Putting Up Numbers· college football

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

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Buffalo was 21.3 yards over with Nino Hill and 91.9 yards under without Nino Hill in 2026, 5 games against 1. The plain averages are 193.7 and 62.0, a difference of 131.7. 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 games this season, 15% of Buffalo’s rushing yards in those games.

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

rushing yards a game over expected

The games

with Nino Hillwithout Nino Hill
Buffalo’s games, 2026, each marked with Nino Hill or without Nino Hill
SideDateGameResultrushing yardsExpected
Sep 3, 2026vsUUAlbanyW154—
Sep 12, 2026@Florida InternationalL62153.9
Sep 19, 2026@Penn StateL113152.0
Sep 26, 2026vsRRobert MorrisW305—
Oct 3, 2026vsWestern MichiganL135147.2
Oct 10, 2026@ToledoW181129.9
Oct 17, 2026vsUMassW217168.1
Oct 24, 2026vsBowling GreenW251193.5

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 8.0 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 60% 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.