Saturday's Tip Sheet
September 9, 2016
**Kentucky at Florida**
-- As of Friday morning, most betting shops had Florida (1-0 straight up, 0-1 against the spread) listed as a 16.5-point favorite with a total of 49 points. The Wildcats were +550 on the money line (risk $100 to win $550). For first-half bets, UF was favored by 9.5 points with a total of 26.
-- Florida hold the NCAA’s longest active winning streak over another team with its 29 consecutive wins over Kentucky, breaking the mark held by Penn St. over Temple until the Owls snapped that 31-game losing streak last season. The Wildcats haven’t beaten UF since 1986 and haven’t won in Gainesville since 1979. Twenty-one of the 29 UF wins have come by double-digit margins. Also, the Gators have covered the spread at an 8-1 ATS clip in the last nine games against the Wildcats.
-- With that said, Mark Stoops has had UK close to breaking this dubious record in back-to-back seasons. Two years ago in Gainesville, UF captured a 36-30 win in triple overtime as an 18-point home ‘chalk.’ The Gators caught a monster break in the first extra session, completing a TD pass on fourth down when it appeared clear that the play should’ve been whistled for a delay of game penalty. Then in Lexington last season, the UF defense had to make several stops in the fourth quarter to hold on for a 14-9 victory as a 3.5-point road favorite.
-- Stoops came into the fourth season of his tenure at UK with a 12-24 record. After a 2-10 campaign to begin his reign, the ‘Cats raced out to a 5-1 start in Year 2, only to lose their last six regular-season games. Then in 2015, they started 4-1 but slumped late to finish 5-7 again. Kentucky had an early double-digit lead at home against Louisville in last year’s regular-season finale, only to eventually lose by a 38-24 count. Stoops’s record fell to 12-25 after losing last week’s opener at home to Southern Miss, further warming the seat upon which he sits as head coach at UK.
-- It certainly didn’t help Stoops’s cause that his team jumped out to a 35-10 lead late in the first half against the Golden Eagles. Drew Barker, the third-year sophomore QB making his third career start, got off to a smoking start. Barker was a four-star recruit and considered the prize of Stoops’s second recruiting haul that earned national Top-25 honors. Barker had four TD passes in the first half vs. Southern Miss, including three in the first quarter, but So. Miss got a big boost before halftime with a 71-yard TD pass from Nick Mullens to Isaiah Jones with 26 seconds left in the second quarter. This would ignite 34 unanswered points and lead to a 44-35 win by the Golden Eagles as 3.5-point underdogs. The line had dipped from UK -7 down to -3.5 in the 24 hours leading up to kickoff.
-- Barker finished the night by completing 15-of-24 passes for 323 yards with a 4/1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Garrett Johnson hauled in six receptions for 143 yards and two TDs, while Stanley ‘Boom’ Williams rushed 13 times for 94 yards.
-- UK’s defense couldn’t stop the run, allowing Southern Miss RB Ito Smith to rush for 173 yards and one TD on 36 carries. The Golden Eagles finished with 296 rushing yards.
-- Kentucky owns a 5-8 spread record as a road underdog on Stoops’s watch. Meanwhile, UF is 1-4 ATS as a home favorite since Jim McElwain took over before last season.
-- Kentucky WR Dorian Baker is ‘questionable’ at UF with a hamstring injury. Baker had 55 receptions for 608 yards and three TDs last year.
-- Florida had an inauspicious debut as well, albeit one in which it did emerge victorious. However, there wasn’t a whole lot for the Gators to feel good about in a 24-7 win over Massachusetts as a 34.5-point home favorite. McElwain’s squad had to win the fourth quarter 14-0 to put the game on ice. The 31 combined points never threatened the 51.5-point total, easily staying ‘under.’ Making matters worse, juco transfer WR Dre Massey was injured in the first quarter and is ‘out’ for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
-- On the bright side, UF didn’t have star junior cornerback Teez Tabor, who was a third-team All-American selection last year when he had 40 tackles, one sack, three TFL’s, 14 passes broken up, four interceptions and a pair of pick-sixes. Tabor was serving a one-game suspension along with back-up TE C’yontai Lewis for getting into a fight at practice in late August. Both players are set to return vs. UF. Also, WR C.J. Worton has been upgraded to ‘probable’ after missing the opener with a sprained ankle. Worton, who had a TD catch in last year’s 29-15 loss to Alabama at the SEC Championship Game, had a big offseason and is expected to make major contributions this year, especially now that Massey is out of the mix.
