The Bengals finished No. 6 in total defense but allowed 2.4
more yards per play when Burfict was off the field.
Auburn averaged
more yards per play, made fewer crippling errors, and actually took advantage of its scoring opportunities.
Still, after allowing 5.6 or
more yards per play in five of the first eight games, Purdue did so in only one of the final four.
Not exact matches
After allowing 6.4
yards per play in 2015, the Hoosiers allowed
more than 5.8 only twice all season.
Nobody has averaged
more than 5.7
yards per play against Washington all year.
Georgia Tech and UNC both have top - 25 units, but those two teams combined to gain 901
yards (5.6
per play) and score 53 points; the only reason they didn't score
more was because they turned the ball over five times.
It is fair to say that the Longhorns will have
more success against Baylor's offense than SMU (45 points, 5.9
yards per play), Northwestern State (70, 9.2), Buffalo (63, 8.6) or Iowa State (49, 6.2) did.
The pass rush still needs a little
more work, but holding ULM to 166
yards, 2.7
per play, is outstanding.)
Plus, other options like converted quarterback Jerrod Heard, inconsistent junior John Burt, and blue - chip sophomore slot Devin Duvernay (13.3
yards per target) could
play more of a sustained role.
DFS edge: Julio Jones has
played fewer than 80 percent of snaps in consecutive weeks, but his status as the only receiver averaging
more than three
yards per route run makes up for his sporadic attendance.
The Orange have allowed
more than 6.7
yards per play four times this year and under 4.0
yards per play five times.
An opening night road game against a physical opponent is likely to be
more frustrating than fun, and the fact that TCU won (while its retooled defense held Minnesota's retooled offense to 4.6
yards per play) is good enough.
Still, it was fair to expect a bit
more out of Texas A&M's offense than 21 points and 3.5
yards per play.
On offense, things were
more stable, without quite the same upside or downside as the defense, but there were still strange ups (6.1
yards per play vs. Toledo) and downs (4.8 vs. Kent State).
The range on defense, however, was
more like 1.8
yards per play.
And while he inherited
more proven personnel at Penn State in 2014, there was similar improvement: 7.6 fewer points
per game, 1.03 fewer
yards per play.
The division's best quarterback is Willie Reyna of La Verne, who led the division in passing yardage (2,543) and total offense (329.1
yards per game) last year despite his never having run
more than 10
plays in a game in two years at Pasadena City College.
He has
played the most snaps of any left tackle this season, and the Broncos are averaging
more yards per rush and allowing less pressure than they did last season.