Cover The Number » NCAA Football

Kansas St vs. Baylor is Battle of Big-12 Elite

Tony Bravo — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:02 +0000

Two of the top 20 teams in the country will battle Tuesday night as the Kansas St Wildcats host the undefeated and 4th ranked Baylor Bears in what should be a hard fought Big !2 battle. The Wildcats are coming off of a blowout win over 6th ranked Missouri on Saturday, and will be facing their 3rd consecutive ranked oppo

Alabama vs. LSU in Rematch for National Championship

Glenn Andrew — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:00:39 +0000

It’s hard to beat a team twice in the same season. That’s exactly what the Alabama Crimson Tide will be hanging their hat on when they take on the LSU Tigers for the second time this season. The first meeting was a defensive battle as LSU pulled out the 9-6 win in what was a battle of field position. College football handicappers must be thinking under the same terms as they have listed the Tide as 2 point favorites for Monday’s National Championship game. It’s extremely rare for the number 1 seed with no losses to be posted as a small underdog for the title game, but this is an extremely unique situation.

Despite a loss at home to LSU earlier this season, Alabama managed to maintain their grasp on the #2 position in the BCS rankings. Oklahoma St narrowly finished third, and showed why they weren’t deserving as they held on to beat Stanford in a game they clearly should’ve lost. Despite the criticism many NCAA football experts have brought forth in regards to having two teams from the same conference together for a shot at the title, it’s clear to see that these were the top two teams in the country by a landslide.

Both LSU and ‘Bama use the same philosophy in regards to winning football games. Each puts tremendous emphasis on running the ball effectively, and playing smash-mouth football to take away the will of their opponents. Alabama finished the 2011 season as the top ranked defense in college football, allowing just 8.8 points per game in the process. The Tigers weren’t too far behind with a 10.5 points against average, but was able to go undefeated with a more potent offensive attack.

It’s not like LSU had an easy SEC or out of conference schedule to navigate on their way to a perfect 13-0 year. They beat 8 top-25 teams in the process, and did it with ease! The 3 point win on the road against Alabama was the only game against a ranked team that finished inside of a 13 point margin of victory. The Tigers defense may be one of the best college football has seen in decades. They have one of the best secondary’s ever assembled, yet still have the ability to get to the quarterback with a stout offensive line.

Offense isn’t a problem for LSU either as they finished 12th in division 1 football in points per game. Averaging nearly 40 points per game would be enough for most teams to win almost every game, but the Tigers like to add to their opponents misery by holding them to next to nothing offensively. Jarrett Lee took over the starting job at quarterback due to the suspension that Jordan Jefferson received in the off season. Lee has been incredibly poised and efficient in his role despite not being asked to do too much.

LSU’s offense revolves solely around the rushing attack of Michael Ford and Spencer Ware who have combined for over 1400 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Tigers made this game-plan work the first time they played the Tide, but they will have to do much more offensively to pull out the win this time around.

Offensively, Alabama has a huge edge over LSU in both passing and rushing. Trent Richardson was in the running for the Heisman Trophy, and has decided to come back for his senior season. He will be playing at his absolute best Monday as the Crimson Tide try to redeem themselves with a win in the game that really matter. Richardson rushed for almost 1600 yards and 20 touchdowns in leading this team to a 11-1 record with wins over 4 top-25 opponents. Quarterback A.J. McCarron did an impressive job leading this offense in his sophomore year as he threw 16 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions, and finished with a QB rating of almost 150. He will be the key to Alabama’s success Monday. Expect several big throws that lead to hard fought scores against this talented LSU “D”.

Tune in as the top two teams in the country battle for the National Championship Monday night.

BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Southern Methodist

Glenn Andrew — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:00:43 +0000

The Pittsburgh Panthers may have finished the season well below college football experts expectations, but they could have easily finished the year with 10 wins had they had 1 more stop or made 1 more play. Of Pittsburgh’s 6 losses, 4 of them were by a combined total of 11 points and could have easily gone the other way. The Panthers may play in a much tougher conference, but they’d better be ready to go Saturday when they take on an SMU Mustangs squad that possesses one of the best passing attacks in the country.

