Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

Nunyer's Notes

That was an interesting game... a very aggressive defensive approach with a ton of blitzing. Luckily Palmer was only sacked once, but was knocked down on probably 15-20 of his dropbacks. A good chunk of the incompletions were passes that were released during contact and went nowhere. Thankfully I got just enough of them off in time to take advantage of single coverage or a target that was outright left open. Palmer was actually knocked out of the game twice, during the last drive of each half.

Also I saw a really weird glitch with one of the plays they were running... I * think * it was meant to be a dive / gut handoff to the running back, but he would be one step beyond the QB when the handoff animation fired, resulting in a broken play and the QB just standing there in statute mode until he would get tackled for a -5 yard rush. Probably happened 4 or 5 times, at least once on a 3rd and short that gave me an extra possession. While I've seen these same kind of glitchy things happen over the years, both with HUM and CPU teams, this was the first time it seemed to be consistent every time they ran that certain play. If I ever get bored, I might poke around their playbook and see if I can find it and see if it really was the play or some combination of the play + the attributes of the players... maybe the HB had too high of an ACC rating and he was charging beyond his mark? It was odd.

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

Rhinos Stampede Nittany Lions!
Backup QB Monte Hall throws 4 TDs in home victory

By: Sixto Lezcano
October 10th, 2020

With starting QB Tiki Browning sidelined with recurring back spasms, the #2 Rhinos looked to the untested backup, redshirt sophomore Monte Hall. A largely unheralded recruit coming out of high school, Hall delivered at home this afternoon. Taking advantage of a suddenly struggling Penn State squad, Hall put up 378 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions.

"I know I don't have the most powerful arm and I can't run a 4.25 forty yard dash, but I've worked hard to improve", said Hall, "You don't want to let your opportunities slip away. You don't want to let down your teammates. I was hardly perfect out there today, but we did enough and the defense was lights out."

Coming into the season with hopes of contending on the national stage, Penn State has had a horrible non-conference run. They've gone 1-3 heading into Big Ten play and have dropped well out of the Top 25. Quarterback Xavier Brewer has been inconsistent and banged up, missing parts of the last two games with minor injuries. He hasn't played well in any of the Penn State losses, including dropping their game last week against Stevie Browning's Pitt Panthers who have started undefeated and are likely going to sneak into the Top 25 next poll.

Speaking of nagging quarterback injuries, Tiki Browning and the Rhinos get a much needed open date in week seven to heal up. While he's considered day-to-day at this point, sources close to the team expect him to be ready for the Rhinos next game on the road against Georgia. Another team with national title hopes, the Bulldogs went from the pre-season #1 to a nightmare 0-5 start.

Penn State Nittany Lions at Niagara Rhinos
Oct 10, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Penn State Nittany Lions (1-3)	7	3	3	0	13
#2 Niagara Rhinos (6-0)	14	7	10	7	38

Team Stats Comparison
	PSU	NIA
Total Offense	307	515
Rushing Yards	172	137
Passing Yards	135	378
First Downs	18	24
Punt Return Yards	0	28
Kick Return Yards	22	69
Total Yards	329	612
Turnovers	0	2
3rd Down Conversion	6-15	5-9
4th Down Conversion	0-2	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-1-1	7-4-1
Penalties	1-5	1-5
Possession Time	13:43	22:17

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		PSU	NIA
6:10	(NIA) TD - 26 yd pass, M.Hall to R,Terwilliger	0	7
3:18	(NIA) TD - 6 yd pass, M.Hall to I.Petoskey	0	14
1:29	(PSU) TD - 2 yd run, S.White	7	14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		PSU	NIA
8:54	(PSU) FG - 22 yd M.Wilson	10	14
2:21	(NIA) TD - 7 yd run, B.Apisa	10	21
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		PSU	NIA
7:11	(NIA) TD - 19 yd pass, M.Hall to D.Garcia	10	28
3:42	(PSU) FG - 55 yd M,Wilson	13	28
0:00	(NIA) FG - 27 yd A.Badu	13	31
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		PSU	NIA
4:11	(NIA) TD - 14 yd pass, M.Hall to I.Petoskey	13	38

Penn State Nittany Lions PASSING C/A YDS TD INT X.Brewer 17/29 135 0 0 S.White 0/1 0 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD X.Brewer 13 60 4.6 0 D.Miller 10 39 3.9 0 R.Carroll 7 38 5.4 0 K.Smith 4 14 3.5 0 S.White 3 21 7.0 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD R.Carroll 5 27 5.4 0 A.Phillips 4 44 11.0 0 A.Davis 3 19 6.3 0 D.Miller 3 8 2.6 0 R.Holloway 2 37 18.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD J.Pino 9 0 0 0 P.Joseph 9 0 1 0 J.Vincent 8 0 0 0 S.Thompson 6 0 0 0 I.Baker 5 1.0 1 0 D.Williams 3 1.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG M.Wilson 2/2 1/1 7 55 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 M.Britton 5 228 45.6 1

