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In today’s Illinois preview at SB Nation, I drew reference to three-and-out rates (drives that feature three plays and a punt). I did this because Illinois’ were amazingly awful, but since I broached the topic I figured I should share the whole list.
As I put it in the Illini piece, creating and avoiding three-and-outs is merely step one toward having a good offense or defense. Purdue, for instance, was pretty good at moving the chains once and pretty iffy at everything else. Still, it’s something we draw reference to here and there, but it’s not a list I share frequently enough.
We’ll start with offense. Here’s a list of FBS teams and their three-and-out rates for 2016. I’m also including what I call three-and-out-plus, which features all possessions that ended in three or fewer plays and didn’t include points. That means a few end-of-half possessions for everybody, but more importantly, it includes quick turnovers, maybe the most deadly kind of possession in existence (and something Illinois was particularly bad at avoiding last year).
Offensive 3-and-outs, 2016
Offense | Possessions | 3&O | % | Rk | 3&O+ | % | Rk |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Offense | Possessions | 3&O | % | Rk | 3&O+ | % | Rk |
Louisiana Tech | 169 | 21 | 12.43% | 1 | 31 | 18.3% | 1 |
Clemson | 208 | 27 | 12.98% | 2 | 52 | 25.0% | 14 |
Western Michigan | 156 | 21 | 13.46% | 3 | 35 | 22.4% | 5 |
Air Force | 161 | 22 | 13.66% | 4 | 39 | 24.2% | 10 |
Navy | 151 | 21 | 13.91% | 5 | 36 | 23.8% | 7 |
USC | 164 | 23 | 14.02% | 6 | 41 | 25.0% | 14 |
Western Kentucky | 183 | 26 | 14.21% | 7 | 44 | 24.0% | 8 |
Purdue | 158 | 23 | 14.56% | 8 | 40 | 25.3% | 18 |
Oklahoma | 167 | 25 | 14.97% | 9 | 35 | 21.0% | 2 |
Stanford | 153 | 23 | 15.03% | 10 | 40 | 26.1% | 26 |
Tulsa | 190 | 29 | 15.26% | 11 | 49 | 25.8% | 22 |
Washington State | 161 | 25 | 15.53% | 12 | 36 | 22.4% | 3 |
Indiana | 186 | 29 | 15.59% | 13 | 51 | 27.4% | 37 |
Idaho | 164 | 26 | 15.85% | 14 | 42 | 25.6% | 20 |
Toledo | 170 | 27 | 15.88% | 15 | 43 | 25.3% | 16 |
Army | 150 | 24 | 16.00% | 16 | 41 | 27.3% | 36 |
Florida State | 174 | 28 | 16.09% | 17 | 46 | 26.4% | 28 |
Southern Miss | 179 | 29 | 16.20% | 18 | 50 | 27.9% | 43 |
Baylor | 184 | 30 | 16.30% | 19 | 48 | 26.1% | 24 |
Kansas State | 152 | 25 | 16.45% | 20 | 37 | 24.3% | 11 |
Appalachian State | 162 | 27 | 16.67% | 21 | 44 | 27.2% | 32 |
Louisville | 190 | 32 | 16.84% | 22 | 53 | 27.9% | 41 |
Wyoming | 190 | 32 | 16.84% | 22 | 56 | 29.5% | 60 |
Alabama | 195 | 33 | 16.92% | 24 | 54 | 27.7% | 40 |
San Diego State | 175 | 30 | 17.14% | 25 | 50 | 28.6% | 49 |