June Jones is well known for being one of the greatest offensive minds in college football after a phenomenal run with Hawaii. He’s been at the helm of this program for 4 years now, and has rejuvenated the program into a legitimate contender in Conference USA. Jones is still a year or 2 away from having all of his recruits under his belt, but he’s been able to a lot with the talent that was given to him when he took over the program.

Quarterback J.J. McDermott has done everything asked of him and some. He threw for well over 3000 yards and 16 touchdowns, but also threw 16 interceptions and routinely made critical mistakes that may have cost this squad a win or two. Unfortunately the Mustangs don’t have much of a running game to fall back on as they finished the year with 98th in the country with a 118 yards per game average. Zach Line ran for over 1200 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he wasn’t utilized to the fullest as Jones prefers to move the ball via the pass. Line will play a big role in whether or not SMU can keep this one close against a team that most football experts feel is far superior.

Pitt certainly has better athletes, but they run a very ordinary offense that has kept them from getting to the next level. Tino Sunseri has never fully lived up to expecations as the leader of this Panthers offense. Almost every one of his passing statistics were down from the number he put up as a sophomore, and he finished the year with just 10 touchdown passes. Sunseri has often been put in situations that he’s not comfortable in, and a lack of consistency from Pittsburgh’s rushing attack hasn’t made it any easier for him. Ray Graham didn’t quite get to the 1000 yard barrier running the ball, but he did average a very respectable 5.8 yards per rush. He has been routinely left out of the offensive equation for the Panthers, but will need to be taken advantage of in the Compass Bowl if the Panthers are to avoid any further embarrassment this season.

NCAA football handicappers have listed Pittsburgh as 3.5 point favorites for this match-up, but as far as I’m concerned, this one is a coin flip. Tune in Saturday as the Panthers and Mustangs battle for the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Arkansas vs. Kansas St in Cotton Bowl Showdown

Glenn Andrew — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:00:56 +0000

The Kansas St Wildcats and Arkansas Razorbacks may be ranked 8th and 6th in the country respectively, but they are arguable two of the best teams in the country. A close look at both teams resume’s shows that they have the ability to compete with the best teams in the college football, and could have found themselves in the BCS title game with 1 more win. College football experts are in agreement that Alabama and LSU are the best two teams in the country, but had there been a playoff either of the teams in the Cotton Bowl would’ve had a legitimate chance at winning the National Championship.

It’s hard to argue that Arkansas isn’t the 3rd best college football team in the nation as both of their losses came at the hands of the teams battling for the title. Outside of those losses, the Razorbacks have been virtually flawless with wins over 3 other ranked opponents. They are not in the top-10 of any meaningful statistical categories, but are balanced enough to present some serious challenges to any squad they face. Unfortunately for Arkansas they will be facing the only other team in division 1 football that feels the same way.

Kansas St has flow under the radar all season long, bt has put together quite an impressive year. They played 4 ranked teams and lost to 2 of them, but Oklahoma St and Oklahoma proved to be the class of the Big-12 conference. The Wildcats were the first of only 3 teams to take down a Baylor Bears team that was led by the eventual Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. A 7 point loss to the Cowboys isn’t as impressive as doing it a week after they were hammered by the Sooners by a score of 58-17. The ability to bounce back showed that this team has heart and a desire to exceed expectations.

The Wildcats may have a weakness offensively as they finished the season ranked 109th in passing, but they more than made up for it with their two-headed rushing attack. Fleet footed quarterback Colin Klein led this offense in rushing, but was helped by John Hubert in making Kansas St the 25th best running team in the nation. Both of these gifted runners contributed to nearly 30 touchdowns on the ground, and were the catalysts for many of the Wildcats wins. Arkansas’ defense finished the season as the 38th best in terms of points allowed per game, but the Wildcats have the potential to inflate that number with a strong performance Friday.

Arkansas’ deficiencies offensively are the polar opposite of the Wildcats. They have a very capable quarterback in Tyler Wilson, but are lacking a steady rushing game that can eat up yards and keep opposing team’s offenses off of the field. Wilson threw for over 3400 yards and 22 touchdowns this year, but was unable to do much against stout defenses. Kansas St doesn’t have a defense that would be consider top tier, but they have a “bend but don’t break” mentality that always keep them close.