Niagara Rhinos PASSING C/A YDS TD INT M.Hall 25/34 378 4 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD B.Apisa 16 90 5.6 1 M.Hall 9 -4 -0.4 0 L.Kemp 6 22 3.6 0 C.Jenkins 4 18 4.5 0 F.Fawaz 2 6 3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD D.Garcia 7 123 17.5 1 I.Petoskey 5 62 12.4 2 B.Apisa 3 24 8.0 0 F.Fawaz 3 58 19.2 0 S.Watkins 2 53 26.5 0 K.Sanders 2 12 6.0 0 N.Papadatos 2 20 10.0 0 R.Terwilliger 1 26 26.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD J.Dequindre 7 1.0 0 0 A.James 7 0 0 0 B.Manahan 7 0 0 0 T.Starks 5 2.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG A.Badu 1/2 5/5 8 27 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 R.Finkbeiner 2 98 49.0 1

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty



PITT ANNOUNCES FIRST RECRUITS
Success comes early for Coach Browning, already has seven commits
Report by ISOTONERFAN69 | October 13th, 2020

While Pitt hasn't been a regular destination for 5-star recruits for quite some time, the new coaching regime is doing their best to change that. At least for this season, they seem to be targeting solid, middle-of-the-road 3-star types, but this is a team that needs depth and Browning looks well on his way to filling up all his available 25 scholarships.

On offense, the Panthers will lose their top two quarterbacks, top two wideouts and the left side of their offensive line to graduation. The offensive line is probably the unit that is most desperate for new blood, as the current depth behind the starters is pretty lackluster. Browning has already landed two big bodies from JUCOs, one of which should immediately step into the starting job at left tackle.

Potential 2021 Starters:

Justin Bellamy | T | 79 OVR
Considered by many as the top available JUCO offensive lineman, Justin is a PA native originally recruited by both Penn State and Pitt. Off field issues forced most schools to back off, but he has appeared to turn things around after two years at tiny Amish Furniture Tech. He has an incredibly quick first step and is considered a legit FBS level pass blocker. At this point, he has virtually zero competition for the left tackle job that will be vacant in 2021.

Chad Thompson | G | 73 OVR
At 6'4 and 315 lbs, Chad is a big body in the middle. Another JUCO transfer, he's got the speed and acceleration to be useful in pulling and trap plays and also has solid pass blocking technique. He'll be in the mix to start at left guard next year.


Projects:

Isaac Bowen | T | 68 OVR
Another big boy at 6'8 and 325 lbs, Bowen projects to be a run blocking right tackle prospect. Lack of depth could see him suiting up as a true freshman, although I'm sure the staff would want to redshirt him if possible.

John Jackson | SS | 70 OVR
From what I've heard, this kid is purely an "in-the-box" safety and is severely lacking in coverage skills. Maybe he adds some bulk and becomes a linebacker, but there are questions on his ability to play defensive back at the level.

Brian Douglas | LB | 65 OVR
Decent combination of size (6'2 / 240 lbs) and speed (82 SPD / 91 ACC), Brian is very rough around the edges as far as technique. Definitely a project that likely won't pay dividends for another 2-3 seasons... but hey.. you can't teach speed.

Robert Hodge | WR | 65 OVR
Another JUCO who will likely be little more than a depth and special teams guy. Decent speed, subpar hands.

T.J. Franklin | QB | 63 OVR
With only one QB returning next year, Pitt needed bodies and Franklin fits that criteria. His accuracy isn't that great even by high school standards, but he has solid arm strength with development potential.

[Careless Whisper]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

Monte Hall seems like he's very different to play with than Tiki. Was he really just that good through the air, or were Penn State's struggles more of a factor to his success?

[Deuce2223]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

I was good to see Monte have a good game in the absence of Tiki.


I don't know what the deal is with Georgia but they have been horrible in my dynasty after winning a National Title in 2018 they went (13-1) the next year and won the Fiesta Bowl, but in the last 6 years they have been 6-7, 4-8, 4-8, 1-11, 4-8 and 2-10 this season, burning through 3 Head Coaches.

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

Monte Hall seems like he's very different to play with than Tiki. Was he really just that good through the air, or were Penn State's struggles more of a factor to his success?

