Putting Up Numbers· college football

Illinois’ penalty yards with Katin Houser and without Katin Houser

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Illinois was 17.3 yards under with Katin Houser and 12.4 yards under without Katin Houser in 2026, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 35.4 and 32.0, a difference of 3.4. Expected was 6.9 yards higher with Katin Houser than without Katin Houser. 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.

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

penalty yards a game over expected

The games

with Katin Houserwithout Katin Houser
Illinois’ games, 2026, each marked with Katin Houser or without Katin Houser
SideDateGameResultpenalty yardsExpected
Sep 3, 2026vsUABW449.3
Sep 12, 2026vsDukeL7159.8
Sep 19, 2026vsSouthern IllinoisW44—
Sep 26, 2026@Ohio StateL5247.4
Oct 3, 2026vsPurdueL4648.6
Oct 10, 2026@Michigan StateW1645.1
Oct 24, 2026vsOregonW3244.4
Oct 31, 2026@MarylandW1557.6

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, minus 1.3 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 27% 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.