Gambling

Online poker was forever thrust into the limelight when Accountant Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 World Series of Poker main event, beating 838 other players to scoop the $2.5 million first prize. After entering for only $40, he cleared the path for poker players all around the world to chase the dream and life-changing winnings in one big poker tournament. Suddenly, everyone wanted in.

The poker phenomenon slowly kicked into gear, Late Night Poker on the discovery channel showcased British talent, while the World Poker Tour emerged as the ’seasonal’ version of the World Series, offering legitimate tournaments with a high buy-in to entice players into chasing that elusive big win.

As a natural continuation, professional players started to cash in on peoples thirst for knowledge of poker and created many strategy books teaching players the tools for them to ‘make a living’ online. Many people are now quitting their jobs to become a full-time online poker player. The BBC in the UK, have profiled more than one person who does just that.

Both the good and bad thing about online poker is that there are so many players. Entering a tournament with twenty entrants is tricky enough, how about one of the $100 + $9 entries which are run daily in various poker rooms that have in excess of 1,500 entries? Even the best players struggle to continually place in these events, but of course there is big money to the winners.

The big question is, can a new player make a living online? The answer is yes, but certain factors must be taken into account. Firstly there is the strategy part of the game which links to the players overall emotional make-up. Professionals talk about making good decisions. When the food money, and bankroll are up for grabs does the player always make these good decisions? Will you call the all-in if you are on a marginal hand but have what you think is a good read? Also, there is the factor that a pro poker player really does not contribute much to society whilst they earn their living. Some people get terribly effected by this. There is also the social aspect, anyone who thrives on conversation may get pretty lonely playing in front of a computer all day at home. Winning poker folds a lot of hands, are you patient enough to keep folding, day after day? To win, you simply have to have this quality.

The standard of online poker improves everyday. You will notice good play everyday in your poker contests. It has never been more important to practise and study the basics, and advanced strategy. You always need to be working out pot odds, chip stacks, implied odds and drawing outs, because you can bet that your opponent is. Play Sit N Go’s to increase your bankroll, these single table tournaments can be mastered and there are some good books out assisting you on strategy.

There is a large collection of poker DVD’s, tutorial websites claiming to get you into the winning mentality. The truth is that there is are a lot of new players who gamble, especially in the lower stakes up to $3 - $6 limit holdem that really do not know what they are doing. The biggest tip I heard was “learn to play limit!” as this is a different game to No-Limit. By playing a good limit game, you are giving yourself a good chance to be a long-term winning player. Then you just need discipline and good bankroll management. Peronally, the tools I use is plenty of practise on the freeplay games. Play is very loose and if you can show winning here (but whilst playing properly and not calling everything) I think you have a good chance of succeeding when the real money tightness comes into play. The freeplay MTT’s become competitive and play is on the whole realistic when it gets down to the final 50 or so entries. This is good practise. I use Poker Academy for practising good limit play, do not be one of these players who excel in No-Limit Holdem but cannot afford the risk so play lower staked limit holdem instead, you are easy pickings!

The new player must be honest with themselves. Anyone can say they are good at poker, and there are not many players, who despite losing, will admit that they still have a way to go to master strategy. But by learning the strategy and that 10,10 is better than 2,2 only gets you in the game. That is like saying anyone who can Ice skate can play Ice Hockey. You can run around the rink but can you compete? Learn to read people for live play, play the person more than the cards. But online, stay playing the cards and look for the long-term correct decisions to send you in the right direction. Think about the game, and learn each type of flop and be able to analyse and categorize each position you find yourself in.

Finally, to sum up, be realistic in your goals. I work in Property, and enjoy it. I enjoy also the extra £300 or so I earn on average from poker. It’s a nice little something extra. Don’t try and make a million from cash games unless you are playing within your bankroll. Avoid ’tilting’ after the elusive big-win, until you can afford to do so. As with anything else, paying your dues and low staking it to prove you are a winning player before really going for the gold is very important. I wish you luck.

Finally, blog about your efforts, this helps you to keep good records and entertain whilst doing it. My personal blog is a great tool for me to share my learning, and gets you into the poker playing community, also read others work, they can sometimes give you that little piece of information that really helps your game. Check it out.

