College Football Week 8 continues on Saturday afternoon and we will see the UL- Monroe Warhawks travel to the Bluegrass State to take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The game is scheduled for a 4:00 PM (Eastern) start time and it will be televised live on ESPN3. Currently the odds for the game have Western Kentucky favored by 3.5 points, while the total sits at 53. Currently 70% of the Public is on UL- Monroe, while 69% is on the Over. Find out what side the Public is taking on all the games by clicking HERE.
Free Analysis: Since losing back-to-back nail-biters to Auburn (31-28 in OT) and Baylor (47-42), ULM has won three straight to move to 4-2 overall. After a convincing 35-14 win over Florida Atlantic last week, the Warhawks are 2-0 in the conference for the first time since 2009. ULM owns the most explosive offense in the Sun Belt, ranking first in the league in both points (38.8) and yards per game (485.7 ypg). It has also converted 50 percent of its third downs and an incredible 78 percent of its fourth-down tries (14-of-18). Kolton Browning is coming off one of his most pedestrian passing performances of the year against FAU (10-of-23, 147 yards), but he still threw a pair of touchdowns and ran for 59 yards. Browning has been one of the best players in the conference, throwing for 1,606 yards, rushing for 292 yards, and accounting for 17 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions. With an offense so prolific, the defense (25 ppg, 351.5 ypg) oftentimes gets caught up in shootouts. Last week the unit was impressive (14 points, 307 yards), albeit against a lackluster FAU offense. R.J. Young has made plays all over the field with 42 tackles, five tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. As a team the Warhawks have nine picks, with DaCorris Ford logging a pair.
Western Kentucky is one of the few mid-major teams that has actually played better than ULM. It has won five of six games to start the season, including four straight, with its only loss coming against top-ranked Alabama (35-0). In fact, the only other setback the Hilltoppers have suffered in the last 14 games was against another SEC power in LSU (Nov. 12, 2011), which was also ranked No. 1 at the time. The WKU offense (30 ppg) is one of the most balanced in the SBC, averaging nearly as many rushing yards (196.2) as passing yards (209.7). Running back Antonio Andrews is the catalyst, as he has rushed for 100 yards or more in four straight games and leads the league 655 yards on 117 carries. Andrews also has 20 receptions for 249 yards and has scored six total touchdowns. Although he hasn't been as dynamic as his counterpart in this bout (Browning), quarterback Kawaun Jakes has been efficient in his own right, completing 68.2 percent of his passes for 1,079 yards with 12 touchdowns (one rushing) against only three interceptions. WKU's defense (22 ppg, 304.7 ypg) has been especially impressive in the second half of late, allowing a total of nine points after halftime over its past two games. Jonathan Dowling has shined in the secondary with four interceptions, 27 tackles, and a blocked kick. Andrew Jackson has 50 stops and 7.5 tackles for loss, and Quanterus Smith can make plays in the backfield with the best in the country with 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Free Pick: UL- Monroe is the side here. Western Kentucky has had a great year so far, but so has UL- Monroe. Both teams have done well vs SEC teams this year, but I feel that the Warhawks have been a bit more impressive. ULM's offense is tops in the Sun Belt and while Western Kentucky has played solid defense this year I just don't see them putting up enough points to get the win here. This should still be a hard fought game, but in the end I feel it will be the Warhawks that are standing tall.
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