Box scores can often be misleading. A tailback could run for 97 yards on eight carries, but 92 of them came on one play. A batter could go 4-for-5 in game, but twice need favorable error calls to do it. And Ricky Davis could bounce a basketball off his own backboard trying to “earn” a triple-double.
Box scores never tell the whole story. So every Sunday we’ll be taking a closer look at yesterday’s stats, searching for something hidden Behind the Numbers.
Let’s begin with the number zero, which is exactly how many sacks the Terps recorded and field goals kicker Obi Egekeze made against the Blue Hens.
Terp defenders frequently had Delaware quarterback Robby Schoenhoft in their sights and within their grasp, but each time failed to bring the 250-pound beef stick to the ground. The Blue Hens might be the defending Football Championship Series (better known as Division I-AA) champs, but their offensive line should have been overmatched against Terp defenders, who in turn should be able to corral and drag down a quarterback, even if he is a hoss. But that zero also fails to account for the pressure Terp defenders did apply. That pressure didn’t allow Schoenhoft time to consistently throw the ball downfield and forced him to make frequent use of his check-down receivers.
Egekeze’s 0-for-3 finish is another stat that might seem more alarming than it really is. Yes, Egekeze missed all three field goals he attempted, and the second one wasn’t even close and might have been good if it had been kicked from the opposite hash mark. But his first attempt, a 48-yarder, bounced off the crossbar, and the third clunked off the right upright from 41 yards out. Many college teams wouldn’t even let their kicker attempt a 48-yard field goal, and both could just as easily have bounced inside the upright.
That said, it’s unlikely the Terps could get zero sacks and squander three scoring opportunites against an ACC opponent and get away with it like they did against Delaware. They’ll have to work on improving those zeroes, but for now they have another where it matters most: in the loss column.
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