-- UF had a 363-187 advantage over the Minutemen in total offense. Luke Del Rio was sharp with 29 completions in 44 attempts for 256 yards and two TDs without an interception. Del Rio had a 12-yard TD pass to Antonio Callaway and a 26-yard scoring strike to Brandon Powell. Callaway had eight catches for 72 yards, while Powell had seven receptions for 73 yards. Jordan Scarlett rushed 13 times for a team-high 70 yards.
-- Kickoff on CBS is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
**Arkansas at Texas Christian**
-- As of early Friday, most spots had TCU (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) listed as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 58.5 points. The Razorbacks were +250 on the money line (risk $100 to win $250). For first-half plays, the Horned Frogs were favored by four with a total of 29.5.
-- Arkansas (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) went down in Week 2 at home against Toledo last year, and it nearly found itself the victim of another upset at home in last week’s opener against Skip Holtz’s La. Tech squad from out of Conference USA. Bret Bielema’s squad captured a 21-20 win thanks to a four-yard TD pass from Austin Allen to Jeremy Sprinkle on a fourth-and-goal play with 6:37 remaining. In Allen’s first career start, the junior QB who is the younger brother of Brandon, who had a 30/8 TD-INT ratio for the Hogs last year, completed 20-of-29 throws for 191 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Keon Hatcher, the team’s leading receiver in 2014 who was off to a great start in ’15 before going down with a season-ending knee injury in the loss to Toledo, made a successful return by catching six balls for 86 yards. Drew Morgan had five receptions for 47 yards, while Rawleigh Williams had 24 carries for 96 yards and one TD.
-- TCU started the season with a 59-41 win over South Dakota St. as a 34.5-point home favorite. We should note that South Dakota St. is currently ranked No. 12 in the FCS Top 25 after being tabbed at No. 14 in the preseason poll. These teams were tied at 24-24 at halftime. The game featured five lead changes and two ties. When TCU went ahead 45-31, the Jackrabbits answered with 10 straight points to pull within four with 11:57 remaining. Only then did the Horned Frogs put the game away with a pair of TD drives.
-- TCU produced 35 first downs and 662 yards of total offense vs. SD St., but it gave up 461 yards and was minus one in the turnover department. The Frogs also had 12 penalties for 125 yards.
--Kenny Hill, TCU’s starting QB after sitting out last year following his transfer from Texas A&M, connected on 33-of-49 passes for 439 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Hill, who was the favorite in terms of odds at offshore books to win the Heisman Trophy late in September of 2014, also had seven rushes for 45 yards and three TDs. RB Kyle Hicks had 15 carries for a team-best 59 rushing yards and two TDs. WR Taj Williams, a juco transfer, had 11 receptions for 158 yards and one TD. KaVontae Turpin, the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in ’15, had an 81-yard punt return for a TD. Also, Turpin had seven catches for 62 yards and a 33-yard gain on his only rushing attempt.
-- TCU finished ’15 with an 11-2 record after going 12-1 in ’14. The Frogs returned three starters on offense and eight on defense.
-- Arkansas has lost five consecutive road openers and 10 of its last 12.
-- During Bielema’s first three seasons at the helm, Arkansas has compiled a 7-4 spread record as a road underdog. In fact, the Hogs went 4-0 ATS in such spots last year and have covered the number in five straight as road puppies.
-- Since 2006, TCU owns a 33-21-1 spread record as a home favorite. The Frogs are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games as home ‘chalk.’
-- Arkansas lost junior DB Kevin Richardson to a season-ending injury to his pectoral muscle last week. Richardson had 44 tackles, one interception and two passes broken up last year.
-- These schools haven’t met since their rivalry days in the Southwest Conference which ended in 1991.
-- ESPN will have the telecast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
**Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee**
-- This SEC/ACC showdown will take place at Bristol Motor Speedway, which is located exactly halfway between the two campuses. The game has been dubbed the “Battle at Bristol,” which is expected to draw a record crowd of more than 150,000 fans. The NCAA single-game attendance record is 115,109 at The Big House in 2013 for Michigan vs. Notre Dame.
