Florida Atlantic at USF Prediction - College Football Picks 10/14/23

USF Bulls (3-3) vs Florida Atlantic Owls (2-3)

Game Info: Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 3:30 pm (Raymond James Stadium)

Betting Odds: USF Bulls -1 -- Over/Under: 59.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Florida Atlantic Owls will make the in-state trip to Tampa to face the South Florida Bulls in AAC play this weekend from Raymond James Stadium. USF leads the head-to-head series, 3-1, but FAU won the last meeting back in 2013, 28-10.

Florida Atlantic Owls Preview

Florida Atlantic moved to 2-3 after defeating Tulsa in Boca Raton by three, 20-17. The Owls snapped a three-game skid by holding off the Golden Hurricane, and they’ll now look to jump back to .500 this weekend in Tampa. The FAU offense is scoring 20.6 ppg, while passing for 214.0 ypg, rushing for 126.4 ypg, and converting 34.2% of their third downs.

FAU Player Notes

• Daniel Richardson took over for Casey Thompson after an injury in the Clemson game, and picked up his first win last weekend versus Tulsa. The former CMU quarterback surprisingly performed better against Illinois than he did with the Golden Hurricane last time out, and he’ll look to get the Owls back to .500 here in Tampa. Richardson has passed for 520 yards with two touchdowns to three interceptions thru three games.

• Senior back Larry McCammon III put together his best game of the season versus Tulsa, going for 130 yards and two scores, and he leads FAU in rushing with 367 yards on 63 touches.

• Junior wideout LaJohntay Webster has been a true difference maker on the outside, catching nine passes or more in four straight games, and he leads the AAC in receptions (52), while leading the Owls with 499 receiving yards.

• The FAU defense is allowing 25.0 points per game.

South Florida Bulls Preview

South Florida fell to 3-3 after losing to UAB in Birmingham, 56-35. The Bulls scored first, but were unable to hold off the Blazers, and they’ll look to get back into the win column this Saturday. The USF offense is scoring 31.0 ppg, while passing for 253.3 ypg, rushing for 188.8 ypg, and converting 40.6% of their third downs.

USF Player Notes

• Byrum Brown opened the game in a big way with a 60-yard touchdown run, but he wasn’t able to keep up with UAB’s attack on the road, finishing at 260 yards with two touchdowns to a pair of interceptions. The Raleigh native’s dual-threat ability has made USF respectable through the first portion of the season, and he’ll look to bounce back here in in-state action with FAU. Brown has thrown for 1,483 yards, with eleven touchdowns to four interceptions, and he’s rushed for 466 yards and seven scores on the ground thru six starts.

• Florida transfer Nay’Quan Wright was quiet in the loss to UAB, but he leads the backfield in rushing with 302 yards on 75 carries.

• Junior wideout Sean Atkins has caught five passes or more in five of the first six games, and he leads USF in receptions (36) and receiving yards (422).

• The USF defense has allowed 32.8 points per game.

Florida Atlantic vs South Florida Trends

• FAU is 2-2-1 against the spread, with a 2-3 O/U record.

• USF is 3-3 ATS, with a 3-3 over/under record.

Corey’s Free Pick

We’ve got some action in the Sunshine State this weekend, and it feels like a spot where we can lean on the hosting team. USF has shown improvements this season, led by Byrum Brown behind center, and prior to last week’s result, they closed September with four strong weeks of action. This should be a contested conference matchup, and I like rolling with the Bulls to pull through here. Back South Florida at home for this in-state matchup, and give the Over a look, as both teams should get up for this contest.