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:
100-0: Before Week 6, Oregon’s Record With a 10-Point Lead Since 2005
Oregon’s struggles in the post-Marcus Mariota era continued in Week 6, as the Ducks lost 45-38 in double overtime to Washington State. The defeat against the Cougars was already Oregon’s third loss of the year, which is the most for this program since the 2009 season. Additionally, this was the program’s first loss when leading by 10 or more points in its last 100 games. That’s only part of the bad news for the Ducks. With six games left – including road trips to Arizona State and Stanford – Oregon is in real danger of missing out on a bowl in 2015.
Related: Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney is Tired of Hearing About "Clemsoning"
6: Consecutive Wins by Florida State Over Miami
It wasn’t easy, but Florida State continued its recent dominance over in-state rival Miami on Saturday night with a 29-24 win in Tallahassee. The victory marked the Seminoles’ sixth consecutive victory over the Hurricanes. Florida State has won nine out of the last 11 in this series and has claimed four out of the last five against Florida.
21: Deficit Faced by Tennessee in First Half of Win Over Georgia
Tennessee’s troubles in the second half of games have been well documented this season. But on Saturday, the Volunteers reversed that trend, overcoming a 21-point deficit late in the first half to trail the Bulldogs 24-17 at halftime and eventually win 38-31. After losing its first three games to Power 5 opponents this year, Tennessee desperately needed a good showing on Saturday. The 21-point rally was the third-largest comeback in program history.
Related: 25 Must-See Moments from Week 6
71: Rushing Yards Allowed by Clemson Against Georgia Tech
Clemson’s defense returned only two starters and faced a significant rebuilding effort this preseason. However, the Tigers haven’t missed a beat in 2015. In Saturday’s 43-24 win over Georgia Tech, Clemson held the Yellow Jackets’ option attack to just 71 rushing yards on 42 attempts. The 1.69 yards per carry mark was the lowest by Georgia Tech since 2008 when it managed only 79 yards on 47 attempts against Gardner-Webb. Through five games, the Tigers are holding opponents to 16.6 points a contest and 4.5 yards per play. Coordinator Brent Venables is one of the nation’s top assistant coaches and has quickly reshaped Clemson’s defense into one of the best in the ACC once again.
5: Interceptions by California QB Jared Goff Against Utah
California’s Jared Goff has been one of the nation’s top quarterbacks through the first six games of 2015, but the junior had his hands full against Utah’s defense on Saturday night. Goff tossed a career-high five picks in the 30-24 loss and finished with 340 passing yards on 25 completions. Prior to Saturday night’s game, Goff never tossed more than three interceptions in a single contest and threw nearly as many picks (five) as he had all of 2014 (seven).
Related: Maryland Coach Randy Edsall Goes Off on Media After Loss to Ohio State
313: Rushing Yards by Texas in Win Over Oklahoma
Second-year coach Charlie Strong picked up a huge 24-17 victory over Oklahoma on Saturday. After a 1-4 start, the Longhorns needed positive momentum in order to make a run at a bowl game. Mission accomplished. The 2015 Red River Rivalry was largely decided by the play on the trenches. The Longhorns rushed for 313 yards against the Sooners, which was the program’s highest mark under Strong and the most since Aug. 31, 2013.
4: Losses by USC coach Steve Sarkisian to Double-Digit Underdogs
Thursday night’s loss to Washington was another disappointing defeat for USC under second-year coach Steve Sarkisian. The Trojans are 12-6 under Sarkisian’s watch and 1-2 in Pac-12 games so far this season. For a team picked by some to make the College Football Playoff, a 3-2 record after five games ranks among the nation’s biggest disappointments. Additionally, there’s a concerning trend developing for Sarkisian. Of his six losses with USC, four of those occurred when the Trojans were a double-digit favorite.
97-0: Combined Scores of Michigan’s Last Three Games
The Wolverines recorded their third consecutive shutout on Saturday with a 38-0 victory over Northwestern. Michigan’s defense was dominant all over the box score once again, limiting the Wildcats to 2.9 yards per play and just 2 of 13 on third-down attempts. The Wolverines have not allowed a point in their last three games and have surrendered only 14 over their last five matchups. Michigan’s defense ranks first nationally by limiting opponents to just 6.3 points per game.
59: Portland State’s Margin of Victory Over North Texas
A FCS team beating a FBS team occasionally happens early in the season, but Saturday’s win by Portland State over North Texas was especially noteworthy. The Vikings’ 59-point margin of victory is the biggest by a FCS team over a FBS program. The 59-point loss by the Mean Green cost coach Dan McCarney his job shortly after the game ended.
12: Combined Points Allowed by Boston College in Last Games – Both Losses
Wake Forest’s 3-0 victory over Boston College on Saturday produced plenty of interesting tidbits from the box score and crazy last-minute highlights. The Eagles and Demon Deacons traded fumbles in the final minute, with Boston College unable to get a play off before the clock hit zero on the Wake Forest one-yard line. Not only was the ending bizarre, these two teams combined for just 412 yards on 127 plays, 23 first downs and 18 punts. The Eagles have one of the ACC’s top defenses and have allowed only 12 points in their last two games – both defeats. With injuries sidelining quarterback Darius Wade and running back Jon Hilliman, Boston College is averaging only 2.3 points per game through three ACC contests in 2015.
There's a new top Big 12 team in the AP poll.
