My TEXAS-sized struggle with UNLV

[FORMULA316]

After renting NCAA Foot 09 for the Wii, I decided to purchase the 360 version of the game.
Despite the 360/PS3 bugs, it's a breath of fresh air in comparison, Motel 6 vs. The Four Seasons.

After bumping the skill to Heisman & reviewing and adjusting the slider set, I selected a
Play Now game against the football powerhouse of UNLV. I was the Texas Longhorns.

Just a quick note on weather, I suppose the © 2008 The Weather Network worked,
afterall the local weather guy usually messes up and so did this. On par

I won the coin toss and elected to recieve. I returned the ball further than what previous
versions of this game normally allowed. I would later return a kickoff to the UNLV 48,
not something I normally do especially on a first play, after unwraaping the product.

On my first possession I ran and threw with ease. On 7-minute quarters, I like to
control the clock, and subsequently the game. However from the UNLV 35 I roll
out left with the QB on a Comebacks and the moment I threw the ball, I knew
it would be picked off, and it was. INTERCEPTION. I would throw 5-picks
in total, a figure I have never done before in a football video game.

At least I guessed the Defensive Scheme

I will point out that every interception I threw last night, I either forced the issue,
throwing into double coverage or just plain bad quarterback decision making.

After the first turnover, UNLV held onto to ball and drove down the field, not
necessarily with ease but rather with a lot of 3^rd-down forturne. On a 4^th and 3
at my 37-yard line, I was expecting to return a punt instead they line up and
convert. Yet another pass play up the middle for yardage. Throughout the
game, UNLV's passing game was tight. The quarterback's stat's were:

21-32, 175 yards, 1-TD, 1-INT

The UNLV QB did go long during a regular drive and connected with 27-yard
completion to the WR who entended himself for the sideline catch. Nice.

The running game (now granted this is UNLV) in itself was weak from the CPU,
however the Option was good for some big runs against my defence. What I enjoyed
last night was that I really had to mix my up defensive playcalling. I found more
success with QB Spy and QB Contain after initial blitz packages went wrong.
It was later in the game that my blitzing yielded results especially when my
LOLB blocked what looked to a sure-fire touchdown game-ending catch.

Continuing on UNLV's opening drive, they scored to go up 7-0. Gulp.
On my 2^nd possession, all was well, punching it in from less than a yard
in with my fullback. I thought I had scored on the previous play when I
met up to User the catch with my WR, but he got pumelled, and the ball
squitted loose. Nice.

UNLV countered with a FG (they would score 4 FG in total) and on my next possession,
I threw another poor decision interception off a play-action pass for a TD try. At their
8-yard line however on the very next play I exploded threw their front line, blew up
the quarterback, recovered the ball and took it just to the edge of the goaline. It
took 4 cracks to get 6 just before the end of the half, actually losing 2 yards on
the 2^nd down. After 2 quarters, 14-10 Texas over UNLV.

The 3^rd quarter saw me turn the ball over with more silly interceptions to which
UNLV responded with 2 more field goals. After 3 quarters. 16-14 UNLV over Texas.

Gulp.

4^th quarter, another UNLV field goal. Could've been worse had I not blocked a
pass that was destined for the endzone and the safety was way out of position.
Despite being down 19-14, I really thought I took control after I was finally
able to force them to punt. My consistent air & ground game however was
again went pear shaped with my 5^th interception thrown. On the subsequent
UNLV possession, it was back and forth, as they netted their 3^rd and X-yards
into first downs. The play-of-the-game, or turning point, came on an offensive
pass interference. What looked to be a deep strike to my 5-yard line was called
back. UNLV lost more yards afterwards just enough to force them to kick a FG.

Ice the Kicker.

It worked. I called a timeout prior to the field goal snap and the next attempt went
wide. From a fun factor, this was shaping up to be a really good experience, especially
playing right out of the box with quick slider adjustments. After the missed FG attempt,
I scored on a play action play, and converted a 2-point try to go up 3.

It was on UNLV's next possession that I got my first interrception, one that ended the
game as I held onto the ball and forced them to use all their timeouts.

I messed around with the replays afterwards. Nothing worthwhile uploading but this
was a very positive game, espececially after renting the Wii version (that was disappointing).

The only bad news is I played against UNLV. How on earth am I going to play with the bigs?