Putting Up Numbers· college football

Temple’s points allowed with Ajani Sheppard and without Ajani Sheppard

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Temple was 1.7 points over with Ajani Sheppard and 4.8 points under without Ajani Sheppard in 2026, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 26.6 and 27.0, a difference of 0.4. Expected was 4.8 points lower with Ajani Sheppard than without Ajani Sheppard. 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.

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

points allowed a game over expected

The games

with Ajani Sheppardwithout Ajani Sheppard
Temple’s games, 2026, each marked with Ajani Sheppard or without Ajani Sheppard
SideDateGameResultpoints allowedExpected
Sep 5, 2026vsRRhode IslandW14—
Sep 12, 2026vsPenn StateL2731.8
Sep 19, 2026@ToledoL4928.9
Sep 25, 2026vsArmyL2133.0
Oct 3, 2026@South FloridaW1327.8
Oct 10, 2026vsUConnL3426.5
Oct 17, 2026vsCharlotteL3817.3
Oct 31, 2026@East CarolinaL1728.5

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 1.9 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 66% 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.