Putting Up Numbers· college football

Fresno State’s rushing yards with Rayshon Luke and without Rayshon Luke

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Fresno State was 3.4 yards over with Rayshon Luke and 55.4 yards under without Rayshon Luke over its last 25 games, 18 games against 1. The plain averages are 168.2 and 69.0, a difference of 99.2. All 10 away games were with Rayshon Luke. All 6 day games were with Rayshon Luke. All 19 unranked opponents were with Rayshon Luke.

Rayshon Luke, running back: 1,081 rushing yards, 172 carries and 51 receptions in 20 of those 25 games, 32% of Fresno State’s rushing yards in those games.

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

rushing yards a game over expected

The games

with Rayshon Lukewithout Rayshon Luke
Fresno State’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Rayshon Luke or without Rayshon Luke
SideDateGameResultrushing yardsExpected
Nov 9, 2024@Air ForceL-5108.5
Nov 23, 2024vsColorado StateW146118.9
Nov 30, 2024@UCLAL6249.2
Dec 23, 2024vsNorthern Illinois (neutral)L11788.4
Aug 23, 2025@KansasL37166.0
Aug 30, 2025vsGeorgia SouthernW351193.5
Sep 6, 2025@Oregon StateW199149.5
Sep 13, 2025vsSouthernW228—
Sep 20, 2025@HawaiiW72157.2
Oct 4, 2025vsNevadaW159161.9
Oct 10, 2025@Colorado StateL119208.5
Oct 25, 2025vsSan Diego StateL45175.6
Nov 1, 2025@Boise StateW192138.8
Nov 15, 2025vsWyomingW219167.8
Nov 22, 2025vsUtah StateL178182.0
Nov 29, 2025@San Jose StateW259138.6
Dec 27, 2025vsMiami (OH) (neutral)W180137.4
Sep 4, 2026@USCL40151.9
Sep 12, 2026vsSSacramento StateW193—
Sep 19, 2026@San Jose StateW171154.6
Sep 26, 2026vsRiceW257146.5
Oct 3, 2026@Washington StateW131171.1
Oct 10, 2026vsBoise StateL69124.4
Oct 17, 2026@San Diego StateL137146.5
Oct 31, 2026vsOregon StateW196133.0

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 5.9 in 2025, plus 8.0 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 77% in 2025, 60% in 2026 of the difference the model predicts.
  • Southern, Sacramento State 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 20 of these 21 games; in the other game a player is counted as in it when the box score has a stat for him.
  • 4 games in 2024 are neither with Rayshon Luke nor without Rayshon Luke: Rayshon Luke had no game for the team that season, and sit out.