Putting Up Numbers· college football

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

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Florida International was 2.4 points over with Sterling Joseph and 6.2 points under without Sterling Joseph over its last 25 games, 12 games against 7. The plain averages are 26.9 and 21.5, a difference of 5.4. 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 a game over expected

A +8.6 difference in points over expected with Sterling Joseph vs without Sterling Joseph is about what you’d expect.

A +5.4 difference in points with Sterling Joseph vs without Sterling Joseph is a bit unusual: shuffle which games were with Sterling Joseph and it comes up 8 times in 100.

The games

with Sterling Josephwithout Sterling Joseph
Florida International’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Sterling Joseph or without Sterling Joseph
SideDateGameResultpointsExpected
Oct 29, 2024vsNew Mexico State (neutral)W3433.8
Nov 16, 2024@Jacksonville StateL3124.2
Nov 23, 2024@Kennesaw StateL2628.5
Nov 30, 2024vsMiddle Tennessee (neutral)W3530.2
Aug 29, 2025vsBBethune-CookmanW42—
Sep 6, 2025@Penn StateL015.2
Sep 13, 2025vsFlorida AtlanticW3833.4
Sep 20, 2025vsDelawareL1634.7
Oct 4, 2025@UConnL1028.7
Oct 14, 2025@Western KentuckyW2523.7
Oct 21, 2025vsKennesaw StateL2626.6
Oct 29, 2025@Missouri StateL2127.3
Nov 8, 2025@Middle TennesseeW5624.6
Nov 15, 2025vsLibertyW3427.7
Nov 22, 2025vsJacksonville StateW2728.0
Nov 29, 2025vsSam Houston (neutral)W5630.4
Dec 26, 2025vsUTSA (neutral)L2025.2
Sep 5, 2026@South FloridaL914.3
Sep 12, 2026vsBuffaloW3321.7
Sep 19, 2026@Florida AtlanticL1031.2
Sep 26, 2026vsLLong Island UniversityW20—
Oct 7, 2026vsNew Mexico StateW2224.8
Oct 13, 2026@Jacksonville StateL2416.0
Oct 20, 2026vsMiddle TennesseeL2328.3
Oct 31, 2026@LibertyL1012.3

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 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 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.