The unthinkable has happened – the big man handed me the reigns to the weekly college football statistics piece. I now have his full permission to get statistically stupid, adeptly arithmetical and needlessly numerical. So grab your calculators. This column is going to make your week better – it’s mathematical fact!
So what if your team hasn’t made an AP Poll in years. Maybe your squad lost a little bit of your College Football Playoff shine over the weekend. You might have been defeated in triple-overtime fashion. Chances are you are No. 1 somewhere, in something to someone – even if it’s just your mom. So ignore the nation's weekly Hot-or-Not list and join us here at TSFJ, where we are always looking for a reason to celebrate Baker Mayfield-style.
No. 1 in Total Offense: Lamar Jackson, Louisville - 1,010 yards
I'm not saying that Lamar Jackson will win the Heisman again, but I'm not NOT saying that the junior quarterback at Louisville will win the Heisman again. Ya dig? Coming into this year's college football season, many people, myself included, didn't believe Jackson could put up the kind of numbers that would catch the nation's eye (as well as voters' attention spans) in 2017. But the 525 yards of offense and six touchdowns Jackson tallied against North Carolina on Saturday created a buzz, and if I'm not mistaken, the faint whisper of the H-word. Through two games and 125 plays, Jackson now has 1,010 yards of offense. For those of you bad at math, that's 505 yards per game. Plus, his pocket presence and reads have much improved.
No. 1 Rush Yards Per Carry: Darrell Henderson, Memphis - 14.08 yards
You may remember Darrell Henderson from his 99-yard kick-off return touchdown against SMU last year. Well the 200-pound sophomore running back is at it again, leading the nation in rush yards per carry with 14.08 in just one game so far. In the Tigers' season opener against Louisiana Monroe, Henderson rushed for 169 yards off of 12 carries and two touchdowns. As you can see in the video, he is fast. But more than speed, the youngster has an eye for gaps and holes and he hits them hard. Should be fun to watch him face off against UCLA on Saturday.
No. 1 in Passing Touchdowns: Shea Patterson, Ole Miss & Josh Rosen, UCLA - 9
If you thought Lamar Jackson was undervalued coming into this season, you should google UCLA junior quarterback Josh Rosen prior to the Bruins' amazing 34-point comeback win over Texas A&M. Before the fake spike heard 'round the college football world, there was a lot of doubt surrounding Rosen and his ability to be a leader. But after the Aggies game, Rosen threw for 329 yards and set a career-high with five touchdowns in UCLA's 56-23 victory over Hawaii on Saturday. Rosen now has 820 passing yards on top of his nine touchdowns and leads the Pac-12 in total offense, averaging 410 yards per game. He shares the passing touchdowns title with Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Shea Patterson, who also threw five touchdown passes Saturday in the Rebels' 45-32 win over UT Martin. Patterson set a single-game record of 489 yards. In two games, he has thrown for 918 yards and connected with 10 different receivers.
No. 1 in All-Purpose Yards: Rashaad Penny, SDSU - 284 per game
You need to remember this name - it was lost in the dust that trailed behind Donnel Pumphrey's record-breaking season last year. But now that it has settled, San Diego State's run game is plenty strong thanks to senior Rashaad Penny. In last Saturday's 30-20 win over Arizona State, Penny finished with 353 all-purpose yards - a career-high 216 rushing, 38 receiving and 99 on special teams. He has a nation-leading 568 all-purpose yards (413 rushing, 38 receiving and 117 kick-off return) off of 45 plays, and is averaging 284 all-purpose yards per game. San Diego State faces Stanford next weekend, which should make for interesting trap game for the Cardinal, after they fell to USC this weekend. Expect Penny to carve up Stanford's struggling defense.
No. 1 in Passing Completion Percentage: Nic Shimonek, Texas Tech - 86.7%
You all know I have a soft spot in my college football heart for quarterbacks from Texas Tech. And even with Patrick Mahomes gone, my heart still beats strong for fifth-year senior QB Nic Shimonek. In the Red Raiders' 56-10 win over Eastern Washington, Shimonek completed 14 passes to start the game. He went on to throw for 384 yards and three touchdowns. And because he completed 26 of his 30 attempted passes, he now leads the nation with an 86.7 completion percentage. Sure, next week's game against Arizona State could make it more difficult for the Texas-native to maintain his top spot, but then again, maybe not (see above).
