Daily Blog •January 15, 2013

Last year, I added a couple of pages to my magazine that analyzed some key statistics that are becoming more important when analyzing a team’s offensive and defensive efficiency throughout the year. It is cleary the era of the fast paced hurry up offense where teams try to run as many plays as possible to put a high stress factor on defenses and wear them down. The Oregon Ducks are among the elite in this philosophy. The amount of plays a team runs on offense depends on its pace, it’s 3rd down effectiveness, how quickly the defense gets the other teams offense off the field, etc.

This past year the most effective offense surprisingly was Georgia led by QB Aaron Murray as they averaged 7.09 yards per play but they did rank just #102 in plays per game. Texas A&M led by Heisman winner Johnny Manziel was #2 at 7.08 ypp and also #1 in 3rd Dn conversions in which Manziel’s scrambling ability surely had much to do with their effectiveness. Marshall avg’d an astounding 90.6 plays per game ranking #1 in the NCAA in that category but they avg’d just 5.9 yds per play ranking #45. It was no shock that Oregon came in at #1 in plays per point running just 1.64 plays for every point scored. The median on offense is 5.71 yards per play and the lowest was Massachusetts, which averaged just 3.91 yards per play, which was significantly lower than Hawaii who was #123 at 4.26.

This chart shows the raw numbers and the rankings on yards per play, offensive plays per game, offensive plays per point, 3rd down conversions and then how the team ranked in total offensive yards per game so you can compare. While the NCAA did not officially rank the four new teams last year (Massachusetts, South Alabama, Texas St and UTSA), I did include them in these rankings.

