LOVE-N-SMOKE

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#697

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1641

peak 1643 · rated over 34 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2017-03-24

latest 2023-04-29

Best ToY finish

#386

Master 2018

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 39 contests

Avg finish

top 41%

overall standings

Best overall

674.2628 / 720

Master · 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

658.15 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 654.02 (+4.14)

Walk rate

64%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

179.4400

Chicken · BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)

Consistency

±13.96

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.56 · weakest Brisket (162.49)

Road miles

2,657

mi across 39 mapped stops · furthest 263 mi

Schedule strength

77%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1600)

Purse competed for

$103K

listed at 16 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

1 🏅

GCs in 15 state-championship entries

Master avg

654.02 / 720

17 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

444.67 / 360

17 Backyard contests · 1 GC

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.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (14 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.

Giant slayer

50 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 50-team field at BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard).

2022-03-26

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 1st
average top 18%

They almost always walk

64% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 25 of 39 contests

A top-10 category call in 64% of their 39 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

674.2628 career-best overall

93.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 674.2628 at 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship — 93.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2017-09-08

State champions

1 state championships won

They've taken 1 state championship from 15 entries at contests carrying the title.

15 state-championship entries

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE has finished one call ahead of LOVE-N-SMOKE 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

23–3 behind in the head-to-head

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ ahead in 88% of their meetings

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has come out ahead in 23 of their 26 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.07 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 12% of the time against 50%.

Brisket avg 162.49
Chicken avg 169.56
2 calls in 17 entries

The drought

11 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) on 2022-03-26 — 11 contests and 4.4 years ago.

last GC 2022-03-26
4.4 years ago

A strong matchup

16–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 84% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BIG DOG BBQ VA in 16 of their 19 shared contests.

The comeback

2.5 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.5 years, then back at BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (2021-03-26).

last seen 2018-10-05
back 2021-03-26

Looking over their shoulder

4× one call behind them

The Fat is Where It's At has landed one call behind them 4 times.

Boom or bust

±23.38% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±23.38% 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 107.2% of a perfect score
best 146.5%

A March team

Top 25% average finish in March

Something about March: average finish in the top 25% across 8 contests, versus top 41% the rest of the year.

8 March contests
top 41% the rest of the year

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.

KOSMO'S Q

#695 of the rated field

1642 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 39%
Peak: 1645

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 23 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2015-10-16

⚔ Head-to-head

OM BBQ

#700 of the rated field

1641 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 48%
Peak: 1641

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than LOVE-N-SMOKE has cooked, 21 to 39, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2026-07-18

⚔ Head-to-head

HOME FARM BBQ

#696 of the rated field

1641 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 64
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1642

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 64 contests, alongside a 22% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 60 contests
last seen 2026-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP

#698 of the rated field

1641 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 69
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 39%
Peak: 1678

No shared contest yet.

Level with LOVE-N-SMOKE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 67 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q

#699 of the rated field

1641 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1641

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 4 years before LOVE-N-SMOKE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 13 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Pig Candy Barbeque Co.

#701 of the rated field

1641 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 36
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1641

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to LOVE-N-SMOKE)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team LOVE-N-SMOKE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 35 contests
last seen 2026-07-11

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	26	3	23	12%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
BIG DOG BBQ VA	19	16	3	84%	⚔ compare
3N1 Q	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS	16	7	9	44%	⚔ compare
smokey anderson bbq	15	13	1	87%	⚔ compare
WAR PIGS	14	12	2	86%	⚔ compare
Optimus Swine	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
SMOKECRAFT - MD	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	13	5	8	38%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	13	5	6	38%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	34	17	2	3	179.4400	156.5372	169.56	top 32%
Pork Ribs	37	14	2	2	176.5716	146.2060	162.87	top 49%
Pork	28	10	0	3	177.7144	151.9428	165.50	top 42%
Brisket	17	2	0	0	171.4400	151.9084	162.49	top 49%

“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
VA	25	1	top 42%
PA	3	0	top 45%
MD	3	0	top 29%
WV	2	0	top 45%
NC	1	0	top 28%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	5	0	top 31%
Medium (20–39)	11	0	top 50%
Large (40+)	18	1	top 38%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)	6	3	0	top 28%	2023-03-25
BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)	2	1	1	top 18%	2022-03-26
Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 2)	2	6	0	top 56%	2023-04-29

The story so far (21 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6.1 yrs 2017-03-24 → 2023-04-29

Busiest season 2022 9 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 7.8 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in VA 30 of 39 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 27 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 37 entries · 2 wins · 14 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 169.56 · weakest Brisket (162.49)