Middle Tennessee | 186 | 32 | 17.20% | 26 | 54 | 29.0% | 56 |
Memphis | 180 | 31 | 17.22% | 27 | 46 | 25.6% | 19 |
Wisconsin | 168 | 29 | 17.26% | 28 | 40 | 23.8% | 6 |
Nevada | 133 | 23 | 17.29% | 29 | 36 | 27.1% | 30 |
Iowa State | 150 | 26 | 17.33% | 30 | 44 | 29.3% | 58 |
West Virginia | 173 | 30 | 17.34% | 31 | 52 | 30.1% | 68 |
Washington | 178 | 31 | 17.42% | 32 | 43 | 24.2% | 9 |
Michigan State | 143 | 25 | 17.48% | 33 | 37 | 25.9% | 23 |
California | 165 | 29 | 17.58% | 34 | 37 | 22.4% | 4 |
Virginia Tech | 199 | 35 | 17.59% | 35 | 54 | 27.1% | 31 |
Temple | 176 | 31 | 17.61% | 36 | 46 | 26.1% | 25 |
Mississippi State | 170 | 30 | 17.65% | 37 | 43 | 25.3% | 16 |
Texas Tech | 169 | 30 | 17.75% | 38 | 46 | 27.2% | 35 |
North Carolina | 156 | 28 | 17.95% | 39 | 43 | 27.6% | 39 |
Oklahoma State | 178 | 32 | 17.98% | 40 | 44 | 24.7% | 13 |
BYU | 161 | 29 | 18.01% | 41 | 46 | 28.6% | 49 |
East Carolina | 158 | 29 | 18.35% | 42 | 47 | 29.7% | 63 |
Arkansas | 162 | 30 | 18.52% | 43 | 46 | 28.4% | 45 |
Northern Illinois | 172 | 32 | 18.60% | 44 | 48 | 27.9% | 42 |
Missouri | 171 | 32 | 18.71% | 45 | 46 | 26.9% | 29 |
UL-Monroe | 153 | 29 | 18.95% | 46 | 47 | 30.7% | 71 |
Boise State | 152 | 29 | 19.08% | 47 | 40 | 26.3% | 27 |
Tennessee | 183 | 35 | 19.13% | 48 | 55 | 30.1% | 67 |
Michigan | 167 | 32 | 19.16% | 49 | 46 | 27.5% | 38 |
Auburn | 156 | 30 | 19.23% | 50 | 40 | 25.6% | 21 |
Texas | 181 | 35 | 19.34% | 51 | 58 | 32.0% | 80 |
Ohio State | 170 | 33 | 19.41% | 52 | 42 | 24.7% | 12 |
Colorado State | 164 | 32 | 19.51% | 53 | 47 | 28.7% | 52 |
South Alabama | 164 | 32 | 19.51% | 53 | 47 | 28.7% | 52 |
Oregon | 158 | 31 | 19.62% | 55 | 43 | 27.2% | 34 |
Ball State | 157 | 31 | 19.75% | 56 | 44 | 28.0% | 44 |
San Jose State | 151 | 30 | 19.87% | 57 | 43 | 28.5% | 47 |
Ohio | 185 | 37 | 20.00% | 58 | 53 | 28.6% | 51 |
Bowling Green | 172 | 35 | 20.35% | 59 | 58 | 33.7% | 97 |
Utah | 172 | 35 | 20.35% | 59 | 49 | 28.5% | 48 |
Kentucky | 167 | 34 | 20.36% | 61 | 50 | 29.9% | 65 |
Duke | 162 | 33 | 20.37% | 62 | 51 | 31.5% | 73 |
Georgia Tech | 141 | 29 | 20.57% | 63 | 43 | 30.5% | 70 |
Penn State | 189 | 39 | 20.63% | 64 | 55 | 29.1% | 57 |
Eastern Michigan | 169 | 35 | 20.71% | 65 | 48 | 28.4% | 46 |
Pittsburgh | 167 | 35 | 20.96% | 66 | 50 | 29.9% | 65 |
Vanderbilt | 162 | 34 | 20.99% | 67 | 44 | 27.2% | 32 |
Oregon State | 157 | 33 | 21.02% | 68 | 47 | 29.9% | 64 |
NC State | 161 | 34 | 21.12% | 69 | 53 | 32.9% | 88 |
LSU | 146 | 31 | 21.23% | 70 | 46 | 31.5% | 74 |
Ole Miss | 160 | 34 | 21.25% | 71 | 46 | 28.8% | 54 |
Florida | 159 | 34 | 21.38% | 72 | 53 | 33.3% | 91 |
Georgia State | 149 | 32 | 21.48% | 73 | 49 | 32.9% | 87 |
