Putting Up Numbers· college football

UNLV’s third-down conversion rate with Taeshaun Lyons and without Taeshaun Lyons

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, UNLV was 4.0 percentage points over with Taeshaun Lyons and 3.9 percentage points under without Taeshaun Lyons in 2026, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 43.1% and 37.5%, a difference of 5.6%. All 4 away games were with Taeshaun Lyons. Both night games were with Taeshaun Lyons. All 4 conference games were with Taeshaun Lyons.

Taeshaun Lyons, receiver: 185 receiving yards, 16 receptions and 1 receiving touchdown in 6 games this season.

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

third-down conversion rate a game over expected

The games

with Taeshaun Lyonswithout Taeshaun Lyons
UNLV’s games, 2026, each marked with Taeshaun Lyons or without Taeshaun Lyons
SideDateGameResult3rd downsExpected
Aug 29, 2026vsMemphisL20.0%38.6%
Sep 5, 2026@HawaiiW46.7%40.0%
Sep 12, 2026@North TexasL41.2%41.3%
Sep 26, 2026@AkronW46.2%39.1%
Oct 3, 2026vsCaliforniaW37.5%41.4%
Oct 10, 2026vsNNorth Dakota StateW33.3%—
Oct 17, 2026@Air ForceL69.2%35.5%
Oct 31, 2026vsNorthern IllinoisW45.5%50.3%

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.
  • North Dakota State 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 for 7 of these 8 games; in the other game a player is counted as in it when the box score has a stat for him.