Read The Athletic’s latest college football stop rate rankings.
Michigan and Penn State remain No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in this week’s stop rate standings. But there’s another defense rising up the ranks that you shouldn’t sleep on.
What is stop rate? It’s a basic measurement of success: the percentage of a defense’s drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs. This simple metric can offer a more accurate reflection of a defense’s effectiveness in today’s faster-tempo college football than yards per game or points per game. We’re now in Year 7 of tracking this statistic (here are the final standings for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017) along with every defense’s points per drive average.
Advertisement
After a 25-17 win over No. 13 Washington State, UCLA’s defense has moved up to No. 3 with a stop rate of 84.6 percent. That’s pretty darn impressive considering this unit finished No. 112 in the final stop rate standings for 2022.
The Bruins were able to hold the Cougars’ prolific offense to 10 points, limited Cameron Ward to 197 passing yards on 19-of-39 passing with his first two interceptions of the season and allowed 12 total rushing yards to move to 4-1 on the year. According to PFF, Ward was pressured on 18 of his 45 dropbacks and completed just five passes for 42 yards against that pressure.
“They’re for sure the best defense we’ve played so far this year,” Ward said afterward. “The thing about them is that their D-line, linebackers — they have some of the best front seven in the country. They got after us today. They punched us in the mouth early, and they punched us in the mouth the majority of the game.”
GO DEEPER
What we learned in CFB Week 6: Ranking Miami’s stunning loss to Georgia Tech
Chip Kelly praised a total team effort on that side of the ball for getting the job done. That group is led by 33-year-old D’Anton Lynn, UCLA’s first-year defensive coordinator who came to Los Angeles after working in the NFL for nine years and climbing the ladder up to safeties coach for the Baltimore Ravens. The son of longtime NFL coach Anthony Lynn joined a defensive staff with extensive experience and inherited a talented group that featured 16 returning players with starting experience.
We knew the Bruins had proven difference makers in Laiatu Latu and twins Grayson Murphy and Gabriel Murphy to generate the pass rush, and those three have been terrific through five games, but the Washington State game also showed off how much the secondary has improved after giving up more than 300 yards per game during Pac-12 play in 2022. UCLA has allowed just one touchdown drive in each of its five games and is getting three-and-outs on 48 percent of its drives, fourth-best nationally.
Advertisement
The Bruins don’t get much time to celebrate. The Washington State game kicks off a stretch of eight consecutive Pac-12 games without a break, a stretch that continues with a trip to No. 15 Oregon State on Saturday. It’s their third consecutive game against an AP Top 25 opponent and another chance to prove they’re a contender who can play spoiler in this league race. While Oregon and Washington aren’t on the regular-season schedule, the Nov. 18 game at USC looms large. Five games in, this D is looking different than the one that got burned for 48 points by Caleb Williams and the rival Trojans a year ago.
How are the rest of the defenses across the country performing in stop rate? Here are the full FBS-only stop rate standings entering Week 7.
Note: All data is courtesy of TruMedia and Pro Football Focus.