Notre Dame | 149 | 32 | 21.48% | 73 | 47 | 31.5% | 76 |
New Mexico | 153 | 33 | 21.57% | 75 | 44 | 28.8% | 55 |
South Florida | 183 | 40 | 21.86% | 76 | 58 | 31.7% | 78 |
Nebraska | 160 | 35 | 21.88% | 77 | 54 | 33.8% | 98 |
Utah State | 150 | 33 | 22.00% | 78 | 49 | 32.7% | 85 |
UCLA | 168 | 37 | 22.02% | 79 | 60 | 35.7% | 108 |
Texas A&M | 184 | 41 | 22.28% | 80 | 58 | 31.5% | 75 |
Miami-OH | 157 | 35 | 22.29% | 81 | 58 | 36.9% | 114 |
Troy | 179 | 40 | 22.35% | 82 | 53 | 29.6% | 61 |
Houston | 183 | 41 | 22.40% | 83 | 61 | 33.3% | 91 |
Akron | 147 | 33 | 22.45% | 84 | 46 | 31.3% | 72 |
South Carolina | 163 | 37 | 22.70% | 85 | 48 | 29.4% | 59 |
Georgia | 167 | 38 | 22.75% | 86 | 55 | 32.9% | 89 |
Maryland | 175 | 40 | 22.86% | 87 | 61 | 34.9% | 107 |
Hawaii | 177 | 41 | 23.16% | 88 | 60 | 33.9% | 99 |
Massachusetts | 159 | 37 | 23.27% | 89 | 62 | 39.0% | 120 |
Central Michigan | 167 | 39 | 23.35% | 90 | 56 | 33.5% | 95 |
Florida International | 154 | 36 | 23.38% | 91 | 57 | 37.0% | 115 |
Florida Atlantic | 162 | 38 | 23.46% | 92 | 58 | 35.8% | 109 |
Arizona | 156 | 37 | 23.72% | 93 | 52 | 33.3% | 91 |
UTEP | 147 | 35 | 23.81% | 94 | 47 | 32.0% | 79 |
Central Florida | 193 | 46 | 23.83% | 95 | 64 | 33.2% | 90 |
Minnesota | 172 | 41 | 23.84% | 96 | 56 | 32.6% | 83 |
SMU | 172 | 41 | 23.84% | 96 | 56 | 32.6% | 83 |
Cincinnati | 155 | 37 | 23.87% | 98 | 54 | 34.8% | 106 |
TCU | 179 | 43 | 24.02% | 99 | 53 | 29.6% | 61 |
Virginia | 161 | 39 | 24.22% | 100 | 58 | 36.0% | 112 |
Colorado | 193 | 47 | 24.35% | 101 | 62 | 32.1% | 81 |
Old Dominion | 164 | 40 | 24.39% | 102 | 50 | 30.5% | 69 |
Wake Forest | 172 | 42 | 24.42% | 103 | 59 | 34.3% | 101 |
UL-Lafayette | 167 | 41 | 24.55% | 104 | 57 | 34.1% | 100 |
Buffalo | 156 | 39 | 25.00% | 105 | 51 | 32.7% | 86 |
Miami-FL | 171 | 43 | 25.15% | 106 | 59 | 34.5% | 103 |
Rice | 161 | 41 | 25.47% | 107 | 56 | 34.8% | 105 |
Kansas | 180 | 46 | 25.56% | 108 | 70 | 38.9% | 119 |
New Mexico State | 168 | 43 | 25.60% | 109 | 56 | 33.3% | 91 |
Georgia Southern | 148 | 38 | 25.68% | 110 | 51 | 34.5% | 102 |
Marshall | 155 | 40 | 25.81% | 111 | 49 | 31.6% | 77 |
Northwestern | 175 | 46 | 26.29% | 112 | 63 | 36.0% | 111 |
Tulane | 164 | 44 | 26.83% | 113 | 57 | 34.8% | 104 |
Syracuse | 175 | 47 | 26.86% | 114 | 59 | 33.7% | 96 |
Arizona State | 175 | 48 | 27.43% | 115 | 69 | 39.4% | 121 |
UTSA | 164 | 45 | 27.44% | 116 | 53 | 32.3% | 82 |
UNLV | 156 | 43 | 27.56% | 117 | 56 | 35.9% | 110 |
Arkansas State | 180 | 51 | 28.33% | 118 | 67 | 37.2% | 117 |
Iowa | 162 | 47 | 29.01% | 119 | 60 | 37.0% | 116 |
Illinois | 155 | 45 | 29.03% | 120 | 65 | 41.9% | 125 |
Charlotte | 161 | 47 | 29.19% | 121 | 58 | 36.0% | 112 |
