Seven Year Review: SEC WEST Rushing Stats
Football is now just months away and we intend to take you all the way to kickoff and beyond here at MWN and today we start looking at the “Seven Year Review”. In the SYR we will look back at different stats and trends among the SEC West teams, ranking each team accordingly showing you trends and numbers, which should give you an idea what to possibly expect from teams this year within each category. We will also see how the Bulldogs have fared in these categories and what they need to do to move up the charts.
Today we look at the rushing numbers amongst SEC West teams in terms of yards, touchdowns and averages of each over the last seven years. Seven years is a long time and we have seen many coaching changes, as well as Texas A&M come into the league, but this gives us a great base of numbers to review.
Over the last seven years the rushing numbers in the SEC West look like this and each team is ranked accordingly.
Some interesting stats here to look at, as Auburn has led the SEC in rushing, edging out Alabama over the last seven years, but it’s Alabama who has scored the most rushing touchdowns and averages the most on a yearly basis. It’s also astonishing that both Alabama and Auburn have paced on average over 200-yards per game on the ground. It should be no surprise that LSU is at the top of the list the way the Tigers run the football and the total touchdown numbers is where the real separation is at in the group. Auburn, Alabama and LSU are all around 200 – rushing touchdowns or more, then there is a 31-touchdown gap between those three teams and the next team, Texas A&M at 166.
Mississippi State ranked fourth in total numbers which is a great place to be, pulling in 184-yards per game over this stretch. If the Bulldogs can maintain that average this year or push it ten-yards higher, then look out.
With all the glitz and glamour of the modern day spread offensive attacks, you still have to be able to run the football and it doesn’t matter if you line up and pound the rock like Alabama or get cute like Auburn, rushing the football is still a big time determining factor in football games and will continue to be.
Other notables and observations – I expect Arkansas’s average to increase over the next few years, or as long as Brett Bielema is the head coach in Fayetteville. I would also expect to see Texas A&M’s numbers decrease unless they have a true dual threat quarterback running their show.
For Mississippi State, it is again paramount to run the football and run it effectively to be successful in 2015 – but that’s stating the obvious.