Offensive Yards Per Point

 
Yds Per
YPP
Plys
Pl/Gm

Plys
Pl/Pt
3rd Dn
3rd Dn
3rd Dn
Off
Ypg
Team
Play
rk
Per Gm
rk
Per Pt
rk
Per Gm
%
rnk
Ypg
rk
Georgia 7.09 1 66.0 102 1.75 7 12.8 47.5 17 467.6 22
Texas A&M 7.08 2 78.8 16 1.77 8 15.0 54.9 1 558.5 3
Florida St 7.01 3 67.2 90 1.71 6 11.6 42.3 49 471.5 19
Oklahoma St 7.01 4 78.0 19 1.71 5 14.2 46.2 26 547.0 4
Alabama 6.95 5 64.1 116 1.66 2 11.9 47.9 16 445.5 31
Baylor 6.94 6 82.5 6 1.85 10 14.2 46.2 25 572.2 2
Utah St 6.83 7 68.7 76 1.97 17 13.9 45.3 33 469.1 21
Louisiana 6.78 8 67.2 91 1.89 13 12.5 39.3 70 455.3 29
Cincinnati 6.63 9 66.4 99 2.05 27 13.2 42.7 45 440.2 36
Oregon 6.60 10 81.4 9 1.64 1 15.0 46.2 27 537.4 5
USC 6.60 11 65.6 107 2.05 25 11.7 34.2 105 432.9 41
Louisiana Tech 6.58 12 87.8 2 1.71 4 15.2 42.3 50 577.9 1
West Virginia 6.54 13 76.8 26 1.95 16 14.0 44.0 37 502.0 10
Texas Tech 6.49 14 76.4 28 2.04 23 13.5 49.1 10 495.9 13
North Carolina 6.49 15 74.8 32 1.84 9 14.2 41.2 56 485.6 14
Miami (FL) 6.46 16 68.2 80 2.17 35 14.2 39.4 68 440.2 37
Oklahoma 6.44 17 77.3 23 2.03 21 14.2 52.2 4 497.9 12
Northern Illinois 6.43 18 73.1 44 1.89 14 14.6 46.6 22 469.6 20
Tennessee 6.42 19 74.2 36 2.05 26 13.8 37.4 83 475.9 18
Arkansas St 6.37 20 73.2 43 2.10 30 13.3 46.8 20 466.7 23
San Jose St 6.35 21 70.3 62 2.02 19 13.5 43.2 42 446.2 30
Texas 6.34 22 68.5 77 1.92 15 13.8 48.6 14 434.6 40
Arizona 6.32 23 83.2 3 2.18 36 14.0 44.0 37 526.2 7
Clemson 6.28 24 81.7 8 1.99 18 15.8 51.5 5 512.7 9
Kansas St 6.20 25 64.7 110 1.67 3 12.3 50.0 7 401.4 59
Nebraska 6.20 26 74.3 34 2.14 34 14.0 43.4 41 460.8 26
Central Michigan 6.20 27 63.7 117 2.21 38 12.0 39.1 73 394.8 63
Nevada 6.20 28 83.1 4 2.20 37 14.8 52.9 3 514.9 8
Troy 6.20 29 80.5 10 2.63 73 16.0 49.0 11 498.8 11
Fresno St 6.17 30 77.4 22 2.04 24 15.4 40.5 60 477.5 16
Georgia Tech 6.16 31 71.6 53 2.13 32 13.9 45.6 31 441.1 35
Arkansas 6.10 32 68.8 73 2.93 89 13.1 36.9 84 420.2 49
Ohio St 6.08 33 69.8 65 1.88 11 13.2 42.4 48 423.8 47
UCF 6.07 34 67.1 94 1.89 12 13.3 48.9 12 407.4 57
Michigan 6.07 35 63.1 120 2.11 31 13.3 50.3 6 383.1 79
Syracuse 6.02 36 79.1 13 2.64 75 16.4 49.3 9 476.0 17
Toledo 6.02 37 74.0 39 2.35 54 14.8 42.2 51 445.2 32
Notre Dame 5.99 38 68.8 75 2.67 79 13.6 46.3 24 412.2 54
WKU 5.98 39 64.7 112 2.30 50 12.8 48.2 15 386.9 75
Arizona St 5.97 40 77.8 20 2.03 20 14.9 41.2 55 464.5 25
UCLA 5.96 41 78.2 18 2.27 48 15.5 38.3 78 466.5 24
Wisconsin 5.95 42 66.1 100 2.24 43 13.9 35.6 97 393.3 65
Louisville 5.93 43 70.6 60 2.27 47 14.2 49.7 8 418.8 52
Oregon St 5.93 44 72.8 47 2.24 42 13.4 34.5 102 431.5 43
Marshall 5.90 45 90.6 1 2.21 39 17.3 54.6 2 534.3 6
Texas St 5.89 46 64.5 114 2.26 46 13.3 39.0 74 379.8 81
UTSA 5.87 47 66.5 96 2.13 33 13.6 44.8 34 390.3 71
Mississippi St 5.85 48 65.2 108 2.21 40 12.6 34.8 100 381.9 80
Houston 5.85 49 82.0 7 2.53 66 16.4 41.1 57 479.6 15
Boise St 5.83 50 67.1 92 2.22 41 13.5 44.3 35 391.3 68
San Diego St 5.81 51 68.2 78 2.08 28 13.9 46.4 23 396.6 61
Middle Tennessee 5.80 52 67.7 86 2.55 69 13.4 42.9 44 392.8 66
Ohio 5.79 53 76.8 25 2.42 60 15.6 42.9 43 444.8 33
Kent St 5.77 54 67.3 87 2.03 22 14.1 35.0 98 388.3 74
Western Michigan 5.76 55 76.3 29 2.60 72 15.2 46.2 28 439.3 38
California 5.75 56 68.1 81 2.96 94 13.3 35.0 99 391.3 69
Ball St 5.74 57 79.6 12 2.37 56 14.5 47.1 18 457.2 27
Pittsburgh 5.74 58 68.0 82 2.55 70 14.5 39.7 64 390.1 72
Ole Miss 5.73 59 74.0 38 2.35 55 15.5 44.3 36 423.8 46
South Carolina 5.72 60 65.8 105 2.09 29 13.5 42.6 46 376.5 84
New Mexico 5.71 61 64.8 110 2.51 65 12.9 39.3 69 370.2 89
