Advertisement

Athlon Sports' most interesting stats from Week 5

Athlon Sports' most interesting stats from Week 5

Numbers and statistics are a huge part of college football. Every Sunday, reading updated box scores and stats is like Christmas for fans and media members. Some stats like total offense and total defense are overrated, but each help paint a picture for a team or particular game.

Whether the stats are historic, advanced or just an observation from a box score, Athlon Sports brings the most intriguing, important, historic and bizarre stats from around the weekend of college football action:

65: Average Yards by Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott on TD Runs Against Indiana

When Ohio State needed a big play against Indiana, quarterback Cardale Jones simply handed the ball to Elliott. The junior carried the offense in the 34-27 win over the Hoosiers, recording 274 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Elliott scored three times in the second half, averaging a ridiculous 65 yards on the three touchdown runs. After five weeks, Elliott is tied for first nationally with four rushing plays of 50 yards or more.

Related: 20 Crazy Moments from CFB Week 5

28: Alabama’s Margin of Victory Over Georgia

A 28-point margin of victory isn’t much of a surprise for Alabama under coach Nick Saban. However, the 28-point margin of victory against Georgia was the biggest in school history on the road against a top-10 team. The Crimson Tide thoroughly dominated the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball and scored a touchdown on a blocked punt. Quarterback Jake Coker was an efficient 11 of 16 for 190 yards, running back Derrick Henry chipped in 148 yards on 26 carries, while the defense limited Georgia to just 4.3 yards per play.

7-3: Clemson’s Record in Games Against Top 10 Teams Under Dabo Swinney

Clemson was once known as a program that struggled to reach expectations. Not anymore. The Tigers held off Notre Dame for a 24-22 victory on a soggy night in Death Valley, improving their season record to 4-0. The Fighting Irish entered Week 5 ranked No. 6 nationally in the Associated Press poll. According to Clemson’s sports information department, the win over Notre Dame improved the Tigers to 7-3 under coach Dabo Swinney against top 10 teams.

Related: College Football Awards from Week 5

3: Consecutive 200-Yard Rushing Games by LSU RB Leonard Fournette

Fournette continued his record-setting start to the 2015 season with 233 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries against Eastern Michigan. The sophomore has at least 200 rushing yards in three consecutive games, becoming the first player in SEC history to reach that mark. Additionally, Fournette’s season total (864 yards) is the most by any player in the nation through the first four games of a season since 2006.

88-10: Combined Final Scores of Texas’ Losses in Road Games in 2015

Texas dropped to 1-4 after a lackluster performance in a 50-7 loss to TCU. The 43-point margin of defeat to the Horned Frogs was the second biggest loss in this series, but the seven points underscored a bigger problem for coach Charlie Strong. Texas has managed only 10 points and just 3.6 yards per play in two road games this season. By comparison, in three home games this year, the Longhorns averaged 37.7 points per contest.

Related: Texas Player Retweets Tweet About Transferring to Texas A&M During Game

32.2: Average Yards by Baylor WR Corey Coleman on TD Catches

Baylor’s offense leads the way nationally by averaging 63.8 points per game. Big plays are a staple of this offense under coach Art Briles, as the Bears are tied for first nationally with 15 plays of 40 or more yards. Corey Coleman is one of the nation’s best big-play threats at receiver, averaging 23.8 yards per reception on 24 catches in four games. Additionally, Coleman’s 11 touchdowns are the best by any receiver in college football, and the junior is putting a lot of stress on defenses with each score. Coleman is averaging 32.2 yards on touchdown catches this season.

3: Losses by Tennessee When Leading by at Least 13 Points in 2015

Week 5 brought a familiar storyline for Tennessee fans. The Volunteers led Arkansas 14-0 in the first quarter but couldn't put the Razorbacks away. Arkansas rallied for a 24-20 victory, which dropped Tennessee to 0-3 this season when it led by at least 13 points. And it won’t get any easier for coach Butch Jones, as the Volunteers host Georgia this Saturday, followed by a road trip to Alabama on Oct. 24.

21: Biggest Comeback in North Carolina’s Program History

North Carolina scored a key conference win on Saturday, rallying from a 21-point deficit to defeat Georgia Tech 38-31. The 21-point rally was the largest comeback in school history and helped snap an eight-game losing streak to the Yellow Jackets. Leading the way for North Carolina’s comeback was quarterback Marquise Williams. The senior finished as the team’s leading passer, rusher and receiver in the victory.

1.9: Virginia Tech’s Yards Per Play Against Pittsburgh

Ugly. That’s the best way to describe Virginia Tech’s performance on offense in Saturday’s loss to Pittsburgh. The weather conditions weren’t ideal, but the Hokies managed only 100 yards on 53 plays, rushed for just nine yards, surrendered seven sacks and lost three turnovers. The 100 total yards were the fewest by Virginia Tech since Sept. 12, 1987.

14: Points Allowed by Michigan in Last Four Games

New coach Jim Harbaugh is still working out some of the kinks on Michigan’s offense, but the defense has been dominant in 2015. The Wolverines pitched their second consecutive shutout by blanking Maryland 28-0 on Saturday. This defense has allowed only 14 points over the last four games and no opponent has managed more than 235 yards in that span. Michigan’s defense is allowing just 7.6 points per game after five contests, which ranks second nationally behind Northwestern.