Texas State | 167 | 49 | 29.34% | 122 | 69 | 41.3% | 124 |
North Texas | 170 | 50 | 29.41% | 123 | 70 | 41.2% | 123 |
Connecticut | 146 | 44 | 30.14% | 124 | 56 | 38.4% | 118 |
Kent State | 159 | 51 | 32.08% | 125 | 68 | 42.8% | 126 |
Fresno State | 155 | 52 | 33.55% | 126 | 63 | 40.6% | 122 |
Boston College | 184 | 65 | 35.33% | 127 | 85 | 46.2% | 127 |
Rutgers | 168 | 61 | 36.31% | 128 | 80 | 47.6% | 128 |
- This pretty quickly clues you in to what helped Clemson win games last year. The Tigers were not particularly explosive (104th in IsoPPP), and they were only good, not great, at finishing drives with touchdowns (25th in points per scoring opportunity). But they did their defense a favor by moving the chains at least once before failing, and they eventually tilted the field in their favor with lasting effect.
- Hello, Air Force and Navy. The spread option is such a wonderful neutralizer.
- Three of four CFP teams ranked in the top 25 in three-and-out rate, and while Ohio State ranked a mediocre 52nd, the Buckeyes were also 12th in 3&O+.
The bottom of this list is mostly predictable — offenses like Rutgers, BC, Fresno State, Kent State, Texas State, etc., were going to grade out poorly no matter the category. But there were some interesting teams down there to me as well.
- North Texas made a bowl but ranked in the bottom six! (So did BC, but that’s because the Eagles’ defense was as good at forcing 3&Os as opponents were.) The Mean Green leaned heavily on awesome punting to basically generate an extra first down per drive.
- For all of its ball control, Ferentz-ball bona fides, Iowa was very far on the wrong end of this list.
- Miami’s offense was legitimately strong in a lot of areas, but when the Hurricanes failed, they did so almost instantly.
Now to the defensive side of the ball:
Defensive 3-and-outs, 2016
Defense | Possessions | 3&O | % | Rk | 3&O+ | % | Rk |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Defense | Possessions | 3&O | % | Rk | 3&O+ | % | Rk |
Southern Miss | 179 | 62 | 34.64% | 1 | 79 | 44.13% | 1 |
Michigan | 169 | 57 | 33.73% | 2 | 71 | 42.01% | 6 |
Alabama | 204 | 67 | 32.84% | 3 | 85 | 41.67% | 9 |
Clemson | 208 | 68 | 32.69% | 4 | 89 | 42.79% | 4 |
Temple | 168 | 53 | 31.55% | 5 | 74 | 44.05% | 2 |
Boston College | 184 | 57 | 30.98% | 6 | 77 | 41.85% | 8 |
LSU | 151 | 46 | 30.46% | 7 | 60 | 39.74% | 12 |
Appalachian State | 161 | 49 | 30.43% | 8 | 64 | 39.75% | 11 |
Tulsa | 192 | 58 | 30.21% | 9 | 68 | 35.42% | 33 |
Virginia Tech | 200 | 60 | 30.00% | 10 | 84 | 42.00% | 7 |
Houston | 177 | 53 | 29.94% | 11 | 67 | 37.85% | 20 |
Louisville | 197 | 57 | 28.93% | 12 | 85 | 43.15% | 3 |
