Putting Up Numbers· college football

Marshall’s points allowed with Zion Turner and without Zion Turner

, ,

Against what the season’s ratings expected, Marshall was 8.6 points under with Zion Turner and 4.0 points over without Zion Turner over its last 25 games, 4 games against 14. The plain averages are 21.3 and 32.3, a difference of 11.0. All 10 away games were without Zion Turner. Both ranked opponents were without Zion Turner. Both opponents outside the major colleges were without Zion Turner.

Zion Turner, quarterback: 1,017 passing yards, 151 pass attempts and 98 completions in 11 of those 25 games.

points allowed a game over expected

A −12.6 difference in points allowed over expected with Zion Turner vs without Zion Turner is a bit unusual: shuffle which games were with Zion Turner and it comes up 8 times in 100.

A −11.0 difference in points allowed with Zion Turner vs without Zion Turner is a bit unusual: shuffle which games were with Zion Turner and it comes up 14 times in 100.

The games

with Zion Turnerwithout Zion Turner
Marshall’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Zion Turner or without Zion Turner
SideDateGameResultpoints allowedExpected
Nov 9, 2024@Southern MissW317.2
Nov 16, 2024vsCoastal CarolinaW1923.5
Nov 23, 2024@Old DominionW3526.1
Nov 30, 2024@James MadisonW3328.3
Dec 7, 2024@LouisianaW330.0
Aug 30, 2025@GeorgiaL4541.2
Sep 6, 2025vsMissouri StateL2127.5
Sep 13, 2025vsEEastern KentuckyW7—
Sep 20, 2025@Middle TennesseeW2826.8
Sep 27, 2025@LouisianaL5425.4
Oct 11, 2025vsOld DominionW2433.1
Oct 18, 2025vsTexas StateW3736.4
Oct 30, 2025@Coastal CarolinaL4427.3
Nov 8, 2025vsJames MadisonL3537.6
Nov 15, 2025@Georgia StateW1827.1
Nov 22, 2025@Appalachian StateL2628.9
Nov 29, 2025vsGeorgia SouthernL2429.8
Sep 5, 2026@Penn StateL4531.3
Sep 12, 2026vsMiddle TennesseeW2623.6
Sep 19, 2026@Missouri StateW2426.5
Sep 26, 2026vsGGardner-WebbW35—
Oct 3, 2026@James MadisonL4531.7
Oct 10, 2026vsCoastal CarolinaL2724.5
Oct 20, 2026vsSouth AlabamaW1337.7
Oct 31, 2026@Old DominionW2321.5

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 1.8 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.
  • Eastern Kentucky, Gardner-Webb 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.
  • 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.
  • 5 games in 2024 are neither with Zion Turner nor without Zion Turner: Zion Turner had no game for the team that season, and sit out.