Rank
| Defense
| G
| Drives
| Stop Rate
| Pts/Drive
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | 60 | 86.7% | 0.67 | |
2 | 4 | 47 | 85.1% | 0.87 | |
3 | 4 | 52 | 84.6% | 0.77 | |
4 | 4 | 45 | 82.2% | 1.09 | |
5 | 5 | 53 | 81.1% | 1.02 | |
6 | 4 | 42 | 81% | 1.05 | |
7 | 4 | 47 | 80.9% | 1.11 | |
8 | 5 | 53 | 79.2% | 1.30 | |
9 | 5 | 57 | 78.9% | 1.25 | |
10 | 5 | 54 | 77.8% | 1.31 | |
11 | 6 | 71 | 77.5% | 1.08 | |
12 | 5 | 61 | 77% | 1.39 | |
13 | 5 | 60 | 76.7% | 1.38 | |
14 | 6 | 76 | 76.3% | 1.20 | |
15 | 4 | 42 | 76.2% | 1.24 | |
16 | 5 | 70 | 75.7% | 1.46 | |
17 | 6 | 69 | 75.4% | 1.32 | |
18 | 5 | 64 | 75% | 1.44 | |
19 | 4 | 35 | 74.3% | 1.54 | |
20 | 4 | 46 | 73.9% | 1.43 | |
21 | 4 | 52 | 73.1% | 1.46 | |
22 | 6 | 70 | 72.9% | 1.40 | |
23 | 5 | 55 | 72.7% | 1.51 | |
24 | 5 | 62 | 72.6% | 1.71 | |
25 | 4 | 46 | 71.7% | 1.63 | |
26 | 6 | 67 | 71.6% | 1.43 | |
27 | 5 | 56 | 71.4% | 1.64 | |
28 | 4 | 59 | 71.2% | 1.86 | |
29 | 5 | 55 | 70.9% | 1.60 | |
29 | 5 | 55 | 70.9% | 1.67 | |
31 | 4 | 51 | 70.6% | 1.98 | |
32 | 4 | 47 | 70.2% | 1.64 | |
33 | 4 | 40 | 70% | 1.75 | |
34 | 5 | 53 | 69.8% | 1.62 | |
35 | 6 | 66 | 69.7% | 1.64 | |
36 | 4 | 46 | 69.6% | 1.70 | |
37 | 5 | 62 | 69.4% | 1.95 | |
38 | 5 | 52 | 69.2% | 1.81 | |
39 | 4 | 45 | 68.9% | 1.73 | |
40 | 4 | 61 | 68.9% | 1.85 | |
41 | 5 | 54 | 68.5% | 1.74 | |
42 | 5 | 57 | 68.4% | 1.91 | |
43 | 5 | 62 | 67.7% | 2.06 | |
44 | 4 | 49 | 67.3% | 1.90 | |
45 | 5 | 52 | 67.3% | 1.83 | |
46 | 5 | 58 | 67.2% | 1.81 | |
47 | 6 | 67 | 67.2% | 1.88 | |
47 | 5 | 67 | 67.2% | 2.06 | |
49 | 4 | 48 | 66.7% | 2.04 | |
50 | 6 | 71 | 66.2% | 2.15 | |
51 | 5 | 65 | 66.2% | 1.95 | |
52 | 5 | 56 | 66.1% | 1.96 | |
53 | 4 | 50 | 66% | 2.06 | |
54 | 4 | 44 | 65.9% | 1.66 | |
55 | 5 | 58 | 65.5% | 1.97 | |
55 | 5 | 58 | 65.5% | 1.97 | |
57 | 5 | 52 | 65.4% | 2.13 | |
57 | 4 | 52 | 65.4% | 1.90 | |
59 | 6 | 75 | 65.3% | 2.16 | |
60 | 4 | 43 | 65.1% | 2.14 | |
61 | 4 | 48 | 64.6% | 2.25 | |
62 | 5 | 59 | 64.4% | 2.02 | |
63 | 4 | 50 | 64% | 1.96 | |
64 | 4 | 44 | 63.6% | 2.27 | |
65 | 4 | 43 | 62.8% | 2.14 | |
66 | 5 | 56 | 62.5% | 2.41 | |
67 | 4 | 50 | 62% | 2.26 | |
68 | 5 | 60 | 61.7% | 2.13 | |
