UCF vs. Sam Houston: Prediction, Preview, Game Odds
Week 2 of the college football season is here. UCF plays Sam Houston, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, Sept. 7; 5:30 p.m. (CT); FBC Mortgage Stadium; Orlando, FL
TV: ESPN+
Records: UCF (1-0); Sam Houston (1-0)
Last Week: UCF 57, New Hampshire 3; Sam Houston 31, Rice 14
Series History: First-ever meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Fun Fact: According to a UCF release, Gus Malzahn will be facing a familiar face on the Sam Houston coaching staff, as the Bearkats’ first-year defensive coordinator, Skyler Cassity, was a student assistant for Malzahn at Auburn in 2016.
Team A vs Team B Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: UCF (-24)
Over/Under: 58.5
Sam Houston Bearkats
QB Hunter Watson
Sam Houston opened up their second season in the FBS in style with a huge 34-14 win over the Rice Owls after opening up as a 9.5-point dog. Quarterback Hunter Watson played a major role in that victory, throwing for 229 yards and two touchdowns while adding 57 yards rushing on the day. He was sacked six times in the contest, however, so the Bearkats’ offensive line will need to step things up a notch if they hope to keep him clean in Orlando.
LB Kavian Gaither
Many who follow Conference USA football closely feel that the best linebacker corps in the league belongs to Sam Houston, and the best player at the position, for any team in C-USA, might just be junior Kavian Gaither. While his listed size of 6-foot-0, 215 pounds might not seem formidable for the position, Gaither is an incredible athlete who can run sideline to sideline and is difficult to keep out of the play. He can cover well in open space and is arguably the best tackler on the team. With 32 games under his belt, Gaither is the name to know on the Bearkats’ defense.
UCF Knights
RB RJ Harvey
While many are writing it off because it came against New Hampshire, UCF’s offense exploded for 454 rushing yards last week in their 57-3 win, and RJ Harvey was the lead rusher in that contest, with 11 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Harvey is elusive as they come and exhibits a speed and burst that makes him someone to watch at the next level — but he’s not the only weapon in this backfield. Harvey is joined by 240-lb bruiser Peny Boone (7 car, 81 yds, 1TD) and standout Cincy transfer Myles Montgomery (8 car, 77 yds, 1 TD), as well as Johnny Richardson. This backfield is loaded, but Harvey is the name to know.
LB Deshawn Pace
After spending four seasons at Cincinnati, Deshawn Pace opted to transfer to UCF and got off to a quick start in his first game, recording his seventh career interception and tacking on five tackles as well. When Pace has been at 100%, he’s been an incredible playmaker on defense, and his showed that ability again this past week in a new scheme. If he can continue to improve his game week-by-week, the entire UCF defense could follow suit.
KEY STORYLINES
Sam Houston Bearkats
Can the Bearkats’ defense slow down the UCF rushing attack? While the average college football fan likely hasn’t heard much about him, Sam Houston head coach K.C. Keeler has built his program on the back of some very well-balanced teams, with high-flying offenses and stingy, hard-nosed defenses. Last week, the Bearkats held Rice to just 47 yards rushing yards on 18 attempts (2.6 ypc). UCF is an entirely different animal on the ground, though, and it will perhaps be the toughest rushing attack Sam Houston has seen since entering the FBS level last season.
UCF Knights
Can KJ Jefferson flush last week’s performance? Yes, UCF had 454 yards rushing last week. If that hadn’t been the case, however, KJ Jefferson’s struggles might be the talk of the town. He finished just 7-of-14 for 164 yards in the game and was just 3-for-9 in the first half alone. When UCF starts facing some of the tougher teams in the Big 12, that kind of effort isn’t going to get it done.
PREDICTION: UCF 45, Sam Houston 13
Sam Houston will be a tougher out than New Hampshire was, but I still expect the Knights to vastly overwhelm a team that is just two years into playing FBS football. Sam Houston is a proud program, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they make things interesting for a quarter or two, but eventually the UCF offense will find something that works, and Malzahn’s group will be able to exploit it and churn out yards, points, and clock.