Walk rate 64% a top-10 call in 25 of 39 contests

Overall top-10 rate 38% 15 of 39 contests

Wins it all 3% 1 Grand Championship · 0 reserve

First title 2022-03-26 BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 654.02 out of 720 · 17 contests · 0 GCs

Backyard average 444.67 out of 360 · 17 contests · 1 GC

Opponents faced 489 963–609 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,657 39 mapped stops · furthest 263 mi

Schedule strength 1600 average field rating faced — tougher than 77% of rated contests

Purse competed for $102,960 listed at 16 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 1 from 15 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2.5 yrs 2018-10-05 → 2021-03-26

Power rating 1641 peak 1643 · #697 of 6,413 rated

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

2017
Mar 24 First tracked contest BBQ Gives Back
May 12 First call *BBQ Jamboree-Day 1(JUDGES FULL)
May 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score669.0628 *BBQ Jamboree-Day 1(JUDGES FULL)
Sep 8 First overall top-10 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship
Sep 8 Career-best overall score674.2628 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship
2018
Apr 6 10th tracked contest The Ironman
2021
Mar 27 First category win (Chicken) BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)
Mar 27 First overall podium BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)
Mar 27 Career-best single call (Chicken)179.4400 BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)
2022
Mar 25 25th tracked contest BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) (One Meat Chicken)
Mar 26 First Grand Championship BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
Mar 26 First state championship BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
Mar 26 Biggest field won (50 teams) BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
2023
Mar 25 Peak power rating (1643) BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
Apr 29 Most recent contest Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 2)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.7	BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)	2022-03-26
+14.5	BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)	2021-03-27
+14.1	13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship	2017-09-08
+13.2	*BBQ Jamboree-Day 1(JUDGES FULL)	2017-05-12
+12	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown at Americamps - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY)	2021-09-25

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.5	Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY)	2022-09-23
-8.4	Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 1)	2023-04-28
-7.9	BBQ Jamboree Double Day 2	2018-05-12
-5.5	*BBQ Jamboree- Day 2(JUDGES FULL)	2017-05-12
-4.7	BBQ Gives Back	2017-03-24

