Positive Impact Factor Top 10: November 11
Andy Dalton Makes a Top Ten Appearance
As of this morning Cam Newton is still eligible to play for Auburn, thus he is still eligible for the Positive Impact Factor Top Ten and Standings. Trent Steelman's lead shrunk again this week and Newton is certainly in striking distance if he plays against Georgia. Auburn's coach says Newton will start against the Bulldogs. Nothing too crazy happened in the Top Ten this past week. The details will follow the table as usual.
If you're new to the PIF ratings, here's a quick primer (or, check out a podcast about the PIF): 100 point scale based on passing, rushing and receiving contribution (touches) to one's team. Total TD reflects passing+rushing+receiving (or maybe even fumble recovery) TD. Negative plays are defined as incompletions, fumbles and sacks taken. Extremely negative plays are interceptions and fumbles lost. Extremely positive plays are touchdowns. The PIF rating is calculated using the following formula:
Negative plays (incompletions, fumbles, sacks) divided by total touches (pass attempts, rush attempts, catches)=negative play percentage (Neg Play). Extremely negative plays (INTs/incompletions plus fumbles lost/rush attempts) multiplied times 2=extremely negative play factor (XNeg Play). Total TD divided by total touches=extremely positive play factor (XPos Play). 100-Neg Play+XNeg Play(total negative number)+XPos Play=PIF.
The complete PIF standings can be seen here: 1-36, 37-74, 75-112, 113-118. To see previous weeks, click the date: October 1, October 7, October 14, October 21, October 28, November 4. Top Ten Overview and Miscellany are after the table.
| Rank | QB | Team | Touches | Total TD | Neg Play | XNeg Play | XPos Play | PIF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. — | Trent Steelman | Army | 230 | 14 | 22.6 | 10.4 | 6.1 | 73 |
| 2. — | Cam Newton | Auburn | 361 | 35 | 21.1 | 16.7 | 9.7 | 72 |
| 3. ↑1 | Dan Persa | Northwestern | 405 | 21 | 25.4 | 11.4 | 5.2 | 68.3 |
| 4. ↑1 | Chandler Harnish | Northern Illinois | 311 | 18 | 26 | 13.4 | 5.8 | 66.3 |
| 5. ↑5 | Ricky Dobbs | Navy | 306 | 19 | 22.9 | 17.7 | 6.2 | 65.6 |
| 6. ↑8 | Colin Kaepernick | Nevada | 334 | 29 | 24 | 19.8 | 8.7 | 64.9 |
| 7. ↓4 | Denard Robinson | Michigan | 369 | 25 | 20.6 | 21.7 | 6.8 | 64.5 |
| 8. ↑9 | Andy Dalton | TCU | 313 | 24 | 28.1 | 15.5 | 7.7 | 64 |
| 9. ↓1 | Austin Davis | Southern Miss | 404 | 16 | 32.2 | 8.5 | 4 | 63.3 |
| 10.↓1 | Robert Griffin III | Baylor | 444 | 27 | 29.7 | 14.3 | 6.1 | 62 |
Top Ten Overview
Trent Steelman's lead is in peril. During a 22-42 loss to Air Force this past week, Steelman threw his first INT of the season and only scored 1 TD. His PIF suffered accordingly while that of Cam Newton rose. The Auburn Tigers had FCS Chattanooga on the schedule for homecoming. Newton had his first 300 yard passing game this season to go along with 4 passing TDs and a rushing TD. Northwestern lost to Penn State, but Dan Persa completed 64% of his passes and had 3 total TDs for the Wildcats. You might have seen Chandler Harnish participating in Northern Illinois' destruction of Toledo on Tuesday night. Harnish's Huskies scored 65 points in 70 plays. Harnish was a big part of the offense and accumulated 162 yards passing, 149 yards rushing and 2 TDs. After a slow start this season, Ricky Dobbs has righted the ship for Navy. Dobbs jumped up five spots this week after completing 6 of 8 passes for 75 yards and 2 TDs as well as having 100 yards rushing and a rushing TD against ECU. Navy's ridiculous winning boxscore of 76-35 was nearly matched by Colin Kaepernick's Nevada Wolfpack which defeated Idaho 63-17. Kaepernick rose eight positions after he had his second 300 yard passing game of the season and 5 passing TDs. Michigan's Denard Robinson had 3 passing TDs against Illinois, but his 2 INTs hurt his PIF. Andy Dalton rose nine spots in the Standings after his TCU team blew out Utah in Utah 47-7. Dalton threw for a career high 355 yards on 21/26 passing and had 3 passing TDs. Austin Davis slid down one spot to 9th. He basically maintained his PIF number in a win vs. Tulane despite putting up his worst passing day of the season with only 102 yards. Davis did not turn the ball over, however. Robert Griffin dropped one place into 10th after Baylor got stomped by Oklahoma State 55-28. Griffin threw 1 INT and was held without a TD for the first time all season by the Cowboys.
Dropped out: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Ross Jenkins, La Tech
Miscellany
Phil Bates of the Ohio Bobcats put up his fourth perfect PIF game of the season last Saturday against Buffalo. Bates accounted for 67 yards and 1 TD on 11 touches. Statistically, this effort was his lowest of his perfect games. Bates might get to start Ohio's next game instead of split time as the regular starter, #96 Boo Jackson, got into a bar fight and was hospitalized.
#7 Denard Robinson has thrown an INT on 10.3% of his incompletions which is a higher rate than any QB from 1-79 in the Standings.
Three QBs are averaging a TD on more than 9% of their touches: #59 Kellen Moore, Boise State (9.7%), #2 Cam Newton, Auburn (9.7%) and #12 Taylor Martinez, Nebraska (9.1%).
Four QBs have been sacked at least 30 times: #3 Dan Persa, Northwestern (30), #73 Jeff Tuel, Washington State (39), #92 Ryan Radcliff, Central Michigan (30), #99 Pete Thomas, Colorado State (36).
