Offensive Drives

updated February 21, 2025

The majority of game possessions are categorized as offensive drives, defined as possessions that consist of at least one scrimmage play run by an offense against the opposing team defense. From 2007 to 2024, there were a total of 299,560 non-garbage, regulation offensive drives in FBS vs FBS games (13,322 games in the 18-season span), an average of 22.5 per game. Unless otherwise noted, all ratings and analysis of offenses and defenses on this site are produced from this set of drives.

 
 

The primary objective of the offense on a drive is to produce points by advancing the ball into field goal range or into the end zone for a touchdown, and the primary objective of the defense is to prevent the offense from doing so. From 2007 to 2024, offenses scored an average of 2.16 points per drive, calculated as follows:

  • Safeties: recorded as a drive result of negative two points scored. 

  • Touchdowns followed by an extra point or two-point conversion attempt that was returned for a defensive score: recorded as a drive result of four points scored. 

  • Total points scored including field goals, touchdowns, extra points, and two-point conversions at the conclusion of all other drives: recorded as scored (3, 6, 7, or 8 points).

Offensive scoring rates vary by drive depending on how close the drive starts to the end zone.

The relationship between starting field position and points scored per drive is one of the primary factors used in offensive and defensive efficiency calculations on this site. Though the chart above illustrates this relationship, it also obscures other factors like variations in points per drive rates by season and the frequency of drives by starting field position as indicated in the chart below.

 
 

There are six ways in which an offensive drive can start: kickoff, punt, fumble, interception, turnover on downs, and failed field goal. There are eight ways in which an offensive drive can conclude: touchdown, field goal attempt, punt, turnover on downs, fumble, interception, safety, or time expiring at the end of the half. The frequency of drive outcomes also varies by season.

 
 

Detailed data including results by starting field position from 2007 to 2024 are provided in the tables below.

All non-garbage, regulation offensive drives in FBS vs FBS college football games since 2007 are included in the data set summarized in the tables below, including the total number of drives by starting field position (SFP), the average points scored per drive (PPD), the frequency rate of each drive start event, and the frequency rate of each drive end event. Safeties are recorded as a drive result of negative two points scored. Touchdowns followed by a conversion attempt returned for a defensive score are recorded as a drive result of four points scored. Total points at the conclusion of all other drives are recorded as scored, including field goals, extra points, and two-point conversions.

