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The units, side by side

CLEMSYRbar = FBS percentile, longer is better · dotted tick = median teamOffence: points per play — offence918Offence: points per play — defence5891Offence: success rate — offence421Offence: success rate — defence4070Offence: explosiveness — offence3281Offence: explosiveness — defence6185Run game — offence4154Run game — defence850Pass game — offence1017Pass game — defence87100Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — offence1826Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — defence265Havoc (allowed vs created) — offence869Havoc (allowed vs created) — defence5223

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

tiecardsCLEM by 38SYR by 42

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). SYR wins about 53% of the time at a number like ours.

CLEM

Games4
Plays per game65.0
Drives per game12.8
SP+4.9 (54th, offence 91st, defence 24th)
Returning production41% (pass 14%, rush -38%, receiving 71%)

SYR

Games3
Plays per game79.3
Drives per game12.0
SP+-1.2 (74th, offence 97th, defence 51st)
Returning production35% (pass 83%, rush -19%, receiving 20%)

What each side chooses to do

OffenceCLEMSYR
pass rate, all downs47%73rd54%27th
pass rate, standard downs43%56th44%53rd
pass rate, 1st down45%51st49%30th
no-huddle share96%13th93%17th
pass rate, passing downs55%111th74%20th
pass rate, red zone33%91st47%27th
seconds per play (own drives)27.2100th26.6108th

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

CLEM offence

CLEM offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play-0.027260125 of 138
success rate0.342260132 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.17526094 of 138
rush: points added per play0.09326082 of 138
rush: success rate0.368260120 of 138
rush: explosiveness1.02026049 of 138
pass: points added per play0.001260124 of 138
pass: success rate0.328260131 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.400260114 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.405260129 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.228260125 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.764260114 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.211260114 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.80026035 of 138
points per trip inside the 403.095260117 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.188260127 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.146260136 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.04226039 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)70.40026071 of 138

SYR offence

SYR offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.038238113 of 138
success rate0.399238109 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.33023827 of 138
rush: points added per play0.14323864 of 138
rush: success rate0.45023869 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.99623857 of 138
pass: points added per play0.043238115 of 138
pass: success rate0.372238115 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.71223832 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.443238113 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.31223872 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.851238102 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.220238121 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.80023840 of 138
points per trip inside the 403.53823892 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.12623843 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.08423860 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.04223840 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)67.200238119 of 138

CLEM defence

CLEM defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.01728858 of 138
success rate0.41028883 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.18828854 of 138
rush: points added per play0.203288127 of 138
rush: success rate0.492288132 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.88728859 of 138
pass: points added per play-0.05528819 of 138
pass: success rate0.34428824 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.56328873 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.43028855 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.368288128 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.459288135 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.12928812 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.72728874 of 138
points per trip inside the 402.34628816 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.16028867 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.07328822 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.087288125 of 138
opponent average starting field position74.500288111 of 138

SYR defence

SYR defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play-0.12618313 of 138
success rate0.36118342 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.08718321 of 138
rush: points added per play0.02618370 of 138
rush: success rate0.43318396 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.92618375 of 138
pass: points added per play-0.2511831 of 138
pass: success rate0.2891835 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.37718324 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.45218374 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.20618313 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.62918349 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.233183111 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.75018387 of 138
points per trip inside the 402.75018331 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.186183107 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.137183121 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.04918341 of 138
opponent average starting field position72.90018391 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