Plus, did Notre Dame do it again at the RB position?
Welcome to Between the Numbers — where we look at what the Hudl IQ data tells us about what to expect in the unexpected world of college football.
Week 1 is here, and optimism is in the air. We're going to dive into three matchups — and the data behind their most intriguing players — to get you ready. This week: Is the Cal QB hype real? Did LSU find its o-line anchor? And did Notre Dame do it again at the RB position?
The Matchup
UCLA vs. Cal
Nothing tops the sweet smell of renewed optimism in Week 1 of a new college football season. Fans love it. Players feel it. Pundits fall for it.
Perhaps no matchup embodies that intoxicating aroma quite like UCLA-Cal.
New coach Bob Chesney has ushered in a new era for the Bruins this offseason. He went viral for a speech about respect. He’s crushed it on the recruiting trail, vaulting UCLA into the Top 20 nationally for the 2027 cycle. He’s the type of guy that’s impossible to root against…unless, of course, you’re a Cal fan this weekend.
Chesney will need to get more out of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Adding a swath of former JMUers like Wayne Knight and Sahir West should help.
UCLA is a trendy pick to become bowl eligible after a tough 3-9 finish a season ago.
Across the field sits Cal and one of the sport’s top quarterbacks, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.
“JKS” is a precision instrument with a golden left arm. Last season, he posted a 63.8% completion percentage and generated chunk plays on 16.6% of his passes. To put it simply, he’s box office - and well worth the price of admission.
Cal is breaking in a new head coach in former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, and added a handful of promising offensive weapons to complement Sagapolutele’s game.
This matchup has intrigue written all over it – and should be appointment viewing in the late-night timeslot.
The Radar
LSU LT Jordan Seaton
If you were to design a modern left tackle in a top-secret laboratory, he would look exactly like LSU’s Jordan Seaton.
Standing at six feet five inches tall with a new-look, slimmed-down frame, Seaton is “first off the bus” material. He has quick feet, is ultra-sturdy in the pass game and was one of the best pass-blocking left tackles in college football last season, in a group that includes recent NFL first-rounders.
Last season at Colorado, Seaton surrendered zero sacks in pass protection across nine games. He posted a Time to Pressure Rate of 8.5 seconds and was a one-on-one blocker in passing situations over 58% of the time. Describing him as the anchor of the offensive line might be an understatement.
Seaton got paid handsomely to join Lane Kiffin at LSU. It’s paramount that he plays well and protects new quarterback Sam Leavitt. He’ll get a great first test against a quality Clemson defensive line on Saturday night.
If you can peel your eyes away from the ball or quarterbacks, watch the way Seaton moves in pass protection. It’s a thing of beauty.
The Player to Watch
Notre Dame RB Aneyas Williams
A season ago, Notre Dame had arguably the best starting running back in the sport in Jeremiyah Love, and undoubtedly the best second-string ball carrier in Jadarian Price. Per the NFL, it was the first time a school produced the first two running backs selected in a single draft since the NFL-AFL merger in 1966.
This season, there’s a giant hole in the Fighting Irish’s backfield, and it’s expected to be filled, in part, by Aneyas Williams.
Williams played fewer than 50 snaps last season. But in that very small sample size, his advanced stats jumped off the page.
Notre Dame has a sterling track record for churning out great running backs. It’s not a stretch to think Williams could be the next man up.
Most of the attention with the Fighting Irish is centered on all of their star-studded returners. Williams faces Wisconsin on Sunday — a special Labor Day edition matchup — and I can't wait to see what he looks like behind one of the most formidable offensive lines in the country.
