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Stat of the Week
Week of November 26, 2007
(186)
The number of rushing yards (186) for West Virginia quarterback Pat White in a 66-21 victory against Connecticut during week 13 of the NCAA season. He rushed for two touchdowns and got one more through the air as the Mountaineers clinched the Big East title. It was his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing performance—and he now has his name back in the ring for Heisman consideration, just as his team is now back in the hunt for the BCS title game.
Honorable Mentions
(3)
The number of triple-doubles (3) for LeBron James after the Cavaliers beat Toronto 111-108 on November 24. He put 37 points on the board, including six during the final minute to put the game on ice, in addition to his 12 rebounds and 12 assists. James is the leading scorer in the NBA so far this season. He is averaging 31.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per contest.
(10)
The number of victories (10) for both the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers through week 12 of the NFL season. Both clubs are 10-1 and on top of their respective divisions. It is the first time in franchise history the Cowboys have begun a season 10-1, and the schedule-making gods are definitely smiling down on NFL fans—as the two clubs are set to do battle in a Thursday night match-up during week 13.
(20)
The number of consecutive completions (20) for Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre during a 37-26 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Fantasy players with Favre in their line-ups have a lot to be thankful for this year—his 20 consecutive completions gave Favre yet another franchise record, and he closed out the Lions with a season high 381 yards. It was his seventh 300 yard game of the season—tying a franchise record he set in 1995.
(23)
The number of consecutive games (23) that Tennessee has won over Kentucky. It took four overtimes, a blocked field goal, and a failed two-point conversion for the Volunteers to get the job done this past Saturday—but with the 52-50 thriller in the books, Tennessee gets a shot next week against LSU in the SEC Championship Game. Kentucky’s losing streak to Tennessee is the longest active streak between two teams in the country.
(51)
The number of touchdowns (51) accounted for by Florida quarterback Tim Tebow through week 13 of the NCAA season. He ran for two touchdowns and connected on three more through the air to lead Florida over in-state rival FSU 45-12 on Saturday. His second rushing touchdown of the game gave him 22 on the season, tying him for the highest total in major college history for a quarterback. Tebow is a sophomore, and though no underclassman has ever won the Heisman before, on the sidelines in Gainesville Saturday night the Florida cheerleaders made it clear who they think should win the award this season—as Tebow took a knee to run out the clock on the Seminoles, and with 90,000 fans chanting his name, the cheerleaders all struck the Heisman pose for him.
Stat of the Week
Week of November 19, 2007
(5)
The number of victories (5) for Coach Mike Stoops and the Arizona Wildcats through week 12 of the NCAA season. On Thursday, November 15, Stoops led his Wildcats to a 34-24 upset victory against the Oregon Ducks—the number two ranked team in the BCS standings—for Arizona’s fifth win of the season. It was a big win for Stoops, but it was perhaps an even bigger win for his brother Bob, who is the head coach at the University of Oklahoma, because it was also the fifth time this season that the number two ranked team in the country has been defeated (USC, California, South Florida, and Boston College are the others), and now the third ranked Sooners have a direct path to the BCS title game if they can win out the rest of their schedule.
Stat of the Week
Week of November 12, 2007
(5)
The percentage (.05) of Yahoo! College Pick’em players who predicted Illinois to upset Ohio State during week 11 of the NCAA season. In addition, all four Yahoo! experts (Terry Bowden, Brandon Funston, Mike Huguenin, and Gary Ahern) predicted Ohio State to win at home and retain their number one ranking in the BCS Standings. Of course, this season has been anything but predictable. Illinois won the game 28-21 for the Illini’s first victory against a top-ranked team since 1956—but for the Buckeyes it was their first regular season loss in 29 games, their first conference loss in 21 games, and most painful of all, it also cost them a second consecutive trip to the BCS title game.
Honorable Mentions
(4)
The number of consecutive wins (4) for Nextel Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson after he took the checkered flag on November 11 at Phoenix International Raceway. Johnson tied the NASCAR record for consecutive victories set by Jeff Gordon in 1998, and after securing his tenth victory of the season he leads Gordon by 86 points with only one race remaining in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Gordon won back-to-back races before Johnson began his winning streak on October 21, meaning the teammates have given Hendrick Motorsports six consecutive victories—and Hendrick drivers have dominated all season, taking the checkered flag in 18 of 35 races.
(136)
The number of points (136) that Navy and North Texas combined to score on November 10. Navy won the game 74-62 as the two clubs set an NCAA record for the highest points total during a major-college regulation game. The Midshipmen also set a school record after they rushed for 572 yards. It was the second consecutive win for Navy after they beat Notre Dame a week earlier for the first time in 43 years—and with a record of 6-4, they are now bowl eligible.
(247)
The number of passing yards (247) for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo against the New York Giants on November 11. He connected on 20 of 28 attempts and tossed four touchdowns during one of the most anticipated match-ups during week ten of the NFL season. Romo led the Cowboys to a 31-20 victory on the road—and with a record of 8-1 Dallas is tied with the Green Bay Packers for the best record in the NFC.
(500)
The career goals number (500) for center Jeremy Roenick of the San Jose Sharks scored against the Phoenix Coyotes on November 10. It was also the game-winning goal as San Jose won 4-1 to move on top of the Pacific Division standings—but of greater significance, Roenick became only the third American born player to score 500 goals in the NHL.
(1000)
The winning percentage (1.000) for the Boston Celtics after a 112-101 road victory against the New Jersey Nets on November 10. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and newly acquired star Kevin Garnett have all scored better than 22 points per contest during Boston’s 5-0 run to start the new NBA season. Boston placed last in the Atlantic Division during the 2006-07 season after posting a dismal 24-58 record—but with the Clippers loss at Detroit on November 9, the Celtics are the last team in the league with an unblemished record early in the 2007-08 season.
Stat of the Week
Week of November 5, 2007
(20)
The record number of consecutive wins (20) for the Ohio State Buckeyes during Big Ten conference games. Ohio State set the record after Chris Wells ran for three second half touchdowns to rally the Buckeyes from a third quarter deficit to a 38-17 victory against Wisconsin on Saturday. The Buckeyes remain on top of the BCS standings with only two games left on their schedule—but they still must face conference rivals Illinois at home and Michigan on the road to earn a trip to New Orleans. Michigan set the previous record of 19 consecutive Big Ten conference wins from 1990-92.
Honorable Mentions
(1)
The number of games (1) the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame have won through nine contests. Notre Dame is 1-8, a record that ties the club for the most losses in school history only one season after going 10-3 with a second consecutive appearance in a BCS bowl game.
(9)
The number of games (9) the New England Patriots have won through week nine of the NFL season. Tom Brady rallied the Patriots late in the fourth quarter for a 24-20 victory on the road against the Indianapolis Colts in a match-up of unbeaten powerhouses. The 9-0 Patriots are now the only unbeaten team in the NFL.
(296)
The record number of rushing yards (296) for Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. The rookie running back out of Oklahoma ran all over the San Diego Chargers, breaking the previous record of 295 yards set by Jamal Lewis in 2003. Peterson carried the ball 30 times and found the end zone three times—and with 1,036 yards on the season, he is the league’s leading rusher and the odds on favorite to be named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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