JUGS BBQ

JUGS BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 33 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 37 at the Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown) (2016), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #592 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#592

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1660

peak 1668 · rated over 33 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 19, 2013

latest Jul 19, 2019 · 5.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#265

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

16 podiums

Overall top-10s

48% of 33 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 33%

overall standings

Best overall

685.6684 / 720

Master · Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown)

Perfect 180s

Current form

671.90 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 658.44 (+13.46)

Walk rate

91%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

179.4400

Chicken · Up In smoke on the Square

Consistency

±57.42

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.44 · weakest Brisket (163.22)

Road miles

3,488

across 33 mapped stops · furthest 235 mi

Schedule strength

44%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1557)

Purse competed for

$9,525

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

658.44 / 720

33 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Among the elite

#592 of 6,476 rated teams

In the top 9% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1660 puts them #592 of 6,476 rated teams — the top 9% of the field.

rating 1660
peak 1668
33 rated contests

Happy hunting ground

Top 19% average finish here

Up In Smoke on the Square is their spot: an average finish in the top 19% across 6 visits.

6 visits
best finish 3rd
average top 19%

They almost always walk

91% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 30 of 33 contests

A top-10 category call in 91% of their 33 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

685.6684 career-best overall

95.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 685.6684 at Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown) — 95.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 22, 2016

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

FIDDLIN' FATBACK has finished one call ahead of JUGS BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 22%.

6 contests
4 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 22%

A tough matchup

15–5 behind in the head-to-head

One2BBQ ahead in 75% of their meetings

One2BBQ has come out ahead in 15 of their 20 shared contests.

Show 8 more storylines

The weak link

−7.2 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.22 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 58%.

Brisket avg 163.22
Chicken avg 170.44
6 calls in 32 entries

A strong matchup

12–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKY LINCS in 12 of their 12 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

12 of 20 shared chicken entries lost

One2BBQ ahead 60% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, One2BBQ has out-cooked them in 12 of 20 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Boom or bust

±7.98% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±7.98% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 91.5% of a perfect score
best 95.2%

A July team

Top 23% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 23% across 6 contests, versus top 33% the rest of the year.

6 July contests
top 33% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,488 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,488 miles across 33 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 235 miles to Smokin' On The Water.

33 mapped stops
furthest 235 mi

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked Up In Smoke on the Square every year from 2014 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 3rd

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017 ↗	Master	#370 (997 pts)	#237 (1,282 pts)	#487 (807 pts)	#442 (882 pts)	#680 (587 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#442 (898 pts)	#300 (1,158 pts)	#365 (1,028 pts)	#646 (623 pts)	#515 (793 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#483 (797 pts)	#499 (777 pts)	#373 (982 pts)	#611 (637 pts)	#546 (687 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#265 (1,274 pts)	#235 (1,319 pts)	#269 (1,254 pts)	#227 (1,319 pts)	#380 (984 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1444 (155 pts)	#626 (525 pts)	#1271 (225 pts)	#2080 (75 pts)	#2034 (75 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to JUGS BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

CAN U SMELL MY PITS BBQ

#591 of the rated field

1660 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 65%
Peak: 1660

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 30 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 30 contests
last seen Jul 15, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

ALE YEAH BBQ

#589 of the rated field

1661 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1661

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 53 contests to 33.

rated over 48 contests
last seen Oct 30, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

DANTE'S INFERNO

#593 of the rated field

1660 power rating

Contests: 63
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1687

Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 63 contests, alongside a 33% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 61 contests
last seen Oct 21, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

OLD STYLE BBQ

#590 of the rated field

1660 power rating

Contests: 74
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1714

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 73 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

JH OLD SCHOOL

#588 of the rated field

1661 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 37
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1661

2–2 in 4 shared contests (50% to JUGS BBQ)

These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — honours even — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 37 contests
last seen Oct 12, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE N HOGS BBQ KS