Bet Angel is a trading application for use with Betfair, the betting exchange site. Betting exchange software was originally just used for placing bets faster than the interface of sites like Betfair would allow, but the industry has since expanded heavily. Today, there are dozens of applications for trading on Betfair and other exchanges. Nonetheless, Bet Angel is the most popular, and perhaps most feature-laden of all the products available, and it is the application that I turn my attention to for the purposes of this article.

I am going to cover some of the basics when using the application, along with a few more advanced themes. Before I do that, though, I should also mention some of the other betting exchange software available to buy.

The first application that springs to mind is Bet Trader Pro. This application uses a “ladder interface” to trade with, and is notable for its “one click price request function”. However, Bet Trader Pro lacks many of the other features that Bet Angel includes.

A second well-known trading bot is Bitenko’s FairBot software. This is a cost effective application, that is great for beginners, but again does not include all of Bet Angel’s features.

Bet Angel does come in two versions - Basic and Pro. The Basic version is free, and only includes a simplified interface which allows one click betting but has very little else in the way of features.

The Pro version, however, has more features than you could list - from auto hedging to trailing stops, from book arbitrage to streaming charts. It also includes a ladder function, due to the demand for that interface created by Bet Trader Pro.

When using Bet Angel Pro, I tend to focus on three key features.

The first feature that is extremely useful is the offset / stop loss combination. This allows you to trade on Betfair, but with a certain reward/risk ratio in mind. While we all know when to cut our losses in theory, in practice, very few punters have the self discipline to “walk their own talk”. I tend to set the stop loss to 2-3 ticks if I am basic trading and the offset to 3-5 ticks. This ensures that I ride my wins and cut my losses, which should form the basis of any profitable trading strategy.

The second feature that I am a big fan of is the triggered betting function. This allows you to automatically place a bet when certain conditions are met (and to close it automatically also). For example, you can back a selection in the field at odds of 2.01 with a view to laying it at odds of 1.51 for a guaranteed profit. I do have several “standard settings” that I use to profit from these functions (depending on the race and meeting type), and you will need to experiment and devise your own (liquidity won’t allow for more than a handful of punters using the same settings so when you hit on them, don’t share them ).

The final feature of Bet Angel Pro which I adore is the streaming charts function - this gives you a real-time, in depth visual representation of the price on Betfair of a particular horse, meaning that you can trade with complete accuracy and with all the relevant information at your finger tips.

While many players spend hour perfecting their bluffing skills and learning to look for tells in other players, the art of folding is often overlooked. Believe it or not, it is possible to fold every hand and end up in the top 50% in any given online poker tournament! Human nature makes many of us believe that the other players at the table are bluffing and that your Ace/King draw is enough to win you the big pot but the art of folding is based on smart, conservative play. Folding with cards you don’t have full confidence in will help minimize your losses, which funny enough, increase your profits made on your strong hands.

Developing a consistent strategy is crucial in winning at online poker. Whether it be Texas Holdem, Seven Card Stud or any other form of poker it is always best to condition yourself to play only the hands you have a strong chance of winning and decreasing your chance of losses with weaker hands.

If you have established a solid bluffing skill and are able to quickly spot the tells of other players, the art of folding is the third tool in making you a better player. Establishing yourself as a player who will fold on first site of a weak hand can be beneficial in later play when you decide it is time to use your well rehearsed bluffing skills. Players will think twice before continuing to raise the pot when they know of your high fold rate. The longer the game goes the less likely they are to challenge you when you are aggressively raising, which translates into more wins coming your way by simly mastering the art of folding!

Another benefit to the art of folding is it gives you more opportunity to study the behavior of the other players at the table. You can make notes on who is a “maniac”, who uses the bluff too often and who is playing the same strategy as yours. Knowing the behavior patterns of the others at your table will help you determine how far you can take your strong plays and when it is best to execute your bluff.

This is the art of folding and how it improves your overall chances at a successful round of online poker. As with any part of your strategy, use the fold smartly and play smart to win big!

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There is an endless list of online bonuses, some of which appear to be quite lucrative. But most proposals are not as profitable as they seem at the first sight, one needs to analyze the fine print carefully and check the many clauses attached to the offer. Since there are various wagering requirements and withdrawal limitations linked to bonus offers by online gambling casinos. On our site we do the tedious homework of searching and analyzing numerous bids available online and bring to you only the finest and most profitable deals.

