Daily Blog • February 12, 2015

What is more important for the offense, total yardage or yards per play?

Most football fans analyze a team’s offense by their yards per game. Every site can tell you that in 2014 Baylor had the #1 offense averaging 582 ypg while Washington St was #7 with 518 ypg. However by looking at the top 13 offenses from last season 3 had losing records in Wash St (3-9), Texas Tech (4-8) and California (5-7). Those teams in the top 13 (top 10%) had a combined 119 wins or an average of 9.2 wins per team.

Now, let’s look at teams that had the best yards per play on offense and Marshall was #1 with 7.6 ypp. When you again take a look at the top 13 only 1 had a losing record and that was Miami, Fl that went to a bowl at 6-6, but lost. The top 13 had a combined 135 wins (16 more then the ypg) and the teams averaged 10.4 wins per game (1.2 more then ypg).

Only 6 of the 13 teams (46%) were in both lists and they were: Marshall (#4 ypg, #5 ypp), Mississippi St (#5, #7), Ohio St (#7, #8), Oregon (#8, #9), TCU (#9, #10) and WKU (#13, #11).

With yards per play being the more important number for the top offenses let’s look at the poorest offenses. The first thing that struck me was that while 6 teams were in both of the top 13 offensive categories it is quite different when they are at the bottom. A poor offense is a poor offense in any category. Of the teams that finished in the bottom 7 of both categories 6 (86%) were in both lists. 

Last years teams that were both in the bottom 7 were: Wake Forest (#128, #128 ), SMU (#127, #127 ), Connecticut (#126, #122), Eastern Michigan (#124, #125 ), FIU (#123, #126) and UTSA (#122, #124).

I’ll take a look at the defense tomorrow.

