Sneaky Stats for Week 3 of the 2022 College Football Season

Welcome to the Week 3 edition of the 2022 Sneaky Stats series! If you joined us the for the first two weeks or at all last year, you already know the drill. The Sneaky Stats series is your one-stop shop for all the most intriguing, predictive, goofy, and perhaps “sneaky” stats that define the biggest matchups of the college football season.

But before we dive into Week 3 Sneaky Stats, let’s take a quick look back at the insane Week 2 action. Four FCS teams beat FBS opponents! Seven of the AP Top 25 lost! Huge upsets left and right! And a few other huge favorites almost blew it too! What in the world happened?

College Football Week 2

College Football Week 3

This is the week when BYU truly begins its march to the College Football Playoff. Oregon will be BYU’s second of three likely ranked opponents on its entire schedule this season. If it can pull off this victory and stay undefeated, it will have played one more ranked team than Cincinnati played last year in its unlikely journey to the Playoff. The remaining challengers? Notre Dame, who is now without its starting quarterback. Arkansas, who should be tough, but BYU gets the Razorbacks at home. And Stanford to end the season. But the Cougars need to continue their dominant defensive efforts against the Ducks first. BYU is currently holding opponents to just 3.5 yards per carry. Even against Georgia’s vaunted defense, Oregon managed 4.5 yards per tote. This game should be decided on the ground.

105th

As dominant as Miami (FL) has looked through two weeks against Bethune-Cookman and Southern Mississippi, the Hurricanes actually rank 105th in the nation in defensive pass efficiency. And they’ve only played Bethune-Cookman and Southern Mississippi! They face Texas A&M, who ranks third in defensive pass efficiency. On paper, Texas A&M should have the answers to stop Miami’s incredible quarterback Tyler Van Dyke through the air. And it would make sense that Texas A&M should have success against a Miami team whose biggest and only struggle thus far is defending the pass. But! As we’ve already discussed today, Jimbo Fisher likes to level the playing field, acting like it’s the 1980s with his pace of play. Which will break first? Miami’s paper thin secondary? Or Fisher’s stubborn commitment to an offense that hasn’t worked in a decade?

Listen to our Week 2 Reaction Podcast

95th

Unlike most SEC teams, Mississippi State has already played two legitimate opponents. And unlike most SEC teams, the Bulldogs have actually comfortably taken care of business in both matchups. Mississippi State is always going to put up some absolutely bonkers passing numbers, but this year it’s even finding success in the run game. The Bulldogs’ rush efficiency is 17% higher than in 2021 (145% higher than 2020) and that newfound balance in offensive success could be partly why they actually find themselves as favorites this week against LSU. Meanwhile, the Tigers are struggling to find consistent production from their once seemingly stacked receiver room, and the only rushing production that didn’t come from quarterback Jayden Daniels was against Southern (an FCS team) last week.

And that’s all the Sneaky Stats for the third full slate of 2022 College Football Season action! Enjoy Week 3 of the best sport in existence! If you have questions or comments, find me on Twitter @FF_TravisM and check out the College to Canton Podcast for more stats-based takes from me too!

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Sneaky Stats for Week 3 of the 2022 College Football Season

College Football Week 2

College Football Week 3

Listen to our Week 2 Reaction Podcast

Become a Verballer!

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