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)
2023	6	0	3	0	50%	top 36%	141.3%	116.6%
2022	9	1	4	3	67%	top 33%	146.5%	132.9%
2021	7	0	5	1	86%	top 26%	143.9%	119.4%
2018	9	0	2	0	78%	top 44%	93.4%	91.7%
2017	8	0	1	0	38%	top 59%	93.6%	89.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-04-29	Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 2) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA	6 / 19 (338.2172)	9 (170.8228)	10 (167.3944)	—	—
2023-04-28	Revolutionary BBQ Brawl - Battle on the James (Day 1) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA	16 / 20 (329.6228)	12 (167.3712)	20 (162.2516)	—	—
2023-03-25	BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	7 / 46 (508.5028)	5 (170.8228)	12 (165.6800)	5 (172.0000)	—
2023-03-24	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	10 / 53 (502.7656)	8 (170.8228)	19 (158.8228)	2 (173.1200)	—
2023-03-24	BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Ribs) Urbanna, VA	—	—	22 (167.3944)	—	—
2023-03-24	BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Chicken) Urbanna, VA	—	—	—	—	—
2022-09-24	Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA	7 / 18 (517.7032)	4 (177.7144)	1 (176.5716)	12 (163.4172)	—
2022-09-23	Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA	15 / 20 (504.5032)	7 (174.2744)	18 (162.2516)	16 (167.9772)	—
2022-09-23	Americamps BBQ Throwdown (One Meat Ribs) Ashland, VA	—	—	1 (176.5716)	—	—
2022-04-22	Downtown BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Ripley, WV	3 / 17 (508.0344)	4 (168.6172)	7 (167.4172)	4 (172.0000)	—
2022-04-08	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC	10 / 36 (334.2172)	11 (166.8112)	9 (167.4060)	—	—
2022-03-26	BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	1 / 50 (527.4172)	1 (178.8800)	7 (170.8228)	2 (177.7144)	—
2022-03-25	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	18 / 53 (479.2688)	14 (167.3944)	19 (147.9316)	16 (163.9428)	—
2022-03-25	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) (One Meat Ribs) Urbanna, VA	—	—	20 (165.6800)	—	—
2022-03-25	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) (One Meat Chicken) Urbanna, VA	—	—	—	—	—
2021-09-25	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown at Americamps - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA	3 / 18 (518.2172)	3 (177.7144)	7 (170.8228)	3 (169.6800)	—
2021-09-24	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown at Americamps - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA	10 / 19 (498.7544)	6 (170.8228)	8 (163.9888)	9 (163.9428)	—
2021-05-14	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA	11 / 46 (321.0744)	13 (156.5372)	7 (164.5372)	—	—
2021-04-17	Interstate BBQ Festival - Day 2 🏅 Hagerstown, MD	9 / 34 (337.0972)	13 (166.8344)	7 (170.2628)	—	—
2021-04-16	Interstate BBQ Festival - Day 1 🏅 Hagerstown, MD	16 / 47 (323.8972)	11 (169.1200)	22 (154.7772)	—	—
2021-03-27	BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	3 / 40 (511.3828)	1 (179.4400)	12 (164.5600)	8 (167.3828)	—
2021-03-26	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	10 / 46 (498.7772)	14 (163.4056)	10 (166.8344)	6 (168.5372)	—
2018-10-05	Que & Cruz Louisa, VA	6 / 25 (665.5768)	4 (170.2744)	10 (164.5256)	11 (162.7884)	5 (167.9884)
2018-09-28	Smithfield BBQ Classic Richmond, VA	20 / 41 (654.7772)	19 (166.2628)	4 (174.2628)	28 (159.4060)	35 (154.8456)
2018-09-07	*14th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship 🏅 Richmond, VA	13 / 29 (672.5372)	9 (170.8916)	19 (161.0856)	12 (169.1200)	7 (171.4400)
2018-05-12	BBQ Jamboree Double Day 2 Fredericksburg, VA	34 / 38 (640.9024)	6 (174.2628)	36 (148.4684)	20 (166.2628)	33 (151.9084)
2018-05-11	BBQ Jamboree Double Day 1 Fredericksburg, VA	29 / 45 (656.9712)	16 (170.8228)	27 (163.9656)	35 (160.5028)	30 (161.6800)
2018-05-05	*Naptown barBAYq Cooking Contest Crownsville, MD	10 / 37 (667.9084)	12 (169.1200)	18 (161.1316)	4 (172.5484)	12 (165.1084)
2018-04-27	Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition Lenexa, VA	15 / 45 (663.3372)	5 (176.0000)	20 (166.8344)	37 (157.6456)	26 (162.8572)
2018-04-06	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	24 / 60 (656.4232)	33 (163.9428)	33 (159.3944)	16 (166.8460)	24 (166.2400)
2018-03-23	BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA	19 / 75 (666.2172)	10 (173.1544)	58 (155.9656)	17 (166.8344)	13 (170.2628)
2017-10-06	Que & Cruz Louisa, VA	19 / 28 (634.0800)	4 (171.9656)	27 (146.2060)	11 (161.6800)	19 (154.2284)
2017-09-08	13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship 🏅 Richmond, VA	7 / 35 (674.2628)	5 (172.5944)	5 (171.4056)	18 (163.4172)	11 (166.8456)
2017-06-16	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	41 / 57 (643.2452)	39 (162.2284)	52 (147.9656)	25 (166.8228)	22 (166.2284)
2017-06-09	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	21 / 29 (640.4116)	22 (161.0972)	17 (160.5488)	15 (160.5600)	22 (158.2056)
2017-05-12	*BBQ Jamboree-Day 1(JUDGES FULL) Fredericksburg, VA	13 / 54 (669.0628)	18 (168.5256)	21 (165.7028)	9 (169.1316)	17 (165.7028)
2017-05-12	*BBQ Jamboree- Day 2(JUDGES FULL) Fredericksburg, VA	36 / 43 (636.9144)	30 (165.0972)	40 (149.6572)	26 (161.6572)	29 (160.5028)
2017-04-28	4th Annual Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition Lanexa, VA	24 / 46 (643.7712)	30 (161.6572)	11 (166.8228)	33 (157.0512)	23 (158.2400)
2017-03-24	BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA	50 / 64 (631.8972)	24 (169.7372)	58 (150.2516)	60 (151.9428)	29 (159.9656)

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
2023 ↗	Backyard	—	#114 (562 pts)	#141 (460 pts)	—	—
2023 ↗	Master	—	—	#1379 (73 pts)	—	—
2022 ↗	Backyard	—	#37 (925 pts)	#36 (961 pts)	—	—
2022 ↗	Master	—	—	#1338 (78 pts)	—	—
2021 ↗	Backyard	—	#37 (878 pts)	#51 (707 pts)	—	—
2018 ↗	Master	#386 (884 pts)	#254 (1214 pts)	#433 (839 pts)	#385 (919 pts)	#400 (884 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#573 (687 pts)	#489 (797 pts)	#555 (722 pts)	#559 (707 pts)	#610 (647 pts)