Putting Up Numbers· college football

Illinois’ passing yards with Katin Houser and without Katin Houser

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Illinois was 25.2 yards over with Katin Houser and 164.1 yards under without Katin Houser in 2026, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 250.1 and 89.0, a difference of 161.1. All 3 away games were with Katin Houser. All 3 nonconference games were with Katin Houser. All 6 games on a normal week were with Katin Houser.

Katin Houser, quarterback: 1,663 passing yards, 216 pass attempts and 140 completions in 7 games this season, 95% of Illinois’s passing yards in those games.

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

passing yards a game over expected

The games

with Katin Houserwithout Katin Houser
Illinois’ games, 2026, each marked with Katin Houser or without Katin Houser
SideDateGameResultpassing yardsExpected
Sep 3, 2026vsUABW182199.5
Sep 12, 2026vsDukeL271213.9
Sep 19, 2026vsSouthern IllinoisW305—
Sep 26, 2026@Ohio StateL263193.1
Oct 3, 2026vsPurdueL225251.9
Oct 10, 2026@Michigan StateW282206.9
Oct 24, 2026vsOregonW89253.1
Oct 31, 2026@MarylandW223229.7

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, plus 3.9 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 59% of the difference the model predicts.
  • Southern Illinois 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.
  • With him means he was the team’s quarterback that game, at least half of its pass attempts; a game he left early or came into late reads as without him.