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The units, side by side

VTCALbar = FBS percentile, longer is better · dotted tick = median teamOffence: points per play — offence7013Offence: points per play — defence7360Offence: success rate — offence7426Offence: success rate — defence8865Offence: explosiveness — offence4136Offence: explosiveness — defence2821Run game — offence5711Run game — defence887Pass game — offence6729Pass game — defence4791Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — offence3622Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — defence10020Havoc (allowed vs created) — offence8223Havoc (allowed vs created) — defence081

Percentile among the 138 FBS teams on each measure this season, offence and defence, both teams. Raw values, plays behind them and ranks are in the tables below.

What actually happens around a number like this

tiecardsVT by 32CAL by 48

Each bar is how often a college game lands on that margin, from 7,877 FBS games 2015–2025, centred on our card line. The spread misses by 12.3 points on average (37% within a touchdown). CAL wins about 68% of the time at a number like ours.

VT

Games4
Plays per game79.0
Drives per game11.8
SP+12.3 (28th, offence 27th, defence 30th)
Returning production37% (pass 0%, rush 31%, receiving 54%)

CAL

Games4
Plays per game69.5
Drives per game11.8
SP+-3.2 (81st, offence 93rd, defence 69th)
Returning production58% (pass 89%, rush 0%, receiving 43%)

What each side chooses to do

OffenceVTCAL
pass rate, all downs51%50th57%13th
pass rate, standard downs43%54th47%29th
pass rate, 1st down42%75th47%38th
no-huddle share40%90th35%95th
pass rate, passing downs70%36th78%8th
pass rate, red zone42%53rd52%15th
seconds per play (own drives)26.1120th27.987th

choices, from CFBD play-by-play; a choice repeats within a season, a result mostly does not Rank 1 = highest rate / fastest among FBS.

VT offence

VT offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.24131642 of 138
success rate0.48431636 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.20531682 of 138
rush: points added per play0.14931660 of 138
rush: success rate0.50331623 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.97131669 of 138
pass: points added per play0.35731646 of 138
pass: success rate0.47131651 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.47531691 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.50431657 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.4273169 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.99431688 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.200316103 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.75031673 of 138
points per trip inside the 404.56731635 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.11131625 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.08931676 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.0223165 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)66.400316123 of 138

CAL offence

CAL offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.007278120 of 138
success rate0.403278102 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.19327888 of 138
rush: points added per play-0.056278123 of 138
rush: success rate0.376278119 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.763278124 of 138
pass: points added per play0.13127898 of 138
pass: success rate0.42927877 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.47427892 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.459278101 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.29027891 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.819278108 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.205278109 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.667278102 of 138
points per trip inside the 402.720278127 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.169278107 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.09427883 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.076278120 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)73.70027822 of 138

VT defence

VT defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play-0.03023638 of 138
success rate0.33123618 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.30923699 of 138
rush: points added per play-0.14723617 of 138
rush: success rate0.2692366 of 138
rush: explosiveness1.306236135 of 138
pass: points added per play0.14223673 of 138
pass: success rate0.39123670 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.34023619 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.41323639 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.20423612 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)0.9862361 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.403236138 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.57123618 of 138
points per trip inside the 402.52223619 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.267236138 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.220236138 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.04723635 of 138
opponent average starting field position72.10023671 of 138

CAL defence

CAL defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.01426856 of 138
success rate0.36926849 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.341268109 of 138
rush: points added per play0.217268129 of 138
rush: success rate0.42026884 of 138
rush: explosiveness1.122268123 of 138
pass: points added per play-0.09226813 of 138
pass: success rate0.32026815 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.644268100 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.43126856 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.25526845 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.160268110 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.14526818 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.889268130 of 138
points per trip inside the 402.61526825 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.13126827 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.0632685 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.06726889 of 138
opponent average starting field position68.00026812 of 138

points added per play: CFBD predicted points added (their EPA); positive helps the offence · success rate: share of plays that gain 50% of needed yards on 1st, 70% on 2nd, 100% on 3rd/4th · explosiveness: average points added on the plays that succeeded - big-play size · havoc: tackles for loss, forced fumbles, interceptions and breakups as a share of plays · rank: 1 = best among FBS teams in the direction that helps that side · fei: bcftoys.com FEI: opponent-adjusted possession efficiency, offence/defence/special teams, with FBS rank - theirs · fplus: bcftoys.com F+: FEI and SP+ combined, in standard deviations above average - theirs