Putting Up Numbers· college football

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

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Nevada was 0.2 yards over with Luke Duncan and 11.6 yards under without Luke Duncan over its last 25 games, 1 game against 5. The plain averages are 54.0 and 52.1, a difference of 1.9. 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.

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

penalty 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
SideDateGameResultpenalty yardsExpected
Oct 26, 2024@HawaiiL10559.8
Nov 2, 2024vsColorado StateL3762.9
Nov 9, 2024@Boise StateL5559.3
Nov 23, 2024vsAir ForceL5053.6
Nov 30, 2024@UNLVL6460.8
Aug 30, 2025@Penn StateL1438.5
Sep 6, 2025vsSSacramento StateW62—
Sep 13, 2025vsMiddle TennesseeL5536.9
Sep 20, 2025@Western KentuckyL6050.5
Oct 4, 2025@Fresno StateL1055.7
Oct 11, 2025vsSan Diego StateL1045.4
Oct 18, 2025@New MexicoL6152.2
Oct 24, 2025vsBoise StateL7151.1
Nov 8, 2025@Utah StateL7248.1
Nov 15, 2025vsSan Jose StateW2052.9
Nov 22, 2025@WyomingW6651.9
Nov 29, 2025vsUNLVL4051.1
Sep 5, 2026vsWestern KentuckyW4052.6
Sep 12, 2026vsMontana StateL86—
Sep 19, 2026@Middle TennesseeL5451.9
Sep 26, 2026vsAir ForceL4147.2
Oct 10, 2026@UTEPW5452.3
Oct 17, 2026@NNorth Dakota StateL75—
Oct 24, 2026vsSan Jose StateW5453.8
Oct 31, 2026@UCLAL1558.1

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, minus 1.3 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 27% 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.