Big 12 Football by the Numbers: Week 4
First, I want to take a moment to apologize for getting this out so late in the week. My goal is to have this ready on Mondays, but sometimes life gets in the way.
Individual sacks is a difficult stat to track due to discrepancies between different stat banks and the way different stats banks count sacks (some will give a player a whole sack for half a sack), so I try to go through it game by game to be sure the count is correct.
Here’s the good news: This week I’ve added sections for Total Defense and Total Offense, and I’ve added per game averages to some of the stats. This is 11 typed pages of stats, lovingly curated to give you a good Big 12 football fix in anticipation of Saturday.
If you spot errors, please feel free to kindly point them out on Twitter or by sending me an email (yes, I read all your mail), and time permitting, I’ll check it and do my best to get it corrected if you prove correct. That said, let’s get to it.
Week 4 is in the books. After a solid Week 3 by the conference overall, last week’s games saw all sorts of problems crop up on the defensive side of things. Even teams that looked good in big wins, such as Baylor and Texas, had bad defensive numbers.
The most impressive defensive performances last week were by Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia. On the offensive side of things, Oklahoma State was impressive in the first half against K-State; Texas had nine offensive touchdowns and over 600 yards; Texas Tech hung over 500 yards and 35 points while Tech QB2 Henry Colombi had 14.1 yards per pass attempt; KU’s offense was respectable against Duke; finally, TCU’s Zach Evans did enough to give the Horned Frogs some hope despite TCU’s Iron Skillet loss to SMU.
Below is a deep dive into the numbers after Week 4 to help you track how the Big 12 is shaping up. It should be noted that TCU has played one fewer game than everyone else in the league. As always, caveat lector: stats can be deceiving this early in conference play.
0-1-2-3-4-5-9
0 Turnovers by Oklahoma State
1 Fumbled snap recovered by Oklahoma State for a touchdown
2 Interceptions thrown by KU QB Jason Bean
3 Passes intercepted by TCU against SMU
4 Sacks by West Virginia against Oklahoma
5 Offensive touchdowns by Texas Tech
9 Offensive touchdowns by Texas
Note: TCU won the turnover battle 3-1 and still lost the game. Texas’ offensive outpouring over the last two games has been impressive, but the defense’s performances against Power 5 foes is cause for real concern in Austin.
MISSED TACKLES (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Texas Tech – 60 (+29); 15 per game
2. Oklahoma State – 54 (+7); 13.5 per game
3. Kansas – 52 (+17); 13 per game
4. Kansas State – 47 (+21); 11.75 per game
T5. Baylor – 45 (+18); 11.25 per game
T5. Texas – 45 (+11) 11.25 per game
7. Oklahoma – 39 (+4); 9.75 per game
8. Iowa State – 38 (+12); 9.5 per game
9. West Virginia – 35 (+14); 8.75 per game
10. TCU – 31 (+16); average: 10.333 per game
Note: Texas Tech missed nearly as many tackles against Texas (29) as it did in the prior three games (31). Kansas State was one of the best tackling teams through the first three weeks, but somehow missed 21 tackles against Oklahoma State, most of them in the first half. Oklahoma State was averaging over 15 missed tackles per game but only missed 7 against K-State.
TEAM SACKS* (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Oklahoma State – 15 (+2); 3.75 per game
2. West Virginia – 14 (+4); 3.5 per game
3. Kansas State – 13 (+1); 3.25 per game
T4. Iowa State – 11 (+2); 2.75 per game
T4. Oklahoma – 11 (+1); 2.75 per game
T6. Texas – 9 (+2); 2.25 per game
T6. Texas Tech – 9 (+1); 2.25 per game
8. Baylor – 5 (+2); 1.25 per game
9. TCU – 3 (+0); 1 per game
10. Kansas – 2 (+0); 0.5 per game
*I count half sacks as half sacks, not whole sacks; therefore, my count differs from other stats.
Note: WVU has picked up 10 of its 14 sacks in the last two games.
POINTS AGAINST (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Baylor– 63 (+29); 15.75 per game
2. Oklahoma – 64 (+13); 16 per game
3. West Virginia – 67 (+16); 16.75 per game
4. Iowa State – 71 (+31); 17.75 per game
5. TCU – 77 (+42); 25.666 per game
6. Kansas State – 78 (+31); 19.5 per game
7. Oklahoma State – 79 (+20); 19.75 per game
8. Texas – 93 (+35); 23.25 per game
9. Texas Tech – 134 (+70); 33.5 per game
10. Kansas – 160 (+52); 40 per game
Note: This is not a direct translation to scoring defense as some teams have allowed opponents’ defenses to score. TCU’s 25.666 average is the 8th worst in the league.