69 | 5 | 65 | 61.5% | 2.37 | |
70 | 6 | 70 | 61.4% | 2.30 | |
71 | 6 | 74 | 60.8% | 2.58 | |
71 | 6 | 74 | 60.8% | 2.27 | |
73 | 5 | 61 | 60.7% | 2.51 | |
74 | 4 | 43 | 60.5% | 2.37 | |
75 | 5 | 60 | 60% | 2.45 | |
75 | 5 | 55 | 60% | 2.45 | |
75 | 5 | 60 | 60% | 2.20 | |
75 | 5 | 65 | 60% | 2.55 | |
75 | 5 | 65 | 60% | 2.43 | |
80 | 5 | 57 | 59.6% | 2.19 | |
81 | 5 | 58 | 58.6% | 2.34 | |
82 | 5 | 65 | 58.5% | 2.31 | |
83 | 6 | 60 | 58.3% | 2.43 | |
84 | 5 | 55 | 58.2% | 2.07 | |
85 | 5 | 57 | 57.9% | 3.09 | |
86 | 4 | 45 | 57.8% | 2.87 | |
87 | 6 | 71 | 57.7% | 2.56 | |
88 | 5 | 52 | 57.7% | 2.33 | |
89 | 5 | 59 | 57.6% | 2.47 | |
90 | 4 | 47 | 57.4% | 2.04 | |
91 | 5 | 51 | 56.9% | 2.63 | |
92 | 5 | 60 | 56.7% | 2.73 | |
93 | 4 | 46 | 56.5% | 2.50 | |
93 | 4 | 46 | 56.5% | 2.52 | |
95 | 5 | 62 | 56.5% | 2.77 | |
96 | 4 | 55 | 56.4% | 2.67 | |
96 | 5 | 55 | 56.4% | 2.80 | |
98 | 5 | 57 | 56.1% | 2.84 | |
99 | 6 | 70 | 55.7% | 2.29 | |
100 | 5 | 54 | 55.6% | 2.67 | |
101 | 4 | 47 | 55.3% | 2.72 | |
102 | 5 | 51 | 54.9% | 2.67 | |
103 | 5 | 53 | 54.7% | 2.79 | |
104 | 4 | 44 | 54.5% | 2.36 | |
104 | 4 | 44 | 54.5% | 3.09 | |
106 | 5 | 52 | 53.8% | 2.67 | |
107 | 5 | 56 | 53.6% | 2.98 | |
108 | 5 | 57 | 52.6% | 2.84 | |
109 | 5 | 59 | 52.5% | 2.53 | |
110 | 4 | 44 | 52.3% | 2.70 | |
111 | 6 | 71 | 52.1% | 2.87 | |
112 | 5 | 52 | 51.9% | 2.88 | |
113 | 5 | 56 | 51.8% | 2.86 | |
114 | 5 | 60 | 51.7% | 3.55 | |
115 | 5 | 64 | 51.6% | 3.03 | |
116 | 5 | 53 | 50.9% | 2.79 | |
117 | 5 | 57 | 50.9% | 2.70 | |
117 | 5 | 57 | 50.9% | 2.86 | |
119 | 4 | 50 | 50% | 3.22 | |
120 | 5 | 57 | 49.1% | 2.95 | |
121 | 7 | 83 | 48.2% | 3.16 | |
122 | 5 | 60 | 46.7% | 3.48 | |
123 | 5 | 59 | 45.8% | 3.31 | |
124 | 5 | 55 | 45.5% | 3.11 | |
124 | 4 | 44 | 45.5% | 3.45 | |
126 | 5 | 49 | 44.9% | 3.78 | |
127 | 4 | 46 | 43.5% | 3.09 | |
128 | 4 | 42 | 42.9% | 3.45 | |
129 | 5 | 59 | 42.4% | 3.36 | |
130 | 5 | 51 | 41.2% | 3.82 | |
131 | 5 | 50 | 40% | 3.60 | |
132 | 4 | 43 | 39.5% | 3.14 | |
133 | 4 | 39 | 33.3% | 3.49 |
(Photo: Jevone Moore / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k3JrcWtobnxzfJFsZmpoX2Z9cK%2FOpaOen5Vis7C705uYpaRdqMGwvIyrmK2dXZmyp7HNrJxmqpGjuKq6xqxkrpuclnw%3D