Updated bye week graphs: Offensive and defensive efficiency

via GIPHY

It’s bye week so I’ll try to spend a few blog posts this week updating some of the previous graphs/charts I’ve made this season. Before we get to today’s, here’s a notebook about turnovers, of which UCLA has many. The Bruins have 19 turnovers this season, but have only allowed three touchdowns off those turnovers — and one of those turnovers was a scoop-and-score from Solomon Thomas.

So, back to the charts. Below are updated versions of the offensive/defensive efficiency grids I first posted three weeks ago before the Arizona game.

A reminder of how the grids are laid out: The vertical axis denotes the team’s position among Pac-12 teams in rushing yards gained/allowed per carry with the most efficient teams at the top. The horizontal axis denotes the team’s position among Pac-12 teams in passing yards gained/allowed per pass with the most efficient teams on the right. Teams in the red shaded area are in the best positions. The arrows indicate how teams moved since the end of the week 5 games.


byeweekcomparisons-offense-real

On offense, there was a lot of movement. Big winners were Washington (leads the Pac-12 in both yards per pass and yards per rush), USC, Arizona and Utah. Oregon State is still inefficient passing the ball, but has was a big mover in the run game.

UCLA, still without anything resembling a running game, is way down in last place in rushing, but has made some improvement in the passing game.

I personally found Washington State’s place in the lower left quadrant (the quadrant of ineptitude) surprising. The Cougars are undefeated in Pac-12 play, but have taken a few statistical steps back on offense in recent weeks, especially in the run game. Three weeks ago, WSU was averaging 4.6 yards per rush, but are now down to 3.9.


byeweek-comparisons-defense-real

On defense, there was not nearly as much movement. UW and Colorado continue to lead the conference.

USC and Utah are overlapped because they, oddly enough, allow the exact same yards per rush and yards per pass.

WSU, while lagging in offensive efficiency, is one of the better defenses in the conference, bordering on the red area. The Cougars were a major winner in the past three weeks on defense and that’s surely a reason why they are undefeated in conference play.


When looking at both grids together, USC has jumped into the top right quadrant on both graphs. Utah is knocking on the door as well.

If you have a request for an updated graph (or a suggestion for a new graph), let me know and I’ll see what I can do.