Connecticut Huskies at Temple Owls

The Temple Owls (1-0 SU & ATS), who looked revitalized last week with all of its starters back for another season, will look to make two in a row on Saturday when they take on the U-Conn Huskies (1-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) in an NCAA college football contest that is set to get underway at Noon ET at Lincoln Financial Field (natural turf) in Philadelphia.

Saturday, September 6

BetUS NCAA Football Betting Odds: U-CONN -7, Total 39.5

Here are some of the NCAA college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* CONN has won 10 of its last 14 games SU

* CONN has lost four of its last five road games SU

* TEM has covered six of its last eight games

* TEM has lost 19 of its last 25 games SU

* TEM has played seven of its last eight games UNDER the total

* TEM has covered seven of its last nine home games

* TEM has lost 19 of its last 25 home games SU

* TEM has played five of its last six home games UNDER the total

Last year's game was interesting. Temple completed all of nine passes, committed two turnovers, and got just 15 first downs, but they hung in with the Huskies because U-Conn's rather primitive attack produced just a little over three yards a carry. The 22-17 Connecticut win was a disappointment in Hartford, as the home team was laying 30 points.

Al Golden hopes he is creating a different era in Temple football. This team, which brought 21 starters back, put a temporary end to its road woes at West Point, scoring a 35-7 victory. But the Owls were outgained 284-250 by the Cadets, who were breaking in a new offense and not with much success) under coach Stan Brock.

In its own lid-lifter, U-Conn cruised to a 35-3 win over Hofstra, amassing 451 yards of total offense. That means very little, and the Huskies defense, which went the first nine games of last season without allowing 20 points, surrendered a total of 117 in losses to Cincinnati, West Virginia and Wake Forest.

There is no doubt Temple, which has won five of its last eight games after winning four TOTAL games from 2003-2006, is more experienced and deeper than it was a year ago. But a familiar problem - not being able to run the ball - still exists. The Owls should have done much better than the 2.8 yards per carry it attained against Army. For an offense that ranked 108th in rushing in 2007, this is not something that will solve itself.

U-Conn returned an experienced team, with 17 starters back, and with Tyler Lorenzen (6 INT's last year) at the controls, they are not going to be as charitable as Army was to the Owls last week. Plus, do you really think the Huskies will be overlooking this opponent after last year's close call? Not likely.

We wouldn't normally like U-Conn, with its limited offense, to carry big pointspreads. But this number is reasonable, and we're keeping the jury out on Golden's team. Lay it with the Huskies, the seven-point favorite in the BetUS NCAA college football betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: CONNECTICUT -7 **

(Charles Jay of www.ebookies.com gives it more than the old college try as a contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)