzling win over No. 17, South Florida. The Cougars offense got off to a sluggish start but came alive in the second half, contrary to what last week’s game might have lead one to believe was possible. Sophomore D’Eriq King entered the game early and soon thereafter began making crucial contributions to the the Cougar offense. Arguably, the most significant of which was a game-winning 20-yard touchdown run to to end South Florida’s historic winning streak. South Florida did not seem themselves while hosting Houston in Saturday night’s match.
Defense wins games: The Iowa State defensive line was impenetrable against the Horned Frogs in Saturday’s matchup which left the Big 12 without an undefeated team. TCU remained scoreless until the third quarter but that was their only score of the game.
Tech got off to a promising start, scoring 20 points in the first quarter over OU’s 14, but it appears OU found their step in the second quarter. OU quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 22 passes totaling 281 yards and four touchdowns as he led his team to victory over the Red Raiders.
It should come as no surprise that Texas beat bad Baylor. The trajectory of this game could be seen during the first minute: DeShon Elltiott intercepted a pass by Baylor quarterback Zach Smith and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Longhorn coach Tom Herman admitted his team is being carried by the defensive side of the ball, but insists it is all a part of his plan. Demonstrably growing and learning from each game, this young Texas team has the potential to really shake things up for college football the rest of the season.
A “frustrating” game against Mississippi State, according to Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin. The Aggies took a physical beating and lost their third game of the year.
Louisiana Tech dominated the field from start to finish in Saturday’s game in Houston, scoring 14 points in the final minute in this 42-28 win over Rice.
Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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