Penn State just wasn't very good in coverage against both Pitt and Niagara. Their team OVRs were alright, not in front of the PS3 to check, but nothing stood out as too terrible... but they either played soft zones without much pass rush pressure or sent pressure but left easy reads open. In the Niagara game, I saw a bunch of cover 2, and their strong safety wasn't quick enough to close the gap if the outside WR got a clean release... So I did use that to my advantage a bit... most of the yardage from the Hall-Garcia connection was fitting streak patterns inbetween the CB and SS... as I would hot route him to streak if it looked like the corner was up at press / cover 2 depth. Also, despite having HUM QB ACC at 10 in the sliders, both Niagara and Pitt QBs have been crazy accurate and getting most of the 50/50 jump balls to go our way.

I was good to see Monte have a good game in the absence of Tiki.


I don't know what the deal is with Georgia but they have been horrible in my dynasty after winning a National Title in 2018 they went (13-1) the next year and won the Fiesta Bowl, but in the last 6 years they have been 6-7, 4-8, 4-8, 1-11, 4-8 and 2-10 this season, burning through 3 Head Coaches.

They've been mostly a 2nd-tier SEC school in this dynasty, finishing with those "meh" type of 7-5 seasons a few times I think... and their only dominant team was last year where they were runner up in the Natty.

[moose141]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

Quarterback controversy brewing?!?! Or maybe a transfer with Monte thinking he should be the guy! Interesting storyline brewing there north of the border after that performance.

Are you doing the recruiting for Pitt yourself with Stevie as a user coach? Or just reporting or signings that the game made?

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

Quarterback controversy brewing?!?! Or maybe a transfer with Monte thinking he should be the guy! Interesting storyline brewing there north of the border after that performance.

Are you doing the recruiting for Pitt yourself with Stevie as a user coach? Or just reporting or signings that the game made?

I wouldn't say it's a controversy yet, just because Browning had been playing well and having success.. but if he faltered, then it's definitely possible. Monte's attributes are not outstanding, low 80s in both THP and THA, but like I said earlier... the HUM QB ACC has been insanely high this season so far despite the slider being at 10. Part of that might just be getting too familiar with the game and reading defenses... as I've been playing semi-regularly for over six months... maybe I'm just seeing the field better? I might start mixing in more sim -> watch play to let the CPU screw things up for me on occasion... although the last few times I did that with Pitt the CPU played as well or better than I would.

Speaking of Pitt, I am going to run recruiting through this year at least... and they do have a few higher profile recruits that they could land going forward... just not close enough to announce quite yet. They have a legit QB/WR athlete lined up who would likely start at QB if I can land him... and a few other true freshman difference makers in the pipeline... I don't want to go overboard, but I think I can land them a nice mix of depth and big play guys this year. Obviously not any 5-star studs.... but a 4-star or two along with a bunch of solid 3-star guys.

[djp73]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

What are you enjoying most about running two teams? Any drawbacks?

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

What are you enjoying most about running two teams? Any drawbacks?

Different strengths, requiring different game planning is probably the most enjoyable part. With Niagara, I have a much better o-line that allows more freedom to focus on the ground game, while Pitt is more of a "run to keep them honest" type of thing where I'm not expecting to rely on it. On defense, Niagara can get a little more aggressive with the blitzes and leave the DBs in man coverage... but with Pitt I tend to be more coverage based as they aren't a good man cover team beyond the starting corners.

No real drawbacks so far just beyond it taking more time to move along to the next week... but that's not as big of a deal... with summer coming up, I'll be spending less time on the PS3 anyways... and I'm fine with a slower pace.

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty



PERFECT SEASON IS OVER, PITT FALLS TO UCLA
Bruins force three turnovers, shut down running game, beats Panthers 37-34
Report by LACES OUT DAN! | October 17th, 2020

The UCLA defense came up big when they had to at home. Despite a poor 2-3 start, the Bruins at least did something to salvage their season. The defense forced three turnovers, generated six sacks and blocked a punt. The Pittsburgh offense rallied late, but couldn't quite do enough to overcome their mistakes. Quarterback Jeremy Palmer had yet another 400 yard day, but his two interceptions led to 14 UCLA points.

The Panthers had just managed to sneak into pollsters hearts, coming into the game ranked 25th in the nation, but that didn't last long. They stay on the west coast next week facing off against a 1-4 Utah squad. While the Utes are also struggling, a road win might just get the Panthers back into the Top 25.

