Ten amazing statistical feats from Week 3 in college football

Published Sep. 15, 2014 5:00 p.m. ET

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More Athlon Sports coverage of Week 3: A painful week for the Pac-12; ACC gets upset -- twice; SEC sees drastic shift in the East; Nebraska, Penn State standing strong for the Big Ten; Oklahoma is talk of the Big 12.

Numbers and statistics are a huge part of college football. Every Sunday, reading updated box scores and stats is like Christmas for fans and media members.

Some stats like total offense and total defense are overrated but each help paint a picture for a team or particular game.

Whether the stats are historic, advanced or just an observation from a box score, Athlon Sports brings the most intriguing, important, historic and bizarre stats from around the weekend of college football action. Here are 10 from Week 3.

3: Texas Tech’s possessions in second half against Arkansas

Saturday’s matchup between Arkansas and Texas Tech wasn’t just a Big 12-SEC battle, it also featured an interesting clash of styles. Texas Tech’s Air Raid offense met the ground-and-pound Arkansas attack, and there was no doubt which team was better on Saturday. The Razorbacks gashed the Red Raiders defense for 438 rushing yards (6.4 average) and seven scores. Time of possession is an overrated stat at times, but Bret Bielema’s offense held the ball for 40:39, which limited the high-powered Texas Tech offense to just three second-half possessions. The Red Raiders registered only 6:05 in time of possession over the final two quarters. Running backs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams and a massive offensive line were simply too much for Texas Tech’s defense.

14: Teams Washington LB Shaq Thompson outscored in Week 3

Coincidence or just good luck? Three teams ran at least 100 plays in Week 3: Bowling Green, Western Kentucky and West Virginia. Two of those teams (West Virginia and Bowling Green) won, while Western Kentucky fell short in overtime against MTSU. Running a lot of plays doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it’s an interesting stat for up-tempo offenses. Northern Illinois leads the nation with 284 plays this season, with the Hilltoppers checking in at No. 2 (276).

147:24: Minutes of game action in LSU’s shutout streak

Since allowing a two-yard touchdown run by Wisconsin running back Corey Clement in the third quarter of the opener, LSU has held its opponents scoreless. The Tigers' shutout streak ran to 147 minutes and 24 seconds of game action after defeating ULM 31-0 on Saturday. LSU is allowing just 3.5 yards per play and has registered eight sacks in three games. Sure, the competition will get better, but coach Les Miles and coordinator John Chavis have once again reloaded on the defensive side. The shutout streak will be put to the test in Week 4 with Mississippi State visiting Baton Rouge.

227: Penn State’s rushing yardage through three games

With four new starters, it’s no surprise Penn State’s offensive line has struggled through the first three games of 2014. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg has been sacked eight times, and rushers are averaging just 2.5 yards per carry. In Saturday’s win over Rutgers, the Nittany Lions averaged only 1.9 yards per carry. Penn State also has only one rush of 20 or more yards this season. There’s no doubt the Nittany Lions can win a lot of games behind Hackenberg, a good defense and coach James Franklin. However, averaging only 75.7 rushing yards per contest versus Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State will be tough to overcome.

2: Touchdowns allowed by Ole Miss in three games

The Rebels’ defense was one of the biggest reasons for optimism surrounding this team’s breakout potential in 2014. So far, so good. Ole Miss has allowed just two touchdowns through three games and is limiting opponents to just 10.3 points per contest. The Rebels are tied for the second-fewest touchdowns allowed in the nation with Alabama, while Stanford has surrendered just one in three contests. Ole Miss will face tougher competition ahead with matchups against Alabama, Texas A&M and Auburn. However, there’s no doubt this defense is one of the best in the nation.

188: Yards by Louisville after opening possession

After going 75 yards in nine plays in Saturday’s matchup against Virginia, all signs pointed to a Louisville victory. However, the Cavaliers’ defense dominated for most of the game, limiting the Cardinals to just 188 yards on the next 15 possessions. Louisville managed to score touchdowns on back-to-back 50-yard drives in the second half, but Virginia forced eight punts and four turnovers after allowing the successful opening possession. Despite the Cavaliers’ shortcomings on offense, this defense is good enough to keep them in games this year.

61.6: Average yards of Baylor WR KD Cannon’s TD catches

Baylor is known for its big-play passing offense under coach Art Briles, but the Bears have a new weapon in true freshman receiver KD Cannon. In three games this year, Cannon has caught 14 passes for 471 yards and five scores. The true freshman is averaging 33.6 yards per catch, with his five touchdown catches averaging 61.6 yards per reception. Needless to say, this true freshman is already one of the top receivers in college football.

452: Rushing yards by Boston College against USC

In Saturday’s surprise 37-31 victory over USC, Boston College recorded a staggering 452 rushing yards on 54 attempts. The Eagles scored five times on the ground and averaged a whopping 8.4 yards per carry. Four Boston College rushers had at least eight carries, including quarterback Tyler Murphy (13 attempts) and Jon Hilliman (19). To put the Eagles’ 452 yards in perspective: Coming into Week 3, USC allowed only 285 yards on the ground through two games. The 452 rushing yards allowed were the most by a Trojans’ defense since the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl.

20.4: Yards per carry by Duke RB Shaun Wilson in Week 3

Wilson has quickly emerged as one of the top playmakers for Duke’s offense. The true freshman gashed Kansas for 245 yards and three touchdowns, along with recording one catch for seven yards. Wilson also averaged an insane 20.4 yards per carry and scored three times. The freshman’s 245 yards set a school record. Through three games, Wilson has 334 yards on 21 attempts.