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In any type of game, strategy is an important part of winning. Adapting to the differences in each game, understanding the importance of position and realizing that knowledge is essential are three main parts of Texas Holdem strategy. There are many different approaches to strategy, but if a player uses these three key parts, then they should discover they have a winning strategic approach.

Adapting to the differences in the game is an important part of strategy. Not every approach works in every situation. A player that finds, during the course of the game, that another player is picking up on their strategy may need to change their style a little to throw the other player off. Being able to make quick decisions and being flexible with game play is also part of adapting. Adapting is relevant in every game, every time Texas Holdem is played. A player who does not adapt will find keeping up a winning strategy is difficult.

Understanding the importance of position is most relevant to the game of Texas Holdem than any other poker game. Texas Holdem is based on the fact that the position a player is in has great influence over that player’s game. Position is based on literally where a player sets during the game. The ideal position is to have a player on the right side that bets often and high. On the left side a player wants someone who does not win often. This ideal position sets the player up to win big more often. It is also a good position to be the last player to act. This allows the player an advantage of seeing the other players’ actions and the ability to get basic information about their hands. Position can often times mean the difference between a bad game and a good game.

The biggest advantage to a winning strategy is information. A player who keeps themselves informed throughout the game will have the best odds of winning. A strategy that includes observation and the gathering of information sets a player up to be able to determine other players’ actions and bet accordingly. Texas Holdem is all about information and how a player uses it. A player should aim to get as much information as possible while giving little information to other players.

Strategies differ from player to player and from game to game. The idea behind a winning strategy is to be able to make it work in any game. This means being able to adapt it to the situation of the game, having a good position and gathering information. A strategy may change or be altered throughout a game of Texas Holdem. The basic structure of a winning strategy, though, is made up of the three key parts regardless of its implementation.

These five common poker mistakes are made especially by novice players who do not prepare themselves properly and think winning at online poker is much easier than it really is.

Here are the five common poker mistakes to avoid:

Common Poker Mistakes #1 - Bluffing a Weak Player

Novice players don’t want to get out and simply lay down their hands. They lack the knowledge to know when the odds are bad and lack the discipline to fold.

They think they should try to win with every hand and get lucky, but if you want to win, big at poker you can’t rely on luck.

Good players play their opponents not the cards. You need to know when to hold them and when to fold them.

Learn to bluff sparingly, or you will become easy prey for more experienced players.

Poker Mistakes #2 - Playing Weak Hands in Early Position

Position at the table is another mistake novices make. It is especially easy for online poker players to not really notice the position they are playing in.

Playing marginal hands from an early position means the odds are stacked against you. The problem is you don’t know what the other player’s cards are and how they will play.

Players in early position should play tight, when you are in late position you can afford to play looser because you have more information fed to you by other player’s actions.

Mistakes #3 - Revenge Playing

A novice player thinks that if he plays long enough he is bound to win so when he starts to lose he chases his losses and increases his bet size in the hope of getting a lucky hand.

However, the harder he tries to win his losses back the more he loses.

An important part of playing poker is discipline and patience. All poker players lose in the short term and you are not going to win every session.

If you want to deplete your bankroll quickly, chase your losses!

Poker Mistakes #4 - Money Management

Most novice players don’t know how to manage their bankroll. They play in games they cannot afford or games where the other players are too experienced.

You need to play in lower limit games first, to gain experience and then move up levels slowly.

Sure, the winnings look attractive in higher stakes games, but the competition is harder too - don’t punch above your weight!

Poker Mistakes #5 - Not Knowing Pot Odds

Does your hand need improvement?

The concept of pot odds can help you decide if you should call to see the next card on the board.

Few novice players understand the concept of pot odds and end up calling too much and lose - don’t make the same mistake.

If You Want to Win Big, Prepare Yourself in Advance

The growth of online poker has seen a huge influx of players just seeking the thrill and excitement of playing. In many instances they don’t care if they win or lose, they just want the buzz of competing.

Another group simply think it’s an easy way to make money and lady luck will be on their side.

This however, is good news for players who are willing to prepare themselves properly. Sure its fun competing, but even better when there are plenty of novice players making the pot bigger for you!

