Putting Up Numbers· college football

BYU’s points with LJ Martin and without LJ Martin

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, BYU was 1.5 points over with LJ Martin and 1.0 points under without LJ Martin over its last 25 games, 18 games against 5. The plain averages are 32.7 and 27.0, a difference of 5.6. Both opponents outside the major colleges were with LJ Martin. All 3 games while unranked were with LJ Martin. All 3 games after a bye were with LJ Martin.

LJ Martin, running back: 1,866 rushing yards, 327 carries and 45 receptions in 20 of those 25 games.

points a game over expected

A +2.5 difference in points over expected with LJ Martin vs without LJ Martin is about what you’d expect.

A +5.6 difference in points with LJ Martin vs without LJ Martin is about what you’d expect.

The games

with LJ Martinwithout LJ Martin
BYU’s games, last 25 games, each marked with LJ Martin or without LJ Martin
SideDateGameResultpointsExpected
Nov 23, 2024@Arizona StateL2325.2
Nov 30, 2024vsHoustonW3027.7
Dec 28, 2024vsColorado (neutral)W3625.5
Aug 30, 2025vsPPortland StateW69—
Sep 6, 2025vsStanfordW2733.9
Sep 20, 2025@East CarolinaW3426.7
Sep 27, 2025@ColoradoW2433.8
Oct 3, 2025vsWest VirginiaW3835.2
Oct 11, 2025@ArizonaW3323.3
Oct 18, 2025vsUtahW2426.8
Oct 25, 2025@Iowa StateW4123.4
Nov 8, 2025@Texas TechL719.3
Nov 15, 2025vsTCUW4428.3
Nov 22, 2025@CincinnatiW2631.4
Nov 29, 2025vsUCFW4129.7
Dec 6, 2025vsTexas Tech (neutral)L720.6
Dec 27, 2025vsGeorgia Tech (neutral)W2531.2
Sep 5, 2026vsUUtah TechW63—
Sep 12, 2026vsArizonaW2823.7
Sep 19, 2026@Colorado StateW4142.5
Oct 3, 2026@TCUW1716.8
Oct 9, 2026vsIowa StateW2430.5
Oct 17, 2026vsNotre DameW2818.9
Oct 24, 2026@UCFL3125.3
Oct 31, 2026vsArizona StateW2734.2

Method

Read against .

  • Expected is an offense and a defense a team, fit over every game of its season between two teams in the table with the game being read left out, plus 1.5 in 2024, plus 1.5 in 2025, plus 1.9 in 2026 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 75% in 2024, 78% in 2025, 66% in 2026 of the difference the model predicts.
  • The shuffle keeps the season’s shape: the games are cut in two where one date leaves the least variance, each game is read against its stretch, and the sides are shuffled only inside each stretch.
  • Portland State, Utah Tech 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 13 of these 25 games; in the other 12 a player is counted as in them when the box score has a stat for him.