The heartbreaker
1.7256
points from the title
Came within 1.7256 points of the Grand Championship at Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (2023-07-14).
Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1648
peak 1648 · rated over 14 contests ⓘ
Best runs
5
straight top-10s
Contests
26
in the data
First seen
2023-07-14
latest 2026-07-18
Best ToY finish
#38
Backyard 2025
Grand champs
3
2 reserve
Category wins
6
12 podiums
Overall top-10s
13
of 26 contests
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
Top-10 streak
5
best run (overall)
Best single call
180.0000 🔥
Consistency
±5.86
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 172.33 · weakest Brisket (161.65)
Road miles
2,212
mi across 26 mapped stops · furthest 458 mi
Schedule strength
68%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1585)
Purse competed for
$88K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2 🏅
GCs in 8 state-championship entries
Master avg
678.15 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
344.74 / 360
16 Backyard contests · 3 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 (17 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.
Perfect scores on the board
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.
- Chicken ×2
Against the odds
21-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 79 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) (2026-07-17) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 21-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ.
On the rise
+46
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 46 points across 7 contests since 2025-07-26 — from 1602 up to 1648.
- 7 contests since 2025-07-26
- now 1648
Giant slayer
34
teams beaten in one weekend
Took the Grand Championship over a 34-team field at Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main.
- 2024-07-27
Happy hunting ground
2×
Grand Championships here
Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 1st
- average top 3%
They almost always walk
65%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 17 of 26 contests
A top-10 category call in 65% of their 26 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
689.0628
career-best overall
95.7% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 689.0628 at 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) — 95.7% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2026-05-23
State champions
2
state championships won
They've taken 2 state championships from 8 entries at contests carrying the title.
- 8 state-championship entries
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
Rudes BBQ has finished one call ahead of Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2024
1 Grand Championship
2024 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 3 category wins, at an average finish in the top 12%.
- 4 contests
- 4 overall top-10s
- 3 category wins
- average top 12%
A tough matchup
6–2
behind in the head-to-head
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ ahead in 75% of their meetings
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ has come out ahead in 6 of their 8 shared contests.
A strong matchup
9–2
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 82% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of All Smoked Up BBQ in 9 of their 11 shared contests.
Announced themselves early
2nd
at their very first contest
Finished 2 of 25 at their very first tracked contest, Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (2023-07-14).
- 2023-07-14
- 25-team field
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
1Bite Stand has landed one call behind them 2 times.
A July team
Top 13%
average finish in July
Something about July: average finish in the top 13% across 7 contests, versus top 23% the rest of the year.
- 7 July contests
- top 23% the rest of the year
The metronome
±1.69%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.69% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 95.6% of a perfect score
- 26 contests
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.
#654 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 63%
- Peak
- 1648
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 19 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#652 of the rated field
- Contests
- 42
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1656
No shared contest yet.
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.
⚔ Head-to-head#649 of the rated field
- Contests
- 58
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 47%
- Peak
- 1650
No shared contest yet.
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 58 contests to 26.
⚔ Head-to-head#648 of the rated field
- Contests
- 61
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1673
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 61 contests, alongside a 52% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#650 of the rated field
- Contests
- 66
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1750
No shared contest yet.
They were already cooking in 2013, 10 years before Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-head#653 of the rated field
- Contests
- 66
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1648
No shared contest yet.
3 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.