Central Florida | 201 | 58 | 28.86% | 13 | 75 | 37.31% | 23 |
Toledo | 163 | 46 | 28.22% | 14 | 54 | 33.13% | 47 |
Florida | 161 | 45 | 27.95% | 15 | 60 | 37.27% | 24 |
Iowa | 158 | 44 | 27.85% | 16 | 58 | 36.71% | 26 |
Oklahoma | 172 | 47 | 27.33% | 17 | 63 | 36.63% | 27 |
Washington | 176 | 48 | 27.27% | 18 | 67 | 38.07% | 17 |
Arkansas State | 182 | 49 | 26.92% | 19 | 65 | 35.71% | 32 |
UCLA | 169 | 45 | 26.63% | 20 | 58 | 34.32% | 38 |
Utah | 173 | 46 | 26.59% | 21 | 67 | 38.73% | 14 |
Ohio State | 171 | 45 | 26.32% | 22 | 72 | 42.11% | 5 |
Middle Tennessee | 187 | 49 | 26.20% | 23 | 63 | 33.69% | 44 |
Tulane | 161 | 42 | 26.09% | 24 | 63 | 39.13% | 13 |
Florida State | 174 | 45 | 25.86% | 25 | 66 | 37.93% | 19 |
San Diego State | 178 | 46 | 25.84% | 26 | 68 | 38.20% | 16 |
Indiana | 183 | 47 | 25.68% | 27 | 69 | 37.70% | 21 |
BYU | 156 | 40 | 25.64% | 28 | 60 | 38.46% | 15 |
Baylor | 188 | 48 | 25.53% | 29 | 68 | 36.17% | 30 |
Army | 150 | 38 | 25.33% | 30 | 56 | 37.33% | 22 |
Wake Forest | 174 | 44 | 25.29% | 31 | 64 | 36.78% | 25 |
Michigan State | 147 | 37 | 25.17% | 32 | 53 | 36.05% | 31 |
UTSA | 163 | 41 | 25.15% | 33 | 53 | 32.52% | 56 |
Troy | 175 | 44 | 25.14% | 34 | 64 | 36.57% | 28 |
Western Kentucky | 186 | 46 | 24.73% | 35 | 63 | 33.87% | 43 |
Nebraska | 158 | 39 | 24.68% | 36 | 54 | 34.18% | 40 |
Utah State | 146 | 36 | 24.66% | 37 | 47 | 32.19% | 60 |
Colorado | 195 | 48 | 24.62% | 38 | 68 | 34.87% | 36 |
Minnesota | 175 | 43 | 24.57% | 39 | 64 | 36.57% | 28 |
Georgia | 163 | 40 | 24.54% | 40 | 66 | 40.49% | 10 |
Air Force | 160 | 39 | 24.38% | 41 | 55 | 34.38% | 37 |
Penn State | 189 | 46 | 24.34% | 42 | 63 | 33.33% | 45 |
Northwestern | 170 | 41 | 24.12% | 43 | 56 | 32.94% | 51 |
Texas | 175 | 42 | 24.00% | 44 | 60 | 34.29% | 39 |
Oklahoma State | 178 | 42 | 23.60% | 45 | 58 | 32.58% | 55 |
New Mexico | 157 | 37 | 23.57% | 46 | 50 | 31.85% | 65 |
Wisconsin | 171 | 40 | 23.39% | 47 | 65 | 38.01% | 18 |
Colorado State | 159 | 37 | 23.27% | 48 | 51 | 32.08% | 63 |
Central Michigan | 164 | 38 | 23.17% | 49 | 54 | 32.93% | 53 |
Stanford | 152 | 35 | 23.03% | 50 | 49 | 32.24% | 57 |
Western Michigan | 162 | 37 | 22.84% | 51 | 52 | 32.10% | 62 |
Duke | 158 | 36 | 22.78% | 52 | 49 | 31.01% | 71 |
USC | 167 | 38 | 22.75% | 53 | 59 | 35.33% | 34 |
Bowling Green | 168 | 38 | 22.62% | 54 | 52 | 30.95% | 72 |
TCU | 182 | 41 | 22.53% | 55 | 54 | 29.67% | 80 |
Kent State | 160 | 36 | 22.50% | 56 | 56 | 35.00% | 35 |
Missouri | 170 | 38 | 22.35% | 57 | 53 | 31.18% | 69 |
San Jose State | 153 | 34 | 22.22% | 58 | 52 | 33.99% | 41 |
Arizona State | 177 | 39 | 22.03% | 59 | 57 | 32.20% | 59 |
Rutgers | 164 | 36 | 21.95% | 60 | 47 | 28.66% | 91 |
