Defense
UCLA ranks first in FBS in yards per play allowed at 4.18, ahead of Ohio State (4.39) and Wisconsin (4.41). The middle of FBS is about 5.75, and Colorado State is last of 138 (8.79). Lower is better.
Yards per play opponents gained. Lower is better.
What opponents managed against them.
Games through Oct 31, 2026. Ranks are among the 138 FBS teams with the number.
| Rank | Team | Conference | Yards per play allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA | Big Ten | 4.18 |
| 2 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 4.39 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | 4.41 |
| 4 | Michigan | Big Ten | 4.54 |
| 5 | TCU | Big 12 | 4.56 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | Independents | 4.62 |
| 7 | Texas | SEC | 4.62 |
| 8 | Wake Forest | ACC | 4.68 |
| 9 | Liberty | Conference USA | 4.76 |
| 10 | North Dakota State | Mountain West | 4.80 |
| 11 | UAB | American Athletic | 4.84 |
| 12 | LSU | SEC | 4.84 |
| 13 | Georgia | SEC | 4.86 |
| 14 | Utah State | Pac-12 | 4.92 |
| 15 | Tennessee | SEC | 4.92 |
| 16 | Toledo | Mid-American | 4.97 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | SEC | 5.03 |
| 18 | Old Dominion | Sun Belt | 5.04 |
| 19 | New Mexico | Mountain West | 5.07 |
| 20 | Indiana | Big Ten | 5.08 |
| 21 | UCF | Big 12 | 5.11 |
| 22 | Nebraska | Big Ten | 5.14 |
| 23 | Iowa | Big Ten | 5.18 |
| 24 | Washington | Big Ten | 5.23 |
| 25 | Utah | Big 12 | 5.23 |
| 26 | Western Michigan | Mid-American | 5.24 |
| 27 | Virginia Tech | ACC | 5.24 |
| 28 | Minnesota | Big Ten | 5.24 |
| 29 | Baylor | Big 12 | 5.26 |
| 30 | Troy | Sun Belt | 5.29 |
| 31 | SMU | ACC | 5.29 |
| 32 | Texas A&M | SEC | 5.31 |
| 33 | UTSA | American Athletic | 5.32 |
| 34 | Texas Tech | Big 12 | 5.32 |
| 35 | Tulsa | American Athletic | 5.33 |
| 36 | Massachusetts | Mid-American | 5.35 |
| 37 | Nevada | Mountain West | 5.35 |
| 38 | South Florida | American Athletic | 5.38 |
| 39 | UConn | Independents | 5.40 |
| 40 | Wyoming | Mountain West | 5.41 |
| 41 | Georgia Southern | Sun Belt | 5.41 |
| 42 | Miami | ACC | 5.42 |
| 43 | Missouri | SEC | 5.43 |
| 44 | BYU | Big 12 | 5.43 |
| 45 | Duke | ACC | 5.43 |
| 46 | Kansas State | Big 12 | 5.46 |
| 47 | South Carolina | SEC | 5.47 |
| 48 | Jacksonville State | Conference USA | 5.48 |
| 49 | Oregon | Big Ten | 5.49 |
| 50 | Louisiana Tech | Sun Belt | 5.49 |
| 51 | East Carolina | American Athletic | 5.50 |
| 52 | North Carolina | ACC | 5.50 |
| 53 | James Madison | Sun Belt | 5.51 |
| 54 | Penn State | Big Ten | 5.52 |
| 55 | Florida International | Conference USA | 5.52 |
| 56 | Sam Houston | Conference USA | 5.54 |
| 57 | San José State | Mountain West | 5.54 |
| 58 | New Mexico State | Conference USA | 5.55 |
| 59 | Louisiana | Sun Belt | 5.58 |
| 60 | UNLV | Mountain West | 5.61 |
| 61 | Virginia | ACC | 5.62 |
| 62 | Vanderbilt | SEC | 5.62 |
| 63 | Washington State | Pac-12 | 5.65 |
| 64 | Texas State | Pac-12 | 5.65 |
| 65 | Clemson | ACC | 5.67 |
| 66 | Ole Miss | SEC | 5.72 |
| 67 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 5.73 |
| 68 | USC | Big Ten | 5.75 |