-- As of early Friday, most shops had Tennessee (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) installed as an 11-point favorite with a total of 54 points. The Hokies were available to win outright for a +350 return (risk $100 to win $350). For first-half wagers, UT was favored by 6.5 points with a total of 28.
-- Butch Jones’s team was extremely fortunate to emerge from last Thursday’s home game vs. Appalachian State unscathed. Tennessee trailed the Mountaineers 13-3 at halftime and were only able to force overtime because Appalachian St. missed an extra point in the first half and failed to convert a crucial 42-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter. The Volunteers eventually won a 20-13 decision in overtime, but they never threatened to cover the number as 21.5-point home favorites. The 33 combined points easily remained ‘under’ the 58-point total.
-- Trailing 13-6 with less than 11 minutes remaining in the final stanza, UT quarterback Josh Dobbs found Josh Malone for a 67-yard scoring strike to tie the game. Then on the first possession of overtime on third and goal, Dobbs dove for the end zone and attempted to reach the ball toward the plane of the goal line. However, he was hammered by an Appalachian State defender to knock the ball loose. The ensuing scramble for the ball in the end zone was recovered by star RB Jalen Hurd for a TD. Then on fourth and five, a pass to the end zone by the Mountaineers was broken up to preserve the victory for UT.
-- Dobbs struggled last week, connecting on just 16-of-29 throws for 192 yards with one TD and one interception. He was unable to make plays with his feet like he normally does, rushing nine times for negative four yards. Hurd ran for 110 yards and one TD on 28 carries.
-- Tennessee’s Cam Sutton is one of the SEC’s best cover corners and one of the country’s top punt returners. However, his three punt returns last week netted zero yards and one lost fumble that set the Mountaineers up with a short field that led to a TD and 7-0 deficit for the Vols. Sutton made up for it, though, by getting his first interception of the season off of Taylor Lamb.
-- UT went 9-4 SU and 8-5 ATS in ’15, finishing the season with six straight wins. With the return of nine starters on offense and eight on defense, this squad received a ton of hype coming into the season. Obviously, the Vols didn’t respond well in their opener.
-- Virginia Tech reached great heights during the Frank Beamer Era, but the legendary coach decided to retire after four subpar campaigns. To be clear, the Hokies didn’t hit rock bottom by any means. They still went to the postseason the last four years, winning three bowl games, but the standard double-digit win totals were gone with 8-5 in ’13 serving as the best record.
-- With Beamer out, Virginia Tech made an excellent hire by signing Justin Fuente, who turned a moribund Memphis program into a winner fast. After going 4-8 and 3-9 in his first two seasons, Fuente led the Tigers to a 10-3 record in 2014. Then last season, they went 9-3 with Fuente during the regular season, reaching as high as No. 15 in the national rankings after an 8-0 start that included a 37-24 home win over 13th-ranked Ole Miss.
-- Virgnia Tech beat Liberty by a 36-13 count in its opener last week at home, but it was nowhere close to covering the 32-point spread. The 49 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 58-point tally. The Hokies actually trailed 13-10 late in the second quarter after Liberty took the lead thanks to a 71-yard fumble return for a TD.
-- Junior QB Jerod Evans, a juco transfer, had a stellar debut. Evans completed 20-of-32 passes for 221 yards and four TDs without an interception. He also rushed for a team-high 46 yards on just five carries. Junior WR Isaiah Ford, a first-team All-ACC selection last season, had 11 receptions for 117 yards and one TD. Bucky Hodges, second-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore TE in ’15, had three catches for 42 yards and two TDs.
-- Virginia Tech returned eight starters on offense and seven on defense from last year’s 7-6 team that beat Tulsa 55-52 at the Independence Bowl.
-- These schools haven’t met since the 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl when Beamer’s Hokies blasted UT in its last game with Lane Kiffin as head coach, 37-14. Virginia Tech easily took the cash as a 5.5-point ‘chalk.’
-- Since 2011, Virgnia Tech has only been a double-digit underdog four times, going 2-2 ATS with one outright win (35-21 at Ohio St. in Week 2 of 2014).
-- Tennessee owns a 7-7 spread record as a double-digit ‘chalk’ on Jones’s watch.
-- Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ABC.
September 9, 2016
**Kentucky at Florida**
-- As of Friday morning, most betting shops had Florida (1-0 straight up, 0-1 against the spread) listed as a 16.5-point favorite with a total of 49 points. The Wildcats were +550 on the money line (risk $100 to win $550). For first-half bets, UF was favored by 9.5 points with a total of 26.
-- Florida hold the NCAA’s longest active winning streak over another team with its 29 consecutive wins over Kentucky, breaking the mark held by Penn St. over Temple until the Owls snapped that 31-game losing streak last season. The Wildcats haven’t beaten UF since 1986 and haven’t won in Gainesville since 1979. Twenty-one of the 29 UF wins have come by double-digit margins. Also, the Gators have covered the spread at an 8-1 ATS clip in the last nine games against the Wildcats.
-- With that said, Mark Stoops has had UK close to breaking this dubious record in back-to-back seasons. Two years ago in Gainesville, UF captured a 36-30 win in triple overtime as an 18-point home ‘chalk.’ The Gators caught a monster break in the first extra session, completing a TD pass on fourth down when it appeared clear that the play should’ve been whistled for a delay of game penalty. Then in Lexington last season, the UF defense had to make several stops in the fourth quarter to hold on for a 14-9 victory as a 3.5-point road favorite.
-- Stoops came into the fourth season of his tenure at UK with a 12-24 record. After a 2-10 campaign to begin his reign, the ‘Cats raced out to a 5-1 start in Year 2, only to lose their last six regular-season games. Then in 2015, they started 4-1 but slumped late to finish 5-7 again. Kentucky had an early double-digit lead at home against Louisville in last year’s regular-season finale, only to eventually lose by a 38-24 count. Stoops’s record fell to 12-25 after losing last week’s opener at home to Southern Miss, further warming the seat upon which he sits as head coach at UK.
-- It certainly didn’t help Stoops’s cause that his team jumped out to a 35-10 lead late in the first half against the Golden Eagles. Drew Barker, the third-year sophomore QB making his third career start, got off to a smoking start. Barker was a four-star recruit and considered the prize of Stoops’s second recruiting haul that earned national Top-25 honors. Barker had four TD passes in the first half vs. Southern Miss, including three in the first quarter, but So. Miss got a big boost before halftime with a 71-yard TD pass from Nick Mullens to Isaiah Jones with 26 seconds left in the second quarter. This would ignite 34 unanswered points and lead to a 44-35 win by the Golden Eagles as 3.5-point underdogs. The line had dipped from UK -7 down to -3.5 in the 24 hours leading up to kickoff.
-- Barker finished the night by completing 15-of-24 passes for 323 yards with a 4/1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Garrett Johnson hauled in six receptions for 143 yards and two TDs, while Stanley ‘Boom’ Williams rushed 13 times for 94 yards.
-- UK’s defense couldn’t stop the run, allowing Southern Miss RB Ito Smith to rush for 173 yards and one TD on 36 carries. The Golden Eagles finished with 296 rushing yards.
-- Kentucky owns a 5-8 spread record as a road underdog on Stoops’s watch. Meanwhile, UF is 1-4 ATS as a home favorite since Jim McElwain took over before last season.
-- Kentucky WR Dorian Baker is ‘questionable’ at UF with a hamstring injury. Baker had 55 receptions for 608 yards and three TDs last year.
-- Florida had an inauspicious debut as well, albeit one in which it did emerge victorious. However, there wasn’t a whole lot for the Gators to feel good about in a 24-7 win over Massachusetts as a 34.5-point home favorite. McElwain’s squad had to win the fourth quarter 14-0 to put the game on ice. The 31 combined points never threatened the 51.5-point total, easily staying ‘under.’ Making matters worse, juco transfer WR Dre Massey was injured in the first quarter and is ‘out’ for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
-- On the bright side, UF didn’t have star junior cornerback Teez Tabor, who was a third-team All-American selection last year when he had 40 tackles, one sack, three TFL’s, 14 passes broken up, four interceptions and a pair of pick-sixes. Tabor was serving a one-game suspension along with back-up TE C’yontai Lewis for getting into a fight at practice in late August. Both players are set to return vs. UF. Also, WR C.J. Worton has been upgraded to ‘probable’ after missing the opener with a sprained ankle. Worton, who had a TD catch in last year’s 29-15 loss to Alabama at the SEC Championship Game, had a big offseason and is expected to make major contributions this year, especially now that Massey is out of the mix.
