Putting Up Numbers· college football

Utah’s points allowed with Byrd Ficklin and without Byrd Ficklin

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Utah was 10.3 points under with Byrd Ficklin and 1.7 points under without Byrd Ficklin over its last 25 games, 1 game against 18. The plain averages are 7.0 and 18.3, a difference of 11.3. All 9 away games were without Byrd Ficklin. All 13 day games were without Byrd Ficklin. All 5 ranked opponents were without Byrd Ficklin.

Byrd Ficklin, quarterback: 493 passing yards, 55 pass attempts and 32 completions in 20 of those 25 games.

One game with Byrd Ficklin is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

points allowed a game over expected

The games

with Byrd Ficklinwithout Byrd Ficklin
Utah’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Byrd Ficklin or without Byrd Ficklin
SideDateGameResultpoints allowedExpected
Nov 9, 2024vsBYUL2224.3
Nov 16, 2024@ColoradoL4925.0
Nov 23, 2024vsIowa StateL3124.0
Nov 29, 2024@UCFW1427.5
Aug 30, 2025@UCLAW1021.0
Sep 6, 2025vsCCal PolyW9—
Sep 13, 2025@WyomingW69.0
Sep 20, 2025vsTexas TechL3427.8
Sep 27, 2025@West VirginiaW1419.5
Oct 11, 2025vsArizona StateW1019.0
Oct 18, 2025@BYUL2426.8
Oct 25, 2025vsColoradoW717.3
Nov 1, 2025vsCincinnatiW1421.1
Nov 15, 2025@BaylorW2826.6
Nov 22, 2025vsKansas StateW4718.7
Nov 28, 2025@KansasW2124.7
Dec 31, 2025vsNebraska (neutral)W2222.3
Sep 3, 2026vsIdahoW14—
Sep 12, 2026vsArkansasW1019.8
Sep 19, 2026vsUtah StateW011.9
Sep 26, 2026@Iowa StateW1725.0
Oct 10, 2026vsKansasW2420.3
Oct 17, 2026@ColoradoW2413.2
Oct 24, 2026vsHoustonW1324.3
Oct 31, 2026@CincinnatiW2522.8

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, minus 1.5 in 2025, minus 1.9 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.
  • Cal Poly, Idaho 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, 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.
  • 4 games in 2024 are neither with Byrd Ficklin nor without Byrd Ficklin: Byrd Ficklin had no game for the team that season, and sit out.