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Short yardage: power success vs. stuff rate

College Football Charts
Data updatedOct 31, 2026

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Short yardage: power success vs. stuff rate

Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line) (up) against Power success (short yardage) (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

Power success is converting on the ground with 2 yards or less to go; stuff rate is how often a run gets stopped at or behind the line. Up and right, a line that moves people.

There is a moderate relationship here (r = +0.60; r runs from −1 to +1, and positive means the two go together): teams better on Power success (short yardage) tend to be better on Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line). Power success (short yardage) accounts for about 36% of the differences in Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line) across the 138 teams shown.

Split by the averages: Moves people 46, Rarely stuffed, can't finish 26, Finishes short, stuffed elsewhere 22, Pushed around 44.

Moves people: Oregon State (1st and 3rd), Air Force (9th and 2nd), Army (6th and 6th). Pushed around: Old Dominion (138th and 138th), Utah State (137th and 122nd), Sam Houston (132nd and 135th). Ranks are among the 138 teams shown, Power success (short yardage) first, then Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line).

SEC: 9 of 16 in Moves people, 3 in Pushed around. Top of the list: Georgia (17th and 9th of 138).

Big 12: 4 of 16 in Moves people, 5 in Pushed around. Top of the list: Kansas State (29th and 50th of 138).

Where the data comes from. Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line): play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026. Power success (short yardage): play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.

Moves people

  1. Oregon State 1st and 3rd of 138
  2. Air Force 9th and 2nd of 138
  3. Army 6th and 6th of 138
  4. Navy 5th and 7th of 138
  5. Boise State 10th and 5th of 138
  6. Miami 31st and 1st of 138

Pushed around

  1. Old Dominion 138th and 138th of 138
  2. Utah State 137th and 122nd of 138
  3. Sam Houston 132nd and 135th of 138
  4. Minnesota 130th and 136th of 138
  5. Fresno State 135th and 133rd of 138
  6. Delaware 133rd and 132nd of 138

About the stats on this chart

What is power success?

Power success: runs on 3rd or 4th down with 2 yards or less to go, and at the goal line from the 2, that get the first down or the touchdown. The purest test of moving people. Higher is better.

Why does power success matter?

Short yardage is a gut check. If a team can't get 2 yards when everybody knows it's running, it can't close out a game.

Where does the power success 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: share of runs stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. Lower is better on offense.

Why does stuff rate matter?

Getting stuffed at or behind the line is how drives die quietly. Good lines don't let it happen much.

Where does the stuff rate data come from?

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