Putting Up Numbers· college football

Buffalo’s points with Nino Hill and without Nino Hill

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Buffalo was 2.0 points under with Nino Hill and 0.1 points under without Nino Hill over its last 25 games, 5 games against 1. The plain averages are 23.0 and 20.0, a difference of 3.0. Expected was 3.7 points higher with Nino Hill than without Nino Hill. 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.

points 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
SideDateGameResultpointsExpected
Nov 2, 2024@AkronW4127.2
Nov 12, 2024vsBall StateW5136.0
Nov 20, 2024@Eastern MichiganW3728.4
Nov 26, 2024vsKent StateW4341.1
Jan 4, 2025vsLiberty (neutral)W2627.6
Aug 28, 2025@MinnesotaL1014.0
Sep 6, 2025vsSSt. Francis (PA)W45—
Sep 13, 2025@Kent StateW3127.4
Sep 20, 2025vsTroyL1720.6
Sep 27, 2025vsUConnL1725.6
Oct 4, 2025vsEastern MichiganW3126.5
Oct 18, 2025@UMassW2832.4
Oct 25, 2025vsAkronL1629.9
Nov 1, 2025@Bowling GreenW2819.3
Nov 12, 2025@Central MichiganL1918.7
Nov 19, 2025vsMiami (OH)L2021.0
Nov 28, 2025vsOhioL2617.4
Sep 3, 2026vsUUAlbanyW21—
Sep 12, 2026@Florida InternationalL2020.1
Sep 19, 2026@Penn StateL1314.4
Sep 26, 2026vsRRobert MorrisW31—
Oct 3, 2026vsWestern MichiganL1721.8
Oct 10, 2026@ToledoW2326.7
Oct 17, 2026vsUMassW2527.2
Oct 24, 2026vsBowling GreenW3129.0

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, plus 1.9 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 66% 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.