Baylor Bears

Big 12 Midseason Review: Numbers to Know for Each Team

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Numbers tell a story. It’s one of the constants in college football, and after a certain amount of data is collected, the numbers can paint a pretty good picture of what’s real and what’s not.

At the halfway point in the 2023 season, we’ve got six or seven games worth of data for each Big 12 football team, and each of them has at least one or two stats that tell the story of their season to this point.

Let’s take a look at some of the key numbers for teams around the Big 12 in hopes of learning what the conference race might look like when we get to December.

 

Baylor Bears | 2-4 (1-2 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 21.7: The average number of points that Baylor is scoring in 2023. They rank 14th in the Big 12 and 109th nationally in scoring offense.
  • 3.00: The number of sacks Baylor is surrendering per game. The Bears have given up 18 on the year, ranking last in the Big 12 and 108th nationally
  • 37.3: Points allowed per game in Big 12 play. The Bears have given up 38, 35, and 39 points in conference play thus far with only Houston (41.3) and UCF (43.7) allowing more points per game.

BYU Cougars | 4-2 (1-2 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 67.5: Rushing yards per game for BYU in 2023. The Cougars rushing offense ranks 129th out of 130 teams, and their 2.38 yards per attempt is dead last in the country.
  • 7.0: The number of sacks BYU has recorded in 2023. They rank 123rd nationally and last in the Big 12.
  • 30.4%: BYU’s third down conversion rate. An inability to run the football makes BYU one of the worst third-down offenses in the country (123rd nationally).

Cincinnati Bearcats | 2-4 (0-3 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 90.9%: Cincinnati’s red zone defensive percentage. Allowing a total of 20 scores on 22 trips, the Bearcats are one of the worst red zone defenses in America (112th nationally), and the worst in the Big 12.
  • 59.2: Penalty yards against Cincinnati per game. Ranks 14th in the Big 12 and 94th nationally.
  • 104.2: Rushing yards allowed per game. The Bearcats are the Big 12’s best rushing defense and rank 17th nationally.
 

Houston Cougars | 3-3 (1-2 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 31.3: the number of points per game that Houston’s defense is allowing, rankings 105th nationally and last in Big 12.
  • 47.1%: Houston’s third-down conversion defense in 2023. That conversion rate ranks 120th nationally and last in the Big 12.
  • 10-0: Donovan Smith’s TD:INT ratio over the last three games. The Cougars have averaged 35.6 points in that stretch and have had a good rhythm offensively.

Iowa State Cyclones | 4-3 (3-1 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 4.7: Iowa State’s average yards per carry over its last three games. In its first four games, their average was just 2.7. The turnaround in Ames can be attributed to that state alone.
  • 5: The number of sacks Iowa State’s offense has surrendered in 2023. Only seven teams in the nation have allowed less, and four of those teams have played only six games.
  • 12: The number of interceptions Iowa State’s defense has forced in 2023, tying them with Oklahoma for second nationally.

Kansas Jayhawks | 5-2 (2-2 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 100%: The amount of times that Kansas’ opponents have scored when getting inside the red zone (27/27). The Jayhawks are one of three teams tied for last nationally in red zone defense
  • 19: Sacks collected by the Kansas defense through its first seven games. This ties TCU for most in the Big 12, and 31st nationally.
  • 5.92: Kansas’ average yards per rush in 2023, ranking ninth nationally and second in the Big 12. Their 212.0 rushing yards per game is good for 13th nationally.

Kansas State Wildcats | 4-2 (2-1 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 36.2: K-State’s points per game, which ranks second in the Big 12 and 20th nationally.
  • 108.2: K-State’s rushing yards per game allowed, ranking second in the Big 12 and 21st nationally.
  • 257.7: Rushing yards per game in Big 12 play, which leads the Big 12 by a wide margin (Texas second w/ 222.3). The Wildcats’ 13 rushing TDs in Big 12 play is also the most in conference play (Texas second w/ 9).
 

Oklahoma Sooners | 6-0 (3-0 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • +11: Oklahoma’s turnover margin on the year. They rank first nationally in turnover margin and fourth in turnovers gained, with 15 total.
  • 63.6%: Oklahoma’s red zone defense percentage. The Sooners have allowed opponents in the red zone just 11 times and rank third nationally with scores on just 63.6% of those drives.
  • 45.2: Average points per game for Oklahoma in 2023. The Sooners’ scoring offense ranks fourth nationally and first in the Big 12 by nearly a 10-point margin.

Oklahoma State Cowboys | 4-2 (2-1 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 141.7: Ollie Gordon’s average rushing yards per game in Big 12 play thus far. He ranks second in the Big 12 behind only Texas’ Jonathan Brooks (
  • 14, 13: Oklahoma State’s Big 12 ranking in passing offensive (115.3) and passing defensive efficiency (146.2), respectively.
  • 4: The number of blocked kicks Oklahoma State has through six games. They are tied for first nationally in the statistic and are one of just two teams to block four kicks this year (Illinois).

TCU Horned Frogs | 4-3 (2-2 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 6: The number of missed field goal attempts that TCU has in 2023, which leads the Big 12. Their 62.5% on field goal tries (10/16) ranks 13th in the Big 12.
  • 19: Sacks by the TCU defense in 2023, which ties Kansas for the Big 12 lead and ranks them 31st nationally.
  • 58: The number of passing attempts that Josh Hoover had in his first career start against BYU last week. The Horned Frogs’ offense has been efficient running the ball this season, but they might start airing it out more with Hoover in and Chandler Morris out with injury.

Texas Longhorns | 5-1 (2-1 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 1: Texas’ Big 12 rank in total defense this season, allowing just 323.3 total yards per game (26th nationally). The Longhorns rank second in the Big 12 (15th nationally) in scoring defense, allowing just 16.33 points per game.
  • 83.3%: Texas’ red zone offense percentage, which ranks 70th nationally and eighth in the Big 12. Their 11 red zone touchdowns (on 24 trips) is more than only Iowa State, Cincinnati, and Baylor (all w/ 10)
  • 7.6: Texas’ average yards per play in Big 12 games this season. The Longhorns lead the conference in that category, with Kansas being second with 7.0 yards per play in Big 12 play.

Texas Tech Red Raiders | 3-4 (2-2 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 49.1%: Texas Tech’s odds of getting to bowl eligibility heading into Week 8, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
  • 26:55: Texas Tech’s average time of possession, which ranks dead last in the Big 12 and 119th nationally.
  • 3: The number of quarterbacks who will potentially have had starts for Texas Tech in the first eight weeks of the season if Behren Morton can’t go on Saturday.

UCF Knights | 3-3 (0-3 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 4: UCF’s national ranking in total offense with 516.7 yards per game. Their scoring offense ranks 28th however, with 34.7 points per game.
  • 246.3: The Knights’ rushing yards per game, which ranks first in the Big 12 and third nationally behind only Air Force (334.2) and Liberty (274.6).
  • 5.0: The average yards per rush that UCF has allowed this season. That’s the most in the Big 12, and their 197.2 rushing yards allowed per game is the worst in the Big 12 and ranks 120th nationally.

West Virginia Mountaineers | 4-2 (2-1 Big 12)

Numbers to Know

  • 33:31: West Virginia’s average time of possession, which ranks first in the Big 12 and seventh nationally.
  • 28.4%: West Virginia’s third down conversion defense ranks seventh nationally, tied with Texas, allowing first downs on 23 of 81 tries this season.
  • 194.8: The average passing yards for West Virginia per game. This ranks last in the Big 12 and 103rd nationally.
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