Putting Up Numbers· college football

Western Michigan’s penalty yards with Lolo Mataele and since Lolo Mataele’s last game

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Western Michigan was 7.3 yards under with Lolo Mataele and 32.7 yards under since Lolo Mataele’s last game over its last 25 games, 20 games against 1. The plain averages are 42.3 and 20.0, a difference of 22.3. All 11 away games were with Lolo Mataele. Both neutral-site games were with Lolo Mataele. All 8 night games were with Lolo Mataele.

Lolo Mataele, running back: 483 rushing yards, 110 carries and 12 receptions in 19 of those 25 games.

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

penalty yards a game over expected

The games

with Lolo Mataelesince Lolo Mataele’s last game
Western Michigan’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Lolo Mataele or since Lolo Mataele’s last game
SideDateGameResultpenalty yardsExpected
Nov 30, 2024vsEastern MichiganW2553.9
Dec 14, 2024vsSouth Alabama (neutral)L4043.9
Aug 29, 2025@Michigan StateL2149.2
Sep 6, 2025vsNorth TexasL7544.0
Sep 13, 2025@IllinoisL6547.3
Sep 20, 2025vsToledoW2043.1
Sep 27, 2025vsRRhode IslandW30—
Oct 4, 2025@UMassW4446.0
Oct 11, 2025vsBall StateW3049.3
Oct 25, 2025@Miami (OH)L047.4
Nov 1, 2025vsCentral MichiganW5947.4
Nov 11, 2025vsOhioW1043.8
Nov 18, 2025@Northern IllinoisW1749.8
Nov 25, 2025@Eastern MichiganW7552.0
Dec 6, 2025vsMiami (OH) (neutral)W3743.6
Dec 19, 2025vsKennesaw State (neutral)W7552.0
Sep 5, 2026@MichiganL4050.0
Sep 12, 2026vsMMonmouthW68—
Sep 19, 2026@RiceW4546.8
Sep 26, 2026vsBoise StateL3552.9
Oct 3, 2026@BuffaloW4955.5
Oct 10, 2026vsKent StateW5256.0
Oct 17, 2026@Central MichiganW3152.8
Oct 24, 2026@ToledoL5249.7
Oct 31, 2026vsBowling GreenW2052.7

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 2.1 in 2025, minus 1.3 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 45% in 2025, 27% in 2026 of the difference the model predicts.
  • Rhode Island, Monmouth 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.
  • 2 games in 2024 are neither with Lolo Mataele nor since Lolo Mataele’s last game: Lolo Mataele had no game for the team that season, and sit out.