| 69 | Sacramento State | Mid-American | 5.75 |
| 70 | Oregon State | Pac-12 | 5.77 |
| 71 | Miami (OH) | Mid-American | 5.78 |
| 72 | Tulane | American Athletic | 5.80 |
| 73 | Pittsburgh | ACC | 5.83 |
| 74 | Syracuse | ACC | 5.85 |
| 75 | App State | Sun Belt | 5.86 |
| 76 | Arizona | Big 12 | 5.87 |
| 77 | Ohio | Mid-American | 5.88 |
| 78 | Southern Miss | Sun Belt | 5.93 |
| 79 | Western Kentucky | Conference USA | 5.93 |
| 80 | Boston College | ACC | 5.93 |
| 81 | UL Monroe | Sun Belt | 5.95 |
| 82 | Temple | American Athletic | 5.96 |
| 83 | Middle Tennessee | Conference USA | 5.99 |
| 84 | Kansas | Big 12 | 6.00 |
| 85 | Kentucky | SEC | 6.01 |
| 86 | Auburn | SEC | 6.03 |
| 87 | San Diego State | Pac-12 | 6.03 |
| 88 | Michigan State | Big Ten | 6.05 |
| 89 | Kennesaw State | Conference USA | 6.07 |
| 90 | Alabama | SEC | 6.11 |
| 91 | Northwestern | Big Ten | 6.11 |
| 92 | North Texas | American Athletic | 6.15 |
| 93 | UTEP | Mountain West | 6.16 |
| 94 | Rice | American Athletic | 6.22 |
| 95 | Iowa State | Big 12 | 6.24 |
| 96 | Mississippi State | SEC | 6.25 |
| 97 | Central Michigan | Mid-American | 6.25 |
| 98 | Florida | SEC | 6.28 |
| 99 | Colorado | Big 12 | 6.28 |
| 100 | Maryland | Big Ten | 6.30 |
| 101 | Georgia State | Sun Belt | 6.34 |
| 102 | NC State | ACC | 6.35 |
| 103 | Missouri State | Conference USA | 6.37 |
| 104 | Louisville | ACC | 6.38 |
| 105 | Arizona State | Big 12 | 6.38 |
| 106 | Illinois | Big Ten | 6.41 |
| 107 | Fresno State | Pac-12 | 6.42 |
| 108 | Memphis | American Athletic | 6.43 |
| 109 | Kent State | Mid-American | 6.45 |
| 110 | Northern Illinois | Mountain West | 6.49 |
| 111 | Stanford | ACC | 6.58 |
| 112 | Buffalo | Mid-American | 6.62 |
| 113 | Hawai'i | Mountain West | 6.63 |
| 114 | Georgia Tech | ACC | 6.64 |
| 115 | Purdue | Big Ten | 6.69 |
| 116 | Cincinnati | Big 12 | 6.69 |
| 117 | Air Force | Mountain West | 6.76 |
| 118 | South Alabama | Sun Belt | 6.77 |
| 119 | Rutgers | Big Ten | 6.77 |
| 120 | Eastern Michigan | Mid-American | 6.78 |
| 121 | Navy | American Athletic | 6.79 |
| 122 | Delaware | Conference USA | 6.86 |
| 123 | Arkansas | SEC | 6.91 |
| 124 | Arkansas State | Sun Belt | 6.92 |
| 125 | Florida State | ACC | 6.97 |
| 126 | Bowling Green | Mid-American | 6.98 |
| 127 | Houston | Big 12 | 6.98 |
| 128 | Coastal Carolina | Sun Belt | 6.99 |
| 129 | California | ACC | 7.06 |
| 130 | West Virginia | Big 12 | 7.07 |
| 131 | Marshall | Sun Belt | 7.08 |
| 132 | Ball State | Mid-American | 7.16 |
| 133 | Charlotte | American Athletic | 7.20 |
| 134 | Army | American Athletic | 7.37 |
| 135 | Boise State | Pac-12 | 7.37 |
| 136 | Florida Atlantic | American Athletic | 7.53 |
| 137 | Akron | Mid-American | 7.65 |
| 138 | Colorado State | Pac-12 | 8.79 |
Big Ten: UCLA (4.18, 1st); Big 12: TCU (4.56, 5th); Independents: Notre Dame (4.62, 6th); SEC: Texas (4.62, 7th); ACC: Wake Forest (4.68, 8th); Conference USA: Liberty (4.76, 9th); Mountain West: North Dakota State (4.80, 10th); American Athletic: UAB (4.84, 11th); Pac-12: Utah State (4.92, 14th); Mid-American: Toledo (4.97, 16th); Sun Belt: Old Dominion (5.04, 18th).