Putting Up Numbers· college football

Florida International’s points allowed with Sterling Joseph and without Sterling Joseph

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Florida International was 1.2 points over with Sterling Joseph and 1.1 points under without Sterling Joseph over its last 25 games, 12 games against 7. The plain averages are 25.6 and 27.5, a difference of 1.9. Expected was 4.9 points lower with Sterling Joseph than without Sterling Joseph. Both neutral-site games were with Sterling Joseph.

Sterling Joseph, running back: 211 rushing yards, 30 carries and 3 receptions in 10 of those 25 games.

points allowed a game over expected

A +2.3 difference in points allowed over expected with Sterling Joseph vs without Sterling Joseph is about what you’d expect.

A −1.9 difference in points allowed with Sterling Joseph vs without Sterling Joseph is about what you’d expect.

The games

with Sterling Josephwithout Sterling Joseph
Florida International’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Sterling Joseph or without Sterling Joseph
SideDateGameResultpoints allowedExpected
Oct 29, 2024vsNew Mexico State (neutral)W1322.8
Nov 16, 2024@Jacksonville StateL3433.5
Nov 23, 2024@Kennesaw StateL2717.4
Nov 30, 2024vsMiddle Tennessee (neutral)W2417.4
Aug 29, 2025vsBBethune-CookmanW9—
Sep 6, 2025@Penn StateL3442.6
Sep 13, 2025vsFlorida AtlanticW2831.3
Sep 20, 2025vsDelawareL3827.3
Oct 4, 2025@UConnL5132.3
Oct 14, 2025@Western KentuckyW635.1
Oct 21, 2025vsKennesaw StateL4527.6
Oct 29, 2025@Missouri StateL2829.5
Nov 8, 2025@Middle TennesseeW3026.5
Nov 15, 2025vsLibertyW2727.5
Nov 22, 2025vsJacksonville StateW2127.7
Nov 29, 2025vsSam Houston (neutral)W1623.6
Dec 26, 2025vsUTSA (neutral)L5735.1
Sep 5, 2026@South FloridaL1922.3
Sep 12, 2026vsBuffaloW2021.0
Sep 19, 2026@Florida AtlanticL1634.2
Sep 26, 2026vsLLong Island UniversityW3—
Oct 7, 2026vsNew Mexico StateW321.0
Oct 13, 2026@Jacksonville StateL2724.2
Oct 20, 2026vsMiddle TennesseeL2618.8
Oct 31, 2026@LibertyL4926.5

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, minus 1.5 in 2025, minus 1.8 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 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.
  • Bethune-Cookman, Long Island University 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.
  • 4 games in 2024 are neither with Sterling Joseph nor without Sterling Joseph: Sterling Joseph had no game for the team that season, and sit out.