-- UF had a 363-187 advantage over the Minutemen in total offense. Luke Del Rio was sharp with 29 completions in 44 attempts for 256 yards and two TDs without an interception. Del Rio had a 12-yard TD pass to Antonio Callaway and a 26-yard scoring strike to Brandon Powell. Callaway had eight catches for 72 yards, while Powell had seven receptions for 73 yards. Jordan Scarlett rushed 13 times for a team-high 70 yards.
-- Kickoff on CBS is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
**Arkansas at Texas Christian**
-- As of early Friday, most spots had TCU (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) listed as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 58.5 points. The Razorbacks were +250 on the money line (risk $100 to win $250). For first-half plays, the Horned Frogs were favored by four with a total of 29.5.
-- Arkansas (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) went down in Week 2 at home against Toledo last year, and it nearly found itself the victim of another upset at home in last week’s opener against Skip Holtz’s La. Tech squad from out of Conference USA. Bret Bielema’s squad captured a 21-20 win thanks to a four-yard TD pass from Austin Allen to Jeremy Sprinkle on a fourth-and-goal play with 6:37 remaining. In Allen’s first career start, the junior QB who is the younger brother of Brandon, who had a 30/8 TD-INT ratio for the Hogs last year, completed 20-of-29 throws for 191 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Keon Hatcher, the team’s leading receiver in 2014 who was off to a great start in ’15 before going down with a season-ending knee injury in the loss to Toledo, made a successful return by catching six balls for 86 yards. Drew Morgan had five receptions for 47 yards, while Rawleigh Williams had 24 carries for 96 yards and one TD.
-- TCU started the season with a 59-41 win over South Dakota St. as a 34.5-point home favorite. We should note that South Dakota St. is currently ranked No. 12 in the FCS Top 25 after being tabbed at No. 14 in the preseason poll. These teams were tied at 24-24 at halftime. The game featured five lead changes and two ties. When TCU went ahead 45-31, the Jackrabbits answered with 10 straight points to pull within four with 11:57 remaining. Only then did the Horned Frogs put the game away with a pair of TD drives.
-- TCU produced 35 first downs and 662 yards of total offense vs. SD St., but it gave up 461 yards and was minus one in the turnover department. The Frogs also had 12 penalties for 125 yards.
--Kenny Hill, TCU’s starting QB after sitting out last year following his transfer from Texas A&M, connected on 33-of-49 passes for 439 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Hill, who was the favorite in terms of odds at offshore books to win the Heisman Trophy late in September of 2014, also had seven rushes for 45 yards and three TDs. RB Kyle Hicks had 15 carries for a team-best 59 rushing yards and two TDs. WR Taj Williams, a juco transfer, had 11 receptions for 158 yards and one TD. KaVontae Turpin, the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in ’15, had an 81-yard punt return for a TD. Also, Turpin had seven catches for 62 yards and a 33-yard gain on his only rushing attempt.
-- TCU finished ’15 with an 11-2 record after going 12-1 in ’14. The Frogs returned three starters on offense and eight on defense.
-- Arkansas has lost five consecutive road openers and 10 of its last 12.
-- During Bielema’s first three seasons at the helm, Arkansas has compiled a 7-4 spread record as a road underdog. In fact, the Hogs went 4-0 ATS in such spots last year and have covered the number in five straight as road puppies.
-- Since 2006, TCU owns a 33-21-1 spread record as a home favorite. The Frogs are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games as home ‘chalk.’
-- Arkansas lost junior DB Kevin Richardson to a season-ending injury to his pectoral muscle last week. Richardson had 44 tackles, one interception and two passes broken up last year.
-- These schools haven’t met since their rivalry days in the Southwest Conference which ended in 1991.
-- ESPN will have the telecast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
**Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee**
-- This SEC/ACC showdown will take place at Bristol Motor Speedway, which is located exactly halfway between the two campuses. The game has been dubbed the “Battle at Bristol,” which is expected to draw a record crowd of more than 150,000 fans. The NCAA single-game attendance record is 115,109 at The Big House in 2013 for Michigan vs. Notre Dame.
