A tough matchup
6–1
behind in the head-to-head
309 BBQ ahead in 86% of their meetings
309 BBQ has come out ahead in 6 of their 7 shared contests.
Big Foot BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1458
peak 1458 · rated over 11 contests ⓘ
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
2017-04-07
latest 2026-08-28
Best ToY finish
#151
Backyard 2026
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
of 15 contests
Avg finish
top 73%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
331.15 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 328.11 (+3.04)
Walk rate
33%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±8.33
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 161.06 · weakest Brisket (145.66)
Road miles
3,695
mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 630 mi
Schedule strength
45%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1558)
Purse competed for
$67K
listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 4 state-championship entries
Master avg
604.95 / 720
3 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
328.11 / 360
8 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Storylines (6 found in this team's record)
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
A strong matchup
3–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of 2 Sauced 2 Pork in 3 of their 3 shared contests.
The comeback
2.2 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2.2 years, then back at Tri City BBQ Fest (2021-09-17).
- last seen 2019-06-21
- back 2021-09-17
Chicken nemesis
6 of 7
shared chicken entries lost
309 BBQ ahead 86% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, 309 BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 7 shared chicken entries.
A June team
Top 48%
average finish in June
Something about June: average finish in the top 48% across 4 contests, versus top 73% the rest of the year.
- 4 June contests
- top 73% the rest of the year
The long haul
3,695
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,695 miles across 15 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 630 miles to Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition.
- 15 mapped stops
- furthest 630 mi
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
114 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#5156 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1514
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Big Foot BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Big Foot BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#5160 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1458
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Big Foot BBQ)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 14 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#5166 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1458
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Big Foot BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#5149 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1459
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#5182 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1501
No shared contest yet.
12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#5178 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1458
No shared contest yet.
Level with Big Foot BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 309 BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Ishy Links BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Shmack Q | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| T.J.D. Smokehouse | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| All Smoked Up BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Sermerstout BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 172.5600 | 143.3600 | 161.06 | top 67% |
| Pork Ribs | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 144.5600 | 159.92 | top 66% |
| Pork | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 168.5716 | 144.5144 | 159.26 | top 64% |
| Brisket | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 149.6344 | 143.3948 | 145.66 | top 95% |
“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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 7 | 0 | top 70% |
| KS | 2 | 0 | top 96% |
| NC | 1 | 0 | top 97% |
| WI | 1 | 0 | top 19% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 88% |
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 63% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 77% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 14 | 0 | top 76% | 2026-08-22 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 61% | 2026-06-19 |
| Smoke in the Spring | 2 | 94 | 0 | top 96% | 2024-04-05 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
9.4 yrs
2017-04-07 → 2026-08-28
Busiest season
2026
3 contests
Contests a season
1.5
across 10 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
IL
9 of 15 contests · 5 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
7
3 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
11 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 161.06 · weakest Brisket (145.66)
Walk rate
33%
a top-10 call in 5 of 15 contests
Overall top-10 rate
7%
1 of 15 contests
Master average
604.95
out of 720 · 3 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
328.11
out of 360 · 8 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
402
125–387 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
3,695
15 mapped stops · furthest 630 mi
Schedule strength
1558
average field rating faced — tougher than 45% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$67,000
listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 4 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
2.2 yrs
2019-06-21 → 2021-09-17
Power rating
1458
peak 1458 · #5158 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2015
- First tracked contest Up In Smoke On The Square
- 2019
- First call Bring'n Home the Bacon
- First overall top-10 Bring'n Home the Bacon
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score333.7028 Bring'n Home the Bacon
- Peak power rating (1500) Bring'n Home the Bacon
- 2022
- Career-best overall score621.0408 Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition
- 2024
- 10th tracked contest Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2026
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)177.7028 Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Most recent contest Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +11.8 | Bring'n Home the Bacon | 2019-06-21 |
| +2 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-06-14 |
| +0.5 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-06-19 |
| +0.2 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-08-17 |
| +0.2 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-06-20 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.2 | Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition | 2022-04-08 |
| -11.9 | Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) | 2017-04-07 |
| -9.4 | Smoke in the Spring | 2024-04-05 |
| -7.4 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-08-22 |
| -7.4 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-08-28 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 79% | 92.5% | 91.5% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 61% | 92.5% | 92.5% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 70% | 92.8% | 89.6% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 78% | 85.4% | 85.4% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 97% | 86.3% | 86.3% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 19% | 92.7% | 92.7% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 96% | 80.8% | 80.8% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-28 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 14 / 16 (325.6688) | 7 (169.7144) | 15 (155.9544) | — | — |
| 2026-08-22 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 14 / 16 (329.6572) | 15 (157.6800) | 5 (171.9772) | — | — |
| 2026-06-19 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 25 / 41 (333.0628) | 38 (155.3600) | 3 (177.7028) | — | — |
| 2025-06-20 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 22 / 36 (333.1200) | 22 (166.8228) | 24 (166.2972) | — | — |
| 2024-08-17 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 16 / 26 (334.2400) | 12 (169.7028) | 16 (164.5372) | — | — |
| 2024-06-14 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 21 / 40 (328.0112) | 25 (161.7256) | 19 (166.2856) | — | — |
| 2024-04-05 | Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS | 94 / 97 (611.7600) | 91 (157.0628) | 96 (146.2400) | 88 (158.8228) | 93 (149.6344) |
| 2023-08-19 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 25 / 32 (307.4056) | 17 (162.8456) | 28 (144.5600) | — | — |
| 2022-04-08 | Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC | 35 / 36 (621.0408) | 33 (154.8344) | 36 (154.2400) | 17 (168.5716) | 35 (143.3948) |
| 2021-09-17 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | — | — | — | 4 (165.1200) | — |
| 2019-06-21 | Bring'n Home the Bacon 🏅 West Salem, WI | 7 / 37 (333.7028) | 2 (172.5600) | 17 (161.1428) | — | — |
| 2017-06-23 | *Rotary Rockn Ribs LaCrosse, WI | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017-04-07 | Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) Osage City, KS | 96 / 100 (582.0576) | 97 (143.3600) | 89 (150.2288) | 97 (144.5144) | 93 (143.9544) |
| 2016-06-03 | Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015-06-05 | Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL | — | — | — | — | — |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #151 (252 pts) | #144 (297 pts) | #105 (492 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #351 (75 pts) | #350 (75 pts) | #378 (65 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #245 (176 pts) | #244 (176 pts) | #243 (186 pts) | — | — |