Matchup analysis
Before kickoff our model projected Bryant 30.4, Princeton 17.1 at Beirne Stadium in Week 3. That is a solid edge: Bryant wins about 81% of the time by our estimate, with a projected margin of 13.3 points and 47.5 combined points.
Princeton has not played a game yet this season, so its number leans on last year's results. Bryant is 2-1, scoring 19.3 and allowing 22.7 points per game (-3.4 per game).
College football is noisy: even a well-rated projection misses the final margin by about 14 points on average. Based on how real results have scattered around our numbers, the final margin should land somewhere between Princeton by 9 and Bryant by 36 about 80% of the time.
Bryant gets about 2.1 points for playing at home. Even on a neutral field the ratings would still favour Bryant by about 11.2.
Result: Princeton 14, Bryant 21. The model had the right winner; the margin was off by 6.3 points and the total by 12.5.
Market lines
Market lines · Source: The Odds API, ESPN, Action Network · Updated Oct 29, 9:25 AM UTC. Shown for information; not an input to our projections.
| Provider | Spread (open → now) | Total (open → now) | Moneyline (Princeton / Bryant) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consensus | Princeton -3 → Princeton -2.5 | 44.5 | -150 / +121 |
| DraftKings | Princeton -3 → Princeton -2.5 | 44.5 | -150 / +121 |
This game's lines: CollegeFootballData.com · read Oct 22, 6:37 PM UTC.
| Projection | Margin | Total | Bryant win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our model | Bryant -13.5 | 47.5 | 81% |
| Market consensus | Princeton -2.5 | 44.5 | 43% |
| Blended projection | Pick'em | 45.9 | 50% |
Blended projection = 0.16 x our margin + 0.84 x the market margin, weights fitted on past seasons (see methodology).
Model vs market
- Bryant win probability
- model 81% · market (no-vig) 43% · difference +38 pts
- Margin
- model Bryant -13.3 · market Princeton -2.5 · difference +15.8 pts (Bryant view)
- Total
- model 47.5 · market 44.5 · difference +3.0
Model margin is 15.8 pts more toward Bryant than the market.
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Original projection vs new formula
| Projection | Score | Win prob | Margin miss | Total miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original projection | Princeton 17.1, Bryant 30.4 | Bryant 81%right winner | 6.3 | 12.5 |
| New formula | Princeton 22.6, Bryant 28.9 | Bryant 64%right winner | 0.6 | 16.5 |
Final: Princeton 14, Bryant 21. Original = the number we posted before kickoff. New formula (2026-10-21 matchup terms) = the current model re-run with only the games played before this one.
Princeton vs Bryant: stat comparison
2025 season numbers (this season's sample is still too small).
| Stat | Princeton | Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 20.8 | 22.5 |
| Points allowed per game | 24.4 | 30.3 |
| Yards per play | 5.03 | 5.35 |
| Yards per play allowed | 5.63 | 6.08 |
| Rushing yards per game | 137.0 | 128.8 |
| Net passing yards per game | 200.4 | 227.5 |
| Rushing yards allowed per game | 158.1 | 156.2 |
| Net passing yards allowed per game | 229.0 | 270.4 |
| Turnovers per game | 1.20 | 1.83 |
| Takeaways per game | 1.50 | 1.00 |
| Sacks per game | 1.10 | 1.75 |
| Sacks allowed per game | 3.00 | 1.25 |
| Stat | Princeton | Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| EPA per play | -0.04 | -0.10 |
| EPA per play allowed | +0.01 | +0.08 |
| Success rate | 40.6% | 37.2% |
| Success rate allowed | 45.2% | 44.9% |
| Explosive play rate | 11.2% | 9.0% |
| Explosive plays allowed | 9.8% | 13.4% |
| Havoc rate | 11.4% | 11.2% |
| Havoc allowed | 13.1% | 12.8% |
| Points per scoring opportunity | 3.02 | 2.51 |
| Points per opportunity allowed | 3.66 | 3.18 |
| Average starting field position | opp 0 | opp 15 |
| Opponents' starting field position | opp 0 | opp 14 |
| Offensive plays per game (pace) | 67.1 | 66.6 |
| Stat | Princeton | Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing EPA per play | +0.00 | -0.08 |
| Passing EPA per play | -0.09 | -0.14 |
| Rushing EPA allowed | +0.03 | -0.01 |
| Passing EPA allowed | -0.02 | +0.18 |
| Rushing success rate | 44.8% | 39.6% |
| Passing success rate | 37.2% | 37.8% |
| Run stuff rate | 16.0% | 18.1% |
| Passing-down success rate | 29.1% | 25.4% |
| Passing-down success allowed | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Third-down conversion rate | 38.8% | 35.8% |
| Third-down rate allowed | 49.3% | 48.0% |
| Red-zone touchdown rate | 46.8% | 27.9% |
| Red-zone TD rate allowed | 57.6% | 47.5% |
# = rank among 136 FBS teams. Efficiency numbers exclude garbage time. Per-play numbers of teams with a weak schedule are pulled toward their opponent-adjusted values (fully at one standard deviation below an average schedule). Source: play-by-play (cfbfastR / sportsdataverse), aggregated by us.
More: Princeton schedule · Bryant schedule · all Week 3 projections
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