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The units, side by side

NDSYRbar = FBS percentile, longer is better · dotted tick = median teamOffence: points per play — offence9118Offence: points per play — defence9091Offence: success rate — offence9121Offence: success rate — defence8370Offence: explosiveness — offence1281Offence: explosiveness — defence7485Run game — offence5354Run game — defence9550Pass game — offence9317Pass game — defence82100Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — offence3326Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — defence8965Havoc (allowed vs created) — offence8969Havoc (allowed vs created) — defence223

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

tiecardsND by 64SYR by 16

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). ND wins about 93% of the time at a number like ours.

ND

Games4
Plays per game64.5
Drives per game10.2
SP+28.1 (3rd, offence 4th, defence 2nd)
Returning production51% (pass 91%, rush 12%, receiving 38%)

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

OffenceNDSYR
pass rate, all downs45%91st54%27th
pass rate, standard downs42%66th44%53rd
pass rate, 1st down42%73rd49%30th
no-huddle share61%71st93%17th
pass rate, passing downs58%98th74%20th
pass rate, red zone36%79th47%27th
seconds per play (own drives)31.220th26.6108th

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

ND offence

ND offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.33325813 of 138
success rate0.51625813 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.116258122 of 138
rush: points added per play0.14225865 of 138
rush: success rate0.48225838 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.795258114 of 138
pass: points added per play0.56325811 of 138
pass: success rate0.55825811 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.45925896 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.5992586 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.214258132 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.94325893 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.15325853 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.76225862 of 138
points per trip inside the 405.2862586 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.10125816 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.0352583 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.066258101 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)72.30025844 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

ND defence

ND defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play-0.11922515 of 138
success rate0.34222524 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.13822537 of 138
rush: points added per play-0.2292258 of 138
rush: success rate0.30422512 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.81222530 of 138
pass: points added per play-0.02122526 of 138
pass: success rate0.37422548 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.37822525 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.39022522 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.25322544 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.32122516 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.223225103 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.73322577 of 138
points per trip inside the 401.6252252 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.240225135 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.169225134 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.07122599 of 138
opponent average starting field position72.30022576 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