Putting Up Numbers· college football

Central Michigan’s penalty yards with Vaughn Blue and without Vaughn Blue

, ,

Against what the season’s ratings expected, Central Michigan was 7.4 yards over with Vaughn Blue and 26.9 yards under without Vaughn Blue over its last 25 games, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 63.4 and 36.0, a difference of 27.4. All 5 home games were with Vaughn Blue. All 6 day games were with Vaughn Blue. All 7 unranked opponents were with Vaughn Blue.

Vaughn Blue, running back: 187 rushing yards, 43 carries and 5 receptions in 7 of those 25 games.

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

penalty yards a game over expected

The games

with Vaughn Bluewithout Vaughn Blue
Central Michigan’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Vaughn Blue or without Vaughn Blue
SideDateGameResultpenalty yardsExpected
Nov 5, 2024vsBowling GreenL7550.2
Nov 12, 2024@ToledoL6362.2
Nov 19, 2024vsWestern MichiganW3052.0
Nov 30, 2024@Northern IllinoisL6653.5
Aug 29, 2025@San Jose StateW3359.0
Sep 6, 2025@PittsburghL7559.0
Sep 13, 2025@MichiganL649.1
Sep 20, 2025vsWWagnerW73—
Sep 27, 2025vsEastern MichiganW4555.4
Oct 4, 2025@AkronL6553.5
Oct 18, 2025@Bowling GreenW7447.2
Oct 25, 2025vsUMassW5046.1
Nov 1, 2025@Western MichiganL6045.8
Nov 12, 2025vsBuffaloW3043.8
Nov 19, 2025@Kent StateW2950.5
Nov 29, 2025vsToledoL4743.6
Dec 26, 2025vsNorthwestern (neutral)L4646.8
Sep 5, 2026@New MexicoL8457.7
Sep 12, 2026vsColgateW62—
Sep 19, 2026vsWyomingW4059.2
Sep 26, 2026@Miami (FL)L3662.9
Oct 3, 2026vsAkronW7754.5
Oct 10, 2026@OhioL3656.4
Oct 17, 2026vsWestern MichiganL6258.7
Oct 24, 2026vsMiami (OH)L8351.4

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, minus 1.3 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 27% of the difference the model predicts.
  • Colgate has no other game in the table, so that game has no expected number and sits 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 Vaughn Blue nor without Vaughn Blue: Vaughn Blue had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.