2014 Offensive Yards Per Play vs YPG

Team Yds/ Play YPP Rank YPG YPG Rank Diff
New Mexico 6.52 20 399.4 67 47
Army 5.59 64 358.8 105 41
Miami (FL) 6.68 11 430.3 47 36
Utah State 5.89 50 378.8 85 35
Rutgers 5.99 42 390.0 76 34
Minnesota 5.45 74 357.3 106 32
Navy 6.36 26 419.5 53 27
San Diego State 5.92 46 394.5 73 27
Stanford 5.89 50 388.6 77 27
Michigan 5.32 89 333.0 115 26
Georgia 6.79 7 457.8 30 23
Boston College 5.69 61 384.0 83 22
Florida Atlantic 5.39 81 363.1 103 22
Western Michigan 6.51 21 438.2 41 20
Maryland 5.26 92 342.1 112 20
Kansas State 6.15 32 421.6 50 18
LSU 5.62 62 387.5 80 18
Illinois 5.41 79 367.2 97 18
UTEP 5.30 90 350.7 108 18
North Carolina St 5.97 43 408.5 60 17
Central Michigan 5.84 53 398.1 70 17
Wyoming 5.55 67 380.9 84 17
Missouri 5.39 81 367.0 98 17
Colorado State 7.09 4 480.9 19 15
Georgia Southern 7.34 2 487.1 16 14
Wisconsin 6.77 8 468.9 22 14
Old Dominion 6.44 23 441.9 37 14
Miami (Ohio) 5.45 74 375.3 88 14
Troy 5.34 88 363.3 102 14
South Florida 4.94 107 304.7 121 14
Florida State 6.39 25 441.4 38 13
Mississippi 6.03 41 419.1 54 13
Louisiana Tech 5.86 52 400.8 65 13
Pittsburgh 6.17 31 435.4 43 12
Georgia Tech 6.72 9 476.5 20 11
Utah 5.35 68 388.1 79 11
Oregon State 5.57 65 393.5 75 10
Louisiana 5.91 48 417.4 57 9
Arkansas 5.76 54 406.0 63 9
Oklahoma State 5.43 76 378.8 85 9
Auburn 6.71 10 485.0 17 7
Indiana 5.70 57 405.0 64 7
Georgia State 5.39 81 375.3 88 7
Rice 5.62 62 399.2 68 6
Kentucky 5.43 76 384.3 82 6
Vanderbilt 4.68 119 288.3 125 6
Texas A&M 6.33 27 455.4 32 5
Purdue 4.95 106 344.6 111 5
Syracuse 4.91 111 329.9 116 5
Kent State 4.83 114 315.5 119 5
Alabama 6.66 14 484.5 18 4
North Texas 4.87 113 325.9 117 4
Temple 4.79 116 308.4 120 4
Connecticut 4.50 122 276.3 126 4
Ohio State 6.98 6 511.6 9 3
Nebraska 6.22 30 452.3 33 3
Texas 4.92 110 337.3 113 3
Cincinnati 6.33 27 460.2 29 2
Ohio 5.26 92 370.3 94 2
Florida 5.24 94 367.6 96 2
Marshall 7.59 1 559.2 2 1
Oregon 7.34 2 547.0 3 1
Middle Tennessee 5.93 45 431.3 46 1
Houston 5.70 57 414.1 58 1
Oklahoma 6.41 24 464.7 24 0
SMU 4.08 127 269.0 127 0
Wake Forest 3.38 128 216.3 128 0
Western Kentucky 7.05 5 534.6 4 -1
Notre Dame 6.11 35 444.9 34 -1
South Carolina 6.09 36 443.4 35 -1
Louisville 5.46 73 394.7 72 -1
Eastern Michigan 4.46 125 289.6 124 -1
Toledo 6.55 17 490.5 15 -2
Appalachian State 6.31 29 461.5 27 -2
Southern Mississippi 5.10 102 365.0 100 -2
UCF 5.01 105 363.1 103 -2
Kansas 4.62 120 324.1 118 -2
UTSA 4.48 124 297.5 122 -2
Buffalo 5.95 44 438.2 41 -3
Washington 5.40 80 388.6 77 -3
Florida International 4.33 126 293.2 123 -3
Ball State 5.17 99 369.3 95 -4
Tulane 4.83 114 346.8 110 -4
Mississippi State 6.67 13 513.8 8 -5
Boise State 6.53 19 494.3 14 -5
Massachusetts 5.75 56 421.1 51 -5
TCU 6.68 11 533.0 5 -6
Texas Tech 6.62 16 504.1 10 -6
Michigan State 6.55 17 500.8 11 -6
Iowa 5.47 72 400.1 66 -6
Penn State 4.60 121 335.3 114 -7
USC 6.04 40 457.5 31 -9
Virginia Tech 4.93 108 365.3 99 -9
Louisiana-Monroe 4.70 118 349.4 109 -9
UCLA 6.13 33 467.8 23 -10
Texas State 6.06 38 464.4 25 -13
Arizona State 5.90 49 442.3 36 -13
Virginia 5.08 103 374.2 90 -13
Akron 5.03 104 373.3 91 -13
Baylor 6.64 15 581.5 1 -14
South Alabama 5.15 101 376.0 87 -14
Northern Illinois 5.76 54 441.2 39 -15
Duke 5.38 84 398.3 69 -15
Nevada 5.35 86 397.6 71 -15
UNLV 5.22 96 387.4 81 -15
Tennessee 4.93 108 370.5 93 -15
Northwestern 4.50 122 353.1 107 -15
Hawai'i 4.77 117 364.4 101 -16
East Carolina 6.48 22 533.0 5 -17
North Carolina 5.56 66 429.8 48 -18
Arkansas State 6.05 39 476.5 20 -19
New Mexico State 5.48 71 420.9 52 -19
Iowa State 4.90 112 372.5 92 -20
Memphis 5.49 70 427.1 49 -21
Air Force 5.43 76 418.7 55 -21
San Jose State 5.24 94 394.5 73 -21
California 6.09 36 495.2 13 -23
UAB 5.51 68 431.8 45 -23
Clemson 5.36 85 408.3 61 -24
Bowling Green 5.50 69 432.9 44 -25
Washington State 6.12 34 517.5 7 -27
BYU 5.70 57 460.5 28 -29
Arizona 5.70 57 463.6 26 -31
West Virginia 5.92 46 499.8 12 -34
Fresno State 5.19 98 406.1 62 -36
Tulsa 5.17 99 412.5 59 -40
Idaho 5.21 97 417.5 56 -41
Colorado 5.29 91 439.2 40 -51

