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Fun Stat Nerd Tidbit: Kentucky - More On Targets

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Yesterday, we looked at an Arizona State team that had one of the smallest combined target rates for their top three targets, so today we'll use Kentucky as a reason to look at receiving duos. In losing receivers Randall Cobb and Chris Matthews, Kentucky has to replace a duo that accounted for 51% of the team's targets in 2010, 18th-most in the country.

Teams With Highest Target Rates Among Top Two Receivers
1. Western Michigan (64.0%, Juan Nunez and Jordan White)
2. Navy (57.2%, Greg Jones and Gee Gee Greene)
3. San Diego State (54.7%, DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown)
4. Missouri (54.4%, T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew)
5. Washington (53.8%, Jermaine Kearse and D'Andre Goodwin)
6. Cincinnati (53.3%, Armon Binns and D.J. Woods)
7. Kent State (53.0%, Sam Kirkland and Tyshon Goode)
8. Florida Atlantic (52.8%, Lestar Jean and Rob Housler)
9. Bowling Green (52.3%, Kamar Jorden and Tyrone Pronty)
10. Illinois (52.1%, A.J. Jenkins and Jarred Fayson)
11. Washington State (51.9%, Marquess Wilson and Jared Karstetter)
12. Nebraska (51.5%, Brandon Kinnie and Niles Paul)
13. Buffalo (51.5%, Marcus Rivers and Terrell Jackson)
14. SMU (51.4%, Cole Beasley and Aldrick Robinson)
15. Ohio State (51.4%, DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher)
16. Michigan (51.2%, Roy Roundtree and Darryl Stonum)
17. South Carolina (50.8%, Alshon Jeffery and Tori Gurley)
18. Kentucky (50.6%, Randall Cobb and Chris Matthews)
19. Toledo (50.6%, Eric Page and Adonis Thomas)
20. California (49.5%, Marvin Jones and Keenan Allen)

Average Passing S&P+ rank of the teams on this list: 57.9.
Average Passing S&P+ rank of the teams at the bottom of the list: 81.7.

Apparently it's not a good idea to be on either extreme of this list, which makes sense. Focusing too much on two guys will make you predictable, but having no go-to options isn't good either. But if you have to skew in one direction, skew higher. As you'll see after the jump, five of the top ten Passing S&P+ teams ranked in the Top 25 of this list, while only one top ten Passing S&P+ team ranked in the bottom 45.

Complete list after the jump.

Rk Team Comb. Target Rate,
Top Two Receivers
Passing S&P+ Rk
1 Western Michigan 64.0% 79
2 Navy 57.2% 26
3 San Diego State 54.7% 24
4 Missouri 54.4% 34
5 Washington 53.8% 18
6 Cincinnati 53.3% 27
7 Kent State 53.0% 113
8 Florida Atlantic 52.8% 71
9 Bowling Green 52.3% 114
10 Illinois 52.1% 73
11 Washington State 51.9% 67
12 Nebraska 51.5% 63
13 Buffalo 51.5% 110
14 SMU 51.4% 58
15 Ohio State 51.4% 16
16 Michigan 51.2% 5
17 South Carolina 50.8% 9
18 Kentucky 50.6% 33
19 Toledo 50.6% 60
20 California 50.5% 106
21 Indiana 50.3% 41
22 Connecticut 49.5% 96
23 USC 49.4% 37
24 Auburn 49.3% 1
25 Boise State 48.9% 3
26 West Virginia 48.9% 42
27 Temple 48.7% 90
28 Miami-OH 48.5% 91
29 Army 48.5% 94
30 Pittsburgh 48.4% 25
31 Hawaii 48.1% 28
32 Miami-FL 48.0% 38
33 Rutgers 47.5% 92
34 Oregon 47.4% 21
35 Iowa 47.3% 23
36 Virginia Tech 47.0% 10
37 Kansas 46.8% 120
38 East Carolina 46.8% 32
39 Oklahoma 46.7% 7
40 LSU 46.3% 59
41 Oklahoma State 46.3% 8
42 Alabama 45.5% 4
43 Virginia 45.4% 80
44 Georgia Tech 45.2% 104
45 Maryland 45.2% 39
46 Minnesota 44.8% 51
47 San Jose State 44.5% 88
48 Nevada 44.2% 12
49 Texas A&M 44.0% 36
50 South Florida 43.6% 81
51 New Mexico State 43.5% 115
52 Notre Dame 43.5% 35
53 Wyoming 43.1% 84
54 Houston 43.0% 65
55 Tennessee 42.8% 43
56 Florida International 42.7% 64
57 Wake Forest 42.7% 103
58 Mississippi State 42.6% 55
59 New Mexico 42.6% 119
60 Central Florida 42.3% 50
61 Duke 42.3% 57
62 Western Kentucky 42.2% 116
63 Ohio 41.9% 62
64 UL-Monroe 41.9% 89
65 Akron 41.9% 118
66 Michigan State 41.8% 20
67 Colorado 41.5% 40
68 UNLV 41.4% 66
69 Oregon State 41.4% 15
70 Florida State 41.1% 11
71 Baylor 41.1% 13
72 Central Michigan 40.8% 93
73 Northwestern 40.4% 77
74 Penn State 40.2% 54
75 Stanford 40.1% 2
76 North Texas 39.9% 102
77 Georgia 39.7% 22
78 Wisconsin 39.6% 14
79 Arkansas State 39.2% 82
80 Kansas State 39.2% 48
81 Iowa State 39.0% 75
82 Air Force 39.0% 29
83 Utah 38.7% 19
84 Arizona 38.7% 31
85 Syracuse 38.7% 100
86 TCU 38.4% 17
87 Fresno State 38.2% 52
88 Ole Miss 38.0% 49
89 Northern Illinois 37.8% 46
90 Texas 37.6% 107
91 Texas Tech 37.6% 30
92 Marshall 37.5% 78
93 Memphis 37.1% 105
94 Troy 36.9% 53
95 Louisiana Tech 36.8% 83
96 UCLA 36.2% 111
97 Eastern Michigan 36.2% 70
98 Tulsa 36.1% 69
99 Clemson 36.0% 72
100 NC State 35.9% 45
101 UTEP 35.9% 98
102 Utah State 35.9% 99
103 Ball State 35.8% 108
104 Purdue 35.5% 109
105 Boston College 35.3% 97
106 Tulane 34.8% 101
107 North Carolina 34.6% 44
108 BYU 34.1% 86
109 Florida 34.0% 61
110 Arkansas 33.6% 6
111 Vanderbilt 33.2% 117
112 Louisville 32.9% 56
113 Southern Miss 31.9% 74
114 UL-Lafayette 31.3% 95
115 UAB 31.2% 68
116 Rice 30.7% 76
117 Colorado State 29.5% 87
118 Arizona State 28.5% 47
119 Idaho 28.4% 85
120 Middle Tennessee 27.7% 112