Putting Up Numbers· college football

Virginia’s carries with Jekail Middlebrook and since Jekail Middlebrook’s last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Virginia was 4.7 carries over with Jekail Middlebrook and 21.0 carries under since Jekail Middlebrook’s last game over its last 25 games, 7 games against 1. The plain averages are 41.1 and 18.0, a difference of 23.1. All 5 home games were with Jekail Middlebrook. All 5 night games were with Jekail Middlebrook. All 7 unranked opponents were with Jekail Middlebrook.

Jekail Middlebrook, running back: 513 rushing yards, 105 carries and 12 receptions in 8 of those 25 games, 32% of Virginia’s carries in those games.

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

carries a game over expected

The games

with Jekail Middlebrooksince Jekail Middlebrook’s last game
Virginia’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Jekail Middlebrook or since Jekail Middlebrook’s last game
SideDateGameResultcarriesExpected
Nov 23, 2024vsSMUL3935.3
Nov 30, 2024@Virginia TechL3237.7
Aug 30, 2025vsCoastal CarolinaW4240.5
Sep 6, 2025@NC StateL3233.7
Sep 13, 2025vsWilliam & MaryW49—
Sep 20, 2025vsStanfordW4035.7
Sep 26, 2025vsFlorida StateW4840.1
Oct 4, 2025@LouisvilleW3135.8
Oct 18, 2025vsWashington StateW2934.3
Oct 25, 2025@North CarolinaW3339.2
Nov 1, 2025@CaliforniaW4437.0
Nov 8, 2025vsWake ForestL3039.1
Nov 15, 2025@DukeW4135.4
Nov 29, 2025vsVirginia TechW4636.3
Dec 6, 2025vsDuke (neutral)L2937.1
Dec 27, 2025vsMissouri (neutral)W4033.4
Aug 29, 2026vsNC StateW5733.6
Sep 11, 2026vsNNorfolk StateW36—
Sep 19, 2026vsWest Virginia (neutral)L3739.1
Sep 26, 2026vsDelawareW4138.6
Oct 3, 2026@Florida StateL3938.1
Oct 10, 2026vsSyracuseW3436.5
Oct 17, 2026@SMUL3237.9
Oct 23, 2026vsDukeL5336.0
Oct 31, 2026@Wake ForestL1839.0

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 0.6 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 61% of the difference the model predicts.
  • Norfolk 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 8 of these 9 games; in the other game a player is counted as in it when the box score has a stat for him.
  • 16 games in 2024 and 2025 are neither with Jekail Middlebrook nor since Jekail Middlebrook’s last game: Jekail Middlebrook had no game for the team those seasons, and sit out.