Putting Up Numbers· college football

Ball State’s points with Jalen Bonds and without Jalen Bonds

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Ball State was 3.2 points under with Jalen Bonds and 2.6 points under without Jalen Bonds over its last 25 games, 7 games against 10. The plain averages are 20.0 and 16.9, a difference of 3.1.

Jalen Bonds, running back: 301 rushing yards, 74 carries and 12 receptions in 9 of those 25 games.

points a game over expected

A −0.6 difference in points over expected with Jalen Bonds vs without Jalen Bonds is about what you’d expect.

A +3.1 difference in points with Jalen Bonds vs without Jalen Bonds is about what you’d expect.

The games

with Jalen Bondswithout Jalen Bonds
Ball State’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Jalen Bonds or without Jalen Bonds
SideDateGameResultpointsExpected
Oct 26, 2024vsNorthern IllinoisW2519.8
Nov 5, 2024vsMiami (OH)L2121.6
Nov 12, 2024@BuffaloL4823.4
Nov 23, 2024vsBowling GreenL1325.2
Nov 29, 2024@OhioL2118.8
Aug 30, 2025@PurdueL015.7
Sep 6, 2025@AuburnL35.8
Sep 13, 2025vsNew HampshireW34—
Sep 20, 2025@UConnL2518.0
Oct 4, 2025vsOhioW2015.0
Oct 11, 2025@Western MichiganL010.8
Oct 18, 2025vsAkronW4222.1
Oct 25, 2025@Northern IllinoisL718.2
Nov 5, 2025vsKent StateW1729.4
Nov 15, 2025vsEastern MichiganL926.8
Nov 22, 2025@ToledoL99.0
Nov 29, 2025@Miami (OH)L2414.0
Sep 5, 2026@Ohio StateL312.8
Sep 12, 2026vsSStony BrookW41—
Sep 19, 2026@LibertyL1512.7
Sep 26, 2026@Kent StateL1327.9
Oct 3, 2026vsToledoL2428.5
Oct 10, 2026@NorthwesternL1414.2
Oct 17, 2026@Bowling GreenW3224.1
Oct 24, 2026vsSSacramento StateW34—

Method

Read against .

  • Expected is an offense and a defense a team, fit over every game of its season between two teams in the table with the game being read left out, plus 1.5 in 2025, plus 1.9 in 2026 for the home team (the edge the fit finds once strength is in), nothing at a neutral site.
  • Each expected number is then fit to the season’s games: a game bears out about 78% in 2025, 66% in 2026 of the difference the model predicts.
  • The shuffle keeps the season’s shape: the games are cut in two where one date leaves the least variance, each game is read against its stretch, and the sides are shuffled only inside each stretch.
  • New Hampshire, Stony Brook, Sacramento State have no other game in the table, so those games have no expected number and sit out the second figure.
  • Who played is read from the schools’ box scores’ participation lists, which name every player who entered the game.
  • 5 games in 2024 are neither with Jalen Bonds nor without Jalen Bonds: Jalen Bonds had no game for the team that season, and sit out.