Putting Up Numbers· college football

San Diego State’s passing yards with Jordan Napier and without Jordan Napier

, ,

Against what the season’s ratings expected, San Diego State was 9.4 yards under with Jordan Napier and 65.6 yards under without Jordan Napier over its last 25 games, 19 games against 4. The plain averages are 175.8 and 123.5, a difference of 52.3. Both opponents outside the major colleges were with Jordan Napier. Both games after a bye were with Jordan Napier.

Jordan Napier, receiver: 839 receiving yards, 74 receptions and 4 receiving touchdowns in 20 of those 25 games.

passing yards a game over expected

A +56.2 difference in passing yards over expected with Jordan Napier vs without Jordan Napier is about what you’d expect.

A +52.3 difference in passing yards with Jordan Napier vs without Jordan Napier is about what you’d expect.

The games

with Jordan Napierwithout Jordan Napier
San Diego State’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Jordan Napier or without Jordan Napier
SideDateGameResultpassing yardsExpected
Nov 16, 2024@UNLVL163200.0
Nov 23, 2024@Utah StateL224229.4
Nov 30, 2024vsAir ForceL236191.8
Aug 28, 2025vsSStony BrookW236—
Sep 6, 2025@Washington StateL133141.1
Sep 20, 2025vsCaliforniaW186162.3
Sep 27, 2025@Northern IllinoisW115173.6
Oct 3, 2025vsColorado StateW259181.0
Oct 11, 2025@NevadaW205172.7
Oct 25, 2025@Fresno StateW124130.5
Nov 1, 2025vsWyomingW194154.3
Nov 8, 2025@HawaiiL132198.6
Nov 15, 2025vsBoise StateW17168.0
Nov 22, 2025vsSan Jose StateW81236.1
Nov 28, 2025@New MexicoL162191.5
Dec 27, 2025vsNorth Texas (neutral)L206174.1
Sep 5, 2026vsPPortland StateW157—
Sep 12, 2026@UCLAL45154.9
Sep 19, 2026vsJames MadisonL209205.6
Sep 26, 2026@ToledoL248189.0
Oct 3, 2026vsTexas StateW109252.5
Oct 10, 2026@Oregon StateL91185.8
Oct 17, 2026vsFresno StateW180193.4
Oct 24, 2026@Colorado StateL369170.6
Oct 31, 2026vsWashington StateW104176.5

Method

Read against .

  • Expected is an offense and a defense a team, fit over every game of its season between two teams in the table with the game being read left out, plus 2.3 in 2024, plus 1.8 in 2025, plus 3.9 in 2026 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 72% in 2024, 68% in 2025, 59% in 2026 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.
  • Stony Brook, Portland 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 for 15 of these 25 games; in the other 10 a player is counted as in them when the box score has a stat for him.