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Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech
- Point-Spread: LT -9.5
- O/U Total: 51.5
- Implied Score: LT 30.5 – CC 21
- Weather: 44 degrees / 0% rain / 5 mph winds
Coastal Carolina:
Fade – QB Tad Hudson ($6,500) There are four QB options on the slate and Hudson is not one of them. Non-runner that has failed to throw for more than 200 yards in a single collegiate game in his career to this point. Louisiana Tech had more interceptions than touchdown passes allowed in 2025. ***We’ll also be on Samari Collier watch in the pregame. It’s unlikely Collier plays, but early indications after his November leg injury were that he “might” be able to return for the bowl game.
Pivot Play – RB Ja’Vin Simpkins ($4,900) We’re not expecting much from the Coastal running game against the No. 1 run defense statistically in Conference USA. That said, the Bulldogs did struggle some down the stretch, allowing 5.6 YPC over the last five games and were just 75th in EPA per run play. Far from a dominant run defense. Simpkins averaged 5.0 yards per attempt for the season.
Best of the Rest – WRs. If there was an image in the dictionary for the term “Wide Receiver by Committee,” Coastal Carolina’s mascot would be right there. No receiver had more than 280 yards receiving this season, with the leading wideout having just 13% of the team’s target share. If going on recency bias, WR Cameron Wright ($3,600) would be the top option after leading the Chants with seven targets and 71% of the snaps played in Week 14…. BUT was also absent from the team depth chart.
If looking strictly at starters from the bowl game depth chart, that would be WR Bryson Graves ($4,300), WR Karmello English ($3,500), WR Malick Meiga ($3,300) and WR Robby Washington ($3,300).
Final note – Drew Hollingshead will call plays for the bowl game, a former Air Raid disciple that coached under Mike Leach at Washington State and Texas Tech. HC Tim Beck was fired earlier in the month, so the offense could change stylistically on Tuesday with Hollingshead having full autonomy calling plays. In two seasons as a play-caller at Western Kentucky in 2023-24, Hollingshead’s offenses threw the ball 56% of the time.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – QB Samari Collier (questionable)
Louisiana Tech:
Top Play(s) – RB Andrew Burnette ($5,100) or RB Clay Thevenin ($6,200) Louisiana Tech should dominate on the ground in this matchup, facing a Coastal Carolina defense that allowed over six yards a carry over the last month and a half, including 264+ yards on the ground to four of their last five opponents. Thevenin has been the starter most of the season, and remains the listed starter on the depth chart, but it was Burnette who emerged in the final two games with a combined 225 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Burnette held a 6-4 advantage in red zone rushing attempts over Thevenin in that two-game span as well. Both are viable options against an opponent that finished 97th in stuff rate, 95th in rush D success rate and 110th in explosive run plays allowed.
Pivot Play – QB Trey Kukuk ($7,300) Louisiana Tech attempted just 43 combined passes over its last two games and given the defensive deficiencies against the run for Coastal Carolina, we’re not expecting a high number of passes being thrown on Tuesday. That said, Kukuk is dynamic on the ground, leading the Bulldogs with over 300 rushing yards over the last two games with five touchdowns. We mentioned Burnette had a 6-4 red zone carry advantage over Clay Thevenin above. Well, Kukuk had 12 red zone attempts in that same span. Coastal allowed 24 FPPG to quarterbacks this season. Kukuk and one Louisiana Tech RB is a viable stacking option.
Best of the Rest – WRs. Louisiana Tech is 123rd nationally in pass rate and doesn’t have a player with more than 18% of the target share or two receiving touchdowns, so not a necessary requirement to have any Bulldog pass-catchers in a lineup. WR Marlion Jackson ($3,800), WR Devin Gandy ($4,000) and WR Jalen Mickens ($3,300) are the listed starters on the depth chart. Coastal Carolina did allow over 47 combined fantasy points to opposing team’s WRs, so having one of the three in a lineup is possible. TE Eli Finley ($4,700) led the team in targets (46), receptions (37) and second in routes run.
Opt Outs / Injury Notes – QB Blake Baker (out)
Tennessee vs. Illinois
- Point-Spread: Tenn -2.5
- O/U Total: 61.5
- Implied Score: Tenn 32 – Illini 29.5
- Weather: 36 degrees / 0% rain / 7 mph winds
Tennessee:
Top Play(s) –
Heisman Members can view the full write-up here (click).
To access to all of theCFFsite’s DFS content, including Weekly Player Projections, become a Heisman member. Click here for membership options.
For one-week access to theCFFsite’s DFS content and Weekly Player Projections, select that option from the 2025 Membership Options.