Navy 5.71 62 67.1 93 2.68 81 12.0 41.0 58 383.2 78
Air Force 5.70 63 73.5 42 2.68 80 14.5 48.7 13 418.9 51
ULM 5.69 64 76.1 31 2.25 45 16.1 46.9 19 432.8 42
Army 5.68 65 76.8 27 3.16 99 15.0 46.7 21 436.3 39
Indiana 5.65 66 78.3 17 2.54 68 16.5 36.9 85 442.0 34
Vanderbilt 5.65 67 67.2 89 2.24 44 14.5 33.5 110 379.7 82
UAB 5.62 68 74.6 33 2.64 76 14.8 39.6 66 419.1 50
East Carolina 5.61 69 72.8 46 2.32 52 14.7 43.5 40 408.5 56
Miami (OH) 5.54 70 69.5 68 2.98 95 14.7 39.2 72 385.3 76
Stanford 5.53 71 67.7 85 2.43 61 14.1 38.1 80 374.4 86
TCU 5.53 72 70.3 63 2.48 63 14.7 33.5 110 388.6 73
Tulsa 5.52 73 82.9 5 2.39 57 16.9 38.4 76 457.1 28
North Texas 5.52 74 71.1 56 3.40 110 15.0 32.8 115 392.2 67
LSU 5.51 75 67.9 84 2.28 49 14.9 40.2 61 374.2 87
Wyoming 5.50 76 71.0 58 2.65 77 14.8 42.1 52 390.6 70
Purdue 5.47 77 73.6 41 2.57 71 15.7 39.7 63 402.7 58
Colorado St 5.42 78 62.5 123 2.95 92 12.8 34.4 103 339.0 102
Rice 5.42 79 78.9 15 2.48 62 16.9 45.5 32 427.4 44
Akron 5.41 80 79.0 14 3.03 97 15.8 39.7 64 427.2 45
Penn St 5.38 81 77.6 21 2.67 78 16.3 42.6 47 417.5 53
UTEP 5.38 82 69.3 69 3.27 104 14.5 35.6 96 372.5 88
Duke 5.37 83 76.2 30 2.41 59 15.3 34.7 101 409.2 55
FIU 5.37 84 71.5 54 2.86 85 14.6 37.7 81 383.8 77
Virginia 5.34 85 74.3 35 3.26 103 16.0 36.5 88 396.5 62
Eastern Michigan 5.33 86 63.0 121 2.95 93 13.6 33.1 113 335.8 103
Northwestern 5.32 87 74.2 37 2.34 53 15.1 45.9 29 394.6 64
Bowling Green 5.31 88 68.8 72 3.00 96 14.8 36.8 86 365.5 93
USF 5.28 89 69.7 66 3.38 108 14.7 43.8 39 367.5 91
Auburn 5.27 90 57.9 124 3.10 98 11.9 30.8 120 305.0 118
NC State 5.26 91 80.0 11 2.85 84 17.7 41.3 54 421.2 48
Florida 5.26 92 63.6 118 2.40 58 13.7 36.5 87 334.4 105
SMU 5.21 93 70.5 61 2.31 51 15.3 39.2 71 367.3 92
Rutgers 5.21 94 63.3 119 2.95 90 14.2 34.2 104 329.9 107
Buffalo 5.21 95 72.2 51 3.40 109 15.5 33.9 108 375.8 85
UNLV 5.20 96 70.8 59 3.22 101 15.4 41.0 59 367.9 90
BYU 5.19 97 77.2 24 2.69 82 16.3 45.8 30 400.4 60
Virginia Tech 5.19 98 72.6 48 2.90 87 16.3 38.2 79 376.8 83
Temple 5.14 99 62.6 122 2.53 67 13.8 37.5 82 322.0 110
Boston College 5.13 100 68.2 79 3.44 112 13.6 29.5 123 349.8 101
Iowa St 5.13 101 71.0 57 2.89 86 15.2 38.4 77 364.2 94
Washington 5.11 102 69.5 67 2.90 88 14.4 35.8 95 355.2 99
FAU 5.09 103 68.8 74 3.36 107 15.4 41.6 53 350.7 100
New Mexico St 5.09 104 65.9 104 3.53 113 13.6 33.1 113 335.3 104
Kansas 4.96 105 72.6 49 3.98 121 15.5 32.3 117 360.3 95
Memphis 4.95 106 64.3 115 2.63 74 13.8 36.1 93 318.3 114
Missouri 4.93 107 72.3 50 2.81 83 15.5 33.3 112 356.4 98
Minnesota 4.93 108 65.2 109 2.95 91 13.8 36.3 90 321.4 110
Washington St 4.92 109 73.0 45 3.58 114 15.5 31.7 119 359.5 96
Utah 4.88 110 66.4 98 2.49 64 14.2 33.5 109 324.4 108
Southern Miss 4.89 110 66.0 103 3.36 106 14.1 36.1 94 322.8 109
Michigan St 4.88 112 73.6 40 3.68 116 16.5 39.5 67 359.3 97
Kentucky 4.78 113 65.8 106 3.67 115 14.8 39.9 62 315.0 116
Idaho 4.74 114 66.5 95 4.20 123 14.6 28.6 124 315.1 115
Connecticut 4.73 115 67.3 88 3.79 118 14.8 36.2 92 318.3 113
Tulane 4.70 116 68.0 83 3.18 100 15.3 38.6 75 319.5 112
Iowa 4.70 117 66.1 101 3.42 110 14.7 36.4 89 310.4 117
South Alabama 4.62 118 72.2 52 3.91 120 15.7 32.4 116 333.4 106
Illinois 4.47 119 66.4 97 3.99 122 14.4 34.1 106 296.7 122
Maryland 4.40 120 64.7 113 3.22 102 14.5 29.9 122 284.8 123
Colorado 4.38 121 69.1 70 3.87 119 14.8 29.9 121 302.8 119
Wake Forest 4.36 122 69.1 71 3.73 117 16.5 31.8 118 301.3 120
Hawaii 4.26 123 69.8 64 3.30 105 15.3 33.9 107 297.4 121
Massachusetts 3.91 124 71.2 55 5.62 124 17.0 36.3 91 278.3 124