Red Zone Watch: Efficiency is great, but quantity is also telling on offense, defense
We keep track of red zone stats for you each week.
OFFENSIVE RED ZONE STATISTICS
While you have to give a nod to efficiency more than anything in the red zone, quantity is still notable. One of the things that jumped out at me this week is the fact that Tennessee leads the SEC in both red zone trips (60) and red zone scores (49).
Mississippi State still leads the SEC when it comes to efficiency in both scoring percentage (90 percent) and touchdown percentage (70 percent). Even in their 38-27 loss to the Rebels, the Bulldogs went a perfect 5-for-5 scoring in the red area and coming away with a TD in 3 of 5 trips.
Arkansas is a close 2nd to MSU in terms of touchdown percentage at 67.9 percent. Only two other teams — LSU and Auburn — are even 60 percent or better in that department.
Florida enters its SEC Championship Game against Alabama as one of the worst red zone scoring teams in the league. The Gators are 13th in the SEC ahead of only Vanderbilt by only coming away with points 68.8 percent of the time. UF went 0-for-3 in the red zone against Florida State last week with 0 points to show in those opportunities.
This list is sorted by scoring percentage.
SCHOOL | GAMES | ATT | SCORES | SCORE% | TD | TD% | FG | FG% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Mississippi State | 12 | 50 | 45 | 90% | 35 | 70% | 10 | 20% |
2. Auburn | 12 | 46 | 41 | 89.1% | 28 | 60.9% | 13 | 28.3% |
3. South Carolina | 12 | 36 | 31 | 86.1% | 17 | 47.2% | 14 | 38.9% |
4. Ole Miss | 12 | 56 | 47 | 83.9% | 33 | 58.9% | 14 | 25% |
5. Kentucky | 12 | 43 | 36 | 83.7% | 24 | 55.8% | 12 | 27.9% |
6. LSU | 11 | 42 | 35 | 83.3% | 26 | 61.9% | 9 | 21.4% |
7. Alabama | 12 | 50 | 41 | 82% | 28 | 56% | 13 | 26% |
8. Tennessee | 12 | 60 | 49 | 81.7% | 34 | 56.7% | 15 | 25% |
9. Arkansas | 12 | 53 | 43 | 81.1% | 36 | 67.9% | 7 | 13.2% |
10. Texas A&M | 12 | 51 | 40 | 78.4% | 28 | 54.9% | 12 | 23.5% |
11. Georgia | 12 | 41 | 32 | 78.1% | 17 | 41.5% | 15 | 36.6% |
12. Missouri | 12 | 31 | 24 | 77.4% | 10 | 32.3% | 14 | 45.2% |
13. Florida | 12 | 48 | 33 | 68.8% | 28 | 58.3% | 5 | 10.4% |
14. Vanderbilt | 12 | 33 | 21 | 63.6% | 15 | 45.5% | 6 | 18.2% |
DEFENSIVE RED ZONE STATISTICS
We finished the offensive red zone statistics section talking about how bad Florida has struggled in coming away with points. Well, in terms of preventing points, nobody in the SEC has been better than Georgia (64.5 percent). In fact, the only FBS team that’s been better is Appalachian State (58.3).
That’s one of the many reasons so many Bulldogs players showed so much support to keep defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.
Let’s actually focus on what I started to talk about in the offensive red zone statistics section. I mentioned how Tennessee had the most red zone trips and most red zone scores, and how that’s significant even though it’s quantity and not efficiency.
Well, the two teams that will meet for the SEC title this Saturday — Alabama and Florida — rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively in the FBS in denying red zone opportunities (Alabama 24, Florida 26). The only team better is Wisconsin (22). And Bama is tied for 1st with just 20 scores allowed, and UF is right behind it with 21 allowed.
In terms of preventing touchdowns in the red zone, three SEC teams rank among the top in the FBS: Vanderbilt is 5th (38.8 percent), Mississippi State (39.5) and Texas A&M is tied for 9th (40.9).
However, the Vols did a number on the Commodores in last week’s 53-28 win, coming away with points on 7 of 8 drives and getting in the end zone 5 of those 8 times.
SCHOOL | GAMES | ATT | SCORES | SCORE% | TD | TD% | FG | FG% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Georgia | 12 | 31 | 20 | 64.5% | 15 | 48.4% | 5 | 16.1% |
2. Vanderbilt | 12 | 49 | 35 | 71.4% | 19 | 38.8% | 16 | 32.7% |
3. Mississippi State | 12 | 43 | 31 | 72.1% | 17 | 39.5% | 14 | 32.6% |
4. Kentucky | 12 | 52 | 39 | 75% | 28 | 53.9% | 11 | 21.1% |
5. Tennessee | 12 | 39 | 30 | 76.9% | 22 | 56.4% | 8 | 20.5% |
6. Auburn | 12 | 50 | 40 | 80% | 27 | 54% | 13 | 26% |
7. Florida | 12 | 26 | 21 | 80.8% | 13 | 50% | 8 | 30.8% |
8. Missouri | 12 | 38 | 31 | 81.6% | 18 | 47.4% | 13 | 34.2% |
9. Texas A&M | 12 | 44 | 36 | 81.8% | 18 | 40.9% | 18 | 40.9% |
10. South Carolina | 12 | 46 | 38 | 82.6% | 30 | 65.2% | 8 | 17.4% |
11. Alabama | 12 | 24 | 20 | 83.3% | 11 | 45.8% | 9 | 37.5% |
12. Ole Miss | 12 | 45 | 38 | 84.4% | 23 | 51.1% | 15 | 33.3% |
13. Arkansas | 12 | 49 | 42 | 85.7% | 32 | 65.3% | 10 | 20.4% |
14. LSU | 11 | 32 | 29 | 90.6% | 23 | 71.9% | 6 | 18.8% |