Tuesday Takeaways: Alabama A&M by the Numbers
Say what you will, but Troy is right where we expected it to be: 1-1.
The Ole Miss game was impressive in its own way, but the Alabama A&M game was supposed to show us more about the team. It did, for better or for worse.
Let’s break down this win through the numbers.
The Good
13 – Gunnar Watson’s national rank in yards per game
Watson threw for 275 yards against Ole Miss, and he followed that up with a 351-yard explosion against Alabama A&M. For what was touted to be a more pro-style, run-first offense, this team has proven to be fairly pass-heavy.
Even Jarret Doege, the active leader in yards and touchdowns, was able to add to both totals this weekend.
Watson’s 626 total passing yards also rank him 18th in the country. After last year’s offense literally cost Troy games, it’s nice to see some production.
8 – The number of players who have run the ball
With a passing game that strong, the questions around the run game start to rise. One of the answers is “by committee.” Here are the eight people Troy has listed as having attempted to run the ball this season:
- Kimani Vidal
- DK Billingsley
- Jamontez Woods
- Damien Taylor
- Will Choloh (yes)
- Jarret Doege
- Tez Johnson
- Gunnar Watson
Vidal leads the team with 86 yards. Watson brings up the rear with -45 yards, undoubtedly the result of sacks.
They all combine for 330 yards total, a 165-yard average. Paired with a 313-yard passing game, the Trojans offense is showing solid results for the first time in a long time.
46.2 – Mike Rivers’ average yards per punt
Last week he was No. 2 in the country, but he only fell to No. 11 this week. Regardless, having a guy who will almost literally flip the field for you will do wonders for your defense and take pressure off your offense.
He’s a bright spot, just two games into his career at Troy.
The Bad
29:22 – The time it took Troy to score against Alabama A&M
Despite what the stat sheet (and the second half, for that matter) say, the offense felt anemic in the first half of both games. Troy has 0 first quarter points and 10 first half points all season.
Troy gained 183 yards on seven drives in the first half… then 358 yards on eight drives in the second half. The Trojans almost literally doubled their production.
The positive side is that the Trojans are making second-half adjustments, and they’re clearly working. If Troy wants to beat Appalachian State or Marshall though, the offense has to explode out of the gate.
2 – Gunnar Watson’s interceptions by Alabama A&M
For all of the positives in Troy’s pass game, this is not a category you want stats in. An interception against Ole Miss is at least understandable… but double that against an FCS opponent?
It hurts even more when you realize both passes were at least double-covered. The first pick was an underthrown ball to a defender who was between Watson and the receiver.
The second was thrown in a tight window created by three defenders (and the referee). This pass was on the money, but it bounced out of the receiver’s hands into a defender’s.
You don’t have to put the second one on Watson, but add in the tight pass that ended in RaJae’ Johnson’s acrobatic catch, and you have a trend of forced or questionable passes.
35.71 – Troy’s third down conversion percentage
The Trojans are 10-for-28 on third downs this season, and they went 4-for-11 on Saturday. For comparison, Troy had a just-under 40% conversion rate last year, and 46% the year before that.
That’s the other huge reason this offense feels stagnant, at least in the first half. Troy didn’t really move the chains.
A well-paced offense is also a great defense. Keeping the defense off the field, even if you don’t score, is important to shutting down strong offenses. After all, they can’t score if you have the ball.
The upside is that change-of-pace absolutely has an impact. Troy only saw four third downs in the second half.
- Watson completed a pass to convert one
- Doege (who got here in August) threw two incompletions in the fourth quarter
- The last third down was the last play of the game.
Picking up the tempo and avoiding bad throws will help Troy fix all three.
The Incredible
2 – The number of players RaJae’ Johnson absolutely bodied
I mean, come on. You didn’t think I would leave this work of art out of the gallery? Let’s watch it again.
Troy hasn’t lost a step in the talent at receiver. Jabre Barber, Tez Johnson, Marcus Rogers, Deshaun Stoudemire and all four tight ends have each proven to be electric weapons in this offense.
Now add the monster transfer from UAB and no matter who’s under center, this passing game should have defensive coordinators sweating over their gameplans.
Just remember to move the sticks.