Putting Up Numbers· college football

Nevada’s passing yards with Luke Duncan and without Luke Duncan

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Nevada was 5.3 yards over with Luke Duncan and 29.5 yards under without Luke Duncan over its last 25 games, 1 game against 5. The plain averages are 210.0 and 163.1, a difference of 46.9. All 4 away games were without Luke Duncan. All 5 night games were without Luke Duncan. Both opponents outside the major colleges were without Luke Duncan.

Luke Duncan, quarterback: 265 passing yards, 55 pass attempts and 26 completions in 4 of those 25 games, 39% of Nevada’s passing yards in those games.

One game with Luke Duncan is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

passing yards a game over expected

The games

with Luke Duncanwithout Luke Duncan
Nevada’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Luke Duncan or without Luke Duncan
SideDateGameResultpassing yardsExpected
Oct 26, 2024@HawaiiL286203.7
Nov 2, 2024vsColorado StateL252218.2
Nov 9, 2024@Boise StateL232226.1
Nov 23, 2024vsAir ForceL268198.6
Nov 30, 2024@UNLVL292193.2
Aug 30, 2025@Penn StateL125142.0
Sep 6, 2025vsSSacramento StateW144—
Sep 13, 2025vsMiddle TennesseeL166220.7
Sep 20, 2025@Western KentuckyL165190.6
Oct 4, 2025@Fresno StateL117120.5
Oct 11, 2025vsSan Diego StateL194129.7
Oct 18, 2025@New MexicoL202175.1
Oct 24, 2025vsBoise StateL148139.9
Nov 8, 2025@Utah StateL122212.2
Nov 15, 2025vsSan Jose StateW195209.1
Nov 22, 2025@WyomingW58160.0
Nov 29, 2025vsUNLVL148197.0
Sep 5, 2026vsWestern KentuckyW163194.8
Sep 12, 2026vsMontana StateL167—
Sep 19, 2026@Middle TennesseeL185176.2
Sep 26, 2026vsAir ForceL224190.4
Oct 10, 2026@UTEPW102204.1
Oct 17, 2026@NNorth Dakota StateL190—
Oct 24, 2026vsSan Jose StateW210204.7
Oct 31, 2026@UCLAL111167.1

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 3.9 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 59% of the difference the model predicts.
  • Montana State, North Dakota State 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.
  • 17 games in 2024 and 2025 are neither with Luke Duncan nor without Luke Duncan: Luke Duncan had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.