Drive Start EventsDrive End Events
Span Drives PPD   KO Punt Fum Int Down FFG   TD FGA Punt Down Fum Int Saf Half
2007-24299,5602.16.435.382.052.058.044.029.269.132.406.055.049.075.003.012
Season Drives PPD   KO Punt Fum Int Down FFG   TD FGA Punt Down Fum Int Saf Half
200717,0052.04.414.388.059.067.040.032.251.136.410.051.054.085.003.011
200815,9252.04.421.383.061.062.039.033.254.133.408.051.055.083.003.012
200915,9782.04.422.389.061.062.034.031.250.139.414.045.055.081.003.013
201015,9832.13.428.383.059.065.036.029.266.128.408.046.053.085.002.011
201116,1822.08.420.389.062.060.037.031.261.129.413.048.057.077.003.013
201216,8402.15.428.382.059.060.041.030.270.128.405.051.056.076.002.013
201317,0322.13.429.389.053.062.041.027.268.124.415.051.049.078.003.012
201417,8642.12.425.392.054.058.040.030.266.130.416.050.050.075.002.012
201517,8782.13.429.396.050.056.040.029.264.132.419.050.046.074.003.011
201617,6032.20.437.391.050.054.043.025.276.125.414.053.046.071.003.013
201717,6822.15.433.397.048.054.040.028.268.129.422.051.045.072.002.012
201817,4682.19.438.388.048.053.045.028.276.126.413.056.045.069.003.012
201917,0722.24.444.382.048.052.045.028.279.134.404.056.047.067.001.012
202011,7872.30.456.361.049.055.049.029.289.132.383.060.048.071.002.015
202116,6532.24.452.370.043.053.053.028.278.139.391.064.042.069.003.013
202216,9162.22.449.369.047.052.057.025.275.135.391.069.045.069.003.013
202316,9282.21.446.370.043.056.057.029.271.142.390.070.043.072.002.011
202416,7642.26.457.357.043.058.057.028.277.144.376.070.043.074.003.013
SFP Drives PPD   KO Punt Fum Int Down FFG   TD FGA Punt Down Fum Int Saf Half
own 12,2741.00.047.649.051.066.185.001.144.058.537.037.045.080.064.034
own 21,7271.09.047.676.063.100.115.000.152.061.567.027.043.072.053.025
own 31,7021.19.058.704.055.072.108.002.159.071.566.028.050.073.033.021
own 41,6961.30.075.718.052.071.082.002.172.069.546.046.049.073.027.019
own 51,8431.43.112.701.039.067.079.002.187.077.525.040.055.076.018.022
own 61,9511.44.124.708.049.055.063.002.189.072.552.030.047.076.015.021
own 72,2141.37.179.687.040.052.042.000.180.071.540.043.057.075.013.021
own 82,8581.45.213.685.030.036.034.002.189.076.534.037.053.078.015.018
own 92,9911.53.212.674.032.041.038.002.197.079.526.040.055.072.007.024
own 104,0161.47.234.687.019.031.025.004.188.077.532.042.054.083.009.015
own 113,1301.50.201.700.027.035.035.004.191.084.529.038.054.079.006.019
own 123,4711.59.235.679.023.035.026.002.201.086.517.042.049.083.005.016
own 133,5721.59.273.640.022.034.031.001.201.090.510.047.047.081.003.022
own 143,7881.63.302.618.024.029.024.002.205.091.517.040.052.075.002.017
own 155,0311.66.325.600.015.028.028.003.212.084.498.045.054.088.003.017
own 164,1781.66.378.534.024.032.030.002.212.086.499.047.054.081.003.018
own 174,5611.63.419.507.017.028.027.002.202.099.494.048.055.084.002.015
own 184,8281.70.449.478.018.027.025.004.211.105.486.049.052.081.002.013
own 195,0901.68.470.451.016.033.026.004.211.096.493.052.049.084.002.013
own 2024,1221.73.343.458.019.058.008.115.218.098.481.050.054.082.001.015
SFP Drives PPD   KO Punt Fum Int Down FFG   TD FGA Punt Down Fum Int Saf Half
own 216,1051.81.516.370.018.022.021.054.227.104.473.048.052.081.001.014
own 226,2931.78.524.366.018.024.022.046.225.100.480.048.052.082.001.011
own 236,5261.81.529.351.014.023.028.055.226.108.469.055.050.074.001.016
own 246,4651.92.512.360.016.024.030.058.241.108.460.052.051.078.000.011
own 2553,6081.91.927.054.002.004.004.009.239.113.449.061.047.079.001.011
own 266,5041.93.528.340.016.024.033.058.241.113.455.048.053.077.000.013
own 276,4051.99.501.358.018.025.037.062.248.119.429.056.054.081.001.012
own 286,2231.97.478.371.020.024.047.060.243.126.433.054.052.078.000.013
own 295,8532.08.453.378.023.026.053.066.262.119.425.052.051.079.000.012
own 307,2402.15.455.392.014.027.049.062.267.127.409.055.049.080.000.012
own 315,4632.15.423.399.021.035.062.060.268.134.398.061.053.073.000.013
own 325,3302.18.396.414.027.034.066.062.273.125.416.056.048.071.000.011
own 334,8072.17.387.413.025.037.082.056.267.141.388.059.051.081.000.012
own 344,5962.28.361.435.032.036.083.054.287.134.380.059.049.079.000.012
own 357,6822.24.555.319.017.026.052.031.278.140.382.061.053.073.000.013
own 364,1232.33.322.466.036.043.094.040.287.148.376.060.046.068.000.015
own 373,9402.35.322.480.035.052.085.026.289.152.371.056.046.073.000.013
own 383,5732.52.306.482.053.048.094.017.312.158.339.056.044.079.000.012
own 393,3102.45.294.495.044.056.098.012.307.145.351.060.052.073.000.013
