Putting Up Numbers· college football

Buffalo’s penalty yards with Nino Hill and without Nino Hill

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Buffalo was 18.7 yards under with Nino Hill and 22.1 yards under without Nino Hill over its last 25 games, 5 games against 1. The plain averages are 50.0 and 29.0, a difference of 21.0. All 5 home games were with Nino Hill. All 6 day games were with Nino Hill. Both opponents outside the major colleges were with Nino Hill.

Nino Hill, running back: 202 rushing yards and 63 carries in 7 of those 25 games.

One game without Nino Hill is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

penalty yards a game over expected

The games

with Nino Hillwithout Nino Hill
Buffalo’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Nino Hill or without Nino Hill
SideDateGameResultpenalty yardsExpected
Nov 2, 2024@AkronW2051.5
Nov 12, 2024vsBall StateW3547.9
Nov 20, 2024@Eastern MichiganW1556.2
Nov 26, 2024vsKent StateW2049.8
Jan 4, 2025vsLiberty (neutral)W5345.8
Aug 28, 2025@MinnesotaL4554.2
Sep 6, 2025vsSSt. Francis (PA)W29—
Sep 13, 2025@Kent StateW4250.4
Sep 20, 2025vsTroyL3049.7
Sep 27, 2025vsUConnL2546.7
Oct 4, 2025vsEastern MichiganW6954.1
Oct 18, 2025@UMassW6448.0
Oct 25, 2025vsAkronL7051.8
Nov 1, 2025@Bowling GreenW3552.4
Nov 12, 2025@Central MichiganL5054.4
Nov 19, 2025vsMiami (OH)L4445.8
Nov 28, 2025vsOhioL4544.7
Sep 3, 2026vsUUAlbanyW119—
Sep 12, 2026@Florida InternationalL2951.1
Sep 19, 2026@Penn StateL3046.8
Sep 26, 2026vsRRobert MorrisW80—
Oct 3, 2026vsWestern MichiganL6247.9
Oct 10, 2026@ToledoW2746.9
Oct 17, 2026vsUMassW3253.1
Oct 24, 2026vsBowling GreenW050.1

Method

Read against .

  • Expected is an offense and a defense a team, fit over every 2026 game between two teams in the table with the game being read left out, minus 1.3 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 27% of the difference the model predicts.
  • UAlbany, Robert Morris 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.
  • 17 games in 2024 and 2025 are neither with Nino Hill nor without Nino Hill: Nino Hill had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.