Putting Up Numbers· college football

Penn State’s points of margin with Chase Sowell and since Chase Sowell’s last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Penn State was 1.4 points over with Chase Sowell and 9.0 points over since Chase Sowell’s last game over its last 25 games, 7 games against 1. The plain averages are 9.9 and 14.0, a difference of 4.1. All 3 away games were with Chase Sowell. All 4 games while ranked were with Chase Sowell. All 3 nonconference games were with Chase Sowell.

Chase Sowell, receiver: 510 receiving yards, 34 receptions and 3 receiving touchdowns in 7 of those 25 games.

One game since Chase Sowell’s last game is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

points of margin a game over expected

The games

with Chase Sowellsince Chase Sowell’s last game
Penn State’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Chase Sowell or since Chase Sowell’s last game
SideDateGameResultpoints of marginExpected
Dec 7, 2024vsOregon (neutral)L-80.5
Dec 21, 2024vsSMUW285.5
Dec 31, 2024vsBoise State (neutral)W1710.8
Jan 9, 2025vsNotre Dame (neutral)L-3-4.1
Aug 30, 2025vsNevadaW3529.8
Sep 6, 2025vsFlorida InternationalW3430.4
Sep 13, 2025vsVillanovaW46—
Sep 27, 2025vsOregonL-6-8.8
Oct 4, 2025@UCLAL-516.6
Oct 11, 2025vsNorthwesternL-114.2
Oct 18, 2025@IowaL-1-7.4
Nov 1, 2025@Ohio StateL-24-14.3
Nov 8, 2025vsIndianaL-3-19.3
Nov 15, 2025@Michigan StateW188.7
Nov 22, 2025vsNebraskaW279.3
Nov 29, 2025@RutgersW411.3
Dec 27, 2025vsClemson (neutral)W127.8
Sep 5, 2026vsMarshallW4518.8
Sep 12, 2026@TempleW1816.3
Sep 19, 2026vsBuffaloW4217.5
Sep 26, 2026vsWisconsinL-42.1
Oct 2, 2026@NorthwesternL-21-3.2
Oct 10, 2026vsUSCL-84.2
Oct 17, 2026@MichiganL-33.3
Oct 31, 2026vsPurdueW145.0

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.
  • Who played is read from the schools’ box scores’ participation lists for 6 of these 8 games; in the other 2 a player is counted as in them when the box score has a stat for him.
  • 17 games in 2024 and 2025 are neither with Chase Sowell nor since Chase Sowell’s last game: Chase Sowell had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.