If you want to be treated like a high roller and can travel within two weeks of the time a casino junket announces their departure from your city, then you need to enjoy a great trip and take advantage of the casino junket system!

In its simplest terms, a junket is a cheap or free trip to a casino or similar establishment on the guarantee that players will gamble for a specific period of time or wager a specific amount of money.

Your junket host will let you know what is included but your airfare should be part of the deal. If you have previously played at the casino, it’s likely it will be complimentary. This is one of the best deals available for the recreational gambler.

Upon your arrival you are also likely to receive two complimentary meals per day for the duration of your stay. The casino will of course, provide your accommodation free of charge along with all transfers to and from the airport.

Sound like fun? Well, it is! The casino junket is probably the most inexpensive way to visit your favourite gambling destination and you will undoubtedly find that if you are receiving a complimentary airfare and junket invites, you are a player the casino wants to keep as a valuable client and see you with some level of frequency.

When you visit the casino you should enquire about how you can earn complimentary vouchers for the gift shops, steak houses and any invitations to upcoming invitational tournaments for a select group of players.

Junkets are inexpensive and fun plus they are a great way to meet other like-minded gamblers from your home town. Casino junkets are not the only way to go of course, but if you are a rated player and a favourite of a particular casino, it is certainly the smartest way.

The Mississippi and New Jersey Casinos are notorious for their junkets, so if you gamble but you aren’t on one of these, you need to find out what it takes to be included on the guest list for the next one departing from your home town!

Exercise, intellectual stimulation, surgery, meditation or detox – you name it, we love it. Let’s face it, we live in a society obsessed with staying young. So, when you mention to someone that bingo may well be a key to youth, the image of pensioners playing in a retirement home may well prompt them to ask a few questions. It’s not chess or bridge, but researchers insist that bingo can keep your mind trim and bring more to your youthfulness than just cash prizes and idle chitchat.

Bingo players who have been playing bingo for a sustained period of time have been found to have superior reflexes in many cases to non-bingo players. The speed and mental agility required to scan six bingo cards in time before the next call is certainly better than stagnating in front of the television and has been responsible for keeping the minds of many people of different ages fit and healthy. As we get older, the blood begins to run at a thinner rate to the brain. Using our brains less can result in a decrease of mental agility and flexibility. Playing bingo is an enjoyable way to keep those attributes intact.

The competitive spirit of the game is also something that helps to regenerate our bodies when we take ourselves out of the workforce. The experience of retirement can very much and rightly so, equate to slowing things down. People take things at a far more leisurely pace. This is what is so attractive and something many look forward to after a fast-moving career. The only problem is that as we do that, so we lose a sense of the invigoration that the competitive energy used to spark. The great thing about playing bingo is that it is able to reignite that spark, depending on where you are playing. Certain bingo halls can be notoriously competitive. Players have developed ways of managing to cope with as many cards as possible by turning them upside down, paying for someone else to keep an eye on them and even continue other activities, such as knitting while the game is in play. The callers can move relatively quickly and you have to stay on your toes in order not to miss a call or a number. To many, this competitive edge and speed aspect is so vital to the maintenance of their energy and fighting spirit. It keeps all of the senses in a sharp shape and forces the player to sustain some of the efficiency and rigour they may have been used to when working or even when their bodies may have had slightly more endurance than they do now. Players have to stretch themselves to the limit and keep the competitive flame burning by the allure of large cash prizes.

The social aspect of the game is crucial as well. It is the combination of the interaction and communication so prevalent in the bingo halls with the mental agility and stimulation that many suggest can contribute to the prevention of depression. Depression is something that becomes more and more of a concern as the mind begins to deteriorate. People find they are unable to stimulate themselves as they used to do and hence become very frustrated and bored. Therefore, the sustenance of mental stimulation and optimum functioning is so important to a balanced state of mind.

A healthy mind may in many cases also signify a healthy body. If the mind begins to deteriorate, many health practitioners believe it can influence the degeneration of the body immensely. So it is not just the brain that bingo seems to be able to keep in prime condition. As lives become less and less active physically (often because of unavoidable circumstances), it becomes more and more important to place the energy we used to put into our bodies, into our minds in order to help sustain both.

