Putting Up Numbers· college football

Minnesota’s total yards with Darius Taylor and without Darius Taylor

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Minnesota was 30.6 yards under with Darius Taylor and 38.0 yards under without Darius Taylor in 2026, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 298.4 and 399.0, a difference of 100.6. Expected was 142.2 yards lower with Darius Taylor than without Darius Taylor. 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.

One game without Darius Taylor is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

total yards a game over expected

The games

with Darius Taylorwithout Darius Taylor
Minnesota’s games, 2026, each marked with Darius Taylor or without Darius Taylor
SideDateGameResulttotal yardsExpected
Sep 3, 2026vsEEastern IllinoisW504—
Sep 12, 2026vsMississippi StateL292316.9
Sep 19, 2026vsAkronW399437.0
Sep 26, 2026@WashingtonW329298.9
Oct 3, 2026vsMichiganW265261.0
Oct 10, 2026@PurdueL275364.1
Oct 24, 2026vsIowaW209298.1
Oct 31, 2026@IndianaL215229.7

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 12.1 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 67% 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.