Mississippi State by the numbers

Statistically speaking the Dawgs and the dogs are very close offensively in most categories. Mississippi State is 3rd in the SEC in rushing at 230.75 ypg. Georgia is 5th at 181.5. Georgia is 3rd in passing yards at 257 a game while State is 5th with 209 ypg. Total offense Georgia is 4th with 438.5 followed closely in 5th by State with 427 ypg. State has run 6 more plays through 4 games than UGA giving Georgia an advantage of 0.3 yards per play. State converts 38.71% (24/62) of their 3rd downs compared to 40.98% (25/61) for Georgia. State has 88 first downs to Georgia’s 84.

On defense there is a lot in common between the two teams as well. Sacks are 8 to 6 in favor of State, tackles for loss 28 to 27 for Georgia, and turnover margin is +3 for state and +2 for Georgia. Georgia has allowed 23.3 ppg while state has given up 23.5 ppg.

Murray accounts for 225.3 yards per game while Relf comes in at 211. Ballard is averaging 125 yards from scrimmage, rushing and receiving combined, compared to Crowell’s 115 per game. Both teams have done it against a similar schedule Boise-LSU, South Carolina-AU, Ole Miss – LA Tech, and Coastal Carolina – Memphis. Memphis is a 1A school but compares to Coastal Carolina because Memphis ranks outside the top 100 in almost every important category offensively (117th ppg) and defensively (113th ppg).

That is where the similarities stop and you start to get an idea of why Vegas has Georgia as a 7 point favorite. Murray’s qb rating is 40 points higher than Relf’s. Georgia averages giving up 89 yards per game less than State. Teams QB’s are averaging a QB rating of 103.43 against Georgia and 23 points higher against State. Georgia is averaging scoring 6 points more per game on offense than State. Finally in what will no doubt end up in my keys to the game, State’s defense allows teams to convert 3rd downs at a rate of 37.88% while Georgia’s is allowing conversion on only 25% of 3rd downs.

Bonus Stats – Rambo leads the nation in interceptions per game (1.33) and passes defended per game (2.33). Coming into this weekend Georgia has faced the 3rd rated QB, Moore, in the country and the running back, Lattimore, with the second most yards in the country. Lattimore is third in yards now behind Pitt’s Graham who temporarily passed him with last night’s huge game against South Florida.

Random stats I saw while looking all this up on cfbstats.com – Jordan White leads the country with 43 catches in 4 games for Western Michigan. Robert Griffin III has more touchdown passes in 3 games, 13, than incomplete passes, 12. Griffin has completed 85.4% of his passes. He is not doing it on short passes either as he is averaging 11.7 yards per attempt which is good for second in the nation.