Northampton Town

Odds: 33/1

Last Five Seasons

2005/06 – 2 (League Two, Promoted), 2004/05 – 7 (League Two), 2003/04 – 6 (League Two), 2002/03 – 24 (League One – Relegated), 2001/02 – 20 (League One).

2005/06 Cup Progress

FA Cup Third Round vs Crystal Palace (a) – lost 4-1.

Carling Cup Second Round vs Norwich City (a) – lost 2-0.

Football League Trophy Southern Section Second Round vs Colchester United (a) – lost 3-2 after extra time.

Top Goal Scorer 2005/06: Scott McGleish (striker) – 24 goals.

Players In

Joe Burnell (Wycombe Wanderers – Free), Sam Aiston (Tranmere Rovers – Free),

Andy Holt (Wrexham – Free).

Players Out

Josh Low (Leicester City – Free), Martin Smith (Darlington – Free), Jason Lee (Boston United – Free), Ashley Westwood (Chester City – Free), Gavin Johnson (Oxford United – Free), Luke Graham (Kettering Town – Free).

Northampton Town have been the bookmaker’s favourites to win League Two outright following their relegation to the dungeon in the 2003/04 season. After two seasons of play off heartache, the Cobblers finished in second place last season to return to League One.

They will have to face the step up in quality without manager Colin Calderwood, who took over at Nottingham Forest, while former Wycombe Wanderers manager John Gorman has taken over at the Sixfields Stadium. The backroom staff has also changed, with Jim Barron leaving his post as goalkeeping coach at Wycombe to join up with Gorman, following Dave Watson’s decision to follow Calderwood to Forest.

Gorman has made winger Sam Aiston and left back Andy Holt his first signings after taking charge at the newly promoted club and both players signed two year contracts. Former Sunderland prospect Aiston was released by Tranmere Rovers last season following on term at Prenton Park while Holt ended a two year stay at Wrexham following spells at Oldham Athletic and Hull City.

Gorman returned to Wycombe to snap up midfielder Joe Burnell on a free transfer, ending the former Bristol City player’s two year tenure at Adams Park. Meanwhile, David Hunt and veteran duo Eoin Jess and Ian Taylor have all agreed new deals to remain at Sixfields. However, former Wales under 21 winger Josh Low has left the club following his £165,000 switch in 2003 and has signed for Championship club Leicester City on a free transfer.

Verdict

Northampton will find their first season back in League One a struggle. Last season’s top goal scorer Scott McGleish should draw on last season’s goal haul and use his ability to score enough goals to keep the Cobblers afloat in John Gorman’s first term in charge.

Inside the Boxscores is a weekly feature that has been widely recognized as the best summation in college football. This article takes an in-depth look at each game and pulls out the most pertinent information that will help you handicap games in the future. College football is filled with quirky plays, misleading scores and surprise endings. It takes you inside the action.

COLORADO 30 Texas Tech 6

Colorado picked up its first win of the season as it outgained the Red Raiders 380-276 and forced five turnovers. The Buffaloes were inside Texas Tech territory on all but three possessions while the Red Raiders didn’t cross midfield until late in the 3rd quarter. The score could have been worse but Colorado turned the ball over on downs at the Texas Tech 18-yard line and also had two fumbles inside the 30-yard line.

TEXAS A&M 25 (19) Missouri 19

The Tigers lost for the first time this season as numerous mistakes did them in. Missouri fumbled at the goal line in its opening drive and turned it over on three of its first five possessions. After Texas A&M took the lead late in the 3rd quarter, the Tigers got the ball four more times but could not cash in as they turned it over on downs at the Aggies six-yard line early in the 4th quarter.

(7) LOUISVILLE 23 Cincinnati 17

Louisville survived a big scare from the Bearcats who used ball control to keep the potent Cardinals offense off the field. Cincinnati controlled over 13 more minutes of the clock and was able to run 18 more plays but came up short at the end. The Bearcats moved the ball down to the Louisville 16-yard line but a penalty and two incomplete passes ended the game. Cincinnati also missed two field goals.

ALABAMA 26 Ole Miss 23

Alabama outgained the Rebels 434-287 but needed a touchdown in overtime to pull out the victory. The Tide were in Mississippi territory in all but two drives but they had to settle for two field goals and also turned it over on downs twice at the Rebels 26-yard line, including once late in the 4th quarter. Mississippi was just 2-11 on third down conversions while Alabama went 9-16 on third down.

