This week's picks

Who wins up front on defense: run stops vs. sacks

College Football Charts
Data updatedOct 30, 2026

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Who wins up front on defense: run stops vs. sacks

Stuff rate (defense) (up) against Sack rate (generated) (across). 138 teams.

Up and right are always better: metrics where lower is better (like ranks or points allowed) run in reverse. Dashed lines are the averages of the teams shown and split the chart into four groups. There's no trend line or gray band here: the chart compares two separate skills, so no spot is "expected." The lists rank teams on both skills together. Tap or click a team to open it in Head to head.

What this shows

Up is a front that stops runs at the line; right is one that gets home on the quarterback. Up and right wins every down.

There is a weak relationship here (r = +0.25; r runs from −1 to +1, and positive means the two go together): teams better on Sack rate (generated) tend to be better on Stuff rate (defense). Sack rate (generated) accounts for about 6% of the differences in Stuff rate (defense) across the 138 teams shown.

Split by the averages: Wins every down 36, Stops the run 31, Gets home on the quarterback 31, Gets pushed around 40.

Wins every down: LSU (1st and 3rd), New Mexico (10th and 1st), East Carolina (9th and 4th). Gets pushed around: Stanford (137th and 124th), Colorado State (117th and 137th), Arkansas State (132nd and 131st). Ranks are among the 138 teams shown, Sack rate (generated) first, then Stuff rate (defense).

SEC: 7 of 16 in Wins every down, 3 in Gets pushed around. Top of the list: LSU (1st and 3rd of 138).

Big 12: 5 of 16 in Wins every down, 2 in Gets pushed around. Top of the list: Baylor (7th and 33rd of 138).

Where the data comes from. Stuff rate (defense): play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026. Sack rate (generated): play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.

Wins every down

  1. LSU 1st and 3rd of 138
  2. New Mexico 10th and 1st of 138
  3. East Carolina 9th and 4th of 138
  4. Virginia Tech 23rd and 2nd of 138
  5. Iowa 2nd and 34th of 138
  6. Indiana 3rd and 42nd of 138

Gets pushed around

  1. Stanford 137th and 124th of 138
  2. Colorado State 117th and 137th of 138
  3. Arkansas State 132nd and 131st of 138
  4. Sacramento State 133rd and 128th of 138
  5. Northern Illinois 121st and 134th of 138
  6. Akron 138th and 91st of 138

About the stats on this chart

What is sack rate?

Sacks the defense made divided by opponents' dropbacks. Higher is better.

Why does sack rate matter?

Getting home blows up drives and makes the quarterback rush everything after. Pass rush is the defensive stat that travels.

Where does the sack rate data come from?

From play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.

What is stuff rate?

Stuff rate on defense: share of opponents' runs stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. Higher is better.

Where does the stuff rate data come from?

From play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.