Stephen Vilardo’s Week 5 Matchups by the Numbers

Posted on October 1, 2021


  By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports

As we get set for the second full conference week of the season, we see more streaks on the line and the potential to continue hot starts.

Pac-12We are guaranteed to see one team open conference play with a 2-0 mark for the first time since at least 2013.

Arizona has a bye, so they will not see their nation’s longest 16-game losing streak extended, but the next time they play they could share that with UMass. The Minutemen have lost 15 in a row and host Toledo this weekend.

USC looks to extend a pair of win streaks, one of which is the second-longest in the country.

And not to leave out the other team on a bye this weekend, Utah currently owns the Pac-12’s longest active conference win streak, having won their fourth-straight Pac-12 game last week against Washington State. 

To help you find some of the answers to the above teases and get you ready for this weekend’s action, here are my matchup notes and numbers. 

usc logo
USC Trojans at Colorado Buffaloes

P12N | Ted Robinson and Yogi Roth | 11:00 AM PT

Series: UC leads the all-time series 14-0 and have 7-0 mark in Boulder

• The Trojans have won the 14 meetings between the teams by an average score of 34.6 to 15.7.

• The last five meetings between the two teams have been decided by an average of just 7.2 points per game. 

• USC has won seven-straight road games, tied for the second-longest active streak in the nation. 

London

• Drake London enters the weekend as the nation’s leading receiver with 9.8 receptions per game and 135.0 yards per game.

• Colorado has been outscored 75-13 in their last 11 quarters of football. 

• USC is outscoring opponents 52-17 in the fourth quarter this season.

• Neither Colorado or their opponent has scored on the game’s opening possession this season. 

• Southern California is the only Pac-12 team with multiple defensive TDs this season.  The Trojans are tied for fourth in the nation with two TDs scored by their defense.

• USC is only getting .75 sacks per game on the season, 123rd in the nation. The Trojans are getting just 3.0 TFL per, tied for the second-fewest in the nation.

• USC is 17-17 in the Red Zone this season, one of just 13 teams in FBS that are still perfect in the Red Zone.  Washington is the only other Pac-12 team with a 100 percent rate. Of the other 13 teams, none has had as many trips as the Trojans’ 17. Missouri is the only other team on that list with at least 15 trips. 

• Colorado has reached the Red Zone only nine times this season, tied for the second-fewest in the nation. 

• Kedono Slovis has completed 69.9% of his passes for his career, the highest rate of any player in the nation. 

• Colorado’s 13.8 points per game this season is the third-lowest in the nation.

• Colorado is one of six teams in the nation that have yet to allow a play from scrimmage to go 40 yards or more.

Oregon Ducks Logo Pac-12
Oregon Ducks at Stanford Cardinal

ABC| Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore, and Stormy Buoantony | 12:30 PM PT 

Series: Stanford leads 49-34-2 with a 28-16-2 record at home.

• The Cardinal have picked up two wins over Oregon in the last nine years when the Ducks have been ranked in the top 3 in the nation: A 2012 win over No. 1 Oregon in Eugene and a 2013 win over No. 2 Oregon in Stanford Stadium. 

• The winner of this game has ended up winning the North seven of the last ten years.

• Stanford is getting just 3.8 TFL per game, the ninth-fewest in the nation.

Kelly

• Kyu Blu Kelly is seventh in the nation with 1.8 passes defended per game. 

• Jimmy Wyrick has 1.7 passes defended per game for 14th in the nation and the fourth-most of any freshman this season.  

• Oregon leads the nation with 2.25 interceptions per game and a turnover margin of +3.0 per game. 

• Oregon has scored 51 points off turnovers through four games, while opponents have scored only three points off takeaways.

• Oregon has outscored opponents 41-14 in the first quarter this season. Stanford is 79-7 under David Shaw when leading at halftime, compared to 9-27 when trailing at halftime.

• CJ Verdell’s 2,866 career rushing yards are the 12th-most of any active player in the nation and his 26 rushing TDs are the 13th-most.

• CJ Verdell is 26 yards away from fifth place on the Ducks all-time rushing list.

• Travis Dye has averaged 6.1 yards per carry over his career, the fourth most of any active player in the nation who has gained at least 2,000 career yards. 

• Verone McKinley III has intercepted four passes this season, tied for the most in the nation.

• George Moore has allowed just two sacks since the start of 2020, covering 270 total pass plays.

• Oregon has had four plays this season cover at least 50 yards.

Washington State Cougars at California Golden Bears

P12N | Guy Haberman and Shane Vereen | 2:30 PM PT

Series: Cal leads 48-28-5, the Bears own a 33-13-3 edge in Berkeley.

• Cal is 7-1 in their last eight at home vs Washington State.

• The last time the Cougars left Berkeley with a win was 2013.

• Washington State is allowing 3.75 sacks per game this season, the 10th-most in the nation.

• WSU is only collecting 1.0 sacks per game, the 11th- fewest in the nation.  

• The Cougars are converting third downs at a rate of just .306, 115th in the nation. 

• California’s opponents are converting third downs at a rate of 47.0 percent, the worst in the Pac-12 and 118th in the country.

