The SMU Mustangs will play host to the Navy Midshipmen on Friday night (October 14).
Both these American Atheltic Conference schools sit at 2-3 entering tonight's matchup. SMU, after winning their opening two games, have now lost three in a row, most recently falling to UCF 41-19.
The Navy previously beat Tulsa 53-21 at home last week. Last year, the Mustangs won this head-to-head matchup 31-24, so we'll see if the Midshipmen can avenge that loss tonight.
Navy Midshipmen vs. SMU Mustangs Betting Odds
Navy Midshipmen vs. SMU Mustangs Match Details
Fixture: Navy Midshipmen @ SMU Mustangs
Date & Time: Friday, October 14, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Venue: Gerald J. Ford Stadium
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Navy Midshipmen vs. SMU Mustangs Key Stats
SMU's offense ranks 10th in total yards per game in the nation, and a lot of that has to do with senior quarterback Tanner Mordecai.
Mordecai, who had an excellent year last season, has accumulated 1,680 passing yards, which is the third-best mark in the AAC. He has had issues with interceptions recently, though, as he's tossed five in his previous three games.
The Navy's pass defense has been decent, but where they've really excelled is against the run. They have been holding teams to just 2.9 yards per carry, and last week Tulsa recorded a measly 25 rushing yards total versus the Navy.
As for the Midshipmen's offense, their game plan is to hand the ball to Daba Fofana, their sophomore running back. Fofana is averaging 4.1 yards per carry, and Navy have also used Maquel Haywood quite a lot in the backfield. He has totaled 203 yards on 41 carries, good for an average of five yards per carry.
Quarterback Tai Lavatai finished with just six pass completions in his team's rout of Tulsa, and on the year he averages just over 11 completions per game.
SMU's defense has struggled over the last few weeks and they've picked up a ton of penalties and penalty yards this year. If they can be more disciplined, they'll be in better shape to snap their losing streak. However, if their defense is disappointing again, look for Navy, as underdogs, to make this game very interesting.
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Navy Midshipmen vs. SMU Mustangs Betting Prediction
SMU have dropped three consecutive games, and in all three they were underdogs by just a field goal or even less than that. While they technically weren't expected to win any of these three, they've also failed to cover now four of their five games this year.
Last year, the Mustangs were 13.5 point favorites over the Navy, but they won by just one touchdown. Expect the Navy to heavily feature the ground game and cover the spread tonight. This is because they've covered each of their past three games prior to tonight.
Prediction: Navy +12.5 (-110)
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