Pittsburgh Panthers at UCLA Bruins
Oct 17, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#25 Pittsburgh Panthers (5-1)	7	3	10	14	34
UCLA Bruins (2-3)	6	14	7	10	37

Team Stats Comparison
	PITT	UCLA
Total Offense	427	340
Rushing Yards	21	142
Passing Yards	406	198
First Downs	24	16
Punt Return Yards	7	45
Kick Return Yards	34	77
Total Yards	468	462
Turnovers	3	0
3rd Down Conversion	4-13	8-15
4th Down Conversion	3-3	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	7-4-2	5-4-1
Penalties	3-25	2-15
Possession Time	20:50	15:10

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		PITT	UCLA
6:00	(PITT) TD - 4 yd run, R.Woods	7	0
4:30	(UCLA) FG - 47 yd, J.Lloyd	7	3
0:54	(UCLA) FG - 44 yd, J.Lloyd	7	6
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		PITT	UCLA
8:10	(UCLA) TD - 4 yd run, B.Johnson	7	13
3:56	(UCLA) TD - 8 yd pass, T.Stephens to J.McCormick	7	20
0:00	(PITT) FG - 33 yd, C.Chavez	10	20
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		PITT	UCLA
6:53	(UCLA) TD - 2 yd run, T.Stephens	10	27
4:03	(PITT) FG - 33 yd, C.Chavez	13	27
1:15	(PITT) TD - 14 yd pass, J.Palmer to J.Alexander	20	27
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		PITT	UCLA
4:52	(PITT) TD - 7 yd pass, J.Palmer to J.Tyler	27	27
2:02	(UCLA) FG - 26 yd, J.Lloyd	27	30
0:22	(UCLA) TD - 4 yd run, T.Stephens	27	37
0:00	(PITT) TD - 8 yd pass, J.Palmer to N.Tyler	34	37

Pittsburgh Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT J.Palmer 33/44 406 3 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD R.Woods 22 73 3.3 1 J.Palmer 8 -58 -7.2 0 S.Jenkins 2 6 3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD J.Alexander 8 129 16.1 1 N.Tyler 7 80 11.4 1 D.Martin 7 108 15.4 0 R.Woods 4 13 3.2 0 S.Johnson 3 38 12.6 0 J.Jackson 2 28 14.0 0 J.Tyler 1 7 7.0 1 K.Davis 1 3 3.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD M.Givens 9 0 0 0 J.Seals 7 0 0 0 A.Roberts 7 0 0 0 E.Williams 7 0 0 0 M.Holland 6 0 0 0 M.Fuller 4 0 0 0 J.Burnette 4 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG C.Chavez 2/2 4/4 10 35 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C.Coleman 3 148 49.3 0

UCLA Bruins PASSING C/A YDS TD INT T.Stephens 18/26 198 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD B.Johnson 24 64 2.6 1 T.Stephens 12 74 6.1 2 A.Johnson 3 4 1.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD B.Johnson 8 80 10.0 0 J.Johnson 3 31 10.3 0 M.Rice 2 8 4.0 0 E.Smith 2 57 28.5 0 J.McCormick 1 8 8.0 1 R.Washington 1 5 5.0 0 T.Weldon 1 9 9.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD C.Freeman 10 1.0 0 0 H.Kirkpatrick 8 2.0 0 0 D.Leach 7 0 0 0 J.Nealy 7 0 0 0 J.Williams 4 1.0 0 0 A.Jefferson 4 0 1 0 C.Pace 4 1.0 0 0 J.Thomas 3 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG J.Lloyd 3/4 4/4 13 47 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 J.Billings 2 101 50.5 0

NUNYER'S NOTES:
I played this game three nights ago, so don't remember all that much. I played a bit of the 1st quarter, I think thru the first two Pitt possessions, then simulated to the start of the 4th quarter. One of the three turnovers was on my watch, a bad interception in the late 4th quarter that lead to the final UCLA touchdown. During the 4th quarter their designed runs to the HB were ineffective, but the QB was very good on both option plays and scrambling when the pocket broke down. He probably had 50 of his 74 rushing yards in the 4th quarter. The highlight from my perspective was the final touchdown drive of the game: touchback and then three passes to go the length of the field... unfortunately it was too little, too late.

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

[djp73]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

Georgia is surprisingly terrible. Looks like on both sides of the ball. Odd with the good letter grades.

[Careless Whisper]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

From 12-1 to 0-6 - I know you've said that the sim engine is very strange in 14, but I can't say I've ever seen such a drop off like that before.

[Nunyerbiz]

Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

Even for wonky EA sim results, this is a bit of an outlier. I think part of it was losing their starting QB in the first game... but it's not like the backup is a total scrub either, still an 87 OVR... But their offense has just been arse.

Wanted to play the game yesterday, but ended up not having the time... will likely get to it today.