Auburn senior free safety Jermaine Whitehead has been reinstated to the team after a four-game suspension, but Gus Malzahn was non-committal as to whether he would play Saturday vs. South Carolina. Whitehead had a pair of interceptions in AU's first two games, including a pick-six in a 45-21 season-opening win over Arkansas. The Tigers, 18-point home favorites vs. the Gamecocks, are 7-3 against the spread as home 'chalk' on Malzahn's watch. Meanwhile, South Carolina is 15-10-1 ATS in 26 games as a road underdog during Steve Spurrier's tenure. Since entering the SEC in 1992, South Carolina has lost outright in all seven games against Auburn. The Gamecocks haven't beaten the Tigers since 1933.
More Quick Hitters
Baylor has lost a pair of starting offensive linemen in the last two weeks. OT Troy Baker is out for the season after tearing his ACL in a 41-27 loss at West Virginia. Two weeks ago in the come-from-behind win over TCU, starting OG Desmine Hilliard went down with a season-ending injury to his wrist.
Clemson true freshman RB Adam Choice is out for the rest of the year after tearing his ACL in a 17-13 non-covering win at Boston College. Choice had rushed for a team-high 218 rushing yards and one TD while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He also had nine receptions for 90 yards.
Louisville got a scare in its 30-18 home win over North Carolina St. DE Lorenzo Mauldin (hamstring) and WR James Quick (ankle) both left the game with injuries, but Bobby Petrino told the media Tuesday that "all indications" are that both players will be ready for next Thursday's monster showdown vs. Florida St. at Papa John's Stadium. Mauldin was listed as the No. 27 pick in next spring's NFL Draft in the latest mock at CBSSports.com. In other good news for the Cardinals, WR DeVante Parker made his season debut against the Wolfpack, hauling in nine receptions for 132 yards. Quick has a team-best 30 catches for 451 yards and three TDs.
During Todd Graham's weekly news conference Monday, the Arizona State coach said he expected QB Taylor Kelly to start Saturday at Washington. Then again, he indicated that Kelly would see playing time against Stanford last week. Kelly hasn't played since Sept. 13 when he injured his foot in a win at Colorado. As a three-year starter, Kelly has a 63-to-21 touchdown-to-interception ratio for his career. He had six TD passes without an interception in the Sun Devils' first three games this season. Since Kelly's injury, Mike Bercovici has gone 2-1 in three starts. He has led ASU to back-to-back wins at USC and vs. Stanford, throwing for 755 yards and six TDs without an interception in those victories.
Washington's QB situation is also in limbo. Cyler Miles (10t-to-1 TD-INT) sustained a concussion in last week's 45-20 loss at Oregon. He is considered 'questionable' and will likely be a game-time decision vs. ASU.
BYU has lost three consecutive games and has failed to cover the number in five straight. There are conflicting reports coming out of Provo on the status of RB Jamaal Williams, who injured his ankle during his only carry of the game in an overtime loss at UCF two weeks ago. Williams didn't play in last week's 42-35 home loss to Nevada, nor did two of the Cougars' best defensive players in safety Craig Bills (concussion) and LB Alani Fua (ankle). Bronco Mendenhall indicated Monday that he expects Williams, Bills, and Fua to return in Friday's game at Boise State Williams has missed nearly all of three games, but he has rushed for 396 yards and three TDs while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. The Cougars, seven-point underdogs at BSU, are 12-8-1 ATS as road 'dogs under Mendenhall. They are 7-2 ATS in their last nine such spots.
At least for the next several weeks, Utah State is down to its third-string QB Craig Harrison. Chuckie Keeton is already out for the year and now Darell Garretson won't return until at least mid-November due to a wrist injury. Garretson had played well in four starts since Keeton's injury, going 2-2 straight up with a 3-1 spread record. The only defeats came in overtime at Arkansas St. and by three points at Colorado St., and he had already left the game when the Rams rallied to victory in the fourth quarter. In those four games, Garretson had seven TD passes compared to only two interceptions. In three seasons with Utah State, Harrison has completed 48-of-95 throws for 525 yards with a 2-to-1 TD-INT ratio. The Aggies host UNLV this weekend.
Florida coach Will Muschamp has named true freshman Treon Harris as the starting QB for next Saturday's game vs. Georgia. Muschamp said it will be "his game" with no plans to play Jeff Driskel.
PICKS
South Carolina +18 at Auburn -- South Carolina hasn't been a double-digit underdog since 2009 when it covered the spread in two such spots vs. Florida and at Alabama. The Gamecocks have lost by more than 17 points just twice in their last 47 games. They average 35.1 points per game and have one of the nation's premier RBs in Mike Davis, who is healthy and poised to get a heavy dose of carries on The Plains.
Vanderbilt +21 at Missouri -- Vandy owns an incredible 29-13-1 ATS record as a road underdog going back to 2004. The Commodores have covered the spread in two such situations this season. They have also had two weeks to get ready for the Tigers, who are struggling mightily on offense the last three weeks. Missouri had just 119 yards of total offense at Florida last week and didn't score a point vs. Georgia two weeks ago. Going back three weeks, the Tigers went 10 possessions in a row without scoring at South Carolina.
Brian Edwards is a college football handicapper who contributes weekly columns to The Linemakers on Sporting News. For more valuable information and insight, follow him on Twitter @vegasbedwards and visit his website, BrianEdwardsSports.com.
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