TROY 24 UL-Monroe 19

This game was marred by turnovers but it was the Warhawks who were hurt more. They turned the ball over four of their final five possessions, three of which occurred in Troy territory. UL-Monroe had two chances at the end of the game but threw an interception at the Trojans six-yard line and then turned it over on fourth down at the 27-yard line in the final two minutes. Troy turned it over four times inside Warhawks territory.

KENT STATE 40 Toledo 14

Kent St. finished with just 348 total yards but it held Toledo to 234 yards and forced four turnovers while also stopping the Rockets three times on fourth down. Toledo was inside Golden Flashes territory in four of its first five possessions but came away with nothing. Kent St. rushed for 270 yards on 47 carries (5.7 ypc) while holding the Rockets to 102 yards on 38 carries (2.7 ypc). Kent St. fumbled nine times but lost just one of those.

BOWLING GREEN 24 Eastern Michigan 21

Bowling Green scored the game-winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter and the defense forced two punts and grabbed an interception to pull out the victory. The Eagles actually outgained the Falcons 330-324 but three interceptions and a missed field goal led to 14 Bowling Green points. The Falcons lost the time of possession battle but won field position as their average starting spot was at their 41-yard line.

Hawaii 68 FRESNO STATE 37

Fresno St. scored on its third play of the game to take a 7-0 lead after forcing a Warriors punt but it was all Hawaii after that. The Warriors racked up 570 yards of offense and despite the defense allowing 470 yards, they scored 21 points off turnovers. Hawaii was 7-9 on third down conversions and it was a perfect 7-7 inside the redzone, scoring touchdowns on each possession.

Arizona 20 STANFORD 7

Arizona was spectacular on defense, holding Stanford to just 52 total yards and four first downs. The Cardinal scored their only touchdown on a 72-yard interception return while the offense never got past their own 39-yard line. The Wildcats scored on three of their first four possessions and let the defense do the rest. Stanford had the ball for just over 21 minutes and finished with -6 yards on the ground.

(10) California 21 WASHINGTON ST 3

California outgained the Cougars by only three total yards but the defense held when it needed to. Washington St. turned the ball over on downs four times inside the Bears 35-yard line, included three times on its final three possessions. The Cougars also threw two interceptions inside California territory. Washington St. ended 1-3 inside the redzone and went 0-11 on third down conversions.

SAN JOSE ST 21 Utah State 14

Utah St. jumped ahead 14-0 but the Spartans rallied as the defense shutout the Aggies the rest of the way. San Jose St. turned the ball over four times, twice inside the Utah St. redzone and another time at the 35-yard line. The Aggies were driving for the tying score but turned it over on downs at the Spartans 26-yard line to end the game. The Aggies controlled close to 14 more minutes of the clock.

Oregon State 27 WASHINGTON 17

Oregon St. outgained the Huskies 488-256 but had to rally after trailing by seven points at the break. The Beavers scored the only 17 points of the second half as their three scoring drives accumulated 236 total yards. Washington rushed for only 84 yards on 37 carries (2.3 ypc) and that number was brought down by six sacks by Oregon St. Both of Washington’s touchdowns came off interceptions.

MIAMI-FLORIDA 35 Florida International 0

In a game marred by a huge brawl, the Hurricanes shutout the Golden Panthers and held them to just 114 total yards and 12 first downs. The game was scoreless until late in the 2nd quarter when Miami finally got on the board. The Hurricanes missed a field goal and turned it over on downs at the Florida International six-yard line prior to that. The Hurricanes had only 279 total yards but their average starting position was midfield.

Idaho 24 LOUISIANA TECH 14

Idaho outgained the Bulldogs 382-211 but still had to rally by scoring the final 17 points of the game. Louisiana Tech committed eight turnovers but still trailed by just a touchdown early in the final quarter. The Vandals scored 17 points off those turnovers and the defense held the Bulldogs to just 42 total yards in the second half. Idaho was hurt by three turnovers and 12 penalties totaling 100 yards.

