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The units, side by side

PITTCALbar = FBS percentile, longer is better · dotted tick = median teamOffence: points per play — offence8213Offence: points per play — defence8860Offence: success rate — offence8226Offence: success rate — defence9965Offence: explosiveness — offence5736Offence: explosiveness — defence1421Run game — offence3811Run game — defence927Pass game — offence8929Pass game — defence8091Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — offence7222Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — defence9920Havoc (allowed vs created) — offence9123Havoc (allowed vs created) — defence3481

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

tiecardsPITT by 37CAL by 43

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 57% of the time at a number like ours.

PITT

Games4
Plays per game73.0
Drives per game11.5
SP+14.7 (20th, offence 36th, defence 15th)
Returning production40% (pass 59%, rush 67%, receiving 24%)

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

OffencePITTCAL
pass rate, all downs53%31st57%13th
pass rate, standard downs47%26th47%29th
pass rate, 1st down47%36th47%38th
no-huddle share23%107th35%95th
pass rate, passing downs68%44th78%8th
pass rate, red zone57%8th52%15th
seconds per play (own drives)26.5110th27.987th

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

PITT offence

PITT offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.29429225 of 138
success rate0.49729226 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.24929260 of 138
rush: points added per play0.07829286 of 138
rush: success rate0.46029262 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.809292111 of 138
pass: points added per play0.50729216 of 138
pass: success rate0.53029214 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.59529258 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.52829240 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.41229213 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.30929239 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.18229288 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.632292115 of 138
points per trip inside the 404.23329255 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.09629213 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.05829220 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.03829227 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)70.40029273 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

PITT defence

PITT defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play-0.10724018 of 138
success rate0.2872402 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.379240119 of 138
rush: points added per play-0.17824012 of 138
rush: success rate0.2782407 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.99524092 of 138
pass: points added per play-0.01224028 of 138
pass: success rate0.30624011 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.62024093 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.3452406 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.20024010 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)1.7772402 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.320240137 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.53824012 of 138
points per trip inside the 401.6882403 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.17924092 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.117240104 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.06324075 of 138
opponent average starting field position75.300240124 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