• The Bears are averaging 4.2 TFL per game, 113th in the country.

• Washington State has had 19 trips to the Red Zone this season, the 13th most in the country. The Cougs are only getting points on 73.7 percent of those though, 105th in the country. 

• WSU leads the nation with six fumble recoveries this season. 

Edson

• Andrew Edson has 4.0 TFL this season for the Cougars, the most of any Freshman in the Pac-12, and the eighth-most in the nation among first year players. 

• Chase Garbers has rushed for 895 yards in his career and is 36 yards from tying Joe Kapp for the most ever by a Cal QB.

• Damien Moore has had at least one TD in every game this season. His six TDs are the 20th-most in the nation this season. 

• Trevon Clark ranks 25th nationally with a Pac-12-best 20.54 yards per reception.

Washington football pac-12
Washington Huskies at Oregon State Beavers

P12N | Roxy Bernstein and Lincoln Kennedy | 6:00 PM PT

Series: Washington leads 67-34-4 with a 21-10 advantage in Corvallis.  

• The Huskies have won the last nine meetings, their longest streak in the series since winning 13 in a row from 1986-2000.

• Washington is looking to open Pac-12 play 2-0 for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

• OSU has scored at least 40 points in three straight games for the first time since 2013.

• The Beavs are winners of three in a row for the first time since the 2014 season.

Morris

• Dylan Morris leads the Pac-12 with 280.0 passing yards per game. 

• Washington has not allowed an opponent to score more than 35 points in 79 straight games. 

• Oregon State ranks 13th in the nation in allowing just 1.00 sacks per game. 

• The Beavers are converting 53.2% of their third downs, the 14th best mark in the country.

• OSU is allowing a first down on 45.6 percent of third downs, 116th in the nation and 11th in the Pac-12.

• The Beavs are the second-most penalized team in the Pac-12 this year, being flagged 8.5 times per game, 118th in the nation. 

• Oregon State is allowing just .75 sacks per game this year, the seventh-fewest in the nation.

• Washington is 12-12 in the Red Zone this season, one of just 13 teams in FBS that are still perfect inside their opponents 20.

• Rejzohn Wright is tied for the Pac-12 lead and seventh in the nation with 1.8 passes defended per game.

• As a team, the Beavers lead the nation with 7.75 passes defended per game. 

• OSU ranks 17th in the nation in rushing offense at 225.8 per game, and their 89.3 yards rushing allowed ranks 22nd. 

• Chance Nolan ranks fourth in the country with a passer rating of 188.97

• Last week Jack Colletto had two rushing TDs and an interception, the first FBS player to do that since 2004,f and just the fifth to accomplish it since 1996.

• Avery Roberts has had at least 10 tackles in 10 of his 21 games at Oregon State. 

Arizona State Sun Devils at UCLA Bruins

FS1 | Chris Meyers and Mark Helfrich | 7:30 PM PT

Series: UCLA holds a 22-14-1 advantage in the series with a 10-7-1 record in games at the Rose Bowl.

• UCLA has won two in a row in the series and three of the last four. No team has had a three-game win streak in this series since the Bruins won three in a row from 2000-02.

• Arizona State has not won in Pasadena since 2015.

• The Bruins are looking to open Pac-12 play 2-0 for the first time since 2013. The Sun Devils are looking for their first 2-0 conference start since 2012.

• The Bruins’ last five losses have been by an average of 3.6 points.

• UCLA ranks fifth in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 63.8 rushing yards per game. Arizona State has run for at least 150 yards in nine consecutive games. 

• UCLA has out-rushed each of their last ten opponents.

• ASU is committing the second-most penalties per game in the nation this season with 10.75 per game. 

• The Sun Devils are one of six teams in the nation that have yet to allow a play from scrimmage to go 40 yards or more. UCLA has had eight such plays on the season, the 10th most America.

Charbonnet

• Zach Charbonnett and Rachaad White are tied for the Pac-12 lead, and rank 15th in the nation with seven TDs. 

• Arizona State has forced 40 turnovers in their last 15 games played.

• Chase Lucas has 30 career passes defended, the 14th most of any active player in the nation.

• Dorian Thompson-Robinson is fourth in the country with a Pac-12-best 10.3 yards per pass attempt. 

• Dorian Thompson-Robinson leads the Pac-12 and is second in the nation with an average of 18.02 yards per completion.

• Dorian Thompson-Robinson has completed 72.3% of his pass attempts vs Arizona State in the last two seasons, throwing for 368 yards, three TDs, and just 1 interception in the two contests. 

• The Bruins have scored at least 30 points in nine of their last 11 games. They have reached the 35-point threshold in six-straight games.

• Kyle Philips has recorded two-straight 100-yard receiving games with multiple TDs to become just the fourth Bruin receiver since 1998 to have multiple games in a season with 100 receiving yards and two or more TDs in those games.

[Read Dane Miller’s Week Five Pac-12 Football Previews]

Arizona football Pac-12
Byes: Arizona and Utah

 

Follow Stephen on Twitter @StephenVilardo and his organization @SERCenter.

Visit his website at sercstats.com.




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