2022 College Football Advanced Stats Recap: Week 5
October has arrived and that means cooler weather and peak CFB!
October is finally here. There is a little cooler breeze in the air, halloween decorations are starting to pop up, and we are getting into the heart of conference matchups in College Football. It can be hard to learn about some teams in September when schedule strengths are so widely distributed. Now, however, we get to see conference foes clash. Let’s recap week 5!
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Washington - UCLA
Friday night saw two unbeaten Pac-12 teams face off. Washington came into the game with more hype, with QB Michael Penix drawing some early heisman attention. However, UCLA stole the show with an extremely efficient performance to knock out Washington and remain undefeated on the season. Dorian Thompson-Robinson finished with 4 total TD’s and a 92.4 QBR. Next up for UCLA? A bout with Utah, followed by Oregon. If they remain undefeated after that…. will cross that bridge if we get there.
Georgia - Missouri
I don’t normally feature Georgia because its just dominating wins, but this one was a little close for comfort despite the post game win probability. Georgia struggled offensively in the first half, but eventually proved to be too strong for the Tigers. Missouri had a 4th and goal at the 4 right before the end of the first half and opted to kick to a FG. If you want to upset the defending national champions, thats a moment you need to roll the dice and try for 6 points. Despite the win, I can’t imagine Kirby Smart is happy about the Georgia performance. God help whoever they play next (Ah, Auburn).
Ole Miss - Kentucky
Coming into this game, all eyes were on Kentucky QB Will Levis. He is the presumed QB3 of the draft, and many were looking for him to solidify his position with a solid outing against the undefeated Ole Miss. Unfortunately, a -0.08 EPA/Play and two crucial fumbles is not what they were looking for. Ole Miss survives a scare against the Wildcats, and Lane Kiffin finds himself 5-0 heading into October.
Clemson - NC State
The second test for Clemson in the ACC Atlantic was a lot more cleaner than their first test. They handle NC State at home to remain unbeaten on the year. DJ Uiagalelei is really starting to heat up in the passing game. It seems like the issue last year has been solved (at least for now) and Clemson is once again looking like a playoff threat this year.
FSU - Wake Forest
Staying in the ACC, the Noles are unbeaten no more as they drop a home game against Wake Forest. This was a frustrating game for the Seminoles, who couldn’t get out of their own way with penalties and turnovers. Still, Wake Forest was the better offense, and that usually will win you the game. Test number 1 is a failure for the Seminoles, who have NC State and Clemson back to back.
Oklahoma - TCU
The curse of OU vs. purple teams continues as they drop back to back games. TCU flat out dominated OU for the entirety of the game. To make matters worse, Dillion Gabriel left the game after a scary hit. The Brent Venebales honeymoon is officially over in Oklahoma.
Illinois - Wisconsin
Illinois thumps Wisconsin in what became Head Coach Paul Chryst’s last game as the head coach of the Badgers. Illinois moves to 4-1 on the season, while Wisconsin starts their first coaching search in a long time. Interim HC and DC Jim Leonhard will get a 7 game tryout against the B1G to see if he is up for the job in a permanent capacity. Unless of course, they go for one of the hottest coaching names in the game…
Kansas - Iowa State
Lance Leipold has done it again folks. Kansas Jayhawks football is STILL UNDEFEATED after 5 football games. They take down Matt Campbell and Iowa State. While the offense wasn’t as strong this game, they still found a way to get it done. Leipold is going to get a LOT of phone calls from Nebraska and Wisconsin area codes in the near future.
Minnesota - Purdue
Minnesota ranked near the top of most offensive efficiency metrics coming into this game. Of course, their out of conference schedule wasn’t really the greatest, so we still had some questions to answer. Some of those questions were answered when they thumped Michigan State. Well, they unfortunately did not pass the second test as they are upset by who else but the Purdue Spoilermakers. Getting Aidan O’Connell back for Purdue was huge, and he was able to lead the Boilermakers in an upset victory. Minnesota drops to 4-1, which a massive test against the Fighting Illini and their vaunted defense.
USC - Arizona State
The final game saw Caleb Williams and USC bounce back with a decisive victory against Arizona State. The offense looked exactly how we expected, however there are some questions regarding the Trojan defense. Going back to his time in Norman, HC Lincoln Riley’s teams have always struggled defensively. This year (per PFF), the Trojans rank T-71st in Yards per play allowed (5.4) and 69th in EPA/Play Against (-0.041). The next two weeks will tell us a lot more about this defense, when they take on Cameron Ward and Washington State, then a bout against Utah.
Power 5 QB Play
Group of 5 QB Play
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