Putting Up Numbers· college football

Louisiana’s points with Darrell Smith and since Darrell Smith’s last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Louisiana was 2.0 points under with Darrell Smith and 4.8 points over since Darrell Smith’s last game in 2026, 4 games against 3. The plain averages are 29.2 and 31.7, a difference of 2.5. All 4 nonconference games were with Darrell Smith. All 4 first-half games were with Darrell Smith.

Darrell Smith, running back: 156 rushing yards, 30 carries and 2 receptions in 4 games this season.

3 games since Darrell Smith’s last game is still too small a sample for the statistics to say much, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

points a game over expected

A −6.8 difference in points over expected with Darrell Smith vs since Darrell Smith’s last game is about what you’d expect.

A −2.5 difference in points with Darrell Smith vs since Darrell Smith’s last game is about what you’d expect.

The games

with Darrell Smithsince Darrell Smith’s last game
Louisiana’s games, 2026, each marked with Darrell Smith or since Darrell Smith’s last game
SideDateGameResultpointsExpected
Sep 5, 2026vsLamarW38—
Sep 12, 2026@USCL3020.3
Sep 19, 2026vsUABW2131.4
Sep 26, 2026@CharlotteW3432.0
Oct 3, 2026vsArkansas StateW2332.2
Oct 10, 2026@Louisiana TechL3118.3
Oct 17, 2026vsTroyW3329.0
Oct 24, 2026@Southern MissL3133.4

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 1.9 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 66% of the difference the model predicts.
  • The two sides are the games before and after one date, so the shuffle moves any game between them.
  • Lamar 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.