Starting Out

So this will be fun.

I'm going to play NCAA Football on the Xbox 360, and write about it. That's what blogging is.

My user name on XboxLive is Kircher25. I play with Florida or, if someone doesn't want to tangle with the big boys, Illinois. I'll try to play a couple games every other day or so. I played two games tonight.

Game 1

Opponent: TSHEATS

Team: Oregon

Better User Name: TS EliOT

Record: 71-77

Started with the ball; I've been working on balance on offense. First possession was all runs and short passes (crosses to the TE, RB swings); TS roaming around with his DE in pass coverage: not effective. 7-0.

TS first possession starts with a jet sweep action to the WR, dropped for a five yard loss. Auto-motion plays are tough to make work, because they give away the snap timing, and are either a run or a PA pass. Either way, it slows down the offense and leaves the QB or RB vulnerable to a quick rush. 3 and out.

Still running the ball well; one long 2nd down required a deep post route, but otherwise able to stay to short stuff. 14-0.

Second chance for TS; QB scramble on 3rd and 22 sets up 4th and 3. Fake punt, snaps to up-back, converts. Frustrating. I sub in a SS for a DT to spy the QB, force a turnover on downs.

It's 14-0, TS hasn't gotten anything going. Time to go for the knockout punch. 5 deep passes, TD. 4 minutes left in the 1st half.

To TS's credit, he sticks around to give it one more go. Sack, incompletion, sack, interception, TS calls it quits. So it goes.

Game 2

Opponent: maze499

Team: Cal

Better User Name: Labyrinth499

Record: 0-0 (Awesome!)

Alright, Hoggle, welcome to NCAA 10. You get the ball to start. Off-tackle right, no gain; PA pass, incomplete; TAINT. I don't know where he thought he was going.

Okay, let's try again. Don't be too rough on yourself. Lab works himself into a 4th and 1, goes for it; PA pass, sacked. I compassionately score a TD on my first pass.

DB's C goes 3 and out; I move the ball well on my next possession, but throw an interception in the red zone against an Engage-8 blitz. Engage 8 and other sell out blitzes are awful, but can work well when unexpected or if you catch the offense in a slow developing play. Anyway, now I have to play defense.

For three plays. I field the punt and score quickly. I'd tell you more about how crazy my offense was, but I want to get to what Hogwart did on his next possession. He ends up in like a 4th and 11 on his own 27, and calls a hurry up fake spike, then throws it in the flat to his fullback. This choice was surprising.

It's 21-0, I'm on the door of the red zone, and I can't move the ball. This is a huge stop for DB's C; his first game, he's getting molley-wopped, and he finally gets a stop. He can feel the tide turning. This is the perfect place to fake a FG. Not only does he not expect this because he hasn't played online yet, but he's riding high on emotion from his huge red zone stop, so he's not thinking clearly. Fake FG pass, TD, 28-0.

Now that I've seen this offense a few times, I realize it's all play-action passes from under center. It's so slow to develop. I bring SS blitzes from the edges, and I'm in the backfield before the QB finished the auto-fake action every time. A few more plays, I get the ball, score, he quits at 35-0.

Notable stats at quittin' time: dude had 1 first down, 9 yards of offense, 2 picks, and was sacked 5 times. I was 11 for 13 with 3 TD's.

Welcome to the league, rookie.