⚔ 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 | 180.0000 🔥 | 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 | 172.0000 | 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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 9 | 2 | top 16% |
| TN | 5 | 0 | top 37% |
| IA | 4 | 1 | top 19% |
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% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring 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% | 2026-07-18 |
| Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | 2 | 1 | 2 | top 3% | 2025-07-26 |
| Trekking for CDH | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 20% | 2025-09-13 |
| Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 34% | 2025-08-22 |
| Smoke N for the Kids | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 12% | 2025-08-16 |
| 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 58% | 2025-05-25 |
The story so far (22 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
3 yrs
2023-07-14 → 2026-07-18
Busiest season
2025
12 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
6.5
across 4 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
TN
12 of 26 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
10
6 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
22 entries · 5 wins · 15 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 172.33 · weakest Brisket (161.65)
Walk rate
65%
a top-10 call in 17 of 26 contests
Overall top-10 rate
50%
13 of 26 contests
Wins it all
12%
3 Grand Championships · 2 reserve
First title
2024-07-27
Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
Best top-10 run
5
straight contests
Master average
678.15
out of 720 · 2 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
344.74
out of 360 · 16 contests · 3 GCs
Perfect 180s
2
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
440
829–304 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
2,212
26 mapped stops · furthest 458 mi
Schedule strength
1585
average field rating faced — tougher than 68% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$88,375
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2
from 8 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
1 yrs
2023-07-14 → 2024-07-27
Power rating
1648
peak 1648 · #651 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2023
- 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
- 2024
- 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
- 2025
- 10th tracked contest 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025)
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main
- 2026
- 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)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.2 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | 2024-07-27 |
| +16.3 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | 2023-07-14 |
| +15.5 | Smoke N for the Kids | 2024-08-17 |
| +14.8 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | 2025-07-26 |
| +14.2 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) | 2026-07-17 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -4.6 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-08-22 |
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 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-18 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 6 / 28 (348.5372) | 16 (169.6800) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| 2026-07-17 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 1 / 27 (355.4172) | 2 (176.5600) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| 2026-05-24 | 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 (180.0000) | 13 (174.2628) | — | — |
| 2026-05-23 | 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) |
| 2026-05-22 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Chicken Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 54 (170.8228) | — | — | — |
| 2026-05-22 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 45 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Lebanon, TN | — | 22 (175.4056) | — | — | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 32 / 125 (338.2400) | 9 (176.5600) | 45 (161.6800) | 25 (169.1084) | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 38 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2025-09-13 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 3 / 27 (339.3484) | 6 (169.6684) | 5 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2025-09-13 | Trekking for CDH (ONE MEAT RIBS) Pierron, IL | — | — | 6 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-08-22 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 19 / 31 (333.6112) | 15 (169.6684) | 19 (163.9428) | — | — |
| 2025-08-16 | Smoke N for the Kids 🏅 Troy, IL | 4 / 32 (342.8116) | 5 (173.1316) | 8 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2025-07-26 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL | 1 / 32 (350.8228) | 1 (180.0000) | 9 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2025-07-12 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 4 / 16 (345.6684) | 11 (170.2512) | 2 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-07-11 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 5 / 18 (343.9312) | 7 (170.8228) | 5 (173.1084) | 7 (172.0000) | — |
| 2025-05-25 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 19 / 70 (345.0856) | 37 (168.5256) | 9 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-05-24 | 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) |
| 2025-05-23 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Anything Molasses (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025-05-23 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Chicken (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 13 (174.2628) | — | — | — |
| 2025-05-23 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Ribs (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 48 (162.7884) | — | — |
| 2024-09-14 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 10 / 35 (338.2056) | 19 (161.6456) | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2024-08-23 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 2 / 28 (347.4172) | 7 (169.6800) | 1 (177.7372) | — | — |
| 2024-08-17 | Smoke N for the Kids 🏅 Troy, IL | 3 / 27 (339.3484) | 3 (171.9656) | 5 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2024-07-27 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL | 1 / 34 (348.5256) | 3 (175.4056) | 1 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2023-07-14 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 2 / 25 (344.5488) | 2 (176.5716) | 4 (167.9772) | — | — |
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 | #56 (740 pts) | #46 (830 pts) | #55 (795 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #927 (60 pts) | #670 (195 pts) | #571 (285 pts) | #970 (60 pts) | #950 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #38 (1052 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 (1003 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #191 (242 pts) | #209 (192 pts) | — | — |