Tennessee | 187 | 41 | 21.93% | 61 | 58 | 31.02% | 70 |
Northern Illinois | 174 | 38 | 21.84% | 62 | 46 | 26.44% | 109 |
Texas State | 170 | 37 | 21.76% | 63 | 50 | 29.41% | 84 |
Miami-OH | 152 | 33 | 21.71% | 64 | 45 | 29.61% | 83 |
Syracuse | 166 | 36 | 21.69% | 65 | 50 | 30.12% | 77 |
Fresno State | 157 | 34 | 21.66% | 66 | 52 | 33.12% | 48 |
Notre Dame | 149 | 32 | 21.48% | 67 | 48 | 32.21% | 58 |
Maryland | 173 | 37 | 21.39% | 68 | 48 | 27.75% | 101 |
Wyoming | 193 | 41 | 21.24% | 69 | 64 | 33.16% | 46 |
Old Dominion | 165 | 35 | 21.21% | 70 | 56 | 33.94% | 42 |
Miami-FL | 170 | 36 | 21.18% | 71 | 56 | 32.94% | 51 |
Auburn | 156 | 33 | 21.15% | 72 | 45 | 28.85% | 89 |
Ohio | 185 | 39 | 21.08% | 73 | 61 | 32.97% | 50 |
Kansas State | 157 | 33 | 21.02% | 74 | 52 | 33.12% | 48 |
Memphis | 181 | 38 | 20.99% | 75 | 59 | 32.60% | 54 |
North Carolina | 162 | 34 | 20.99% | 76 | 48 | 29.63% | 81 |
Mississippi State | 168 | 35 | 20.83% | 77 | 53 | 31.55% | 67 |
UL-Lafayette | 165 | 34 | 20.61% | 78 | 50 | 30.30% | 74 |
Kansas | 177 | 36 | 20.34% | 79 | 52 | 29.38% | 85 |
Boise State | 158 | 32 | 20.25% | 80 | 42 | 26.58% | 106 |
UTEP | 144 | 29 | 20.14% | 81 | 42 | 29.17% | 86 |
Vanderbilt | 160 | 32 | 20.00% | 82 | 45 | 28.13% | 96 |
Cincinnati | 157 | 31 | 19.75% | 83 | 50 | 31.85% | 65 |
Texas A&M | 188 | 37 | 19.68% | 84 | 59 | 31.38% | 68 |
Pittsburgh | 173 | 34 | 19.65% | 85 | 49 | 28.32% | 95 |
Oregon | 163 | 32 | 19.63% | 86 | 47 | 28.83% | 90 |
South Alabama | 163 | 32 | 19.63% | 86 | 52 | 31.90% | 64 |
SMU | 174 | 34 | 19.54% | 88 | 56 | 32.18% | 61 |
Eastern Michigan | 169 | 33 | 19.53% | 89 | 51 | 30.18% | 76 |
NC State | 160 | 31 | 19.38% | 90 | 48 | 30.00% | 78 |
Massachusetts | 155 | 30 | 19.35% | 91 | 37 | 23.87% | 122 |
Florida Atlantic | 162 | 31 | 19.14% | 92 | 48 | 29.63% | 81 |
Arkansas | 163 | 31 | 19.02% | 93 | 44 | 26.99% | 103 |
Akron | 158 | 30 | 18.99% | 94 | 46 | 29.11% | 87 |
Ole Miss | 158 | 30 | 18.99% | 94 | 42 | 26.58% | 106 |
Virginia | 158 | 30 | 18.99% | 94 | 44 | 27.85% | 99 |
Charlotte | 169 | 32 | 18.93% | 97 | 48 | 28.40% | 93 |
Oregon State | 154 | 29 | 18.83% | 98 | 43 | 27.92% | 98 |
Connecticut | 151 | 28 | 18.54% | 99 | 45 | 29.80% | 79 |
Purdue | 162 | 30 | 18.52% | 100 | 46 | 28.40% | 94 |
South Carolina | 164 | 30 | 18.29% | 101 | 47 | 28.66% | 91 |
Washington State | 165 | 30 | 18.18% | 102 | 50 | 30.30% | 74 |
South Florida | 188 | 34 | 18.09% | 103 | 49 | 26.06% | 111 |
Georgia State | 155 | 28 | 18.06% | 104 | 41 | 26.45% | 108 |
UNLV | 158 | 28 | 17.72% | 105 | 44 | 27.85% | 99 |
West Virginia | 170 | 30 | 17.65% | 106 | 41 | 24.12% | 121 |
