Stats Don't Lie, Part 1

This is the first of a series of posts analyzing the key data from the 2016 season. 

Anders Hill


Changing Midstream


A dramatic thing happened literally in the middle of the season for the Columbia offense: It got better.

The numbers don't lie, so let's look at them:

After the first five games of 2016, the Lions had a total of 1,377 yards of total offense, 600 rushing yards, and 777 passing yards.

In the next five games, the total yards figure increased by 37.5% to 1,898. Rushing yards rose 12.3% to 674. And, most dramatically, passing yards jumped 57.5% to 1,224.

That brought the season totals to 3,275 total yards, 1,274 rushing yards, and 2,001 passing yards.

Compared to 2015, total yards increased by 10.3%, rushing yards fell by 9.1%, and passing yards soared by 27.8%.

The rushing yards figure probably was mostly due to the fact that replacing Cameron Molina after he finished 2015 with near-200 yard back-to-back games.

But generally, this was an offense that really improved so much down the stretch of the season that it cannot be ignored. And that was mostly the result of a change in the passing game. The shorter passing style was simply not good for QB Anders Hill. And looking for longer passing plays to the middle of the field also helped WR Ronald Smith emerge along with fellow freshman WR Josh Wainwright get some needed footing. This was encouraging on many levels, not least of which the fact that it was proof the Columbia coaching staff and Offensive Coordinator Mark Fabish could adapt.

With Hill, Wainwright, and Smith returning for 2017, this is all a very good sign for the immediate future.