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The units, side by side

RUTGPSUbar = FBS percentile, longer is better · dotted tick = median teamOffence: points per play — offence4561Offence: points per play — defence2787Offence: success rate — offence7432Offence: success rate — defence2693Offence: explosiveness — offence7270Offence: explosiveness — defence5866Run game — offence2344Run game — defence2647Pass game — offence6577Pass game — defence1899Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — offence5024Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — defence3377Havoc (allowed vs created) — offence4577Havoc (allowed vs created) — defence7418

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

tiecardsRUTG by 17PSU by 63

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

RUTG

Games4
Plays per game68.5
Drives per game11.2
SP+-1.6 (75th, offence 42nd, defence 112th)
Returning production44% (pass 10%, rush 93%, receiving 55%)

PSU

Games4
Plays per game68.8
Drives per game12.2
SP+16.9 (15th, offence 28th, defence 12th)
Returning production8% (pass 3%, rush -2%, receiving 14%)

What each side chooses to do

OffenceRUTGPSU
pass rate, all downs50%58th43%111th
pass rate, standard downs42%62nd35%116th
pass rate, 1st down52%16th29%131st
no-huddle share97%8th85%36th
pass rate, passing downs69%41st65%57th
pass rate, red zone40%61st33%93rd
seconds per play (own drives)30.145th27.984th

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

RUTG offence

RUTG offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.13527477 of 138
success rate0.48227437 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.30127440 of 138
rush: points added per play0.024274106 of 138
rush: success rate0.48927434 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.766274123 of 138
pass: points added per play0.33427449 of 138
pass: success rate0.47727445 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.86127412 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.50827452 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.41827412 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.13327469 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.16127461 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.70027494 of 138
points per trip inside the 403.96327467 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.14627476 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.06227422 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.084274129 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)69.00027499 of 138

PSU offence

PSU offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.22027555 of 138
success rate0.41827594 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.29927542 of 138
rush: points added per play0.10227578 of 138
rush: success rate0.40927599 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.92927581 of 138
pass: points added per play0.39127532 of 138
pass: success rate0.43427572 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.81327517 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.47327592 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.270275106 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.835275105 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.13627534 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.72727582 of 138
points per trip inside the 403.96727566 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.11627533 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.05827519 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.05827579 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)65.800275126 of 138

RUTG defence

RUTG defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.149241101 of 138
success rate0.436241103 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.20224158 of 138
rush: points added per play0.117241103 of 138
rush: success rate0.464241120 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.90024165 of 138
pass: points added per play0.307241114 of 138
pass: success rate0.41524183 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.58924185 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.497241110 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.29724187 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.00224193 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.20024177 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.75024186 of 138
points per trip inside the 403.65224190 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.13724137 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.10024173 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.03724112 of 138
opponent average starting field position70.00024134 of 138

PSU defence

PSU defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play-0.10324119 of 138
success rate0.31524110 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.17124147 of 138
rush: points added per play0.04024174 of 138
rush: success rate0.33924131 of 138
rush: explosiveness1.129241125 of 138
pass: points added per play-0.1642413 of 138
pass: success rate0.2962416 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.2072414 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.36524111 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.22424123 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)2.52924133 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.229241109 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.66724150 of 138
points per trip inside the 403.63624188 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.195241114 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.11224194 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.083241120 of 138
opponent average starting field position76.300241131 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