Georgia Southern | 148 | 26 | 17.57% | 107 | 45 | 30.41% | 73 |
Rice | 161 | 28 | 17.39% | 108 | 40 | 24.84% | 116 |
New Mexico State | 168 | 29 | 17.26% | 109 | 46 | 27.38% | 102 |
Florida International | 153 | 26 | 16.99% | 110 | 43 | 28.10% | 97 |
East Carolina | 159 | 27 | 16.98% | 111 | 40 | 25.16% | 114 |
Marshall | 150 | 25 | 16.67% | 112 | 40 | 26.67% | 105 |
Texas Tech | 169 | 28 | 16.57% | 113 | 40 | 23.67% | 123 |
Kentucky | 163 | 27 | 16.56% | 114 | 40 | 24.54% | 117 |
Georgia Tech | 145 | 24 | 16.55% | 115 | 37 | 25.52% | 112 |
UL-Monroe | 148 | 24 | 16.22% | 116 | 36 | 24.32% | 119 |
California | 161 | 26 | 16.15% | 117 | 42 | 26.09% | 110 |
Iowa State | 149 | 24 | 16.11% | 118 | 36 | 24.16% | 120 |
Illinois | 157 | 25 | 15.92% | 119 | 42 | 26.75% | 104 |
Ball State | 158 | 25 | 15.82% | 120 | 40 | 25.32% | 113 |
Hawaii | 173 | 27 | 15.61% | 121 | 43 | 24.86% | 115 |
Louisiana Tech | 173 | 27 | 15.61% | 121 | 50 | 28.90% | 88 |
Buffalo | 148 | 22 | 14.86% | 123 | 28 | 18.92% | 128 |
Navy | 148 | 22 | 14.86% | 123 | 34 | 22.97% | 126 |
Idaho | 160 | 23 | 14.38% | 125 | 39 | 24.38% | 118 |
Arizona | 156 | 22 | 14.10% | 126 | 36 | 23.08% | 125 |
North Texas | 167 | 21 | 12.57% | 127 | 39 | 23.35% | 124 |
Nevada | 133 | 14 | 10.53% | 128 | 27 | 20.30% | 127 |
- Southern Miss had the most beautifully all-or-nothing defense in the country last year. Almost half of the Eagles’ defensive possessions ended in three or fewer plays and with no points. And they still allowed 32 points per game in the other half of those possessions. Seventh in success rate, 127th in IsoPPP. That’s downright reckless, and I wholeheartedly approve.
- Like BC, Iowa was basically as good at forcing three-and-outs as opponents were.
- Army’s offense wasn’t as steady as that of Air Force and Navy, but the defense was more successfully aggressive.
- The best offense in the country at avoiding three-and-outs: Whoever Was Facing Nevada.
Best three-and-out margins in the country:
(As in, defensive percentage minus offensive percentage.)
- Clemson +19.7%
- Southern Miss +18.4%
- Alabama +15.9%
- Tulsa +14.9%
- Michigan +14.6%
- Temple +13.9%
- Appalachian State +13.8%
- Virginia Tech +12.4%
- Oklahoma +12.4%
- Toledo +12.3%
Worst three-and-out margins:
- North Texas -16.8%
- Rutgers -14.4%
- Illinois -13.1%
- Fresno State -11.9%
- UConn -11.6%
- Charlotte -10.3%
- Buffalo -10.1%
- UNLV -9.8%
- Arizona -9.6%
- Marshall -9.1%
Combined record of the top 10 teams: 111-31, with five conference titles and both spots in the CFP final.
Combined record of the bottom 10 teams: 30-89.
I believe there might be a correlation there.
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