Putting Up Numbers· college football

Louisiana Monroe’s points allowed with Zach Palmer-Smith and without Zach Palmer-Smith

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Louisiana Monroe was 1.6 points over with Zach Palmer-Smith and 10.0 points over without Zach Palmer-Smith over its last 25 games, 16 games against 2. The plain averages are 32.5 and 42.0, a difference of 9.5. All 12 conference games were with Zach Palmer-Smith. All 3 games after a bye were with Zach Palmer-Smith.

Zach Palmer-Smith, running back: 816 rushing yards, 149 carries and 11 receptions in 17 of those 25 games.

3 games without Zach Palmer-Smith is still too small a sample for the statistics to say much, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

points allowed a game over expected

A −8.4 difference in points allowed over expected with Zach Palmer-Smith vs without Zach Palmer-Smith is about what you’d expect.

A −9.5 difference in points allowed with Zach Palmer-Smith vs without Zach Palmer-Smith is about what you’d expect.

The games

with Zach Palmer-Smithwithout Zach Palmer-Smith
Louisiana Monroe’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Zach Palmer-Smith or without Zach Palmer-Smith
SideDateGameResultpoints allowedExpected
Nov 2, 2024@MarshallL2833.4
Nov 9, 2024vsTexas StateL3832.1
Nov 16, 2024@AuburnL4829.2
Nov 23, 2024@Arkansas StateL2827.5
Nov 30, 2024vsLouisianaL3726.6
Aug 28, 2025vsSSt. Francis (PA)W0—
Sep 6, 2025@AlabamaL7340.1
Sep 20, 2025@UTEPW2528.6
Sep 27, 2025vsArkansas StateW1628.9
Oct 4, 2025@NorthwesternL4235.1
Oct 11, 2025@Coastal CarolinaL2333.5
Oct 18, 2025vsTroyL3726.3
Oct 25, 2025@Southern MissL4930.1
Nov 1, 2025vsOld DominionL3134.8
Nov 15, 2025vsSouth AlabamaL2630.0
Nov 22, 2025@Texas StateL3143.1
Nov 29, 2025@LouisianaL3032.0
Sep 5, 2026@Mississippi StateL6236.9
Sep 12, 2026@UABL2631.1
Sep 19, 2026vsSS E LouisianaL38—
Sep 26, 2026vsFlorida AtlanticL4532.3
Oct 3, 2026@South AlabamaL5235.2
Oct 17, 2026vsLouisiana TechL2433.3
Oct 24, 2026@TroyW1436.1
Oct 31, 2026vsSouthern MissL3527.8

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 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 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.
  • St. Francis (PA), S E Louisiana 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, which name every player who entered the game.
  • 5 games in 2024 are neither with Zach Palmer-Smith nor without Zach Palmer-Smith: Zach Palmer-Smith had no game for the team that season, and sit out.