The college football ratings where being No. 1 is the worst. We count down the Terrible 10 team performances of Week 3.
As a whole, Week 3 of the college football season outperformed expectations given its lack of big-time matchups. We were treated to a trio of upsets featuring ranked teams, several close calls, and an all-around exciting slate of games. Of course, there were also quite a few disappointing team performances.
For instance, fans across the country looked to Clemson’s trip to Syracuse as the last real test for the Tigers in the 2019 regular season. But the Orange, who have been uncharacteristically inept on offense this year, sputtered for the second straight week and fell 41-6 at home.
Elsewhere, UCLA again scored exactly 14 points while losing. The Bruins now rank dead last nationally offensively with an average of 4.11 yards per play. And Boston College lost to Kansas.
Kansas.
But were Syracuse, UCLA and Boston College among the Terrible 10 in Week 3? With the help of CFB Winning Edge Team Performance ratings – a game grading system that accounts for a wide variety of statistical factors and adjusts for strength of opponent – we take a closer look at the worst on-field performances of week 3.
10. UTSA Roadrunners, 64.52
Simply put, the Roadrunners couldn’t run. Army stuffed UTSA at the line of scrimmage as Frank Wilson’s squad fell 31-13 to the Black Knights in San Antonio. The Roadrunners gained just 51 rushing yards on 27 carries – an ugly 1.7-yard average – while allowing 340 yards on the ground to the powerful Army rushing attack. To make matters worse, the Black Knights did so much damage despite losing star quarterback Kelvin Hopkins, Jr. to a leg injury.
9. Bowling Green Falcons, 64.24
Things started well enough for Bowling Green Saturday. The Falcons took the opening kickoff and marched to the end zone covering 68 yards in seven plays. However, the 7-0 lead would become a 14-7 deficit just six snaps later as Louisiana Tech scored on a 49-yard touchdown pass on its opening drive, and then All-American candidate Amik Robertson picked off Darius Wade and returned it 36 yards for a score.
The Falcons never recovered. Defensively, Bowling Green allowed 10.1 yards per pass attempt in a 35-7 loss. On offense, Scot Loeffler’s squad managed just 4.5 yards per pass, 2.5 yards per carry, and was just 6-for-21 on third-down conversion opportunities and 1-for-5 on fourth down.
8. East Carolina Pirates, 64.11
East Carolina entered the 2019 season with optimism thanks to the hire of Mike Houston from James Madison, and the return of sophomore quarterback Holton Ahlers. But there’s little to be optimistic about in a 42-10 loss to Navy Saturday.
Ahlers was just 11-for-23 passing and finished with 138 yards and an interception. He scored on a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter but led the team in rushing with just 36 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, ECU surrendered six total touchdowns to Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry, who surpassed 150 yards rushing and passing.
7. South Alabama Jaguars, 63.79
South Alabama started the season pretty strong, hanging tough with Nebraska in Week 1, and beating Jackson State 37-14. But Week 3 was disastrous. The Jags were able to scrounge up just 248 total yards of offense while allowing 530 to a Memphis squad playing without its best player in running back Patrick Taylor. South Alabama was out-gained by an average of 4.1 yards per play, making it one of just eight teams to finish at minus-4 or worse in Week 4.
The Jaguars offense was also outscored by an average of 0.63 points per play, which ranked sixth-worst of the weekend. And, if you saw any highlights of this contest, it was likely the botched extra-point attempt (following a South Alabama defensive touchdown; the offense was shut out), which Memphis returned for the final two points of a 42-6 final.
6. Buffalo Bulls, 63.78
Buffalo hung with Penn State for a half in Week 2, but the Bulls have been outscored by a score of 73-20 in the six quarters since. Liberty broke out for 325 passing yards, and averaged 10.8 yards per pass attempt, in a 35-17 win. Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze, looking on from an elevated platform on the sidelines, saw his defense limit Buffalo to just 5.1 yards per attempt on 15-for-33 passing, and the Flames held Buffalo to just six third-down conversions on 15 opportunities, and 1-for-3 on fourth down.
