Putting Up Numbers· college football

Nevada’s points of margin with Carter Jones and without Carter Jones

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Nevada was 0.1 points under with Carter Jones and 3.1 points over without Carter Jones in 2026, 4 games against 2. The plain averages are 10.5 and -9.8, a difference of 20.3. Both opponents outside the major colleges were without Carter Jones.

Carter Jones, quarterback: 654 passing yards, 89 pass attempts and 53 completions in 4 games this season.

points of margin a game over expected

A −3.2 difference in points of margin over expected with Carter Jones vs without Carter Jones is about what you’d expect.

A +20.3 difference in points of margin with Carter Jones vs without Carter Jones is a bit unusual: shuffle which games were with Carter Jones and it comes up 19 times in 100.

The games

with Carter Joneswithout Carter Jones
Nevada’s games, 2026, each marked with Carter Jones or without Carter Jones
SideDateGameResultpoints of marginExpected
Sep 5, 2026vsWestern KentuckyW358.7
Sep 12, 2026vsMontana StateL-13—
Sep 19, 2026@Middle TennesseeL-711.8
Sep 26, 2026vsAir ForceL-34.6
Oct 10, 2026@UTEPW1717.3
Oct 17, 2026@NNorth Dakota StateL-14—
Oct 24, 2026vsSan Jose StateW154.3
Oct 31, 2026@UCLAL-27-22.4

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 3.7 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 79% 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.
  • 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.