NCAA football handicappers currently have the Razorbacks listed as heavy 9 point favorites for Friday’s match-up. This bowl season has been extremely unpredictable as West Virginia showed us Wednesday night. Tune in Friday as two of the best 2-loss teams in the country go head to head in the Cotton Bowl.

Mounatineers vs. Tigers in Discover Orange Bowl

Glenn Andrew — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:00:19 +0000

The Clemson Tigers stumbled down the stretch losing 3 out of 5 games, but still found themselves as the 15th ranked team in the country. A phenomenal 8-0 start that included wins over three ranked teams in consecutive weeks was enough to get college football experts attention, and quickly propelled the Tigers into the top-10. The built up pressure that Clemson felt obviously took its toll against Georgia Tech on October 29th, but a 10-3 record still exceeded expectations heading into the year. If Clemson is to put a bow on the year, they will have to slow down an inconsistent but explosive West Virginia Mountaineers squad that is hoping to secure their 10th win for the 2nd consecutive year.

Clemson doesn’t blow you away in any one facet of the game, but they are well balanced on both sides of the ball, and it’s their consistency that has them playing in the Orange Bowl. Tajh Boyd had a tremendous sophomore season as he threw for nearly 3600 yards and 31 touchdowns. Boyd’s quarterback rating of 145 was due to his 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio and a completion percentage of over 60%. He’s able to get the ball down the field vertically because of a talented receiving group that is led by Sammy Watkins. The one weakness in their offense may be running the ball, but RB Andre Ellington still finished the season with over 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Mountaineers are in the same boat in terms of running the ball as they finished the 2011 season with the 98th ranked rushing attack out of 120 teams. That didn’t seem to slow them down much as quarterback Geno Smith did more than enough to keep this offense moving. West Virginia had the 20th best scoring offense in the country with a 34.9 point per game average, and will need to score early and often if they hope to take down the Tigers Wednesday night.

Smith has improved his numbers in every statistical category this season, but wasn’t able to convert at a high enough rate in the end-zone to bail out an under-achieving defense that allowed over 26 points per game. A 3 point loss at home to Louisville best exemplified the Mountaineers weaknesses as they failed to win the game despite a 400+ yard and 3 touchdown performance from Smith. This team will need to be sharp and mistake free against the Tigers if they are to win this match-up.

NCAA football handicappers have listed Clemson as 3 point favorites over West Virginia, but the Mountaineers have the type of offense that can score on anyone if they’re on point. Scoring 21 against the LSU Tigers may not seem like a ton of points, but it’s more than double what the Tigers give up on average. Tune in Wednesday night in what should be a competitive Orange Bowl match-up.

Wolverines vs. Hokies in 2012 Sugar Bowl

Glenn Andrew — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:00:56 +0000

If not for the Clemson Tigers, the Virginia Tech Hokies might have made it to the BCS National Championship game. Va Tech has been relevant in college football for nearly 2 decades, but haven’t received the praise they deserve from college football experts due to their attention to the defensive side of the ball with very little offense to back it up. They ranked 52nd in division 1 football in points per game with a 28 point per game average, but an 8th ranked defense allowed them to get though the year with just a pair of blemishes. The Hokies defense will have their hands full Tuesday in the Sugar Bowl when they take on an explosive Michigan Wolverines offense that is led by their fleet footed quarterback Denard Robinson.

Robinson has rushed for over 1000 and passed for over 2000 yards for the second consecutive season, but his numbers were down compared to his 2010 campaign. He lost several key members from his offensive line, and found himself scrambling far more often than expected. The Wolverines may have finished the year with the 22nd ranked offense in the nation, but they play in a Big-10 conference that is loaded with solid defenses. Fitzgerald Toussaint often gets overlooked due to the dynamic playmaking that Robinson brings to the table, but he contributed over 1000 yards and 9 additional rushing touchdowns to this rushing attack.

As well-known as the Hokies defense is for takeaways and being able to shut down offenses, Michigan actually finished the season slightly ahead of them in terms of points allowed per game. Michigan will have to be at their best and not take the Tech offense too lightly as QB Logan Thomas has proven to be a legitimate threat throwing the ball. Thomas passed for nearly 2800 yards in his first season as starting quarterback, and finished with 19 touchdown passes and a rating of 136. These numbers may not stack up against the best QB’s in college football, but he’s done all that has been asked of him in this run-first offense.

