Putting Up Numbers· college football

Penn State’s total yards with James Peoples and since James Peoples’ last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Penn State was 0.3 yards under with James Peoples and 50.0 yards over since James Peoples’ last game over its last 25 games, 7 games against 1. The plain averages are 384.3 and 457.0, a difference of 72.7. All 3 away games were with James Peoples. All 4 games while ranked were with James Peoples. All 3 nonconference games were with James Peoples.

James Peoples, running back: 246 rushing yards, 57 carries and 3 receptions in 7 of those 25 games.

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

total yards a game over expected

The games

with James Peoplessince James Peoples’ last game
Penn State’s games, last 25 games, each marked with James Peoples or since James Peoples’ last game
SideDateGameResulttotal yardsExpected
Dec 7, 2024vsOregon (neutral)L523363.8
Dec 21, 2024vsSMUW325417.1
Dec 31, 2024vsBoise State (neutral)W388444.1
Jan 9, 2025vsNotre Dame (neutral)L339381.7
Aug 30, 2025vsNevadaW438407.1
Sep 6, 2025vsFlorida InternationalW409456.8
Sep 13, 2025vsVillanovaW465—
Sep 27, 2025vsOregonL276303.5
Oct 4, 2025@UCLAL357365.2
Oct 11, 2025vsNorthwesternL274377.2
Oct 18, 2025@IowaL266303.6
Nov 1, 2025@Ohio StateL200249.1
Nov 8, 2025vsIndianaL336291.5
Nov 15, 2025@Michigan StateW370387.7
Nov 22, 2025vsNebraskaW415357.0
Nov 29, 2025@RutgersW510431.5
Dec 27, 2025vsClemson (neutral)W400378.0
Sep 5, 2026vsMarshallW487437.8
Sep 12, 2026@TempleW416437.9
Sep 19, 2026vsBuffaloW573423.1
Sep 26, 2026vsWisconsinL233338.3
Oct 2, 2026@NorthwesternL291391.4
Oct 10, 2026vsUSCL357374.0
Oct 17, 2026@MichiganL333289.5
Oct 31, 2026vsPurdueW457407.0

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 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.
  • 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 James Peoples nor since James Peoples’ last game: James Peoples had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.