#585 of the rated field

1661 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 51%
Peak: 1685

Level with JUGS BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 42 contests
last seen Aug 16, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
QUAU	22	12	10	55%	⚔ compare
ALL IN QUE	20	7	13	35%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	20	5	15	25%	⚔ compare
BOSS HAWG BBQ	19	13	6	68%	⚔ compare
PORK PARADISE	18	10	8	56%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare
ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ	15	9	6	60%	⚔ compare
Outsiders BBQ	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
MONSTER-QUE	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE	13	10	3	77%	⚔ compare
FIDDLIN' FATBACK	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare
SMOKEY'S Q	13	8	5	62%	⚔ compare
SMOKY LINCS	12	12	0	100%	⚔ compare
CHANNABILLY BBQ	11	10	1	91%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	33	19	4	10	179.4400	153.6456	170.44	top 28%
Pork Ribs	33	20	0	3	174.8572	157.1088	168.30	top 30%
Pork	32	12	0	2	173.7028	155.9428	166.48	top 41%
Brisket	32	6	0	1	175.4172	146.2856	163.22	top 50%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	3	top 32%
Medium (20–39)	11	top 30%
Large (40+)	19	top 36%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
IL	25	top 31%
MO	6	top 36%
IN	2	top 53%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Up In Smoke on the Square	6	3	top 19%	May 31, 2019
Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	2	8	top 32%	Jul 19, 2019
Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	2	13	top 30%	Sep 22, 2017
Route 66 Smoke Out	2	5	top 26%	May 5, 2017
Knights of Columbus	2	13	top 49%	Jun 19, 2015
Central Illinois Bragging Rights	2	2	top 25%	Oct 10, 2014
Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off	2	13	top 61%	Sep 18, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 9 contests

Contests a season 4.7 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IL 25 of 33 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 22 7 of them more than once

Opponents faced 571 finished ahead 894 times, behind 468

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20192 milestones

May 31 Peak power rating (1668) Up In Smoke on the Square
Jul 19 Most recent contest Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown

20172 milestones

May 5 25th tracked contest Route 66 Smoke Out
Jun 2 Career-best single call (Chicken)179.4400 Up In smoke on the Square

20161 milestone

Jul 22 Career-best overall score685.6684 Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown)

20146 milestones

Apr 3 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.7884 2nd Annual Parkinson's Smoke Out
Jul 11 First overall top-10 7th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff
Sep 18 10th tracked contest Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off
Oct 10 First category win (Chicken) Central Illinois Bragging Rights
Oct 10 First overall podium Central Illinois Bragging Rights
Oct 10 First Reserve Championship Central Illinois Bragging Rights

20132 milestones

Sep 19 First tracked contest Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off
Sep 19 First call Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.2	Morton BBQ Throwdown	Jul 25, 2014
+14.6	Central Illinois Bragging Rights	Oct 10, 2014
+12.4	7th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff	Jul 11, 2014
+12.2	Up In Smoke On The Square	Aug 22, 2014
+11.8	Up In smoke on the Square	Jun 2, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.5	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off	Sep 19, 2013
-8.3	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ	Oct 14, 2016
-7.9	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	Jul 19, 2019
-3.6	Smokin on the Lake	May 17, 2014
-2.7	Smokin' On The Water	May 3, 2014