2014 Offensive Yards Per Play

Rank Team Yards/Play
1 Baylor 6.64
2 Marshall 7.59
3 Oregon 7.34
4 Western Kentucky 7.05
5 TCU 6.68
5 East Carolina 6.48
7 Washington State 6.12
8 Mississippi State 6.67
9 Ohio State 6.98
10 Texas Tech 6.62
11 Michigan State 6.55
12 West Virginia 5.92
13 California 6.09
14 Boise State 6.53
15 Toledo 6.55
16 Georgia Southern 7.34
17 Auburn 6.71
18 Alabama 6.66
19 Colorado State 7.09
20 Georgia Tech 6.72
20 Arkansas State 6.05
22 Wisconsin 6.77
23 UCLA 6.13
24 Oklahoma 6.41
25 Texas State 6.06
26 Arizona 5.7
27 Appalachian State 6.31
28 BYU 5.7
29 Cincinnati 6.33
30 Georgia 6.79
31 USC 6.04
32 Texas A&M 6.33
33 Nebraska 6.22
34 Notre Dame 6.11
35 South Carolina 6.09
36 Arizona State 5.9
37 Old Dominion 6.44
38 Florida State 6.39
39 Northern Illinois 5.76
40 Colorado 5.29
41 Western Michigan 6.51
41 Buffalo 5.95
43 Pittsburgh 6.17
44 Bowling Green 5.5
45 UAB 5.51
46 Middle Tennessee 5.93
47 Miami (Florida) 6.68
48 North Carolina 5.56
49 Memphis 5.49
50 Kansas State 6.15
51 Massachusetts 5.75
52 New Mexico State 5.48
53 Navy 6.36
54 Mississippi 6.03
55 Air Force 5.43
56 Idaho 5.21
57 Louisiana-Lafayette 5.91
58 Houston 5.7
59 Tulsa 5.17
60 North Carolina State 5.97
61 Clemson 5.36
62 Fresno State 5.19
63 Arkansas 5.76
64 Indiana 5.7
65 Louisiana Tech 5.86
66 Iowa 5.47
67 New Mexico 6.52
68 Rice 5.62
69 Duke 5.38
70 Central Michigan 5.84
71 Nevada 5.35
72 Louisville 5.46
73 San Diego State 5.92
73 San Jose State 5.24
75 Oregon State 5.57
76 Rutgers 5.99
77 Stanford 5.89
77 Washington 5.4
79 Utah 5.35
80 LSU 5.62
81 UNLV 5.22
82 Kentucky 5.43
83 Boston College 5.69
84 Wyoming 5.55
85 Utah State 5.89
85 Oklahoma State 5.43
87 South Alabama 5.15
88 Miami (Ohio) 5.45
88 Georgia State 5.39
90 Virginia 5.08
91 Akron 5.03
92 Iowa State 4.9
93 Tennessee 4.93
94 Ohio 5.26
95 Ball State 5.17
96 Florida 5.24
97 Illinois 5.41
98 Missouri 5.39
99 Virginia Tech 4.93
100 Southern Mississippi 5.1
101 Hawai'i 4.77
102 Troy 5.34
103 Florida Atlantic 5.39
103 UCF 5.01
105 Army 5.59
106 Minnesota 5.45
107 Northwestern 4.5
108 UTEP 5.3
109 Louisiana-Monroe 4.7
110 Tulane 4.83
111 Purdue 4.95
112 Maryland 5.26
113 Texas 4.92
114 Penn State 4.6
115 Michigan 5.32
116 Syracuse 4.91
117 North Texas 4.87
118 Kansas 4.62
119 Kent State 4.83
120 Temple 4.79
121 South Florida 4.94
122 UTSA 4.48
123 Florida International 4.33
124 Eastern Michigan 4.46
125 Vanderbilt 4.68
126 Connecticut 4.5
127 SMU 4.08
128 Wake Forest 3.38