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The units, side by side

CALSMUbar = FBS percentile, longer is better · dotted tick = median teamOffence: points per play — offence1372Offence: points per play — defence6054Offence: success rate — offence2694Offence: success rate — defence6571Offence: explosiveness — offence3658Offence: explosiveness — defence2126Run game — offence1112Run game — defence749Pass game — offence2996Pass game — defence9172Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — offence2240Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — defence2060Havoc (allowed vs created) — offence2374Havoc (allowed vs created) — defence8112

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

tiecardsCAL by 30SMU by 50

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). SMU wins about 73% of the time at a number like ours.

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%)

SMU

Games4
Plays per game70.5
Drives per game12.2
SP+13.0 (26th, offence 16th, defence 41st)
Returning production57% (pass 97%, rush 1%, receiving 37%)

What each side chooses to do

OffenceCALSMU
pass rate, all downs57%13th53%33rd
pass rate, standard downs47%29th43%58th
pass rate, 1st down47%38th47%42nd
no-huddle share35%95th48%84th
pass rate, passing downs78%8th80%4th
pass rate, red zone52%15th41%54th
seconds per play (own drives)27.987th26.4116th

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

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

SMU offence

SMU offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.25128240 of 138
success rate0.5182829 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.25028259 of 138
rush: points added per play-0.027282121 of 138
rush: success rate0.47028249 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.646282134 of 138
pass: points added per play0.6032827 of 138
pass: success rate0.5732827 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.71028233 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.55828221 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.40528215 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.03928283 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.16428262 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.652282109 of 138
points per trip inside the 403.90328271 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.12128237 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.07828247 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.04328246 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)67.600282112 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

SMU defence

SMU defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.02325564 of 138
success rate0.36125541 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.317255103 of 138
rush: points added per play0.03025571 of 138
rush: success rate0.42625589 of 138
rush: explosiveness1.065255109 of 138
pass: points added per play0.03825540 of 138
pass: success rate0.2992557 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.711255112 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.43425557 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.20025511 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.70225556 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.21325592 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.3892552 of 138
points per trip inside the 403.950255109 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.204255122 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.141255124 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.06325576 of 138
opponent average starting field position73.600255102 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