Our 2016 week nine Friday night college football free pick has the #22 Navy Midshipmen (5-1) at the South Florida Bulls (6-2). The Midshipmen lead the West Division of the American Athletic Conference while the Bulls are tops in the East Division. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. South Florida is favored by 6.5 points.
Navy’s one loss occurred on October 1 when the Air Force beat them 28-14. Navy has played well this season, beating the #6 Houston Cougars on October 8 by a score of 46-40. Last week, they beat the Memphis Tigers 42- 28. South Florida has handled most teams with ease. But they have endured some tough losses. Last week, they lost to Temple 46-30 and on September 24 they were beaten badly by #13 Florida State University 55-35. The big question in this game is can Navy hold off South Florida’s prolific defense?
Navy Midshipmen
In our 2016 week nine Friday night college football free pick one factor that feel will be very important in this game is Navy’s running game. It is their bread and butter. On average, the Midshipmen generate twice as much offense per game on the ground than they do in the air. Senior quarterback Will Worth is one of those guys who is a pure dual threat. With a 59..7% completion rate, he’s dangerous as a passer, having thrown five TDs and 2 INTs. As a runner, Worth leads the team with 489 total yards and nine touchdowns. He’s averaging 3.7 YPA. Junior FB Chris High is a premium back, averaging 7.1 YPA while scoring five TDs. To keep opponent defenses honest, Worth will toss to WR Jamir Tillman. Tillman, who is averaging 15.1 YPC, has made 19 catches and scored once.
South Florida Bulls
This is the Bulls’ chance to break out of the pack. They had an opportunity against FSU but lost. For the Bulls, the offense starts and ends with junior QB Quinton Flowers. Flowers has thrown 15 touchdown passes and just five picks. On the ground, he’s run for a total of 745 yards on 108 carries for eight scores. He’s averaging a hefty 6.9 YPA. Junior RB Marion Mack can really eat up ground and score. Mack, who is averaging 6.8 YPA, has 10 TDs. Plus there are two other solid rushers on this team and a dynamic duo of pass catchers named Rodney Adams (34 REC, 14.8 AVG, 4 TDs) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (16 REC, 17.4 AVG, 3 TDs). Navy will have a tough time stopping this team.
2016 Week Nine Friday Night College Football Free Pick
In creating our 2016 week nine Friday night college football free pick, we have to take into consideration just how dynamic the South Florida offense can be. They are unrelenting on the ground and in the air. However, Navy is pretty much a running team. We like the South Florida Bulls at home in this one. Take them at -6.5.
