THE NUMBERS GAME
What happened when one of the Football Bowl Subdivision’s most prolific offenses was matched against one of the Football Championship Subdivision’s worst defenses was predictable. Missouri’s 815 total yards and 521 yards passing against Missouri State were the top marks of the weekend. The Tigers’ prodigious production comes with the caveat that it was orchestrated by a seasoned SEC quarterback in Drew Lock against a defense that ranked 105th last season, up from 123rd, and last, the year before. In winning, 72-43, the Tigers posted the fourth-highest offensive total in the nation since 2014 and bettered their school record by 71 yards. Here’s a look at the other statistical feats over the weekend: 200 Club: There were five 200-yard rushing performances, led by TaQuon Marshall’s Georgia Tech quarterback-record 249 yards and five touchdowns on 44 carries in the Yellow Jackets’ 42-41 double-overtime loss to Tennessee on Monday night. Navy quarterback Zach Abey had 235 yards on 32 carries against Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Texas A&M’s Trayveon Williams had 203 yards on 22 carries against UCLA, Missouri’s Damarea Crockett ran 18 times for 202 yards against Missouri State and Dicoemy Saint Juste of Hawaii carried 25 times for 202 yards against Western Carolina. Catch after catch: North Carolina State H-back Jaylen Samuels had 15 catches against South Carolina, the most by a non-wide receiver since Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro caught 15 balls against Oklahoma State in 2013. Samuels tied the N.C. State single-game record and was one off the ACC record. Bulling ’em over: Buffalo linebacker Khalil Hodge led the nation with a career-high 20 tackles against Minnesota. It was the most tackles in a game by a Buffalo player since Davonte Shannon had 20 against Army in 2008. Sack man: Ball State defensive end Anthony Winbush recorded a career-high three sacks against Illinois. Two came on consecutive plays at the end of the third quarter to push the Illini out of field-goal range. Winbush led Ball State and was third in the Mid-American Conference with 81⁄2 sacks last year. Dogged defense: Mississippi State limited FCS Charleston Southern to 33 total yards, the fewest since Boise State held Northern Illinois to the same number in the 2015 Poinsettia Bowl. It was a good start for new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who took over a unit that allowed 459 yards a game last season. The Bulldogs surrendered just two first downs and, after having not recorded a safety since 2011, they got two in the first half.