Junior tailback David Wilson has provided much of the offense for Virginia Tech this season with over 1600 yards on the ground and 9 touchdowns. The yards he earns are hard fought as most defenses will stack the line against the Hokies. An average of over 6 yards per rush will be important Tuesday night if this offense is sustain drives and keep Robinson and the Michigan offense off of the field. With an over/under at 51 points for the Sugar Bowl, we should expect there to be some scoring from both teams.

NCAA football handicappers have listed the 13th ranked Wolverines as 3 point favorites over #11 Virginia Tech. Obviously the oddsmakers are thinking that Robinson will make it hard for the Hokies defense to make stops, but that’s why the game is played. Tune in Tuesday as two of the best teams in the country fight for the title of Sugar Bowl Champs.

Cowboys and Cardinal Battle in Fiesta Bowl

Tony Bravo — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:36:16 +0000

The Oklahoma St Cowboys and Stanford Cardinal will go head to head in a battle of the 3rd and 4th ranked teams in the country. College football experts are obviously putting all of the hype of the National Championship game between Alabama and LSU, but this game has the potential to be far more exciting as both teams can score at a phenomenal rate. Andrew Luck has been talked about all season long as one of the best college quarterbacks in the country, and because he’s touted as one of the most fundamentally sound QB’s to come into the NFL Draft in years. However, Brandon Weeden has had an incredible career with the Cowboys and will do all he can to show NFL scouts that he too is worthy of being a top selection in the draft.

NCAA football handicappers have set the over/under on this game at 74 points, and I would be shocked if they didn’t get there. Stanford fell off offensively towards the end of the year, but navigating the difficult PAC-12 schedule can be a grueling task as most of the teams they face play solid defense. However, this offense has shown the ability to score in bunches both through the air and on the ground. Luck gets all of the attention, but it has been the legs of Stepfan Taylor gave Stanford the PAC-12 title and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Cardinal has the better defense, but Okie St routinely finds holes in nearly every defense they’ve faced this season. It will take several key stops and probably close to 40 points for Stanford to pull out the upset. Football handicappers have listed Oklahoma St as 4 point favorites for this match-up, and it’s hard to argue with their assessment. The only blemish on the Cowboys schedule was a shocking loss to Iowa St in overtime. It’s hard to determine exactly what happened in that game, but it’s apparent that they took the Cyclones lightly and may have been more focused on their final game of the year against Oklahoma.

Being the 60th best defense in the country is not an accurate representation of how well the Cowboys “D” performed this season. It’s much easier for opposing teams to score when they are routinely down by 3 or 4 touchdowns and go to a passing attack to catch-up. Holding the Sooners to 10 points in the last game of the year was far and away the best this defense has played all season, but they will need to be equally as good Monday against Luck. The close point spread and high total indicate that this should be an offensive showdown that ends on the last possession. Tune in Monday as Stanford and Oklahoma St trade scores in what will be an exciting Fiesta Bowl.

Georgia Tech vs. Utah in Hyundai Sun Bowl

Glenn Andrew — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:00:36 +0000

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets finished the year with the second best rushing attack in division 1 football. Averaging well over 300 yards on the ground per game has allowed this team to keep many games closer than they should’ve been, and sent them to a New Year’s Eve bowl game with a solid 8-4 record. It has been a better than expected season for G-Tech based on college football experts pre-season predictions, but capping it off with a win not be an easy task. The Jackets will have to put up points on a Utah Utes squad that went through a tough time in their first season as a member of the PAC-12 conference, but still managed to finish with the 19th best defense in the country.

As poorly as Utah played this season, they were actually 1 win away from winning the PAC-12 South division title. UCLA finished the year with a 5-4 conference record, but had Utah taken down the Buffaloes in their final game of the year, they would’ve had the same record but with the head to head win. After beginning the year with 3 consecutive losses to conference foes, the Utes managed to fight back with 4 wins in a row over Oregon St, Arizona, UCLA and Washington St.

