Putting Up Numbers· college football

Tennessee’s third-down conversion rate with Javin Gordon and without Javin Gordon

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Tennessee was 9.3 percentage points over with Javin Gordon and 10.0 percentage points under without Javin Gordon over its last 25 games, 3 games against 4. The plain averages are 45.6% and 29.3%, a difference of 16.3%.

Javin Gordon, running back: 120 rushing yards, 26 carries and 3 receptions in 4 of those 25 games.

third-down conversion rate a game over expected

A +19.4% difference in third-down conversion rate over expected with Javin Gordon vs without Javin Gordon is a bit unusual: shuffle which games were with Javin Gordon and it comes up 5 times in 100.

A +16.3% difference in third-down conversion rate with Javin Gordon vs without Javin Gordon is a bit unusual: shuffle which games were with Javin Gordon and it comes up 6 times in 100.

The games

with Javin Gordonwithout Javin Gordon
Tennessee’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Javin Gordon or without Javin Gordon
SideDateGameResult3rd downsExpected
Nov 16, 2024@GeorgiaL55.6%36.0%
Nov 23, 2024vsUTEPW50.0%45.3%
Nov 30, 2024@VanderbiltW73.3%44.8%
Dec 21, 2024@Ohio StateL37.5%40.8%
Aug 30, 2025vsSyracuse (neutral)W58.3%41.3%
Sep 6, 2025vsEast Tennessee StateW71.4%—
Sep 13, 2025vsGeorgiaL41.7%39.9%
Sep 20, 2025vsUABW53.8%47.6%
Sep 27, 2025@Mississippi StateW35.7%44.6%
Oct 11, 2025vsArkansasW22.2%50.0%
Oct 18, 2025@AlabamaL38.5%40.4%
Oct 25, 2025@KentuckyW50.0%42.9%
Nov 1, 2025vsOklahomaL53.8%35.2%
Nov 15, 2025vsNew Mexico StateW27.3%49.3%
Nov 22, 2025@FloridaW69.2%42.0%
Nov 29, 2025vsVanderbiltL63.2%44.9%
Dec 30, 2025vsIllinois (neutral)L50.0%44.4%
Sep 5, 2026vsFurmanW45.5%—
Sep 12, 2026@Georgia TechW57.1%38.7%
Sep 19, 2026vsKennesaw StateW40.0%41.5%
Sep 26, 2026vsTexasL25.0%34.9%
Oct 3, 2026vsAuburnW21.4%39.6%
Oct 10, 2026@ArkansasW30.8%41.4%
Oct 17, 2026vsAlabamaW40.0%33.0%
Oct 24, 2026@South CarolinaL40.0%37.6%

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, plus 1.4% 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 40% 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.
  • Furman 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.
  • 17 games in 2024 and 2025 are neither with Javin Gordon nor without Javin Gordon: Javin Gordon had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.