To the surprise of many, the Thursday night football matchup between the Rams and the 49ers ended up being the most entertaining game of the year. The Rams and Jared Goff flourished early on offense, and the 49ers fell just short of miracle 4th quarter comeback, but ending up securing +3 backdoor cover in their 41-39 loss. It’s important to mention this because many football fans, myself included, missed a classic game because we ignored a game between two shitty teams. One of the most entertaining games of the college football weekend will happen between two teams that a majority of college football fans don’t give a shit about. However, if you are a fan that roots for the little guy, the Group of 5 matchup between Arkansas St and SMU is a matchup to watch out for. PSA: this will be the highest scoring game of the weekend. If college football DFS was still around (RIP), this is  the game I would stack to make thousands of dollars on a game nobody was looking at.

SMU opened up as a touchdown favorite, but the line has bet down to -5.5 with a over/under line of 73. This matchup showcases two of most explosive offenses in all of college football. SMU is looking into improve to 3-1 and rebound from 56-35 loss to their crosstown rival TCU.
Arkansas State have been one of the most consistent Group of 5 programs in the country over the past decade, and they are a top contender to win the Sun Belt Conference once again. The Wolfpack were on the brink of upsetting Nebraska in their opening game. That performance does not look that sexy now since we know that Nebraska sucks, but ASU showed great potential that should get Red Wolves fans excited.

SMU has an explosive offense that loves to throw the ball down the field; in three games, quarterback Ben Hicks has thrown for 729 yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging 8 yards per attempt with a 49% completion percentage. SMU fans hold their breath for good or bad every time Hicks drops back to pass. Hicks has the pleasure of throwing to arguably the best receiver in the entire country in Courtland Sutton. Sutton is one of the most talented receiver prospects the country has seen in a long time, and watching him play is reason to watch this game. In his last home game against North Texas, Sutton caught 8 balls for 1164 yards and 4 touchdowns. In his last game against the Horned Frogs, TCU committed 2-3 defenders every play to prevent Sutton from getting the ball. TCU’s mass attention to cover Sutton opened up space for the rest of the SMU offense. When opposing defenses focus on Sutton, opposite receiver Trey Quinn will take advantage. The LSU transfer and former top 300 recruit is having a stellar start to the season, catching 17 balls for 275 yards in just three games. When defenses try to triple team Sutton, Quinn will roast defensive backs that are daunted with the task of covering him 1 on 1. The Mustangs have the one of the most talented receiver combos in the country and they are a nightmare matchup for this Arkansas St secondary. If you are fan of watching quarterbacks throwing the ball over mountaintops this is the offense to watch.

Moreover, Arkansas St will match SMU with a prolific offense of their own. Oklahoma transfer Justice Hansen leads the Red Wolves offense, throwing for 750 yards and 8 touchdowns in just two games. Justice Hansen completes 70.4 percent of his passes, good for 16th best in the country. ASU does not have a one single dynamic player, but they have a versatile armory of weapons that will challenge the SMU defense. Hansen is supported by one of the best offensive lines in the Group of 5 and they will be challenged by a talented SMU defensive front. SMU’s offense has been amazing, but their defense has been abysmal allowing 34 points and 443.7 yards per game. If the Mustangs’ d-line fails to get to the QB, the SMU secondary is basically screwed. Opposing quarterbacks are completing passes at 87.8% clip and averaging 16.4 yards per attempt when throwing inside a clean pocket. If SMU is unable to apply pressure, ASU QB Justice Hansen should pick the SMU defense apart.

Unfortunately, ESPN did not get that this is going to be one of the most entertaining of the weekend so the game will be broadcasted on ESPN3 at 7 pm EST. This game is an offensive lover’s dream and 1,000 total yards is not out of the realm of possibilities. So plug your HDMI cord into your computer, bet the over, and enjoy the highest scoring game of the weekend. Life is too short to bet the under, the game total over 71 is my lock of the week.