Putting Up Numbers· college football

Rice’s pass attempts with Gael Ochoa and without Gael Ochoa

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Rice was 13.6 pass attempts under with Gael Ochoa and 6.0 pass attempts under without Gael Ochoa over its last 25 games, 1 game against 6. The plain averages are 7.0 and 13.4, a difference of 6.4. All 4 home games were without Gael Ochoa. All 4 night games were without Gael Ochoa. All 4 nonconference games were without Gael Ochoa.

Gael Ochoa, quarterback: 160 passing yards, 16 pass attempts and 8 completions in 4 of those 25 games, 40% of Rice’s pass attempts in those games.

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

pass attempts a game over expected

The games

with Gael Ochoawithout Gael Ochoa
Rice’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Gael Ochoa or without Gael Ochoa
SideDateGameResultpass attemptsExpected
Nov 2, 2024vsNavyW4039.8
Nov 8, 2024@MemphisL4540.8
Nov 23, 2024@UABL4936.2
Nov 30, 2024vsSouth FloridaW4241.7
Aug 30, 2025@LouisianaW920.8
Sep 6, 2025vsHoustonL1319.4
Sep 13, 2025vsPrairie View A&MW19—
Sep 18, 2025@CharlotteW1224.6
Sep 27, 2025@NavyL2119.4
Oct 4, 2025vsFlorida AtlanticL1719.8
Oct 11, 2025@UTSAL1921.0
Oct 25, 2025vsUConnW2220.2
Oct 31, 2025vsMemphisL1719.9
Nov 8, 2025vsUABW1515.6
Nov 22, 2025vsNorth TexasL2121.5
Nov 29, 2025@South FloridaL1826.0
Jan 2, 2026vsTexas State (neutral)L2121.2
Sep 5, 2026vsHHouston ChristianW11—
Sep 12, 2026@Notre DameL1217.0
Sep 19, 2026vsWestern MichiganL1819.2
Sep 26, 2026@Fresno StateL1720.3
Oct 3, 2026vsUTSAL1422.3
Oct 10, 2026@East CarolinaL1420.5
Oct 17, 2026vsTulsaL820.1
Oct 24, 2026@Florida AtlanticL720.6

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 0.1 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 60% of the difference the model predicts.
  • Houston Christian has no other game in the table, so that game has no expected number and sits 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 Gael Ochoa nor without Gael Ochoa: Gael Ochoa had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.