Putting Up Numbers· college football

UMass’ points with Elijah Faulkner and since Elijah Faulkner’s last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, UMass was 3.2 points under with Elijah Faulkner and 3.6 points over since Elijah Faulkner’s last game over its last 25 games, 16 games against 1. The plain averages are 17.3 and 31.0, a difference of 13.8. All 10 away games were with Elijah Faulkner. All 5 night games were with Elijah Faulkner. All 4 opponents outside the major colleges were with Elijah Faulkner.

Elijah Faulkner, running back: 490 rushing yards, 129 carries and 9 receptions in 18 of those 25 games.

One game since Elijah Faulkner’s last game is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

points a game over expected

The games

with Elijah Faulknersince Elijah Faulkner’s last game
UMass’ games, last 25 games, each marked with Elijah Faulkner or since Elijah Faulkner’s last game
SideDateGameResultpointsExpected
Nov 2, 2024@Mississippi StateL2024.7
Nov 16, 2024vsLibertyL3425.0
Nov 23, 2024@GeorgiaL2110.6
Nov 30, 2024vsUConnL4219.9
Aug 30, 2025vsTempleL1019.2
Sep 6, 2025vsBBryantL26—
Sep 13, 2025@IowaL7-3.4
Sep 27, 2025@MissouriL61.8
Oct 4, 2025vsWestern MichiganL39.5
Oct 11, 2025@Kent StateL624.4
Oct 18, 2025vsBuffaloL2117.2
Oct 25, 2025@Central MichiganL1312.6
Nov 4, 2025@AkronL1020.8
Nov 12, 2025vsNorthern IllinoisL318.0
Nov 18, 2025@OhioL149.2
Nov 25, 2025vsBowling GreenL1417.2
Sep 3, 2026@RutgersW3718.8
Sep 12, 2026vsSSacred HeartW37—
Sep 19, 2026vsSStonehillW36—
Sep 26, 2026@SSacramento StateW35—
Oct 3, 2026vsEastern MichiganL1428.3
Oct 10, 2026vsMiami (OH)L1926.0
Oct 17, 2026@BuffaloL1820.8
Oct 23, 2026@UConnL1621.2
Nov 4, 2026vsBall StateW3127.4

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 1.5 in 2025, plus 1.8 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 78% in 2025, 66% in 2026 of the difference the model predicts.
  • Bryant, Sacred Heart, Stonehill, Sacramento 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 20 of these 21 games; in the other game a player is counted as in it when the box score has a stat for him.
  • 4 games in 2024 are neither with Elijah Faulkner nor since Elijah Faulkner’s last game: Elijah Faulkner had no game for the team that season, and sit out.