12-21-2011, 05:42 PM
(12-21-2011, 05:10 PM)terry link Wrote:Stanford's pass defense is in the middle of the pack. Stanford allows 7.1 yards per attempt (61st out of 120 nationally), has a pass defense efficiency rating of 129.5 (62nd), and allows 11.6 yards per completion (55th). Stanford does have a better pass rush with 38 sacks (5th in the nation in sacks per game), compared to 28 sacks for OK State (27th nationally). Overall, Stanford has a decent pass defense, but it's not as good as OK State's.
On the other side of the coin, Stanford has a better run defense. Stanford ranks 5th nationally in rushing defense, allowing 90 yards per game. Stanford's defense allows 3.1 yards per rushing attempt (11th in the nation).
The number of sacks Stanford has significantly distorts the statistics on both sides of the ball. I don't understand why the NCAA lists sacks as rushes, but here we are. Distributing the 38 sacks for 292 yards into the rush column significantly decreases the average team's yards per attempt--from 7.1 to 5.8. Meanwhile, opponents on actual rushing attempts go from 3 yards/rush to a much more robust 4.42 yards/rush.