A Look At The AAC
The UH/AAC Report: a high scoring week, some teams stay hot while others cool
Oct 9, 2019, 6:55 am
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Week six in the AAC was pretty high scoring. Five teams scored more than 30 points, with four of them scoring more than 40 and one scoring more than 50. Let's take a closer look at what transpired:
UH was off, but there's still news
Even though the Coogs were off, there was a bit of news that came down. Graduate transfer offensive lineman Justin Murphy has apparently quit the team. He started four games this year: three at right guard and one at right tackle. It's yet to be seen how true the report from GoCoogs.com has any truth or other sources to back it up. So for now, we'll assume it's true.
Other key results
Cincinnati 27, UCF 24: The Bearcats handed the Golden Knights their second loss of the season, and bumped them from the top 25 rankings while taking a spot on the rankings themselves.
SMU 43, Tulsa 37: SMU stayed undefeated with triple overtime win over the Tulsa. No one saw the lowly Golden Hurricanes giving the ranked, undefeated Mustangs this much trouble. SMU is 6-0 for the first time since 1982.
Tulane 42, Army 33: Tulane held off the Army rushing attack for a strong win improving to 4-1 on the season. What's most impressive is they beat Army with a rushing yardage differential of +131.
Stars of the week
Cincinnati Defense: I said last week that UCF would have a tough time with this defense on the road. While they gave up 423 yards of offense, they also forced four turnovers that helped them win the game.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Memphis: Talk about an appropriate name! He rushed for 209 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns in a 52-33 win over ULM.
Tulane Offense: The Green Wave had four guys rush for 50 or more yards and a touchdown in their win over Army. This contributed heavily to their +131 rushing yardage differential.
Games to watch this week
Memphis @ Temple
Cincinnati @ Houston
Navy @ Tulsa
Players to watch this week
Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis: Gainwell leads a rushing attack that averages 214.4 yards a game going against a defense the gives up 125.6 yards a game on the ground.
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati: I expect Ridder to have a big game against the porous UH defense as the 4-1 Bearcats look to build off their big win over UCF.
Tulsa Defense: The Golden Hurricanes are average against the run. Navy excels in their triple option attack. This will be the deciding factor in this matchup.
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Wichita, Kansas – Saturday, 8:40 p.m. EDT
The No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (31-4) take on the No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-8) in a highly anticipated second-round showdown of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars, dominant in the Big 12 with a 22-1 record, bring the nation’s top-ranked defense to the court, while the Bulldogs, the West Coast Conference powerhouse, counter with one of the most efficient offenses in the country.
Defense vs. offense: The ultimate battle
Houston boasts the best defense in the Big 12, holding opponents to just 57.9 points per game on 38.1% shooting. The Cougars will be tasked with slowing down a Gonzaga squad that averages 84.6 points per game over its last 10 outings and shoots an impressive 50.1% from the field.
On the other side, Houston’s offense is averaging 72.1 points per game in its last 10 contests, a figure that will be tested against a Gonzaga defense allowing 67.6 points per game. The Cougars have a slight edge from beyond the arc, making 8.1 three-pointers per game compared to Gonzaga’s 7.3 allowed.
Key players to watch
For Houston, LJ Cryer has been the go-to scorer, averaging 15.2 points per game, while Milos Uzan has stepped up recently, contributing 14.7 points over the last 10 games. The Cougars will also lean on their defensive intensity and ability to force turnovers to disrupt Gonzaga’s rhythm.
Gonzaga is led by Graham Ike, who is averaging 17 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Khalif Battle has also been a key contributor, posting 15.3 points and 1.6 steals per game in the past 10 contests. The Bulldogs’ ball movement will be crucial, as they average 20.4 assists per game in their last 10 contests, a stark contrast to Houston’s 9.0.
Game outlook
Houston enters as a 5.5-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, with the over/under set at 140.5 points. If the Cougars can impose their defensive will and limit Gonzaga’s transition game, they stand a strong chance of advancing. However, if the Bulldogs find their offensive groove early, Houston may be in for its toughest test of the tournament so far.
Expect an intense, physical battle where the team that dictates the tempo will likely punch its ticket to the Sweet 16.