Their offense has been lackluster on both sides of the ball, but they picked up the tempo late in the season by scoring over 30 points in 3 of their final 4 games. Junior quarterback Jon Hays hasn’t done much throwing the ball, but in his defense he has been asked to. It’s rare that a running back finishes the season with more yards than his QB, but that exactly what happened this season for John White IV. White ran for 1404 yards this season and scored 14 touchdowns, but the predictability of this offense made each of those yards hard to get. White’s ability to run the ball and Utah’s defense will be key components to whether or not this team can pull out the win in the Hyundai Sun Bowl.

The G-Tech offense starts and stops with QB/RB Tevin Washington. Washington may not be a pass-first quarterback, but he’s still managed to throw for over 1500 yards and 10 touchdowns. It’s been the running of Washington that has taken this Yellow Jackets squad to a solid bowl appearance, and may be what gets them the win over Utah. Along with Washington the GT has used the legs of their back-up quarterback David Sims to spearhead this high-powered rushing attack.

NCAA football handicappers rightfully have the Yellow Jackets listed as favorites for this one, but the line has come down over a point since it opened. The match-up of G-Tech’s running game against the stout Utah “D” will be what decides the outcome of this game. Tune in Saturday as the Utes and Yellow Jackets look to finish off the season on a winning note.

2012 BCS National Championship Matchup

Jack Jones — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:03:45 +0000

The BCS Championship game is no stranger to controversy, and this year is no different. LSU certainly deserves to be here. They went undefeated with one of the hardest schedules in the nation, plus won the SEC Championship game. The controversy comes on the other sideline, where Alabama, a team that did not win a conference championship and a team that already lost to their title game opponent, will be residing.

No matter what you may think of the system, there is some or little argument that LSU and Alabama have proved themselves to be two of the best, if not the best, teams in the nation at the end of a wild 2011 season. And these two longtime rivals get a rare rematch for a national title. While the first meeting was in Tuscaloosa, this one will be in New Orleans the Tigers’ adopted home.

This should make for a very interesting end to an entertaining bowl season, and a college-football campaign overall.

LSU has won the last seven meetings between these two storied programs, including the 9-6 win in Tuscaloosa and a 24-21 win in Baton Rouge a year ago.

The latest BCS Championship odds show Alabama -1 and a total of 41 points.

Alabama

After the epic 9-6 home loss to LSU, the Crimson Tide finished the regular season with three straight wins, outscoring the opponents 111-42. The Tide has allowed fewer than 10 points seven times in 12 games. Alabama is 5-0 away from home this year and is coming off a 42-14 Iron Bowl win over Auburn.

Alabama enters the game with the nation’s top defensive unit (9 points per game) and allows 191 yards per game (116 passing, 75 rushing) while recording 26 sacks and forced 18 turnovers four of which were returned for touchdowns (DeMarcus Milliner, DeQuan Menzie and Courtney Upshaw, interceptions).

Dont’a Hightower leads this unit with 81 tackles, while Upshaw leads the squad with 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Milliner has three interceptions and Dre Kirkpatrick has two forced fumbles.

Alabama ranks 16th in the nation in scoring offense (36 ppg) while compiling 433 yards per game (220 rushing, 213 passing).

Trent Richardson anchors the running game with 1,583 yards and 20 TDs on 6.0 yards per carry, while Eddy Lacy adds 631 yards and seven TDs on 7.5 ypc. A.J. McCarron has completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,400 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions, while the offensive line allowed 15 sacks. Marquis Maze is the top pass-catcher with 56 receptions (29 more than anyone else) for 627 yards and a TD.

LSU

LSU is the only undefeate team in the country and they have been ranked No. 1 in the nation for the majority of the season. Since defeating Alabama, the Tigers seemed to find their offense, outscoring their final four opponents 177-39, including wins over Arkansas and Georgia on their way to the SEC title.

LSU enters with the 2nd-ranked scoring defense in the nation (10 ppg), ranking only behind Alabama, and allows 252 yards per game (167 passing, 85 rushing) while compiling 37 sacks and forcing 30 turnovers six of which were returned for TDs (Morris Claiborne and Ron Brooks, three interceptions; Tyrann Mathieu and Kevin Minter, three fumbles).

