In the first iteration of this project, it took 1,733 games to find a Reverse Trifecta -- an example of a team being out-rushed, out-passed, allowing the game's first score, trailing at halftime and losing the turnover battle yet winning the game anyway. When Texas Tech finally overcame those five factors to beat Oklahoma, teams were 0-274 when 0-for-5 in that department to that point into the 2022 season.
Five weeks and 360 games into the 2024 campaign, it's already happened twice.
Virginia already pulled off a Reverse Quinfecta against Wake Forest in Week 2, and, when it's all said and done, Saturday's RQ may end up costing the coach in question his job.
Saturday evening in Houston, Rice out-rushed Charlotte, 207-69. The Owls out-passed the 49ers, 254-237. Rice led at halftime, 10-0. They forced the game's only turnover.
Final score: Charlotte 21, Rice 20.
The final 90 seconds were a disaster for the Owls. After a punt, the Rice defense took the field at the Charlotte 23-yard line with a 20-14 lead. The Owls immediately surrendered a 66-yard completion, taking the ball to the Rice 11. Rice forced a 4th-and-5 at the 6 four plays later, but a pass interference gave Charlotte a conversion, and the Niners took their first lead by punching in a 1-yard run with 47 seconds to play.
The Rice offense deftly moved 53 yards in 47 seconds, but Enock Gota missed a game-winning 40-yarder as time expired.
The loss was extra devastating considering observers pointed to Saturday as a game Mike Bloomgren and Rice needed to win. The Owls went 6-7 in 2023, which was: A) the high point to date of Bloomgren's 6-year tenure, and B) Rice's sixth consecutive losing season under Bloomgren.
Saturday's loss dropped Rice to 1-4 on the year and 23-50 overall under Bloomgren.
Week 5 numbers
-- Rush for more yards: 39-16 (.709)
-- Pass for more yards: 29-26 (.527)
-- Score first: 39-16 (.709)
-- Lead at halftime: 38-11 (.776)
-- Win turnovers: 33-13 (.717)
-- Win all five: 8-1 (.889)
Year to date
-- Rush for more yards: 289-70 (.805)
-- Pass for more yards: 243-117 (.675)
-- Score first: 262-98 (.728)
-- Lead at halftime: 288-54 (.842)
-- Win turnovers: 207-60 (.775)
-- Win all five: 88-2 (.978)
Additional Notes:
-- Army out-rushed Temple 417 to minus-5 on Thursday night. Here's betting that 422-yardage differential stands the test of time for the largest of the season.
-- Washington out-gained Rutgers 521-299 on Friday night. Long flight back to Seattle for the Huskies.
-- Virginia Tech had to feel triple sick after losing that game to Miami. Not only did they have the Hail Mary completion (correctly, but sloppily) overturned via replay, the Hokies scored first, led at halftime, won turnovers 3-1 and out-rushed the Hurricanes.
-- Hugh Freeze said he had to find a quarterback who wouldn't throw it to the other team... and he was proven right. Auburn led at halftime (and 21-10 in the fourth quarter!), out-rushed and out-passed Oklahoma (482-291 yardage), yet a Kip Lewis pick-six swung a likely 24-16 Auburn lead into a 24-21 OU edge with 4:06 to play and, ultimately, the outcome of the game. Brent Venables is 12-0 at Oklahoma when the Sooners win turnovers.
-- Texas A&M won turnovers 3-0 en route to its 21-17 win over Arkansas.
-- Nebraska-Purdue was scoreless at halftime. Believe that's a first this season, and hopefully the last.
-- Northern Illinois games continue to defy logic. The darlings of early September, NIU has now lost two consecutive games -- and two consecutive games in which they held decided yardage advantages. The Huskies limited NC State to 171 total yards in their 24-17 loss; for the year, NIU is seventh nationally in total defense and 114th in turnover margin.
-- Colorado beat UCF 48-21 because they turned the Knights over four times and "won" rushing 128-177. The 128 ground yards were CU's most on the season, and UCF's 177 yards were their fewest on the season by 112 yards.
-- New Mexico and New Mexico State combined for 616 rushing yards in UNM's 50-40 win.