5. Texas State Bobcats, 63.69
Texas State has the worst rushing offense in the country. Through three games, the Bobcats have managed just 75 rushing yards on 66 attempts (including lost yardage from 13 sacks). Jake Spavital’s offense has averaged 25.0 rushing yards per game and 1.14 yards per carry, both of which rank dead last among all 130 FBS teams. Texas State managed just 16 yards on the ground and averaged 0.6 yards per carry in its 41-17 loss to SMU Saturday.
On the other side of the football, the Bobcats have allowed an average of 275.33 rushing yards per game, and 5.86 yards per carry, which currently rank No. 129 and No. 123, respectively. SMU rolled up 390 rushing yards, with two ball carriers surpassing the 100-yard mark, and the Mustangs averaged 7.0 yards per carry and 8.52 yards per snap. In all, Texas State was out-gained by an average of 5.03 yards per play, which was the fifth-worst mark of the week.
4. Boston College Eagles, 62.53
Boston College ranked No. 12 in the nation in Team Performance through Week 2. The Eagles posted a 94.94 grade in Week 1 against Virginia Tech and followed with an 89.68 rating against Richmond while improving to 2-0. And then Kansas came to town fresh off its 12-7 loss at home against Coastal Carolina.
The Jayhawks ran all over the BC defense as Khalil Herbert and Pooka Williams each surpassed 100 rushing yards. Carter Stanley threw for three touchdowns, including a pair to Andrew Parchment, who gained 100 receiving yards on eight catches. Boston College managed 447 yards of total offense, but the Eagles were still out-gained by an average of 2.8 yards per snap thanks to the poor defensive effort in an embarrassing 48-24 loss.
3. Georgia State Panthers, 61.91
Georgia State was the toast of college football just two weeks ago following a 38-30 upset over Tennessee in Knoxville. The Panthers then matched their win total for the entire 2018 season with a 48-42 victory over Furman in Week 2. But things fell apart in Kalamazoo in a 57-10 loss to Western Michigan.
The Panthers allowed 694 yards of total offense and were out-gained by an average of 5.59 yards per play. Only Syracuse (-5.99) and Arkansas State (-6.70) were worse in Week 3. Georgia State allowed 10.2 yards per rushing attempt and finished minus-3 in turnover ratio. The Panthers have allowed an average of 8.0 yards per play this season, which is tied with UMass for worst in the nation.
2. Massachusetts Minutemen, 61.40
UMass finished just above Georgia State in net yards per play in Week 3 (-5.36) in a 52-17 loss to Charlotte. Nevertheless, the Minutemen rank dead last nationally (-3.74) this season, 0.41 yards worse than No. 129 New Mexico State.
Massachusetts was helpless defensively on Saturday and allowed 12.2 yards per pass and 8.5 yards per carry. And though the 49ers look improved under first-year head coach Will Healy, Charlotte is still a program that has yet to record a winning season since starting its football program in 2013.
1. Akron Zips, 61.32
It might be a two-team race to the bottom as Akron and Massachusetts are neck-and-neck through three games. The Zips have shown some life on offense thanks to quarterback Kato Nelson, who has thrown for 722 yards and five touchdowns. But Akron has still been out-gained by an average of 2.6 yards per play this season (No. 127 nationally) in large part because it cannot run the football. The Zips have managed just 145 rushing yards this season (48.33 yards per game), and 1.51 yards per carry, which both rank No. 129 in the country. Allowing an FBS-worst 18 sacks hasn’t helped.
What put Akron in the No. 1 spot in this week’s Terrible 10? The Zips were manhandled in a 45-24 loss to Central Michigan, which was forced to play without its starting quarterback or top running back due to injury. Nevertheless, interim starter David Moore threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns without an interception and Kobe Lewis ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns.
Terrible 10: Team Performance ratings, 2019 season to date
121. UTSA Roadrunners, 70.76
122. Old Dominion Monarchs, 70.67
123. Vanderbilt Commodores, 70.37
124. FIU Panthers, 69.78
125. Rice Owls, 69.45
126. UCLA Bruins, 68.00
127. Texas State Bobcats, 67.61
128. New Mexico State Aggies, 65.01
129. Akron Zips, 63.64
130. Massachusetts Minutemen 62.97