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 31 Houston 27

Southern Mississippi never trailed in this game despite getting outgained 377-325. The Golden Eagles struck first off a Houston fumble, its only turnover of the game, and scored on a one-play, one-yard drive. The Cougars were hurt by that along with a missed field goal and two turnovers on downs. Houston finished with only 38 yards rushing on 27 carries (1.4 ypc).

(6) TEXAS 63 Baylor 31

Texas spotted Baylor a 10-0 lead through the first quarter but the Longhorns ran off 28 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Bears still trailed by just 18 points going into the fourth quarter but Texas scored three touchdowns to ignite the rout. The Longhorns defense scored twice, once on a fumble return and once on an interception return and in total, scored 35 points off five Baylor turnovers.

Ohio U 20 ILLINOIS 17

Ohio kicked the game-winning field goal with five seconds remaining despite getting outgained by the Illini 397-238. Illinois turned the ball over five times including a fumble at its own 15-yard line that set up the Bobcats field goal. Four of the Illini’s turnovers were in their own territory but Ohio could not take advantage with the exception of the final one. Illinois rushed for 211 yards on 36 carries (5.9 ypc).

(21) Nebraska 21 KANSAS STATE 3

Nebraska scored a touchdown on its first possession on a fake field goal and the defense held the Wildcats in check the entire game. Kansas St. finished with just 294 yards including 22 yards rushing on 18 carries (1.2 ypc). The Wildcats punted on six of their first seven possessions and had opportunities late but tossed an interception at the Nebraska 34-yard line and turned it over on downs at the three-yard line.

RICE 34 U-A-B 33

Rice scored the game-winning touchdown with only three seconds remaining. UAB should have had the game won after an interception two plays earlier but it fumbled the ball back to the Owls. The Blazers outgained the Owls 484-421 and rallied to take a five-point lead late into the fourth quarter before Rice won it. UAB missed a short field goal before halftime which was the ultimate difference.

(11) AUBURN 27 (2) Florida 17

Florida led by nine points and took a six-point lead into halftime but Auburn shut the Gators out in the 2nd half to pull out the win. The Tigers scored on a blocked punt return and also on a fumble return for the only two touchdowns of the second half. The Gators scored on their first three possessions but had only 90 total yards in the second half and crossed midfield only once which resulted in a fumble at the Auburn 16-yard line.

(3) U-S-C 28 Arizona State 21

USC jumped ahead 21-0 but the Sun Devils rallied to tie the game before the Trojans scored the game-winner late in the fourth quarter. Arizona St. tied the game on an interception return for a touchdown. The Sun Devils held USC to just 307 yards but their own offense could muster only 245 yards as they committed 12 penalties for 97 yards. Arizona St. punted after the final USC score and never got the ball back.

(14) L-S-U 49 Kentucky 0

The Tigers racked up 546 yards of offense while the defense pitched a shutout. Kentucky was never in the game as it fell behind 28-0 after four possessions on each side. The Wildcats had two late chances to avoid the shutout but threw an interception at the LSU nine-yard line and turned it over on downs at the seven yard line. LSU rushed for 268 yards while holding the Wildcats to 61 yards on the ground.

(4) Michigan 17 PENN STATE 10

Michigan held Penn St. to just 186 total yards and 11 first downs. The Wolverines had seven sacks while holding the Nittany Lions to -14 yards rushing on 25 carries (-0.6 ypc). Michigan had two long touchdown drives but did not do much other than that as it gained only 176 yards in its other nine possessions. Penn St. missed a chance to strike first, missing a field goal on its opening possession.

TEXAS-EL PASO 34 Tulane 20

Tulane actually outgained the Miners 481-365 but the Green Wave lost the turnover battle 5-0 as they turned the ball over on each of their first three possessions. Two of the turnovers occurred inside the UTEP redzone and Tulane also turned it over on downs at the Miners 16-yard line. UTEP jumped ahead by three touchdowns right before halftime after returning a punt 88 yards for a score.

New Mexico 39 U-N-L-V 36

UNLV outgained the Lobos 379-280 but four turnovers led to 16 New Mexico points. The Rebels had a 14-point lead at halftime but the Lobos scored the first 22 points of the second half. UNLV tied the game with just over a minute remaining and after New Mexico kicked a field goal to take the lead in overtime, the Rebels were sacked and fumbled on their first play to end the game.