POINTS FOR (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Texas – 187 (+70); 46.75 per game
2. Baylor – 171 (+31); 42.75 per game
T3. Oklahoma – 155 (+16); 38.75 per game
T3. Texas Tech – 155 (+35); 38.75 per game
5. West Virginia – 130 (+13); 32.5 per game
T6. Kansas State – 113 (+20); 28.25 per game
T6. TCU – 113 (+34); 37.666 per game
8. Iowa State – 110 (+29); 27.5 per game
9. Oklahoma State – 103 (+31); 25.75 per game
10. Kansas – 79 (+33); 19.75 per game
Note: This is not a direct translation into scoring offense as some defenses have scored. TCU’s 37.666 average is 5th best in the league.
TOTAL DEFENSE (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Iowa State – 864 yards (+282); 216 yards per game
2. Baylor – 1,161 yards (+479); 290.25 yards per game
3. TCU – 1,174 yards (+595); 391.333 yards per game
4. Oklahoma –1,214 yards (+256); 303.5 yards per game
5. West Virginia – 1,238 yards (+313); 309.5 yards per game
6. Oklahoma State – 1,246 yards (+260); 311.5 yards per game
7. Kansas State – 1,321 yards (+481); 330.25 yards per game
8. Texas Tech – 1,525 yards (+639); 381.25 yards per game
9. Texas – 1,633 yards (+520); 408.25 yards per game
1o. Kansas – 1,895 yards (+607); 473.75 yards per game
Note: Iowa State’s defense is legit. TCU’s average of 391.3 ypg is the 8th worst in the league. Maybe people should hit the pause button on hyping Texas given that the Longhorns defense is giving up over 400 yards per game, and that’s with a shutout against Rice.
TOTAL OFFENSE (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Baylor – 1,958 yards (+282); 489.5 yards per game
2. Texas – 1,936 yards (+639); 484 yards per game
3. Texas Tech – 1,844 yards (+520); 461 yards per game
4. Oklahoma – 1,775 yards (+313); 443.75 yards per game
5. Iowa State – 1,646 yards (+479); 411.5 yards per game
6. Oklahoma State – 1,492 (+481); 373 yards per game
7. West Virginia – 1,489 yards (+256); 372.25 yards per game
T8. Kansas State – 1,382 yards (+260); 345.5 yards per game
T8. TCU – 1,382 yards (+446); 460.666 yards per game
10. Kansas – 1,351 yards (+530); 337.75 yards per game
Note: TCU’s 460.6 ypg average is the 4th best in the conference. Texas: good offense, bad defense.
RUSHING DEFENSE (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Iowa State – 275 yards (+123), 2 TD (+1)
2. Kansas State – 301 yards (+137), 4 TDs (+1)
3. Oklahoma – 318 yards (+68), 4 TDs (+1)
4. Oklahoma State – 348 yards (+62), 3 TDs (+0)
5. West Virginia – 362 yards (+57), 1 TD (+0)
6. Texas Tech –508 yards (+336), 6 TDs (+4)
7. TCU – 544 yards (+350), 4 TDs (+2)
8. Baylor – 565 yards (+216), 4 TDs (+2)
9. Texas – 693 yards (+128), 7 TDs (+2)
10. Kansas 955 yards (+279), 16 TDs (+6)
Note: TCU’s defense got shredded by SMU’s ground game worse than Texas Tech got shredded by Texas and Bijan Robinson. Iowa State is allowing just 68.75 rushing yards per game. Five Big 12 teams are allowing less than 100 yards per game average on the ground. Oklahoma State’s performance against K-State’s ground game was extraordinary.
RUSHING OFFENSE (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Baylor – 1,087 yards (+123), 12 TDs (+1)
2. Texas – 1,057 yards (+336), 15 TDs (+4)
3. Kansas State – 739 yards (+62), 11 TDs (+0)
4. Oklahoma – 644 yards (+57), 10 TDs (+0)
5. Texas Tech – 640 yards (+128), 10 TDs (+2)
6. Iowa State – 623 yards (+216), 7 TDs (+2)
7. TCU – 619 yards (+170), 7 TDs (+1)
8. Oklahoma State – 577 yards (+137), 7 TDs (+1)
9. Kansas – 570 yards (+207), 5 TDs (+2)
10. West Virginia – 419 yards (+68), 9 TDs (+1)
Note: Texas, Iowa State, and Kansas are this weeks’ big movers. Oklahoma and West Virginia hurt each other’s rushing averages badly last week.