own 404,4812.44.410.436.029.051.069.004.303.151.343.060.052.081.000.010
SFP Drives PPD   KO Punt Fum Int Down FFG   TD FGA Punt Down Fum Int Saf Half
own 412,9912.62.254.525.059.065.092.005.319.176.327.060.045.064.000.010
own 422,9062.58.240.549.062.067.079.003.319.167.329.058.052.065.000.009
own 432,5732.53.219.530.075.073.098.005.309.175.332.060.043.073.000.009
own 442,3492.76.202.547.076.072.100.003.342.170.287.074.052.066.000.010
own 452,7742.74.195.570.066.088.079.002.336.173.304.068.045.064.000.009
own 462,0942.66.186.511.121.085.092.005.333.167.295.068.054.076.000.007
own 472,0602.88.182.519.108.103.083.003.351.183.290.063.040.065.000.008
own 481,9492.84.163.538.111.106.080.002.349.187.266.077.048.069.000.004
own 491,8452.81.168.517.119.119.075.003.346.186.265.071.047.073.000.012
502,1032.89.186.528.092.111.081.002.357.190.269.066.043.067.000.008
opp 491,5692.88.155.502.116.130.096.001.357.182.270.069.038.078.000.006
opp 481,5483.06.160.508.105.153.073.001.376.189.252.079.036.061.000.006
opp 471,4723.15.149.482.127.147.091.003.384.212.223.063.042.071.000.005
opp 461,4143.18.168.426.158.156.087.005.389.214.221.069.048.054.000.005
opp 451,5473.14.167.463.125.155.087.002.381.218.227.070.041.058.000.005
opp 441,3123.27.194.373.155.174.100.004.399.223.205.064.048.056.000.005
opp 431,2653.23.164.405.175.184.071.002.398.210.209.077.043.062.000.002
opp 421,0463.40.126.406.180.211.074.003.409.247.161.079.047.054.000.004
opp 411,0433.44.133.376.213.206.067.005.423.241.161.079.036.056.000.005
SFP Drives PPD   KO Punt Fum Int Down FFG   TD FGA Punt Down Fum Int Saf Half
opp 401,1673.42.137.372.202.217.069.003.413.246.151.088.036.065.000.001
opp 399963.74.126.340.225.241.068.000.451.253.119.092.036.047.000.001
opp 388963.66.108.317.239.265.071.000.435.275.123.075.042.048.000.002
opp 378453.63.084.315.266.266.067.001.441.273.102.093.039.050.000.001
opp 368023.66.076.325.267.246.085.001.450.248.126.070.041.064.000.001
opp 358613.77.066.312.288.254.074.005.452.290.081.078.037.056.000.006
opp 348133.83.060.185.295.263.189.007.454.312.074.082.033.044.000.000
opp 337893.97.084.227.302.283.104.001.474.309.054.071.041.049.000.001
opp 327204.05.058.201.357.267.115.001.489.311.053.072.042.031.000.003
opp 316963.86.052.241.343.279.082.003.443.368.042.066.033.046.000.003
opp 306824.12.066.208.340.301.085.000.491.328.038.059.028.053.000.003
opp 296384.08.049.190.389.284.086.003.473.351.019.061.047.049.000.000
opp 286464.18.057.178.362.324.077.002.478.381.025.042.042.033.000.000
opp 276414.32.061.168.387.314.067.003.510.337.016.059.039.039.000.000
opp 265844.27.062.163.433.293.048.002.505.353.014.053.027.046.000.002
opp 255884.31.063.168.369.327.073.000.498.371.014.053.026.039.000.000
opp 245064.38.049.158.449.269.075.000.528.348.008.042.038.036.000.002
opp 235194.30.056.137.487.264.054.002.501.372.012.039.021.052.000.004
opp 224944.42.038.130.453.324.053.002.512.385.002.036.028.030.000.006
opp 214644.48.058.125.457.306.054.000.528.343.004.039.034.052.000.000
SFP Drives PPD   KO Punt Fum Int Down FFG   TD FGA Punt Down Fum Int Saf Half
opp 204794.55.025.134.422.370.050.000.530.361.004.044.031.029.000.000
opp 194314.52.037.135.483.288.056.002.550.309.002.046.035.058.000.000
opp 184034.83.055.127.489.270.060.000.581.320.005.032.027.035.000.000
opp 173604.80.039.147.489.278.047.000.583.306.003.025.028.056.000.000
opp 163644.88.052.137.464.310.036.000.574.365.000.022.025.014.000.000
opp 153714.61.054.129.385.361.070.000.555.313.003.049.035.046.000.000
opp 143204.93.034.147.453.303.063.000.600.303.003.025.028.041.000.000
opp 133154.73.057.121.444.321.057.000.556.330.003.044.019.044.000.003
opp 123074.98.046.117.414.388.036.000.603.309.000.036.023.029.000.000
opp 113085.04.026.123.461.354.032.003.607.302.003.042.013.029.000.003
opp 102424.88.037.112.508.289.050.004.566.364.000.033.008.021.000.008
opp 92675.18.034.157.348.401.060.000.648.258.000.034.022.037.000.000
opp 82165.51.046.134.407.366.042.005.694.245.000.028.009.023.000.000
opp 72135.21.014.127.437.376.047.000.657.225.000.052.038.023.000.005
opp 62125.75.052.142.425.349.033.000.755.193.000.019.024.009.000.000
opp 52055.87.044.146.327.429.054.000.776.171.000.024.015.015.000.000
opp 41875.87.064.171.348.374.043.000.781.160.000.032.016.011.000.000
opp 31956.08.046.103.395.415.041.000.831.103.000.036.026.005.000.000
opp 21646.19.061.165.287.415.067.006.848.085.000.037.006.024.000.000
opp 12246.48.027.188.344.402.040.000.906.054.000.013.013.013.000.000