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The units, side by side

USAMRSHbar = FBS percentile, longer is better · dotted tick = median teamOffence: points per play — offence5528Offence: points per play — defence41Offence: success rate — offence3433Offence: success rate — defence36Offence: explosiveness — offence7345Offence: explosiveness — defence424Run game — offence666Run game — defence028Pass game — offence4569Pass game — defence360Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — offence5538Line yards (O-line vs D-line) — defence1512Havoc (allowed vs created) — offence4524Havoc (allowed vs created) — defence3392

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

tiecardsUSA by 22MRSH by 58

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). MRSH wins about 87% of the time at a number like ours.

USA

Games4
Plays per game77.0
Drives per game11.2
SP+-15.4 (121st, offence 88th, defence 136th)
Returning production79% (pass 95%, rush 62%, receiving 80%)

MRSH

Games4
Plays per game67.0
Drives per game11.8
SP+-12.5 (115th, offence 82nd, defence 134th)
Returning production99% (pass 100%, rush 210%, receiving 91%)

What each side chooses to do

OffenceUSAMRSH
pass rate, all downs42%112th48%69th
pass rate, standard downs37%111th38%100th
pass rate, 1st down40%95th35%113th
no-huddle share92%18th85%32nd
pass rate, passing downs54%116th69%40th
pass rate, red zone29%115th43%45th
seconds per play (own drives)29.561st29.560th

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

USA offence

USA offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.17430863 of 138
success rate0.41930891 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.30230838 of 138
rush: points added per play0.17730847 of 138
rush: success rate0.42530890 of 138
rush: explosiveness1.06830829 of 138
pass: points added per play0.20830877 of 138
pass: success rate0.42130885 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.63930850 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.448308111 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.35430845 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.18230862 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.12130816 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.79230844 of 138
points per trip inside the 404.29630848 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.14630877 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.08830872 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.05830880 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)69.30030893 of 138

MRSH offence

MRSH offencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.08826899 of 138
success rate0.41826893 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.21226876 of 138
rush: points added per play-0.086268130 of 138
rush: success rate0.41726894 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.851268101 of 138
pass: points added per play0.36526843 of 138
pass: success rate0.42526881 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.64726848 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.50026861 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.244268117 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.00226886 of 138
rushes stopped at or behind the line0.216268119 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.68426899 of 138
points per trip inside the 402.552268128 of 138
havoc allowed (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.168268105 of 138
havoc allowed by the front seven0.119268124 of 138
havoc allowed by the secondary0.04926860 of 138
average starting field position (yards from own goal)73.30026827 of 138

USA defence

USA defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.279218132 of 138
success rate0.486218134 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.460218133 of 138
rush: points added per play0.349218138 of 138
rush: success rate0.505218134 of 138
rush: explosiveness1.380218137 of 138
pass: points added per play0.21021889 of 138
pass: success rate0.462218113 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.56521876 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.532218131 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.367218127 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.230218118 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.17421842 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.60021825 of 138
points per trip inside the 404.077218116 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.17921893 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.11521899 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.06421881 of 138
opponent average starting field position68.30021820 of 138

MRSH defence

MRSH defencevalueplaysFBS rank
points added per play0.332269137 of 138
success rate0.472269130 of 138
explosiveness (points added on successful plays)1.322269105 of 138
rush: points added per play0.11226999 of 138
rush: success rate0.472269123 of 138
rush: explosiveness0.80226929 of 138
pass: points added per play0.533269138 of 138
pass: success rate0.471269120 of 138
pass: explosiveness1.819269123 of 138
standard downs: success rate0.544269135 of 138
passing downs: success rate0.28926981 of 138
line yards per rush (the O-line)3.276269122 of 138
rushes stopped (by this defence) at or behind the line0.15226927 of 138
short-yardage conversion rate0.812269110 of 138
points per trip inside the 404.174269118 of 138
havoc created (TFL, forced fumbles, breakups per play)0.11926912 of 138
havoc created by the front seven0.06726910 of 138
havoc created by the secondary0.05226943 of 138
opponent average starting field position71.70026962 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