:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38703610/455339278.0.jpg)
Throughout this season, I plan to keep track of Baylor's offensive and defensive play just like I did a year ago, with projections for the rest of the season, a bit of analysis, and a lot of numbers. We won't get into the projections yet since we're just 3 weeks into the season, but we can start everything else.
Total Offense/Defense
| Passing | Rushing | Total Offense | First Downs | Penalties | Turnovers | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Split | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | Pass | Rush | Pen | Tot | No. | Yds | Fum | Int | Tot |
| Offense | 3 | 23.7 | 37.3 | 63.4 | 416.0 | 4.3 | 47.0 | 238.3 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 84.3 | 654.3 | 7.8 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 0.7 | 30.0 | 8.7 | 75.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 |
| Defense | 3 | 15.7 | 29.7 | 52.8 | 156.7 | 0.7 | 35.0 | 64.3 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 64.7 | 221.0 | 3.4 | 6.0 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 11.0 | 5.7 | 44.7 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.7 |
| Difference | +8.0 | +7.6 | +10.6 | +259.3 | +3.6 | +12.0 | +174.0 | +3.3 | +3.7 | +19.6 | +433.3 | +4.4 | +8.7 | +11.0 | -0.6 | +19.0 | +3.0 | +31.0 | 0.0 | -0.4 | -0.4 | |
So far, Baylor is out-gaining our opponents by over 430 yards per game. Just for the sake of comparison, last year's team ended the season with the following averages in total yardage:
Offense: 618.8 yards per game (#1 nationally)
Defense: 360.3 yards per game (#28 nationally)
This year's stats are #1 (offense) and #5 (defense) nationally through 3 games. More ranks below:
Baylor National Ranks in Offensive Categories:
Total Offense: 1
Scoring Offense: 1
Passing Offense: 4
Rushing Offense: 30
Team Passing Efficiency: 3
3rd Down Conversion %: 7
4th Down Conversion %: 1
First Downs Offense: 5
Offensive Stats
Quarterbacks
| Passing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| 1 | Bryce Petty | 36 | 57 | 63.2 | 577 | 10.1 | 12.2 | 6 | 0 | 182.9 |
| 2 | Seth Russell | 32 | 52 | 61.5 | 654 | 12.6 | 14.4 | 7 | 1 | 207.8 |
| 3 | Chris Johnson | 3 | 3 | 100.0 | 17 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 0 | 0 | 147.6 |
In Bryce Petty and Seth Russell, Baylor fans are privileged to have the #7 and #3 QBs, respectively in all of NCAA in terms of overall QB rating. If you prefer ESPN's proprietary "Total QBR," they are #2 and #1.
Running Backs
| Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 1 | Rashodrick Linwood | 47 | 210 | 4.5 | 4 | 3 | 57 | 19.0 | 0 | 50 | 267 | 5.3 | 4 |
| 2 | Johnny Jefferson | 43 | 216 | 5.0 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 44 | 232 | 5.3 | 2 |
| 3 | Silas Nacita | 23 | 134 | 5.8 | 3 | 23 | 134 | 5.8 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Seth Russell | 13 | 82 | 6.3 | 2 | 13 | 82 | 6.3 | 2 | ||||
| 5 | Devin Chafin | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | 0 | ||||
| 6 | Bryce Petty | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 1 | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 1 | ||||
| 7 | Chris Johnson | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | ||||
Unfortunately, after not getting much run against Buffalo this past week, Salsa Nacho no longer leads the team in rushing yards or rushing TDs. Fear not; the Nacho will return.
You can get a sense from these stats why Baylor fans are a bit perplexed with the rushing game this season. For normal offensive teams, a team-wide 5.1 yards per carry average would be great, if not amazing. For Baylor, it's a slight drop from last year's 5.4. Linwood, in particular, has seen his per carry average fall from 6.9 to 4.5, nearly two and a half yards.
Wide Receivers
| Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds ▾ | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 1 | K.D. Cannon | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 14 | 471 | 33.6 | 5 | 15 | 475 | 31.7 | 5 |
| 2 | Jay Lee | 19 | 294 | 15.5 | 4 | 19 | 294 | 15.5 | 4 | ||||
| 3 | Lynx Hawthorne | 12 | 154 | 12.8 | 2 | 12 | 154 | 12.8 | 2 | ||||
| 5 | Tre'Von Armstead | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 1 | ||||
| 7 | Jordan Feuerbacher | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | ||||
| 8 | Quan Jones | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | ||||
Even with as much as I loved our freshmen WRs coming into this season, I never would have expected those three players to be leading the team in receptions thus far.*
*Note: For some reason, Sports-Reference.com's charts don't include Davion Hall. I have no idea why that is. He'd be #3 on this list in receptions and yards with 13 and 192, respectively.
Baylor National Ranks in Defensive Categories
Total Defense: 5
Scoring Defense: 5
Team Pass Efficiency Defense: 18
Rushing Defense: 5
Pass Defense: 16
Team Sacks: 2
Team Tackles for Loss: 5
First Downs Defense: 7
Defensive Stats
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| 1 | Bryce Hager | 11 | 8 | 19 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | Taylor Young | 11 | 7 | 18 | 2.5 | 2.0 | |||||||||
| 3 | Orion Stewart | 10 | 6 | 16 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Collin Brence | 8 | 2 | 10 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Jamal Palmer | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2.0 | 2.0 | |||||||||
| 6 | Travon Blanchard | 6 | 3 | 9 | 1.5 | 0.0 | |||||||||
| 7 | Shawn Oakman | 7 | 2 | 9 | 4.0 | 3.0 | |||||||||
| 8 | Raaquan Davis | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Terrence Singleton | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Xavien Howard | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1.0 | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 11 | Grant Campbell | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 12 | Aiavion Edwards | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1.0 | ||||||||||
| 13 | Alfred Pullom | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 14 | Andrew Billings | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1.0 | ||||||||||
| 15 | Beau Blackshear | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | ||||||||||
| 16 | Kendall Ehrlich | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 17 | Brian Nance | 2 | 3 | 5 | .5 | 0.0 | |||||||||
| 18 | Taion Sells | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 19 | Chance Waz | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 20 | Javonte Magee | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1.0 | ||||||||||
| 21 | Suleiman Masumbuko | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1.0 | ||||||||||
| 22 | Ryan Reid | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 23 | Tion Wright | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 24 | Byron Bonds | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 25 | Davion Hall | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 26 | Baylor Black | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 27 | Lee Bristow | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 28 | Trevor Clemons-Valdez | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
| 29 | Levi Norwood | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | ||||||||||
I've never used Sports-Reference's defensive stats before, and I'll tell you why: a lot of players are missing. From what I can tell, K.J. Smith (9 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 2 sacks), Andrew Billings (5, 3.5, 1), Terrell Burt (8, 1 TFL), Aiavion Edwards (6, .5, .5) are all missing, among others. I'll see if I can't email the guy over there and get those in posthaste.
As a whole, Baylor's defense has 28 tackles for loss and 15 sacks through 3 games. I've had trouble finding the team record for tackles for loss in a season, but sacks is 40, set in 1992.