PASSING DEFENSE (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Iowa State – 594 yards (+159), 4 TDs (+2), 3 INTs (+0)
2. Baylor – 596 yards (+263), 3 TD (+1), 4 INTs (+1)
3. TCU – 630 yards (+245), 6 TDs (+4), 4 INTs (+3)
4. West Virginia – 871 yards (+256), 6 TDs (+1), 1 INT (+1)
5. Oklahoma – 887 yards (+179), 4 TDs (+0), 3 INT (+1)
6. Oklahoma State – 898 yards (+198), 3 TD (+1), 2 INT (+1)
T7. Kansas – 940 yards (+328), 5 TD (+1), 1 INT (+1)
T7. Texas – 940 yards (+392), 4 TD (+3), 3 INTs (+2)
9. Texas Tech – 1,011 yards (+303), 12 TDs (+5), 6 INTs (+1)
10. Kansas State – 1,020 yards (+344), 4 TD (+2), 4 INTs (+0)
Note: KSU has allowed over 640 yards passing over the last two games.
PASSING OFFENSE (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Texas Tech – 1,193 yards (+392) 9 TDs (+3), 5 INTs (+2)
2.Oklahoma – 1,131 yards (+256), 8 TDs (+1), 3 INTs (+1)
3. Iowa State – 1,023 yards (+263), 5 TD (+1), 4 INTs (+1)
4. West Virginia – 993 yards (+179), 6 TDs (+0), 4 INTs (+1)
5. Oklahoma State – 922 yards (+344), 5 TDs (+2), 2 INTs (+0)
6. Texas – 879 yards (+303), 10 TDs (+5), 2 INT (+1)
7. Baylor – 871 (+159), 7 TDs (+2), 0 INTs
8. Kansas – 781 yards (+323), 5 TDs (+2), 2 INTs (+2)
9. TCU – 763 yards (+276), 8 TDs (+3), 2 INTs (+0)
10. Kansas State – 643 yards (+198), 2 TD (+1), 4 INTs (+1)
Note: TTU QB Tyler Shough is out for about six weeks after being injured against Texas, but Tech QB2 Henry Colombi is a good passer who threw for 14.1 yards per attempt against Texas. Kansas State is struggling mightily with this new-fangled forward pass thing. While much might be blamed on missing QB1 Skylar Thompson due to injury, the problem has more to do with KSU’s receivers not creating separation or catching any 50/50 passes.
INDIVIDUAL SACKS (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Felix Anudike-Uzomah* (KSU) – 4 sacks (+1)
T2. Taijh Alston (WVU) – 3.5 sacks (+2)
T2. Will McDonald IV (ISU) – 3.5 sacks (+1)
T2. Perrion Winfrey (OU) – 3.5 sacks (+1)
T5. Jared Bartlett (WVU) – 3 sacks (+0)
T5. Eyioma Uwazurike** (ISU) – 3 sacks (+1)
7. Isaiah Thomas (OU) – 2.5 sacks (+0.5)
T8. Khalid Duke*** (KSU) – 2 sacks (+0)
T8. Jaylon Hutchings (TTU) – 2 sacks (+0)
T8. Brock Martin (OSU) – 2 sacks (+0)
T8. Ovie Oghoufo (UT) – 2 sacks (+0)
T8. Darius Stills (WVU) – 2 sacks (+1)
T8. Tyree Wilson (TTU) – 2 sacks (+1)
T14. Reggie Grimes (OU) – 1.5 sacks (+0)
T14. Devin Harper (OSU) – 1.5 sacks (+0)
T 14. Tyler Lacy (OSU) – 1.5 sacks (+1)
T14. Jalen Redmon (OU) – 1.5 sacks (+0)
* ESPN lists Anudike-Uzoma as having just one sack, but this is wrong as he had 3 against Nevada and 1 against Oklahoma State. Always double-check ESPN.
**Uwazurkie was left off last week’s list due to my error.
***Khalid Duke is out for the season with an injury sustained in Week 3.
Note: More than a dozen Big 12 players have at least one sack. Alston came up with a huge game for WVU against OU.
