Oklahoma football: How Oklahoma and UCF stack up statistically
By Chip Rouse
The Oklahoma football matchup on Saturday against the University of Central Florida, which prefers to go by the shorter version UCF, features the country’s 4th and 6th best college offenses.
Spoiler alert: The Sooners aren’t the better of the two — not statistically anyway. The Knights of UCF come to Norman with the fourth best offense among FBS teams, averaging 516.7 yards per game. The difference between the two offenses, however, is a mere 10 yards a game. The Sooners are averaging 506 yards through six games,
What’s different, though, is the manner in which the two teams get to their offensive totals. UCF ranks third nationally in rushing yards, averaging 246.3 a game. The Sooners like to take their game to the air, with 341.2 passing yards per game.
This has all the makings of a high-scoring offensive shootout except that Oklahoma is allowing just 14.0 points per game and UCF 27.8. Oklahoma’s 45.2 scoring average ranks No. 4 in college football and it’s 14.0 points allowed is No. 7.
Another polarizing nature of this matchup is won-lost contrast between the two teams. OU leads the conference with a 3-0 league mark and 6-0 overall, one of 11 undefeated teams left in college football this season. UCF is 0-3 and still looking for its first Big 12 win to go with a 3-3 record overall.
How Oklahoma and UCF compare in major statistical categories
(National ranking in parentheses)
OU UCF
Scoring offense 45.2 (4) 34.7 (27)
Scoring defense 14.0 (7) 27.8 (82)
Rushing offense 164.8 (54) 246.3 (3)
Rushing defense 113.7 (29) 197.2 (121)
Passing offense 341.2 (4) 270.3 (37)
Passing defense 239.2 (85) 190.0 (27)
Total offense 506.0 (6) 516.7 (4)
Total defense 352.8 (52) 387.2 (79)
3rd down offense % 51.9 (10) 50.0 (13)
3rd down defense % 28.9 (11) 45.9 (114)
Red zone offense % 90.9 (24) 76.0 (107)
Red zone defense % 63.6 (3) 45.9 (63)
Turnover margin +11 -5