Mathieu paces the defense with 70 tackles, six forced fumbles and five recoveries, while Sam Montgomery has recorded nine sacks and Barkevious Mingo added eight. Claiborne is one of the top pickoff artists in the nation with six interceptions.

On offense, LSU ranks a solid 12th in scoring (38 ppg) while recording 375 yards of offense per game (215 rushing, 160 passing).

Michael Ford and Spencer Ware lead the rushing attack with a combined 1,455 yards and 15 TDs on 4.7 yards per carry. Jordan Jefferson has completed 60 percent of his passes for 684 yards and six TDs with just one interception, while the offensive line has allowed 14 sacks. Reuben Randle is the top receiving target with 50 catches for 904 yards and eight TDs.

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2012 GoDaddy Bowl Overview

Jack Jones — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:56:08 +0000

The very last game in this bowl season before the main course the Allstate BCS Championship Game on Jan. 9th two of the best schools in the non-BCS conferences will collide in the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Ala., when Sun Belt Conference champion Arkansas State faces MAC champ Northern Illinois. Both teams enter this matchup with a combined 17-game winning streak.

These two schools have met seven times in the past between 1990 and 1996, with Northern Illinois winning six of the seven games. The last meeting in 1995 was a 31-30 NIU victory the only bright spot in a 1-10 season. The lone ASU victory was a 28-21 decision in 1995. Three of the meetings came when the two programs were in the Big West Conference.

The current GoDaddy Bowl odds show Arkansas State -1.5 and the over/under set at 62.5 points.

Arkansas State

Other than LSU, Arkansas State just might be the hottest team in America entering the bowl season, as they have won nine games in a row and a Sun Belt Conference championship (8-0) coming into this game. Most recently, Arkansas State won its last two games by a combined 90-33 over Middle Tennessee and Troy. The Red Wolves are 4-2 as a visitor, winning the last four the only defeats were at Illinois and Virginia Tech.

On defense, Arkansas State rates a strong 15th nationally in points allowed (19 points per game) and surrenders 325 yards per contest (219 throwing, 107 rushing) while recording 32 sacks and generating 28 turnovers two of which were taken back for touchdowns (Darryl Feemster, fumble; Sterling Young, pick).

Demario Davis paces the defense with 65 tackles, while Kelcie McCray has 62 tackles and a team-best four picks. Darron Edwards has three forced fumbles and three interceptions.

Offensively, the Red Wolves rank 28th in the country in offense (33 ppg) while gaining 454 yards per game (289 through the air, 165 on the ground).

Ryan Aplin has hit on 66 % of his passes for 3,235 yards and 18 scores with 13 picks, while the offensive line has given up 24 sacks. Dwayne Frampton leads the receiving corps with 90 grabs (38 more than any other player) for 1,125 yards and six touchdowns, while Aplin and Derek Lawson pace the running game with a combined 1,064 yards with 12 touchdowns on 4.0 yards per carry.

Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois, like the Red Wolves, finished their regular season on a roll. After a 48-41 loss to Central Michigan left the Huskies at 2-3, it won the next eight games, including a 23-20 win over Ohio in the MAC Title Game to get to this bowl versus the Sun Belt champ. The Huskies were 4-3 as a visitor, but has won the last four road games, three of them by a total of seven points.

On offense, NIU rates 13th in the country in scoring (38 ppg) while gaining 482 yards per game (248 on the ground, 234 passing).

Chandler Harnish leads the ground attack with 1,382 yards and 11 scores on 7.5 yards per attempt, while Jasmin Hopkins has 932 yards and 15 TDs on 5.2 yards per attempt. Harnish completes 63 % of his throws for 2,942 yards and 26 scores with five interceptions, while the offensive line has allowed nine sacks. Nathan Palmer leads the receivers with 46 catches for 683 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Huskies don’t do well defensively, ranking 90th in the nation in scoring defense (31 ppg) and giving up 418 yards per game (240 throwing, 178 on the ground) while recording 25 sacks and forcing 20 turnovers with one taken back for a score (Nabal Jefferson, interception).

Pat Schiller leads this unit with 108 tackles, while Sean Progar has 5.5 sacks. Rashaan Melvin and Dechane Durante each have two interceptions.

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