Tuesday Tailgate: Notable numbers in college football
As the season enters its fourth quarter, a look at national statistical leaders in the Football Bowl Subdivision yields some interesting and even eye-popping numbers.
Here are a few:
665.6
Say what you will about level of competition and strength of schedule. But at some point, there's just no getting around it — the Baylor offense is downright scary. The Bears lead the Bowl Subdivision in scoring at 57.4 points per game, so it should come as no surprise that they also lead the country in total offense at 665.6 yards per contest.
Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the Baylor attack is its near-perfect balance. The Bears are fourth nationally in rushing (308.8 YPG) and seventh in passing (356.8). Oklahoma, Baylor's next opponent, does have the Big 12's top-rated defense, surrendering 327.2 yards per game — less than half the Bears' total output. We'll see which of those averages improves.
20.77
One of the many reasons Clemson has an inside track to the College Football Playoff is the defense's ability to get itself off the field. The Tigers' opponents have converted only 27 of 130 third-down chances. That success rate of just 20.77% has the Clemson defense atop the nation in that category, thus putting the ball into the capable hands of QB Deshaun Watson more often.
20
Baylor receiver Corey Coleman continues to lead the FBS in total touchdowns with 20, but now he has company. Louisiana Tech tailback Kenneth Dixon has found the end zone 20 times as well. He has three receiving tallies to go along with his 17 rushing TDs, and he has a total of 1,184 yards from scrimmage. By contrast, there are five FBS teams with fewer than 20 total touchdowns all season, with Vanderbilt (14) and Missouri (13) bringing up the rear.
A former player from Dixon's school, wide receiver Troy Edwards, holds the FBS single-season touchdown record with 27.
8
You'd think opponents would learn their lesson and not throw toward Iowa cornerback Desmond King. But he seems to find the ball anyway. Through nine games this season, he has a nation's-best eight interceptions, one of which he took to the house against Maryland a couple weeks ago.
King alone has more picks himself than 53 FBS teams, including one, Texas State, that has not stolen a pass all year. King is also a pretty fair punt returner, averaging nearly 13 yards in 12 attempts. Incidentally, those eight picks match a single-season school record set in 1939 by none other than Nile Kinnick, the Heisman Trophy winner whose name graces the Hawkeyes' home stadium.
3
Tennessee's Evan Berry is another guy opponents don't want touching the football, but in this case it's up to the kicker to avoid him. Berry has brought three kickoffs back for touchdowns this year. In all, he's averaging more than 40 yards per return and has a shot at the FBS season record. You might have heard of the last Vol to return three kickoffs for scores in a season — a fellow named Willie Gault, who accomplished the feat in 1980.