Advanced Game Analysis: Oregon-USC

This wasn't your slow-paced SEC slugfest. This was a track meet inside the stadium Carl Lewis claimed as his own in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Oregon and USC put on a show.

OREGON-USC ADVANCED ANALYSIS

NOTE No. 1: Statistics pertain to the competitive phase of the game, which ended when Oregon took a 62-45 lead.

NOTE No. 2: For the purposes of statistical precision, play selection statistics include plays nullified by penalty because they reveal the intentions of the play callers. For instance, if a team runs on second-and-four, only for that second-down run to be nullified by a holding penalty which brings about a second-and-14 situation, the record will note that the team chose to run on second and four instead of passing on second and 14.

FIRST DOWN PLAY SELECTION – Oregon: 27 runs, 14 passes; USC: 16 runs, 26 passes.

RUSH-PASS COMBINATIONS – When a series of downs progressed to second down at the very least, how did offensive coordinators handle their first- and second-down play combinations? How did each combination work?

OREGON COMBINATIONS AND FIRST-DOWN SUCCESS RATES: Rush-first, pass-second combinations: 7 of 7 conversions; rush-first, rush-second combinations: 10 of 12; pass-first, rush-second combinations: 5 of 6; pass-first, pass-second combinations: 1 of 1.

USC COMBINATIONS AND FIRST-DOWN SUCCESS RATES: Rush-first, pass-second combinations: 3 of 4 conversions; rush-first, rush-second combinations: 5 of 5; pass-first, rush-second combinations: 1 of 1; pass-first, pass-second combinations: 10 of 13 (one first down via defensive pass interference).

DOWN AND DISTANCE PLAY SELECTION AND SUCCESS RATES

NOTE: For the purposes of definitional and statistical clarity in this subsection, a second-down play is deemed "successful" if it gained more than half of the distance needed for a first down. A third- down play is deemed "successful" if it gained the first down.

OREGON PLAY SELECTION BREAKDOWN

Second down and under four yards to make: 4 of 6 rushing, 2 of 2 passing.

Second and 4-7 yards: 5 of 6 rushing (1 first down nullified via offensive holding), 1 of 3 passing.

Second and over 7 yards: 2 of 5 rushing, 3 of 3 passing.

Third down and under 3 yards to make: 0 of 1 rushing.

Third and 3-5 yards: 2 of 3 rushing, 2 of 2 passing.

Third and over 5 yards: 1 of 2 rushing, 3 of 3 passing.

Fourth downs: 1 of 1 rushing, 1 of 1 passing.

USC PLAY SELECTION BREAKDOWN

Second down and under four yards to make: 3 of 3 rushing, 1 of 1 passing.

Second and 4-7 yards: 2 of 3 rushing, 1 of 3 passing.

Second and over 7 yards: 0 of 1 rushing, 9 of 12 passing (one first down via defensive pass interference).

Third down and under 3 yards to make: 2 of 3 rushing, 1 of 1 passing.

Third and 3-5 yards: 1 of 2 passing.

Third and over 5 yards: 4 of 7 passing (one first down via defensive pass interference).

Fourth downs: 2 of 3 passing.