The heartbreaker
1.7256
points from the title
Came within 1.7256 points of the Grand Championship at Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Jul 14, 2023).
Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team
Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team is a competition barbecue team with 26 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. They have won 3 Grand Championships, most recently at the Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) (2026), and finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #658 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1648
peak 1648 · rated over 14 contests9 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
26
in the data
First seen
Jul 14, 2023
latest Jul 18, 2026 · 3 years on the trail
Grand champs
3
2 reserve · wins it all 12% of the time
Category wins
6
12 podiums
Overall top-10s
13
50% of 26 contests
Best top-10 run
5
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 23%
overall standings
Best overall
689.0628 / 720
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
347.16 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 344.74 (+2.42)
Walk rate
65%
contests with a top-10 call
Best single call
180 🔥
Consistency
±5.86
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 172.33 · weakest Brisket (161.65)
Road miles
2,212
across 26 mapped stops · furthest 458 mi
Schedule strength
67%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1585)
Purse competed for
$88K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2 🏅
won from 8 state-championship entries
Master avg
678.15 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
344.74 / 360
16 Backyard contests · 3 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #65 (740 pts) | #53 (830 pts) | #61 (795 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #1065 (60 pts) | #744 (195 pts) | #651 (285 pts) | #1111 (60 pts) | #1102 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #38 (1,052 pts) | #57 (876 pts) | #55 (887 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1148 (60 pts) | #807 (180 pts) | #665 (279 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #56 (878 pts) | #88 (688 pts) | #35 (1,003 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #191 (242 pts) | #209 (192 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team, each with one reason worth a look.
#660 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 63%
- Peak
- 1648
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 19 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#659 of the rated field
- Contests
- 42
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1656
Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#656 of the rated field
- Contests
- 60
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 53%
- Peak
- 1673
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 60 contests to 26.
⚔ Compare careers#657 of the rated field
- Contests
- 66
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1648
Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 66 contests, alongside a 35% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#654 of the rated field
- Contests
- 36
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1653
6–0 in 6 shared contests (100% to Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team)
These two have cooked 6 of the same contests — Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team ahead 6–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#664 of the rated field
- Contests
- 49
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1651
2–2 in 4 shared contests (50% to Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team)
Level with Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudes BBQ | 17 | 10 | 7 | 59% | ⚔ compare |
| 1Bite Stand | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 12 | 7 | 4 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| All Smoked Up BBQ | 11 | 9 | 2 | 82% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | 11 | 8 | 3 | 73% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 11 | 8 | 3 | 73% | ⚔ compare |
| Mulkey's BBQ | 11 | 5 | 5 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 11 | 3 | 5 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| Eleven Thirteen Q | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| Take It Easy BBQ | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 9 | 4 | 4 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Three Stooges Barbeque | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Shmack Q | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 180 🔥 | 161.6456 | 172.33 | top 33% |
| Pork Ribs | 22 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 178.8572 | 161.6800 | 172.18 | top 25% |
| Pork | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 172 | 169.1084 | 171.12 | top 39% |
| Brisket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165.0856 | 158.2172 | 161.65 | 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 field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 26% |
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 3 | top 16% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 37% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | 4 | 1 | 1 | top 19% | Jul 18, 2026 |
| Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | 2 | 1 | 2 | top 3% | Jul 26, 2025 |
| Trekking for CDH | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 20% | Sep 13, 2025 |
| Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 34% | Aug 22, 2025 |
| Smoke N for the Kids | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 12% | Aug 16, 2025 |
| 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 58% | May 25, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
12 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
6.5
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
12 of 26 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
10
6 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
22 entries · 5 wins · 15 calls
First title
Jul 27, 2024
Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
Opponents faced
440
finished ahead 829 times, behind 304
Longest layoff
1 yrs
Jul 14, 2023 → Jul 27, 2024
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20264 milestones
- Career-best overall score689.0628 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026)
- 25th tracked contest Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1)
- Peak power rating (1648) Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2)
- Most recent contest Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2)
20252 milestones
- 10th tracked contest 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025)
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
20244 milestones
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- First Grand Championship Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- First state championship Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- Biggest field won (34 teams) Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
20236 milestones
- First tracked contest Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
- First call Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
- First overall top-10 Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
- First overall podium Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
- First Reserve Championship Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score344.5488 Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.2 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | Jul 27, 2024 |
| +16.3 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | Jul 14, 2023 |
| +15.5 | Smoke N for the Kids | Aug 17, 2024 |
| +14.8 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | Jul 26, 2025 |
| +14.2 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) | Jul 17, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -4.6 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 22, 2025 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 56% | top 18% | 98.7% | 96.7% |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 58% | top 32% | 97.5% | 95% |
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 100% | top 12% | 96.8% | 95.4% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 8% | 95.7% | 95.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2026 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 6 / 28 (348.5372) | 16 (169.6800) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 1 / 27 (355.4172) | 2 (176.5600) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 3 / 82 (354.2628) | 2 (180) | 13 (174.2628) | — | — |
| May 23, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 44 / 117 (689.0628) | 44 (174.2628) | 7 (178.2972) | 58 (171.4172) | 103 (165.0856) |
| May 22, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Chicken Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 54 (170.8228) | — | — | — |
| May 22, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 45 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 32 / 125 (338.2400) | 9 (176.5600) | 45 (161.6800) | 25 (169.1084) | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Lebanon, TN | — | 22 (175.4056) | — | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 38 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Sep 13, 2025 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 3 / 27 (339.3484) | 6 (169.6684) | 5 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Sep 13, 2025 | Trekking for CDH (ONE MEAT RIBS) Pierron, IL | — | — | 6 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 19 / 31 (333.6112) | 15 (169.6684) | 19 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Smoke N for the Kids 🏅 Troy, IL | 4 / 32 (342.8116) | 5 (173.1316) | 8 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2025 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL | 1 / 32 (350.8228) | 1 (180) | 9 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2025 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 4 / 16 (345.6684) | 11 (170.2512) | 2 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 5 / 18 (343.9312) | 7 (170.8228) | 5 (173.1084) | 7 (172) | — |
| May 25, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 19 / 70 (345.0856) | 37 (168.5256) | 9 (176.5600) | — | — |
| May 24, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 95 / 106 (667.2456) | 98 (163.9544) | 43 (173.1084) | 50 (171.9656) | 100 (158.2172) |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Anything Molasses (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Chicken (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 13 (174.2628) | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Ribs (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 48 (162.7884) | — | — |
| Sep 14, 2024 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 10 / 35 (338.2056) | 19 (161.6456) | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Aug 23, 2024 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 2 / 28 (347.4172) | 7 (169.6800) | 1 (177.7372) | — | — |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Smoke N for the Kids 🏅 Troy, IL | 3 / 27 (339.3484) | 3 (171.9656) | 5 (167.3828) | — | — |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL | 1 / 34 (348.5256) | 3 (175.4056) | 1 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Jul 14, 2023 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 2 / 25 (344.5488) | 2 (176.5716) | 4 (167.9772) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.