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
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). NU wins about 59% of the time at a number like ours.
IOWA
Games
4
Plays per game
65.8
Drives per game
11.8
SP+
14.8 (19th, offence 51st, defence 10th)
Returning production
34% (pass 16%, rush 20%, receiving 56%)
NU
Games
3
Plays per game
62.7
Drives per game
11.0
SP+
7.3 (50th, offence 59th, defence 34th)
Returning production
89% (pass 94%, rush 88%, receiving 86%)
What each side chooses to do
Offence
IOWA
NU
pass rate, all downs
50%52nd
45%92nd
pass rate, standard downs
45%44th
44%45th
pass rate, 1st down
43%65th
49%23rd
no-huddle share
4%133rd
11%120th
pass rate, passing downs
64%63rd
47%132nd
pass rate, red zone
50%20th
48%24th
seconds per play (own drives)
29.265th
30.826th
choices, from CFBD play-by-play; a choice repeats within a season, a result mostly does not Rank 1 = highest rate / fastest among FBS.
IOWA offence
IOWA offence
value
plays
FBS rank
points added per play
0.172
263
65 of 138
success rate
0.430
263
81 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)
1.279
263
49 of 138
rush: points added per play
0.232
263
31 of 138
rush: success rate
0.426
263
89 of 138
rush: explosiveness
1.342
263
3 of 138
pass: points added per play
0.194
263
83 of 138
pass: success rate
0.450
263
60 of 138
pass: explosiveness
1.219
263
136 of 138
standard downs: success rate
0.511
263
49 of 138
passing downs: success rate
0.241
263
118 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)
3.495
263
22 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line
0.132
263
27 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate
0.529
263
132 of 138
points per trip inside the 40
3.667
263
82 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)
0.099
263
14 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven
0.046
263
8 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary
0.053
263
67 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)
68.400
263
103 of 138
NU offence
NU offence
value
plays
FBS rank
points added per play
0.304
188
21 of 138
success rate
0.463
188
49 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)
1.294
188
45 of 138
rush: points added per play
0.156
188
54 of 138
rush: success rate
0.410
188
98 of 138
rush: explosiveness
0.978
188
65 of 138
pass: points added per play
0.540
188
13 of 138
pass: success rate
0.537
188
13 of 138
pass: explosiveness
1.649
188
46 of 138
standard downs: success rate
0.485
188
78 of 138
passing downs: success rate
0.411
188
14 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)
2.835
188
104 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line
0.190
188
93 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate
0.818
188
29 of 138
points per trip inside the 40
5.111
188
12 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)
0.133
188
56 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven
0.112
188
117 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary
0.021
188
4 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)
72.400
188
41 of 138
IOWA defence
IOWA defence
value
plays
FBS rank
points added per play
-0.145
243
8 of 138
success rate
0.300
243
4 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)
1.038
243
12 of 138
rush: points added per play
-0.244
243
6 of 138
rush: success rate
0.319
243
19 of 138
rush: explosiveness
0.385
243
2 of 138
pass: points added per play
0.068
243
51 of 138
pass: success rate
0.301
243
8 of 138
pass: explosiveness
1.787
243
120 of 138
standard downs: success rate
0.355
243
8 of 138
passing downs: success rate
0.209
243
15 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)
2.604
243
44 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line
0.193
243
67 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate
0.727
243
75 of 138
points per trip inside the 40
2.167
243
9 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)
0.173
243
81 of 138
havoc created by the front seven
0.082
243
40 of 138
havoc created by the secondary
0.091
243
129 of 138
opponent average starting field position
77.100
243
133 of 138
NU defence
NU defence
value
plays
FBS rank
points added per play
0.083
222
80 of 138
success rate
0.441
222
106 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)
1.120
222
32 of 138
rush: points added per play
0.112
222
100 of 138
rush: success rate
0.472
222
124 of 138
rush: explosiveness
0.868
222
46 of 138
pass: points added per play
0.035
222
38 of 138
pass: success rate
0.405
222
74 of 138
pass: explosiveness
1.406
222
33 of 138
standard downs: success rate
0.515
222
123 of 138
passing downs: success rate
0.228
222
27 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)
3.429
222
131 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line
0.142
222
17 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate
0.591
222
22 of 138
points per trip inside the 40
2.421
222
17 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)
0.162
222
72 of 138
havoc created by the front seven
0.063
222
7 of 138
havoc created by the secondary
0.099
222
131 of 138
opponent average starting field position
72.000
222
67 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