We’ve reached the week most have pointed to on the college football calendar. Lane Kiffin is headed back to Oxford, Miss.
This piece gets more impactful as the weeks go on. Right now, schedules are inequitable and statistics can be skewed massively because of it.
Power conference teams can run up gaudy stats on overmatched opponents, and the opposite can be true as Group of 6 teams cash checks for showing up in September.
Still, two games are in the rearview for most programs, and some identities are starting to develop.
Don’t take the following as gospel, just a little bit of information as we start to dive into one of the biggest games of the year.
A reminder that the smaller the ranking, the better the statistic.
Green: Top 25
Red: Bottom 50
Scoring Offense: 36th, 41.0 ppg
Total Offense: 39th, 459 ypg
Yards per play: 43rd, 6.8 ypp
Rushing Offense: 96th, 139.5 ypg
Yards per carry: 80th, 4.3 ypc
Rushing Attempts per game: 99th, 32.5
Rushing Touchdowns: 35th, 5
Passing Offense: 22nd, 314.5 ypg
Passing Attempts: 28th, 35.5 per game
Completion Percentage: 53rd, 67.6%
Passing Touchdowns: 34th, 5
Interceptions Thrown: 88th, 2
First Downs: 31st, 24.5 per game
Third Down Conversions: 96th, 35%
Fourth Down Conversion attempts: 99th, 1
Red Zone Touchdown Percentage: 1st, 100%
20-plus yard plays: 97th, 7
10-plus yard runs: 89th, 8
20-plus yard passes: 70th, 6
Sacks Allowed: 11th, 1
Tackles For Loss Allowed: 37th, 4 per game
Time of Possession: 126th, 25:54 per game
The most impactful stat of this bunch is the red zone touchdown percentage. Getting six on all seven attempts inside the 20 is no small feat. The Rebels have clearly skewed more to the pass than the run which makes sense considering Trinidad Chambliss is one of the best players in the country and Kewan Lacy missed a half against Louisville.
I’m a little bit surprised at the lack of explosive players early on. That said, just watching the games they’ve played, it’s easy to see that Deuce Alexander and Lacy can make huge plays.
Pete Golding has only elected to go for it once on fourth down. We’ll see if that changes on Saturday.
Many have asked what the impact of losing Charlie Weis Jr. and Lane Kiffin would be at Ole Miss. John David Baker’s team has done enough through two weeks, and faces its toughest test yet, in Blake Baker’s defense.
DEFENSE
Scoring Defense: 83rd, 23.5 ppg
Total Defense: 108th, 395.5 ypg
Yards per Play Allowed: 118th, 6.1 ypp
Run Defense: 103rd, 153.5 ypg
Yards per Carry Allowed: 101st, 4.24 ypc
Rushing Touchdowns Allowed: 53rd, 2
Passing Defense: 106th, 243 ypg
Completion Percentage Allowed: 114th, 66.7%
Yards per Passing Attempt Allowed: 120th, 8.5 ypa
Interceptions: 63rd, 1
Passing Touchdowns Allowed: 45th, 2
Sacks: 61st, 4
Tackles for Loss: 30th, 14
Third Down Defense: 54th, 33.3% allowed
Red Zone Touchdown Percentage Allowed: 11th, 20%
20-plus yard plays allowed: 129th, 13
10-plus yard runs allowed: 77th, 8
20-plus yard passes allowed: 122nd, 9
There’s more red in those statistics than Golding would want. The major issue has been coverage busts. The Rebel secondary has allowed too many chunk plays through the air. That’s something Kiffin and Weis Jr. will look to attack in this game.
If you take away a 29-yard loss on a bad snap, Louisville ran for 191 yards on Ole Miss as well.
This unit hasn’t played well enough though two games, but there is talent led by Will Echols at defensive tackle, Suntarine Perkins on the edge and Luke Ferrelli at linebacker.
Like the offense that has scored every time it’s found the red zone, Golding’s defense has stiffened inside the 20. That’s the only standout statistic through two games.
