So you’ve ran out and purchased NCAA Football 09 on release day after hearing the good, the bad, and the strange. Regardless of all that, it still plays a good game of football and I am here to help you adjust to the new year.

Offense

On the offensive side of the ball there are several enhancements made to the game that need to be taken advantage of.

The breakaway engine is a fun way to start making defenders miss with the new arsenal of moves and this needs to be in the game plan whether you are starting up a dynasty or some online quick matches.

The best way to take advantage of the new engine is to do anything that gets your running back or receiver into the open field so he can be at the ready to break some ankles.

WR Screen
If you thought the corner route was a money play back in the day, this will surely cash in some checks.

While the corner route was a definite money play it simply wasn’t very fun to do, as you would just wait for your TE or WR to get open because of the poor coverage. Now with the breakaway engine, running a WR screen has never been so fun or so useful!

The best time to call a screen is from a run-first formation (Ace or I-Form) on 1st or 2nd down when the defense is expecting a run.

If you thought the corner route was a money play back in the day, this will surely cash in some checks.

Typically, they will come out in their base 3-4 or 4-3, which doesn’t have as much speed on the field as their other formations.

Now, one mistake people do is they throw it to their WR right as they hike the ball. However, the ideal move is to wait 2 or 3 seconds and see how the DB is playing your WR to prevent any picks or batted balls.

As soon as you see space form, or the DB get engaged by a blocker, zip the ball to the WR and run to daylight. Don’t forget to use the new bag of tricks as you race up the sideline for six!

Crossing Routes
Another fantastic tactic to use is any involving a form of crossing routes. Whether it’s the TE’s or slot receivers, these routes always seem to get open no matter what defense is called. However, it proves to be more successful against man coverage, with obvious reason.

The true way to be successful with these routes is to send a guy in motion in order to see if your opponent is running man defense or not. If he isn’t, audible out or make a hot route adjustment to take advantage of the zone you might be seeing.

Crossing routes need to be in your playbook at all times in order to be a worthy player this year.

If you read man coverage, let the ball fly baby. A good three seconds after the ball is snapped you should see some separation from your intended target and his defender and this is when you should strike.

Crossing routes need to be in your playbook at all times in order to be a worthy player this year.

Defense

On the defensive side of the ball things are a little different, mainly because the game is so offense-oriented. Some things work on defense, and a lot don’t. I don’t really have a specific play to show on defense but rather an overall strategy.

Zone Defenses
Since the general idea on offense is to have a wide-open field, you want to try to prevent that. If you have man coverage, there is going to be a one-on-one almost every time and that could be very dangerous to do.

Also, as mentioned, crossing routes are extremely deadly in this year’s game and there is no way man coverage can stop those from being successful. The best way to prevent one-on-one matchups and crossing routes from happening is to use zone defense.

If you are in control of a linebacker and can see the crosses coming, you have a much better chance at preventing them than the AI would.

I suggest using the linebackers whenever you have a chance in order to stay in the open field and wait for any potential crosses that may come across. If you are in control of a linebacker and can see the crosses coming, you have a much better chance at preventing them than the AI would.

Another reason to have zone coverage is because of the ability of the ball carriers. If you are running a softer zone (Cover 4, Cover 2 Sink) the defenders will be sitting waiting for the ball carrier to whom they can swarm and have a better chance at tackling.

After playing the game for a week these are just a few new things to look at when playing NCAA Football 09. This is just the tip of the iceberg I am sure, but if you have any good offensive or defensive strategy be sure to leave a comment!