Perfect scores on the board
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.
- Chicken ×3
Armstrong Smoke & Co.
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1577
peak 1578 · rated over 10 contests ⓘ
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
20
in the data
First seen
2025-03-21
latest 2026-06-19
Best ToY finish
#65
Backyard 2025
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
4
6 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
of 20 contests
Avg finish
top 34%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Current form
346.70 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 344.01 (+2.69)
Walk rate
70%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Best single call
180.0000 🔥
Consistency
±9.74
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 173.60 · weakest Brisket (160.51)
Road miles
878
mi across 20 mapped stops · furthest 130 mi
Schedule strength
68%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1586)
Purse competed for
$72K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 2 state-championship entries
Master avg
679.31 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
344.01 / 360
10 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 (9 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.
On the rise
+55
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 55 points across 7 contests since 2025-09-05 — from 1522 up to 1577.
- 7 contests since 2025-09-05
- now 1577
Happy hunting ground
Top 17%
average finish here
Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) is their spot: an average finish in the top 17% across 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 2nd
- average top 17%
They almost always walk
70%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 14 of 20 contests
A top-10 category call in 70% of their 20 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
685.6000
career-best overall
95.2% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 685.6000 at BBQ for Bravery — 95.2% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2026-06-19
A tough matchup
8–3
behind in the head-to-head
PUDDLEDUCK BBQ ahead in 73% of their meetings
PUDDLEDUCK BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 11 shared contests.
A strong matchup
6–2
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 75% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Bentley Que in 6 of their 8 shared contests.
Chicken nemesis
10 of 14
shared chicken entries lost
PUDDLEDUCK BBQ ahead 71% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, PUDDLEDUCK BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 14 shared chicken entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
Deviant Smoke has landed one call behind them 2 times.
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.
30 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1319 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 56%
- Peak
- 1577
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1315 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1577
No shared contest yet.
Fewer contests behind them than Armstrong Smoke & Co. has cooked, 10 to 20, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#1313 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1577
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Armstrong Smoke & Co.'s most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1312 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1583
No shared contest yet.
25 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 36% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1317 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1636
No shared contest yet.
They were already cooking in 2013, 12 years before Armstrong Smoke & Co.'s first contest.
⚔ Head-to-head#1310 of the rated field
- Contests
- 30
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1632
No shared contest yet.
Level with Armstrong Smoke & Co. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Electro-Que-ted | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| LEE LA Q | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Burnt Plow BBQ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Say My Name BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Bentley Que | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Deviant Smoke | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| NORALA BBQ TEAM | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Wee Daddy's BBQ | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Mind if I Smoke? | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Gustoso BBQ | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Cluckin’ Crazy BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| Pork Life | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 18 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 180.0000 🔥 | 157.6572 | 173.60 | top 33% |
| Pork Ribs | 17 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 177.7144 | 159.3600 | 171.47 | top 36% |
| Pork | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 172.5600 | 159.9656 | 168.36 | top 50% |
| Brisket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 166.2284 | 154.7884 | 160.51 | top 91% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TN | 9 | 0 | top 33% |
| AL | 6 | 0 | top 35% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 63% |
| Medium (20–39) | 9 | 0 | top 22% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 49% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 26% | 2026-05-15 |
| Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 17% | 2026-05-01 |
| Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 59% | 2026-03-27 |
The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
1.2 yrs
2025-03-21 → 2026-06-19
Busiest season
2026
11 contests
Contests a season
10
across 2 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
TN
12 of 20 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
12
3 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
18 entries · 4 wins · 11 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 173.60 · weakest Brisket (160.51)
Walk rate
70%
a top-10 call in 14 of 20 contests
Overall top-10 rate
40%
8 of 20 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight contests
Master average
679.31
out of 720 · 2 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
344.01
out of 360 · 10 contests · 0 GCs
Perfect 180s
3
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
382
493–287 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
878
20 mapped stops · furthest 130 mi
Schedule strength
1586
average field rating faced — tougher than 68% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$71,550
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 2 state-championship entries
Power rating
1577
peak 1578 · #1318 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2025
- First tracked contest Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- First overall top-10 Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score343.9656 High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First category win (Chicken) Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2026
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- First overall podium Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- First Reserve Championship Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- Peak power rating (1578) High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Career-best overall score685.6000 BBQ for Bravery
- Most recent contest BBQ for Bravery
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.5 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-09-12 |
| +14.2 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-06-13 |
| +12.5 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-10-10 |
| +11.5 | High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-05-15 |
| +9.8 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 2026-03-20 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.4 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-03-21 |
| -1.1 | BBQ for Bravery | 2026-06-19 |
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 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 55% | top 33% | 97.9% | 95.7% |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 89% | top 35% | 98.1% | 95% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | BBQ for Bravery 🏅 Alcoa, TN | 12 / 19 (685.6000) | 5 (176.5600) | 7 (173.1316) | 14 (169.6800) | 16 (166.2284) |
| 2026-06-12 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 8 / 32 (517.6800) | 1 (180.0000) | 3 (177.7144) | 28 (159.9656) | — |
| 2026-05-24 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 14 / 82 (349.6684) | 24 (173.1084) | 7 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2026-05-23 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 102 / 117 (673.0284) | 58 (173.1084) | 20 (176.0116) | 74 (169.1200) | 115 (154.7884) |
| 2026-05-22 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Chicken Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 61 (169.6684) | — | — | — |
| 2026-05-15 | High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 4 / 29 (352.5600) | 1 (180.0000) | 9 (172.5600) | 7 (171.4172) | — |
| 2026-05-01 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 2 / 23 (522.8000) | 1 (176.5600) | 4 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2026-03-27 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 12 / 43 (345.0972) | 4 (177.7144) | 25 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Lebanon, TN | — | 59 (165.0972) | — | — | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 25 / 125 (340.4912) | 33 (169.6684) | 17 (170.8228) | 29 (167.4400) | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 36 (169.6916) | — | — |
| 2025-10-10 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Scottsboro, AL | 6 / 30 (345.6800) | 4 (175.4056) | 11 (170.2744) | — | — |
| 2025-09-12 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) Guntersville, AL | 5 / 28 (353.1200) | 1 (180.0000) | 12 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2025-09-12 | The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-off Qualifier "Battle of the Bones" (ONE MEAT RIBS) Guntersville, AL | — | — | 8 (173.1084) | — | — |
| 2025-09-05 | Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Cullman, AL | — | 8 (174.2628) | — | — | — |
| 2025-09-05 | Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Cullman, AL | 10 / 29 (344.5256) | 5 (177.1428) | 17 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2025-06-13 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL | 6 / 35 (347.9888) | 18 (171.4172) | 3 (176.5716) | — | — |
| 2025-05-16 | High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 12 / 32 (343.9656) | 10 (174.2628) | 16 (169.7028) | 9 (172.5600) | — |
| 2025-04-25 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 8 / 31 (516.5028) | 6 (173.1200) | 13 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 39 / 43 (317.0172) | 39 (157.6572) | 35 (159.3600) | — | — |
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 | #87 (504 pts) | #69 (674 pts) | #97 (524 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #650 (169 pts) | #486 (349 pts) | #559 (294 pts) | #689 (159 pts) | #716 (149 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #65 (774 pts) | #51 (933 pts) | #82 (715 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | — | #904 (139 pts) | #964 (135 pts) | — | — |