San Diego State At South Alabama Week 5 College Football Expert Picks

In the early part of the season, there is usually at least one team that cracks the top 25, but who we all believe will vanish without a trace before the season is all said and done. After 4 weeks of the 2016 college football season, it is the San Diego State Aztecs who are that surprise team. The Aztecs are currently 3-0, and are ranked in the #19 spot. Whether they will be able to maintain that lofty position remains to be seen, but they definitely have a chance to solidify it this weekend when they go on the road to face the South Alabama Jaguars. The Aztecs are coming into this one as an 18.5-point online betting favorite, but this has the potential to be the sort of trip up game that could send San Diego State spiraling in the wrong direction. You need only look at the last meeting between these two to see that this is a potential landmine in the making for the Aztecs.

In Depth Analysis On The San Diego State Aztecs At South Alabama Jaguars Week 5 College Football Expert Picks

When: Saturday, October 1 at 8 PM EST Where: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile TV: ESPN News Live Stream: Watch ESPN NCAAF Odds: TBA  

Why bet on the San Diego State Aztecs

This is pretty new territory for the San Diego State Aztecs, as you have to go all the way back to 1981 to find the last time they got the season off to a 4-0 start. The key to success for the Aztecs this season has been their ground attack, which has amassed close to 800 yards through their opening 3 games. Leading the way for San Diego State in the ground game is Donnel Pumphrey, who is putting up some rather staggering numbers. He has 599 yards on the ground and 7 rushing TD’s, and is also averaging over 8 yards per carry so far. You can bet that the Aztecs are going to keep riding him until the wheels come off.

Why bet on the South Alabama Jaguars

The Jaguars are coming into this one with a 2-2 record, but they also have a pretty big signature win under their belts. That win came in Week 1 when they took out the Mississippi State Bulldogs 21-20 in a game that they went into as a 28-point underdog. While they have not really been able to build on that early success, it proved that they have enough talent on board to spring some surprises here and there. The problem that the Jaguars face coming into this game is that their defense has had very little success defending the run this year, which could be a real issue against a team that has built its entire offense around the run game.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

While this has the potential to be a bit of a trip-up game for the Aztecs, I just don’t think it’s going to play out that way. I just don’t see the Jaguars being able to slow down the run game, which will allow the Aztecs to control the clock.

San Diego State Aztecs 43 South Alabama Jaguars 20