LEADING RUSHERS (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Bijan Robinson (UT) – 436 yards (+137) 5 TDs (+0), 70 carries (+18)
2. Breece Hall (ISU) – 428 yards (+190), 6 TDs (+2), 87 carries (+27)
3. Abram Smith (BU) – 413 yards (+47), 1 TDs (+0), 57 carries (+10)
4. Deuce Vaughn (KSU) – 393 yards (+22) 5 TDs (+0), 75 carries (+13)
5. Jaylen Warren (OSU) – 387 yards (+123), 4 TDs (+0), 79 carries, (+27)
6. Trestan Ebner (BU) – 348 yards (+31), 0 TDs, 50 carries (+8)
7. Zach Evans (TCU) – 330 yards (+113), 2 TDs (+0), 42 carries (+15)
8. Leddie Brown (WVU) – 321 yards (+56), 5 TDs (+0), 66 carries (+15)
9. Tahj Brooks (TTU) – 284 yards (+0), 4 TDs (+0), 35 carries (+0)
10. Kennedy Brooks (OU) – 236 yards (+17), 3 TDs (+0), 52 carries (+12)
11. Eric Gray (OU) – 223 yards, 0 TDs, 45 carries (+12)
12. Jason Bean (KU) – 221 yards (+54), 2 TDs (+0), 55 carries (+15)
Note: ISU’s Breece Hall is rapidly moving up these rankings after a slow start. KSU’s Deuce Vaughn tumbled from the top spot after being bottled up all day by OSU’s defense. Speaking of OSU, Jaylen Warren continues to rise after getting few opportunities in the first two games.
LEADING RECEIVERS (CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK)
1. Erik Ezukanma (TTU) – 406 yards (+56), 1 TD (+0), 23 receptions (+7)
2. R.J. Sneed (BU) – 317 yards (+57), 1 TD (+0), 16 receptions (+4)
3. Xavier Hutchinson (ISU) – 285 yards (+42), 2 TDs (+0), 24 receptions (+4)
4. Jordan Whittington (UT) – 238 yards (+93), 2 TD (+1), 17 receptions (+4)
5. Kaylon Geiger (TTU) – 232 yards (+100), 1 TD (+1), 14 receptions (+5)
6. Tyquan Thornton (BU) – 224 yards (+44), 3 TDs (+1), 16 receptions (+3)
7. Bryce Ford-Wheaton (WVU) – 219 yards (+93), 1 TD (+0), 15 receptions (+8)
8. Trevor Wilson (KU) – 216 yards (+122), 1 TD (+0), 12 receptions (+5)
9. Kwamie Lassiter II (KU) – 210 yards (+99), 1 TD (+1), 15 receptions (+4)
10. Tay Martin (OSU) – 207 yards (+100), 2 TD (+1), 15 receptions (+9)
11. Marvin Mims (OU) – 193 yards (+25), 0 TDs, 10 receptions (+2)
12. Sam James (WVU) – 187 yards (+21), 3 TDs (+0), 15 receptions (+5)
13. Brennan Presley (OSU) – 178 yards (+53), 1 TD (+1), 11 receptions (+2)
14. Winston Wright, Jr. (WVU) – 172 yards (+65), 0 TDs, 17 receptions (+7)
15. Phillip Brooks (KSU) – 170 yards (+40), 0 TDs, 11 receptions (+2)
16. Sean Ryan (WVU) – 158 yards (+0), 1 TD (+0), 8 receptions (0)
17. Malik Knowles (KSU) – 151 yards (+26), 0 TDs, 9 receptions (+3)
18. Jaden Bray (OSU) – 136 yards (+0), 1 TD (+0), 6 receptions (+0)
19. Quentin Johnston (TCU) – 133 yards (+0), 2 TDs (+0), 9 receptions (+0)
20. Jaylen Warren (OSU) – 117 yards (+81), 0 TDs, 7 receptions (+4)
Note: No one below Brennan Presley is in the Top 200 nationally. Erik Ezukanma continues to lead the league despite having two straight games without eye-popping yardage. KU finally got its passing game going to give big jumps for Trevor Wilson and Kwamie Lassiter II. KSU’s Deuce Vaughn is not listed, but he surpassed 100 yards on the season with a big game against OSU: 73 yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions; this is of note because he was KSU’s leading receiver in 2020.