-- As of early Friday, most shops had Tennessee (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) installed as an 11-point favorite with a total of 54 points. The Hokies were available to win outright for a +350 return (risk $100 to win $350). For first-half wagers, UT was favored by 6.5 points with a total of 28.
-- Butch Jones’s team was extremely fortunate to emerge from last Thursday’s home game vs. Appalachian State unscathed. Tennessee trailed the Mountaineers 13-3 at halftime and were only able to force overtime because Appalachian St. missed an extra point in the first half and failed to convert a crucial 42-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter. The Volunteers eventually won a 20-13 decision in overtime, but they never threatened to cover the number as 21.5-point home favorites. The 33 combined points easily remained ‘under’ the 58-point total.
-- Trailing 13-6 with less than 11 minutes remaining in the final stanza, UT quarterback Josh Dobbs found Josh Malone for a 67-yard scoring strike to tie the game. Then on the first possession of overtime on third and goal, Dobbs dove for the end zone and attempted to reach the ball toward the plane of the goal line. However, he was hammered by an Appalachian State defender to knock the ball loose. The ensuing scramble for the ball in the end zone was recovered by star RB Jalen Hurd for a TD. Then on fourth and five, a pass to the end zone by the Mountaineers was broken up to preserve the victory for UT.
-- Dobbs struggled last week, connecting on just 16-of-29 throws for 192 yards with one TD and one interception. He was unable to make plays with his feet like he normally does, rushing nine times for negative four yards. Hurd ran for 110 yards and one TD on 28 carries.
-- Tennessee’s Cam Sutton is one of the SEC’s best cover corners and one of the country’s top punt returners. However, his three punt returns last week netted zero yards and one lost fumble that set the Mountaineers up with a short field that led to a TD and 7-0 deficit for the Vols. Sutton made up for it, though, by getting his first interception of the season off of Taylor Lamb.
-- UT went 9-4 SU and 8-5 ATS in ’15, finishing the season with six straight wins. With the return of nine starters on offense and eight on defense, this squad received a ton of hype coming into the season. Obviously, the Vols didn’t respond well in their opener.
-- Virginia Tech reached great heights during the Frank Beamer Era, but the legendary coach decided to retire after four subpar campaigns. To be clear, the Hokies didn’t hit rock bottom by any means. They still went to the postseason the last four years, winning three bowl games, but the standard double-digit win totals were gone with 8-5 in ’13 serving as the best record.
-- With Beamer out, Virginia Tech made an excellent hire by signing Justin Fuente, who turned a moribund Memphis program into a winner fast. After going 4-8 and 3-9 in his first two seasons, Fuente led the Tigers to a 10-3 record in 2014. Then last season, they went 9-3 with Fuente during the regular season, reaching as high as No. 15 in the national rankings after an 8-0 start that included a 37-24 home win over 13th-ranked Ole Miss.
-- Virgnia Tech beat Liberty by a 36-13 count in its opener last week at home, but it was nowhere close to covering the 32-point spread. The 49 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 58-point tally. The Hokies actually trailed 13-10 late in the second quarter after Liberty took the lead thanks to a 71-yard fumble return for a TD.
-- Junior QB Jerod Evans, a juco transfer, had a stellar debut. Evans completed 20-of-32 passes for 221 yards and four TDs without an interception. He also rushed for a team-high 46 yards on just five carries. Junior WR Isaiah Ford, a first-team All-ACC selection last season, had 11 receptions for 117 yards and one TD. Bucky Hodges, second-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore TE in ’15, had three catches for 42 yards and two TDs.
-- Virginia Tech returned eight starters on offense and seven on defense from last year’s 7-6 team that beat Tulsa 55-52 at the Independence Bowl.
-- These schools haven’t met since the 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl when Beamer’s Hokies blasted UT in its last game with Lane Kiffin as head coach, 37-14. Virginia Tech easily took the cash as a 5.5-point ‘chalk.’
-- Since 2011, Virgnia Tech has only been a double-digit underdog four times, going 2-2 ATS with one outright win (35-21 at Ohio St. in Week 2 of 2014).
-- Tennessee owns a 7-7 spread record as a double-digit ‘chalk’ on Jones’s watch.
-- Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ABC.