"Stats are for losers," Muschamp said. "I like winning games."
While I tend to agree with Muschamp on almost everything (like the the sun rising in the West and that the earth is flat), I do take exception with the stats part. I, too, like to win games. I like digging into the stats – see the college fantasy football obsession or playing rotisserie baseball when it required the Monday USA Today sports page so you can compile that week's boxscores. Others around here do too. Surely you have seen a Huckleberry post. Or Dedfisher’s drive chart obsession. I am a reformed CPA so you know I dig some digits.
Yes, I am talking to you, stat geek!
Muschamp told us before the year that he had a couple of defensive stats matter, so don't bother worrying about the fact that Chase Daniel threw for 310 yards. Anyone who watched that game knows they didn't matter a bit. Here is a review of where we stand through seven games.
It should be noted that Texas has already faced two of the top four scoring offenses in the conference, faces the best scoring offense every day in practice, and faces the 4th best offense this week.
Yards Per Passing Attempt
Through 7 games = 6.85
Last Year = 7.61
Muschamp Goal = 5.0
Notes: No one in the Big 12 is close to Muschamp’s goal. When setting his goals, Muschamp still clearly thought JP Wilson was on his schedule. And Jarret Lee and Tim Tebow and whoever now is in Spurrier's "offense". Okie State leads the Big 12 at 5.55. Texas is actually 8th in the conference on this metric.
Third Down Conversion
Through 7 games = 35.2%
Last Year = 39%
Muschamp Goal = 30%
Notes: OU, Okie State, and Texas Tech are all keeping opponents under 30%. Texas is 4th in conference. Texas is first in the conference on Fourth Down conversions at 25% (4 of 16).
Red Zone Defense (any score allowed)
Through 7 games = 68%
Last Year = 77.8%
Notes: Texas leads the conference in Red Zone Defense.
Scoring Defense
Through 7 games = 17.6
Last Year = 25.3
Notes: Texas leads the conference in scoring defense by a full 3 points.
My own stat that matters:
Turnovers Forced
Through 7 games = 10 (1.43 per game)
Last Year = 27 (2.07 per game)
Weird stat…Texas is tied for 10th in the conference – only Kansas State and Nebraska are worse at 8. Iowa State, ironically, leads the conference with 20 turnovers forced (12 fumbles and 8 picks).