Putting Up Numbers· college football

Houston’s points allowed with DJ Butler and without DJ Butler

, ,

Against what the season’s ratings expected, Houston was 1.3 points under with DJ Butler and 1.6 points over without DJ Butler over its last 25 games, 19 games against 4. The plain averages are 22.0 and 25.0, a difference of 3.0. Both opponents outside the major colleges were with DJ Butler. All 3 games after a bye were with DJ Butler.

DJ Butler, running back: 452 rushing yards, 89 carries and 12 receptions in 21 of those 25 games.

points allowed a game over expected

A −2.9 difference in points allowed over expected with DJ Butler vs without DJ Butler is about what you’d expect.

A −3.0 difference in points allowed with DJ Butler vs without DJ Butler is about what you’d expect.

The games

with DJ Butlerwithout DJ Butler
Houston’s games, last 25 games, each marked with DJ Butler or without DJ Butler
SideDateGameResultpoints allowedExpected
Nov 2, 2024vsKansas StateW1926.8
Nov 15, 2024@ArizonaL2719.7
Nov 23, 2024vsBaylorL2029.9
Nov 30, 2024@BYUL3027.7
Aug 28, 2025vsSStephen F. AustinW0—
Sep 6, 2025@RiceW916.4
Sep 12, 2025vsColoradoW2023.0
Sep 26, 2025@Oregon StateW2418.7
Oct 4, 2025vsTexas TechL3535.2
Oct 11, 2025@Oklahoma StateW1719.2
Oct 18, 2025vsArizonaW2828.9
Oct 25, 2025@Arizona StateW1628.6
Nov 1, 2025vsWest VirginiaL4519.3
Nov 7, 2025@UCFW2722.2
Nov 22, 2025vsTCUL1731.5
Nov 29, 2025@BaylorW2435.0
Dec 27, 2025vsLSU (neutral)W3522.6
Sep 5, 2026vsOregon StateW2024.5
Sep 12, 2026vsSouthernW6—
Sep 18, 2026@Texas TechL2828.2
Sep 26, 2026@Georgia SouthernW2815.5
Oct 3, 2026vsUCFW1720.1
Oct 10, 2026@Kansas StateW1622.2
Oct 17, 2026vsOklahoma StateW3227.7
Oct 24, 2026@UtahL2131.2

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 2024, minus 1.5 in 2025, minus 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 75% in 2024, 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.
  • Stephen F. Austin, Southern 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 21 of these 25 games; in the other 4 a player is counted as in them when the box score has a stat for him.