Putting Up Numbers· college football

Temple’s carries with Ajani Sheppard and without Ajani Sheppard

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Temple was 0.0 carries under with Ajani Sheppard and 0.7 carries under without Ajani Sheppard in 2026, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 36.1 and 32.0, a difference of 4.1. All 3 away games were with Ajani Sheppard. All 7 unranked opponents were with Ajani Sheppard. All 4 conference games were with Ajani Sheppard.

Ajani Sheppard, quarterback: 1,245 passing yards, 140 pass attempts and 85 completions in 8 games this season, 28% of Temple’s carries in those games.

One game without Ajani Sheppard is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

carries a game over expected

The games

with Ajani Sheppardwithout Ajani Sheppard
Temple’s games, 2026, each marked with Ajani Sheppard or without Ajani Sheppard
SideDateGameResultcarriesExpected
Sep 5, 2026vsRRhode IslandW42—
Sep 12, 2026vsPenn StateL3232.7
Sep 19, 2026@ToledoL4933.6
Sep 25, 2026vsArmyL3231.4
Oct 3, 2026@South FloridaW3634.0
Oct 10, 2026vsUConnL3436.0
Oct 17, 2026vsCharlotteL3437.4
Oct 31, 2026@East CarolinaL2638.8

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 0.6 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 61% of the difference the model predicts.
  • Rhode Island 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.