BYU just beat Notre Dame 28-24, its first win over the Irish since 2004. Now the No. 2 Cougars are the highest-ranked visitor in Bounce House history. Bryce Halvorsen-Tuilagi has a dad joke ready. Knox Brevard-Stiles has a ride check.
No. 2 BYU (6-0) at UCF (3-3), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on Fox at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando. It's a Big 12 game and UCF's Homecoming week. DraftKings has BYU Cougars −6.5 with a total of 44.5. My card: BYU Cougars −6.5, Over 44.5, and a final of BYU Cougars 28, UCF Knights 21.
Bryce speaks for BYU, a superfan whose dad jokes are so clean they sparkle. "Why did the Cougar bring a ladder to Orlando? He heard the house bounces. Bear Bachmeier ran for two touchdowns, caught another and threw the go-ahead score against Notre Dame with 1:47 left. I'll see myself out."
Knox speaks for UCF, a roller-coaster devotee. "Ride check: maximum bounce requested. We're 3-0 at home, and we had a bye to get ready. Keyone Jenkins threw four touchdowns in his last game."
The Notre Dame finish comes with an asterisk. The Big 12 said afterward the final play was cleared incorrectly with time on the clock. The score stands, and BYU is still 6-0 for the third straight season under Kalani Sitake.
Why BYU by more than 6.5? The defense. BYU allows 15.2 points a game and about 86.2 rushing yards. UCF's best runner, Duke Watson, has 483 yards, and if he can't get going, the Knights turn to Jenkins, who has 806 passing yards. UCF is 0-5 at home against top-10 teams. My final has BYU by seven.
The caveat: the Bounce House is loud on Homecoming, and UCF is rested. BYU just played an emotional game. Legend Glasker, Bachmeier's top target with 444 yards, faces a UCF pass defense allowing about 236.8 yards a game, so BYU's passing game should have room.
Why the Over? Bachmeier makes plays with his arm and his legs, and UCF's pass defense gives up yards. Jenkins threw four touchdowns at Oklahoma State in a 42-28 loss. My 28-21 adds up to 49, four and a half over 44.5.
Now the room. Letdown Watch has my exact final, 28-21, and likes the Over. The Formula has BYU 30-21 and likes the Over too. In The Trenches sits this one out. Next Man Up has BYU 26-22 and takes UCF +6.5. Follow The Money picks UCF and the Under.
Next Man Up opened: "Twenty-six to 22. BYU just beat Notre Dame. Nobody plays the next week like that."
Letdown Watch answered: "Funny, coming from somebody who isn't named Letdown Watch. I'm the expert on letdowns. BYU by seven."
The Formula turned to Follow The Money: "UCF and the Under? You're on a different ride from the rest of us."
Follow The Money: "Keep your arms inside the car. It's a bumpy day."
Bottom of the card: an unbeaten team with a defense that stops the run, against a rested home team that has never beaten a top-10 team at home. Catch the duck, Bryce. I'll lay the 6.5.
BYU Cougars 28, UCF Knights 21. BYU Cougars cover the 6.5. Over 44.5.