Positive Impact Factor Top 10: November 4
Cam Newton is Continuing to Climb
It's time for your weekly update on how your team's QB is performing. The battle for the top spot is tightening up as no qualified QB has an 80 rating or above this week. Three guys remained in place (although their PIF numbers changed) but there was still plenty of movement in the Top Ten of the Standings this week.
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, 113-119. To see previous weeks, click the date: October 1; October 7, October 14, October 21, October 28. Top Ten Overview and Miscellany are after the jump.
| Rank | QB | Team | Touches | Total TD | Neg Play | XNeg Play | XPos Play | PIF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. — | Trent Steelman | Army | 207 | 13 | 22.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 77.9 |
| 2. — | Cam Newton | Auburn | 332 | 30 | 20.2 | 18.5 | 9 | 70.3 |
| 3. ↑4 | Denard Robinson | Michigan | 330 | 22 | 19.4 | 18.5 | 6.7 | 68.8 |
| 4. ↑2 | Dan Persa | Northwestern | 355 | 18 | 25.1 | 13.3 | 5.1 | 66.7 |
| 5. — | Chandler Harnish | Northern Illinois | 282 | 16 | 26.6 | 14.6 | 5.7 | 64.5 |
| 6. ↑4 | Ricky Stanzi | Iowa | 231 | 21 | 32.5 | 12.3 | 9.1 | 64.3 |
| 7. ↑1 | Ross Jenkins | La Tech | 174 | 7 | 32.2 | 8.2 | 4 | 63.7 |
| 8. ↓4 | Austin Davis | Southern Miss | 359 | 15 | 30.9 | 9.9 | 4.2 | 63.4 |
| 9. ↓6 | Robert Griffin III | Baylor | 387 | 27 | 29.2 | 14.6 | 7 | 63.2 |
| 10.↑7 | Ricky Dobbs | Navy | 281 | 16 | 24.2 | 18.5 | 5.7 | 63 |
Top Ten Overview
Trent Steelman slipped this week but retained the top spot for the third straight time. In a win against VMI Steelman only had 1 TD and lost a fumble while completing 4 of his 11 passes. Cam Newton helped Auburn get to 9-0 with a three TD performance on the road against Ole Miss. He had two passing TDs and the receiving TD seen in the video above. Newton moved into the 70 PIF range for the first time this season and was able to make up some ground on the leader. Although Michigan lost their third game in a row, Denard Robinson did all he could to help his team win and shot up four spots in the Standings. Robinson had 190 passing yards and 191 rushing yards (and 4 total TDs) against Penn State. Northwestern got a win over Indiana but QB Dan Persa picked up a concussion. He will be playing against Penn State this week. Against Indiana Persa threw for 212 yards and 2 TDs. Chandler Harnish's Northern Illinois Huskies edged out Western Michigan 28-21. Harnish had 3 total TDs and 1 INT in the game. The INT moved Harnish's PIF down slightly but he remained in 5th place overall. Iowa dominated Michigan State and Ricky Stanzi turned in his 3rd straight 3 TD, 0 INT game for the Hawkeyes. These performances have helped Stanzi rocket up the Standings. Last week was his first appearance in the Top Ten at #10 and now he sits at #6. Ross Jenkins' stats were updated after the Boise State game in time for the Standings last week. He was able to move up one spot based on his PIF from that update. Southern Miss lost to UAB in 2 OT and Austin Davis dropped four spots in the Standings after a 3 total TD, 2 INT game. Robert Griffin III had a 3 TD, 1 INT game against Texas in the Bears' first win in Austin since 1991. The INT was disastrous for Griffin's PIF number and he fell six spots. Ricky Dobbs has finally made his first appearance in the Top Ten. Dobbs was talked about as a Heisman hopeful based on his tremendous season last year. ITB even had him on the podcast as a preseason guest. The season has not gone as Navy planned and this past week's game against Duke is a case in point: Ricky Dobbs threw for 227 yards and had 3 total TDs but the Midshipmen still lost to Duke 34-31.
Dropped out: Aaron Murray, Georgia.
Miscellany
There were two perfect PIF games in Week 9: #22 David Piland (Houston) against Memphis and #114 Sean Renfree (Duke) vs. Navy. Piland put up the third perfect game against the Memphis Tigers this season in Houston's win--Memphis is the only team to have allowed three perfect PIF games (Tyler Russell of Mississippi State and Adam Froman of Louisville put up the other perfect games). Piland had a PIF Plus game of 108 with 5 TDs (all passing) on 25 touches. He was 20/23 passing for 292 yards and had 2 rushes for 2 yards. Sean Renfree is ranked near the very bottom of the Standings but had an amazing game against Navy which helped the Blue Devils win. Renfree was 28/30 passing for 314 yards passing with 1 TD. He also rushed 9 times for 28 yards and had 2 TDs on the ground.
#2 Cam Newton is the first QB to get to 30 TDs this season. Newton has 15 passing TDs to go along with 14 rushing TDs and 1 receiving TD.
#115 Dwight Dasher hasn't looked himself this season after sitting out the first four games due to suspension and picking up a pinkie injury on his non-throwing hand in his first outing of the season against Troy. On Tuesday, Dasher's MTSU Blue Raiders were only down 6 points at half to Arkansas State. A handful of second half turnovers (3 INTs, 1 lost fumble) ruined Dasher's night and turned the game into a blowout for the Red Wolves. After Dasher's four total INTs in the game, he's thrown 10 in 4 games. He threw 14 all of last season in a campaign that made him only the seventh FBS QB to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. Dasher has now thrown an INT on 17.9% of his incompletions which is second to last among qualified QBs.
