Putting Up Numbers· college football

James Madison’s penalty yards with JC Evans and since JC Evans’ last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, James Madison was 13.1 yards over with JC Evans and 12.9 yards over since JC Evans’ last game in 2026, 1 game against 7. The plain averages are 77.0 and 73.0, a difference of 4.0. All 4 away games were since JC Evans’ last game. All 5 night games were since JC Evans’ last game. All 6 conference games were since JC Evans’ last game.

JC Evans, quarterback: 370 passing yards, 36 pass attempts and 26 completions in 5 games this season.

One game with JC Evans is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

penalty yards a game over expected

The games

with JC Evanssince JC Evans’ last game
James Madison’s games, 2026, each marked with JC Evans or since JC Evans’ last game
SideDateGameResultpenalty yardsExpected
Sep 5, 2026vsLibertyW7763.9
Sep 12, 2026vsWWagnerW70—
Sep 19, 2026@San Diego StateW6357.2
Sep 26, 2026@Old DominionW7567.1
Oct 3, 2026vsMarshallW5358.6
Oct 10, 2026@Georgia SouthernW7565.9
Oct 17, 2026vsGeorgia StateW8555.8
Oct 22, 2026@Appalachian StateL9261.3
Oct 29, 2026vsTroyL7157.6

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.
  • Wagner 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.