Minnesota vs. Syracuse: Lets get down to stats!

[Trueblue25]

Both Minnesota and Syracuse claim that their running games are their strengths!

Minnesota (Minnesota, BC)

Attempts per game: 45 (13th overall), 40 (53rd overall)
Yards per game: 200 (29th overall), 227 (18th overall)
Yards per attempt: 4.4 (54th overall), 5.7 (9th overall)
Rushing play %: 67% (7th overall), 66% (8th overall)
Rushing yards %: 58% (9th overall), 62% (7th overall) *This stat refers to % of total yards gained.

Syracuse

Attempts per game: 42 (34th overall)
Yards per game: 191 (37th overall)
Yards per attempt: 4.6 (47th overall)
Rushing play %: 56% (39th overall)
Rushing yards %: 54% (16th overall)

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncf/stats/

Already by looking at Minnesota's stats, they resemble Boston College. Minnesota's rushing game is a less efficient, less powerful version of BC's. I suspect they don't have nearly as strong of an offensive line, and they do not have a heisman back.

Let us now look at our defenses against the run!

Minnesota

Opponents total rushing attempts per game: 34.2 (17th)
Opponents rushing yards per game: 162 (58th)
Opponents rushing 1st downs per game: 8 (41st)
Opponents yards per attempt: 4.7 (89th)
Opponents rushing play %: 51% (39th)
Opponents rushing yards %: 42% (66th)

Syracuse

Opponents total rushing attempts per game: 37% (31st)
Opponents rushing yards per game: 146 (36th)
Opponents rushing 1st downs per game: 9 (56th)
Opponents yards per attempts: 4.0 (48th)
Opponents rushing play %: 50% (29th)
Opponents rushing yards %: 37% (95th)

Both teams seem to have solid running games, and pretty decent run defenses. It's clear that teams attack and beat Syracuse over the air.

Lets take a look at the passing defenses, because I'm curious.

Minnesota:

Opponents passing yards per game: 32 (50th)
Opponents completions per game: 20 (66th)
Opposing completion %: 61% (83rd)
Opposing passing YPG: 222 (46th)
Opposing passing 1st downs per game: 10 (32nd)
Opposing yards per pass attempt: 7 (54th)
Opposing yards per completion: 11 (26th)
Sack %: 3.81% (114th uh oh I believe we've found a weakness)

Syracuse:

Opponents passing yards per game: 34 (77th)
Opponents completions per game: 21 (89th)
Opposing completion %: 61% (80th)
Opposing passing YPG: 248 (85th)
Opposing passing 1st downs per game: 10 (47th)
Opposing yards per pass attempt: 7 (70th)
Opposing yards per completion: 12 (51st)
Sack %: 7.39% (20th yeah hardnosed)


*many other passing defense stats available, I just picked and chose. http://www.teamrankings.com/ncf/stats/

Passing Offenses

Minnesota/Syracuse

Passing attempts per game: 20 (118th)/31 (76th)
Completions per game: 10.4 (120th)/17.7 (81st)
Completion %: 51 (115th)/57% (75th)
Passing YPG: 144 (116th)/165 (110th)
QB sack %: 8.2% (106th)/4.48% (33rd)
Yards per attempt: 7 (71st)/5.3 (122nd)
Yards per completion: 13.8 (17th), 9.3 (124th)
Avg. Passer Rating: 118.5 (90)/100.6 (117th)


Turnovers:

Minnesota: +.04
Syracuse: -.01

Stats that stood out to me:

-Yards per completion- We need to shutdown the Minnesota running game while applying pressure to the QB. Minnesota is a run 1st, run 2nd team...but it seems like they have the ability to burn a team that overly commits to stoping the run.

- QB sack %: Minnesota gives up a lot of sacks, which weakens there run game. We do not.

-Sack %: We sack QBs a lot, Minnesota does not. Goods news for TH and the run game.

 

[Trueblue25]

I'm assuming that Syracuse and Minnesota have faced similar levels of competition. Though, due to FSU and Clemson...I'd give Syracuse a bit of an edge. I was not overly impressed by OSU when I watched them play UB. Though to be fair, that was the first game of their season. Northwestern was undeniably a stronger more healthier team when they squared off against SU. I'm not really sure how the Big 10s conference schedule compares with ours.

 

[GoSU96]

All this is based on CFBStats rankings.

Against the 11 D1A opponents they faced 53% (1164 or 2198) of the yards gained on the season came in four games against the 106th, 112th, 117th, and 125 ranked run defenses.

SU is ranked 28th in run defense. In the four games Minnesota played against teams with higher ranked run defenses they averaged 98 yds per game and 2.61 yds per carry.

SU played three teams ranked just above Minnesota (52nd) on run defense Maryland (47), BC (50), and Clemson (51) and averaged 258 yds rushing.

SU's run defense is an undersold story. They gave up 1621 in 11 D1A games this year. Against GT (6th Rushing Off), BC (20th), and FSU (27th) they gave up 811 yds, 270 ave. In the remaining 8 games they gave up 810, 101 ave.

