Putting Up Numbers· college football

Buffalo’s third-down conversion rate with Clint Walker and since Clint Walker’s last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Buffalo was 3.5 percentage points under with Clint Walker and 2.1 percentage points over since Clint Walker’s last game over its last 25 games, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 37.5% and 42.9%, a difference of 5.3%. All 5 home games were with Clint Walker. All 6 day games were with Clint Walker. Both opponents outside the major colleges were with Clint Walker.

Clint Walker, tight end: 195 receiving yards and 22 receptions in 7 of those 25 games.

One game since Clint Walker’s last game is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

third-down conversion rate a game over expected

The games

with Clint Walkersince Clint Walker’s last game
Buffalo’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Clint Walker or since Clint Walker’s last game
SideDateGameResult3rd downsExpected
Nov 12, 2024vsBall StateW33.3%43.4%
Nov 20, 2024@Eastern MichiganW37.5%35.7%
Nov 26, 2024vsKent StateW60.0%39.3%
Jan 4, 2025vsLiberty (neutral)W31.6%36.3%
Aug 28, 2025@MinnesotaL9.1%33.1%
Sep 6, 2025vsSSt. Francis (PA)W64.7%—
Sep 13, 2025@Kent StateW33.3%38.6%
Sep 20, 2025vsTroyL35.3%31.6%
Sep 27, 2025vsUConnL26.7%32.4%
Oct 4, 2025vsEastern MichiganW46.7%36.6%
Oct 18, 2025@UMassW37.5%39.4%
Oct 25, 2025vsAkronL16.7%34.1%
Nov 1, 2025@Bowling GreenW23.1%32.3%
Nov 12, 2025@Central MichiganL38.9%36.1%
Nov 19, 2025vsMiami (OH)L33.3%38.4%
Nov 28, 2025vsOhioL41.7%28.5%
Sep 3, 2026vsUUAlbanyW47.6%—
Sep 12, 2026@Florida InternationalL23.5%36.0%
Sep 19, 2026@Penn StateL7.1%32.0%
Sep 26, 2026vsRRobert MorrisW52.6%—
Oct 3, 2026vsWestern MichiganL35.7%37.6%
Oct 10, 2026@ToledoW38.1%36.9%
Oct 17, 2026vsUMassW42.1%40.7%
Oct 24, 2026vsBowling GreenW53.3%37.6%
Nov 3, 2026@Miami (OH)W42.9%40.7%

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 1.4% 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 40% 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 for 8 of these 9 games; in the other game a player is counted as in it when the box score has a stat for him.
  • 16 games in 2024 and 2025 are neither with Clint Walker nor since Clint Walker’s last game: Clint Walker had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.