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	2	1	0	100%	top 33%	93.6%	93.1%
2018	1	1	0	100%	top 15%	92%	92%
2017	6	4	2	100%	top 22%	95.1%	93.6%
2016	7	3	1	86%	top 34%	95.2%	93.1%
2015	6	3	0	100%	top 34%	94%	92.8%
2014	9	4	1	78%	top 34%	94.3%	92.5%
2013	2	0	0	100%	top 73%	89.7%	68.5%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 19, 2019	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Peoria, IL	19 / 40 (666.7200)	15 (168.5600)	7 (170.2744)	23 (165.0856)	29 (162.8000)
May 31, 2019	Up In Smoke on the Square 🏅 Lincoln, IL	7 / 36 (674.2512)	7 (171.4056)	12 (167.4172)	2 (173.1200)	26 (162.3084)
Jun 1, 2018	Up In smoke on the Square ( WAIT LIST ONLY FOR JUDGES) Lincoln, IL	6 / 40 (662.1256)	7 (171.9772)	9 (166.2744)	19 (160.5028)	13 (163.3712)
Oct 6, 2017	Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Decatur, IL	12 / 30 (671.3484)	4 (173.1084)	8 (167.9656)	7 (171.9884)	22 (158.2860)
Sep 22, 2017	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	13 / 55 (685.0628)	2 (177.7144)	18 (170.8572)	13 (171.4056)	26 (165.0856)
Jul 21, 2017	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	8 / 48 (655.2228)	13 (166.2400)	13 (162.8116)	7 (166.8228)	20 (159.3484)
Jun 30, 2017	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual Assumption, IL	4 / 16 (671.9316)	1 (174.2744)	6 (167.9772)	9 (166.8572)	8 (162.8228)
Jun 2, 2017	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	3 / 32 (682.2172)	1 (179.4400)	6 (172.5944)	9 (169.6800)	21 (160.5028)
May 5, 2017	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	5 / 29 (679.3484)	8 (170.8572)	13 (166.2400)	6 (173.7028)	7 (168.5484)
Oct 14, 2016	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Authur, IL	38 / 55 (650.1712)	36 (162.8228)	28 (165.1544)	41 (161.6456)	42 (160.5484)
Sep 23, 2016	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	23 / 64 (674.7888)	1 (179.4400)	14 (171.4288)	39 (166.2628)	49 (157.6572)
Jul 22, 2016	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown) Peoria, IL	2 / 37 (685.6684)	4 (173.1656)	6 (169.1200)	12 (167.9656)	3 (175.4172)
Jun 24, 2016	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest Assumption, IL	4 / 18 (679.9432)	2 (175.4056)	3 (171.9888)	6 (170.8572)	13 (161.6916)
Jun 3, 2016	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	17 / 52 (666.1600)	19 (169.1200)	9 (166.8344)	42 (155.9428)	5 (174.2628)
May 6, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour St. Charles, MO	8 / 30 (675.3372)	4 (176)	6 (171.9772)	16 (165.0972)	18 (162.2628)
Apr 15, 2016	Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO	24 / 53 (658.7196)	24 (167.3828)	9 (171.9772)	29 (162.8456)	38 (156.5140)
Jul 10, 2015	8th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO	12 / 31 (669.0400)	12 (167.9656)	8 (169.6916)	17 (165.6800)	15 (165.7028)
Jun 19, 2015	Knights of Columbus Quincy, IL	13 / 28 (666.7428)	13 (166.2628)	5 (172)	14 (167.3828)	18 (161.0972)
Jun 5, 2015	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	8 / 40 (673.0284)	3 (174.2628)	16 (167.4056)	23 (161.0972)	7 (170.2628)
May 29, 2015	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	9 / 18 (654.6972)	6 (167.9656)	9 (162.8344)	8 (161.0972)	11 (162.8000)
May 1, 2015	Route 66 Smoke Out (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Dwight, IL	14 / 40 (669.5768)	19 (166.2400)	3 (174.8572)	14 (167.4056)	26 (161.0740)
Apr 17, 2015	7th Annual Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO	7 / 49 (676.5140)	32 (162.8344)	5 (173.1656)	15 (167.4056)	8 (173.1084)
Oct 10, 2014	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	2 / 37 (678.8572)	1 (177.1544)	5 (167.4056)	4 (170.8572)	14 (163.4400)
Sep 18, 2014	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off Murphysboro, IL	13 / 57 (677.6228)	33 (165.0740)	19 (168.5372)	11 (172.0116)	11 (172)
Aug 22, 2014	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	9 / 50 (673.0628)	14 (167.9656)	2 (174.2972)	18 (166.2628)	18 (164.5372)
Jul 25, 2014	Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	4 / 48 (671.2912)	9 (170.2512)	12 (167.3944)	3 (171.9656)	14 (161.6800)
Jul 11, 2014	7th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO	9 / 41 (678.2860)	5 (174.8572)	6 (173.7372)	25 (161.7144)	16 (167.9772)
Jun 20, 2014	Knights of Columbus Quincy, IL	13 / 25 (661.6340)	2 (174.8456)	17 (163.3828)	12 (166.8684)	18 (156.5372)
May 17, 2014	Smokin on the Lake Monroe City, MO	17 / 25 (662.2860)	18 (162.2972)	9 (170.2744)	7 (170.3200)	18 (159.3944)
May 3, 2014	Smokin' On The Water Liberty, IN	28 / 43 (636.3772)	35 (153.6456)	30 (157.1088)	33 (161.0856)	13 (164.5372)
Apr 3, 2014	2nd Annual Parkinson's Smoke Out Evansville, IN	26 / 64 (654.7884)	31 (163.9428)	43 (159.4056)	5 (170.2972)	34 (161.1428)
Oct 11, 2013	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	24 / 53 (645.8172)	3 (175.4744)	10 (168.0572)	36 (156)	41 (146.2856)
Sep 19, 2013	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off Murphysboro, IL	76 / 76 (339.9660)	2 (176.5716)	39 (163.3944)	—	—

JUGS BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (15 found in their record)

Among the elite

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

Boom or bust

A July team

The long haul

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)