Putting Up Numbers· college football

Colorado State’s penalty yards with Mel Brown and since Mel Brown’s last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Colorado State was 11.2 yards under with Mel Brown and 17.5 yards under since Mel Brown’s last game over its last 25 games, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 37.7 and 35.0, a difference of 2.7. All 5 home games were with Mel Brown. All 4 nonconference games were with Mel Brown.

Mel Brown, running back: 454 rushing yards, 52 carries and 16 receptions in 7 of those 25 games.

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

penalty yards a game over expected

The games

with Mel Brownsince Mel Brown’s last game
Colorado State’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Mel Brown or since Mel Brown’s last game
SideDateGameResultpenalty yardsExpected
Nov 2, 2024@NevadaW4054.2
Nov 15, 2024vsWyomingW2954.2
Nov 23, 2024@Fresno StateL8154.5
Nov 29, 2024vsUtah StateW9348.5
Dec 28, 2024vsMiami (OH) (neutral)L5548.4
Aug 30, 2025@WashingtonL2048.5
Sep 6, 2025vsNorthern ColoradoW94—
Sep 20, 2025vsUTSAL11544.6
Sep 27, 2025vsWashington StateL6051.7
Oct 3, 2025@San Diego StateL552.5
Oct 10, 2025vsFresno StateW9549.9
Oct 18, 2025vsHawaiiL5155.3
Oct 25, 2025@WyomingL6956.1
Nov 8, 2025vsUNLVL3555.9
Nov 15, 2025@New MexicoL4058.6
Nov 22, 2025@Boise StateL8056.7
Nov 28, 2025vsAir ForceL1150.0
Sep 5, 2026vsWyomingW3652.8
Sep 12, 2026vsSSouthern UtahW20—
Sep 19, 2026vsBYUL2547.9
Sep 26, 2026@UTSAL6155.8
Oct 3, 2026vsOregon StateL2055.9
Oct 15, 2026@Texas StateL7750.6
Oct 24, 2026vsSan Diego StateW2548.1
Oct 31, 2026@Utah StateL3552.5

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, 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.
  • Southern Utah 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 Mel Brown nor since Mel Brown’s last game: Mel Brown had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.