Minnesota is alot closer to those 8 teams than they are to GT, BC, and FSU.

 

[orange79]

Both Minnesota and Syracuse claim that their running games are their strengths!

Minnesota (Minnesota, BC)

Attempts per game: 45 (13th overall), 40 (53rd overall)
Yards per game: 200 (29th overall), 227 (18th overall)
Yards per attempt: 4.4 (54th overall), 5.7 (9th overall)
Rushing play %: 67% (7th overall), 66% (8th overall)
Rushing yards %: 58% (9th overall), 62% (7th overall) *This stat refers to % of total yards gained.

Syracuse

Attempts per game: 42 (34th overall)
Yards per game: 191 (37th overall)
Yards per attempt: 4.6 (47th overall)
Rushing play %: 56% (39th overall)
Rushing yards %: 54% (16th overall)

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncf/stats/

Already by looking at Minnesota's stats, they resemble Boston College. Minnesota's rushing game is a less efficient, less powerful version of BC's. I suspect they don't have nearly as strong of an offensive line, and they do not have a heisman back.

Let us now look at our defenses against the run!

Minnesota

Opponents total rushing attempts per game: 34.2 (17th)
Opponents rushing yards per game: 162 (58th)
Opponents rushing 1st downs per game: 8 (41st)
Opponents yards per attempt: 4.7 (89th)
Opponents rushing play %: 51% (39th)
Opponents rushing yards %: 42% (66th)

Syracuse

Opponents total rushing attempts per game: 37% (31st)
Opponents rushing yards per game: 146 (36th)
Opponents rushing 1st downs per game: 9 (56th)
Opponents yards per attempts: 4.0 (48th)
Opponents rushing play %: 50% (29th)
Opponents rushing yards %: 37% (95th)

Both teams seem to have solid running games, and pretty decent run defenses. It's clear that teams attack and beat Syracuse over the air.

Lets take a look at the passing defenses, because I'm curious.

Minnesota:

Opponents passing yards per game: 32 (50th)
Opponents completions per game: 20 (66th)
Opposing completion %: 61% (83rd)
Opposing passing YPG: 222 (46th)
Opposing passing 1st downs per game: 10 (32nd)
Opposing yards per pass attempt: 7 (54th)
Opposing yards per completion: 11 (26th)
Sack %: 3.81% (114th uh oh I believe we've found a weakness)

Syracuse:

Opponents passing yards per game: 34 (77th)
Opponents completions per game: 21 (89th)
Opposing completion %: 61% (80th)
Opposing passing YPG: 248 (85th)
Opposing passing 1st downs per game: 10 (47th)
Opposing yards per pass attempt: 7 (70th)
Opposing yards per completion: 12 (51st)
Sack %: 7.39% (20th yeah hardnosed)


*many other passing defense stats available, I just picked and chose. http://www.teamrankings.com/ncf/stats/

Passing Offenses

Minnesota/Syracuse

Passing attempts per game: 20 (118th)/31 (76th)
Completions per game: 10.4 (120th)/17.7 (81st)
Completion %: 51 (115th)/57% (75th)
Passing YPG: 144 (116th)/165 (110th)
QB sack %: 8.2% (106th)/4.48% (33rd)
Yards per attempt: 7 (71st)/5.3 (122nd)
Yards per completion: 13.8 (17th), 9.3 (124th)
Avg. Passer Rating: 118.5 (90)/100.6 (117th)


Turnovers:

Minnesota: +.04
Syracuse: -.01

Stats that stood out to me:

-Yards per completion- We need to shutdown the Minnesota running game while applying pressure to the QB. Minnesota is a run 1st, run 2nd team...but it seems like they have the ability to burn a team that overly commits to stoping the run.

- QB sack %: Minnesota gives up a lot of sacks, which weakens there run game. We do not.

-Sack %: We sack QBs a lot, Minnesota does not. Goods news for TH and the run game.

Hey! Get back to work.

 

[Trueblue25]

All this is based on CFBStats rankings.

Against the 11 D1A opponents they faced 53% (1164 or 2198) of the yards gained on the season came in four games against the 106th, 112th, 117th, and 125 ranked run defenses.

SU is ranked 28th in run defense. In the four games Minnesota played against teams with higher ranked run defenses they averaged 98 yds per game and 2.61 yds per carry.

SU played three teams ranked just above Minnesota (52nd) on run defense Maryland (47), BC (50), and Clemson (51) and averaged 258 yds rushing.

SU's run defense is an undersold story. They gave up 1621 in 11 D1A games this year. Against GT (6th Rushing Off), BC (20th), and FSU (27th) they gave up 811 yds, 270 ave. In the remaining 8 games they gave up 810, 101 ave.

Minnesota is alot closer to those 8 teams than they are to GT, BC, and FSU.

Georgia Tech had a legitimate option QB threat. Minnesota does not.

FSU had an extraordinary passing game which led to opportunities for their run game. Minnesota does not have that either.

Thank you for the additional stats, they seemed much more useful.

 

[Trueblue25]

Hey! Get back to work.

Every 2 hours of reading I reward myself with an hour of Syracuse statistical analysis!