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 over its last 25 games, 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 of those 25 games, 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, last 25 games, each marked with Nino Hill or without Nino Hill
SideDateGameResultrushing yardsExpected
Nov 2, 2024@AkronW183171.0
Nov 12, 2024vsBall StateW208170.1
Nov 20, 2024@Eastern MichiganW138174.3
Nov 26, 2024vsKent StateW253242.9
Jan 4, 2025vsLiberty (neutral)W210162.3
Aug 28, 2025@MinnesotaL4477.6
Sep 6, 2025vsSSt. Francis (PA)W370—
Sep 13, 2025@Kent StateW139130.8
Sep 20, 2025vsTroyL125118.4
Sep 27, 2025vsUConnL204140.0
Oct 4, 2025vsEastern MichiganW115171.3
Oct 18, 2025@UMassW72169.1
Oct 25, 2025vsAkronL91135.9
Nov 1, 2025@Bowling GreenW14688.8
Nov 12, 2025@Central MichiganL13698.3
Nov 19, 2025vsMiami (OH)L4698.6
Nov 28, 2025vsOhioL100101.1
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.
  • 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.