and along the offensive line.I think in college foo

When ESPNs Sports Analytics Team rebuilt its expected points model in the offseason, one of the new features that was built in was the ability to adjust the expected points added (EPA)?values based on the type of play that was called. This means we can fairly compare the results of plays against similar plays -- that is, to compare run plays to other run plays and not against passing plays. This adjustment is useful when comparing team running games to one another.Teams almost universally run too often, which generally makes running plays have negative EPA. This is a consequence of a league-wide miscalculation and not the fault of running backs or other players who are only doing their best when called upon. Expected points also allows us to better contextualize a players contributions compared to yards, as it accounts for the down, distance, yard line and time remaining. This means a 4-yard gain on a third-and-3 is immensely more valuable in terms of EPA than a 9-yard gain on third-and-15, despite being worth only one-third as many yards. In short, its a measure of a teams scoring potential throughout a drive. From a running backs perspective, it is how much his teams scoring potential changes on his carries. Unlike with QBR, there is no division of credit among players.This may be surprising, as Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys has outrushed the Dolphins Jay Ajayi by 245 yards (891 to 646), but the yards Ajayi is gaining have helped the Dolphins improve their scoring potential more than Elliotts have. That isnt to say Elliott has racked up a bunch of meaningless yards, but Ajayi has been particularly efficient, evidenced by his league-leading 5.98 yards per carry. He also owns the carry on which his team gained the most EPA so far this season -- his 62-yard touchdown to salt the game away against Pittsburgh in Week 5.Why is that run more valuable than some others that were longer? Largely because it came with only 1:01 left in the game, which meant the Steelers wouldnt have much time to respond, and enhances the value of scoring the touchdown.For more on EPA and other NFL metrics, check out ESPN.com/Analytics Cheap Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China . Their experience showed Tuesday as the No. 10 Badgers blunted a Saint Louis surge to win 63-57 and advance to face West Virginia in Wednesdays finals of the Cancun Challenge. Clearance Hockey Jerseys Store . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. http://www.cheaphockeychina.com/cheap-calgary-flames-jerseys-china_177g.html . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Cheap Boston Bruins Jerseys China . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. Cheap Hockey Jerseys . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- About the only think Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly can say for certain about the quarterback position on the eve of practice starting is he doesnt expect DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire to play at the same time.He wasnt willing to rule out much more than that Friday as he fielded repeated questions about different scenarios on the eve of practice beginning Saturday in Culver, 30 miles south of campus.I have not taken anything off the table, honestly, Kelly said. If you go down the roster ... and look at the playmakers on offense, two of them are on the quarterback side. So I have to look at all of those, and factor every one of those in.Its not the answer Kizer or Zaire want to hear, but both realize it is the reality they are facing. Each is focused only on being the starter.This is what I came here to do, to compete and try to be the Notre Dame quarterback, Kizer said. Im pretty happy with where I stand. Now its time to go out there and prove it.Kizer, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound right-hander, led the Irish to nine victories, completing 211 of 335 passes for 2,884 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.Zaire, a 6-foot, 225-pound left-hander, won the starting job last year and completed 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns in a season-opening 38-3 win over Texas, with his 86.4 percent completion rate ranking second in school history for a single game. But he broke his right ankle a week later against Virginia and watched as Kizer led the Irish to a 10-3 finish and a No. 11 ranking.Zaire said hes not focusing on being the best quarterback at Notre Dame; hes working to be the best quarterback in college football.dddddddddddd.Thats what Im focused on and I know thats going to translate into wins for the team, he said.Kelly, entering his seventh season as coach of the Irish, said he doesnt have a timetable for picking a starter before the Sept. 4 opener at Texas. He said depth at quarterback is what leads him to believe the Irish can vie for a playoff spot this season despite losing experience at receiver and along the offensive line.I think in college football any time you have a quarterback -- quarterbacks, were full with quarterbacks -- that gives you a fighting chance right out of the gate, he said.Kelly isnt worried that letting the competition continue could hurt the offense, saying the pair arent that different and he knows what he wants the offense to look like.They have some strengths and weaknesses within the offense that well tweak just a little bit, but theres no overhaul of the offense if one is in vs. the other. Theres just some play selections that would be different, he said. So we can still lay down our entire installation seamlessly.Game notes Kelly said he expects sophomore quarterback Brandon Wimbush to sit out this season and compete for a starting spot next season. ... Kelly also announced that defensive lineman Grant Blankenship, who was suspended from the team in April for violating unspecified team rules is no longer with the team and seeking a transfer. ' ' '