Minnesota’s carries with Darius Taylor and without Darius Taylor
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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Minnesota was 4.0 carries under with Darius Taylor and 1.9 carries over without Darius Taylor in 2026, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 27.7 and 32.0, a difference of 4.3. All 3 away games were with Darius Taylor. Both ranked opponents were with Darius Taylor. All 5 conference games were with Darius Taylor.
Darius Taylor, running back: 217 rushing yards, 83 carries and 22 receptions in 7 games this season, 43% of Minnesota’s carries in those games.
One game without Darius Taylor is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.
carries a game over expected
with Darius Taylor
−4.0
without Darius Taylor
+1.9
-20-10010
plain
27.7
32.0
2030
The games
with Darius Taylorwithout Darius Taylor
| Side | Date | Game | Result | carries | Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | vsEEastern Illinois | W | 37 | — | |
| Sep 12, 2026 | vs Mississippi State | L | 15 | 31.5 | |
| Sep 19, 2026 | vs Akron | W | 32 | 30.1 | |
| Sep 26, 2026 | @ Washington | W | 33 | 28.3 | |
| Oct 3, 2026 | vs Michigan | W | 38 | 27.5 | |
| Oct 10, 2026 | @ Purdue | L | 13 | 34.9 | |
| Oct 24, 2026 | vs Iowa | W | 35 | 29.2 | |
| Oct 31, 2026 | @ Indiana | L | 23 | 29.7 |
Method
- 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 0.6 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 61% of the difference the model predicts.
- Eastern 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.