Go figure: Big East statistical oddities

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, October 16, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

College Football
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Some interesting things gleaned from the Big East stats at the halfway point:

1. Misleading stat No. 1: Syracuse is seventh in the league in scoring offense, managing just 105 points in six games. However, the Orange is second in the league in red-zone success, scoring 13 out of 15 times inside the opposing 20. Pitt leads with 17 of 17.

2. As might be expected, Cincinnati All-America cornerback Mike Mickens leads the conference in passes defended with six -- a stat usually reserved for DBs. Second, though, is 6-foot-4, 243-pound Louisville defensive end Rodney Gnat, who has been "defending" passes by swatting them down at the line of scrimmage.

3. Speaking of Cincinnati, the Bearcats are tops in the Big East in passing efficiency, despite having gone through four different quarterbacks this season.

4. Donald Brown of Connecticut has a 465-yard lead over second-place Adrian Devine in the conference rushing race. Brown is also the main reason the Huskies have a huge lead in time of possession.

5. Misleading stat No. 2: Rutgers leads the conference in pass defense, with opponents averaging just 166 yards a game through the air. But one reason for that is that the Scarlet Knights are seventh in rushing defense -- and enemy quarterbacks are averaging 8.9 yards per completion when they do throw.

6. The closest statistical race thus far is among punters, with Rob Long of Syracuse averaging 46.3 yards, Kevin Huber of Cincinnati racking up 45.9 and Pat McAfee of West Virginia totaling 45.4. Long is obviously getting the most practice.

7. Cincinnati's Connor Barwin leads the conference in sacks with six. What's surprising about that is that Barwin played tight end last season.

8. South Florida is tops in total offense and total defense, which does not bode well for the rest of the league.

9. Don't try to go for it on fourth down against Connecticut -- the Huskies have stopped all seven attempts this season. On the flip side, Pitt is 8 for 10.

10. Cincinnati has eight interceptions -- second in the league -- and two of the top secondary men in the country in Mickens and DeAngelo Smith. Yet the Bearcats are last in the league in pass defense. Louisville, which was notoriously porous against the pass in 2007, is third.

Go figure.



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