EA Sports annual college football game just got a lot more interesting for FAU students.
The game that is played in almost every dorm across the country now includes the 2004 FAU football team. Yes, you can play as FAU and if you dare you can take on the University of Miami with those Owls.
The Owls have gotten what some would consider little respect in the game as they are ranked 118 out of 119 Division I-A teams in the game. The ranking comes along with a bunch of D and D- ratings for the offense and defense of a team that made it to the Division I-AA playoffs last year. The only team ranked lower than the Owls are the Florida International University Panthers.
Do not fret. You can change this misfortune.
The game has the option for you to change any player’s abilities. So if you take the time, FAU can be an A team on offense and defense. You can also enter the names, weight and height of all the players.
So far that is what some real life FAU football players have done.
“I haven’t played a season yet,” says senior quarterback Jared Allen. “I have entered the names and stats for the entire offense. But my roommate erased it.”
“I don’t play the game,” says senior linebacker Chris Laskowski. “But I have named all the defense on my roommate Danny Embick’s game.”
The fact that FAU is in the game is amazing in itself, but it would have been nice if they got some of the specifics right.
They do have a quarterback that looks like Allen to intro the game you are about to play.
What they don’t have is an actual depiction of Lockhart Stadium. Accord to EA Sports, Lockhart has sideline bleachers, end zone bleachers, and hills in each corner for fans to sit on.
Over one of the fields you can make out an FAU field house that looks for some reason like it would be in Fort Lauderdale at the executive airport. Fine, it looks nice but wouldn’t it be better to have planes fly over during play?
Also Coach Howard Schnellenberger is seen as a gray haired man in a sweater. What, are you kidding me, no suit?
Maybe we should turn the game off now.
O.K. I did play it.
I tried my luck with FIU. The running was worthless in my game, but it was hampered by the fact there was no number 5. You know, Doug Parker, our starting tailback.
Without a running game it was time to throw the ball. The #12 quarterback was very accurate, but the receivers couldn’t catch anything.
Needless to say I lost to FIU in my first attempt. If you read the simulated season you will notice the computer had FAU beat FIU, so maybe it was just me.
In all, the game is fun. It is faster than years past and there are new options such as a close-line tackle, the ability to run over tacklers, and control of interceptions with defensive players.
The best part of the game is the exposure FAU will receive.
“When people play, they usually pick the worst teams so it will be fair,” says Laskowski. “So at least people will know more about us after this game.”
FAU players also liked that their friends could change the lineups and put them into the action wherever they wanted. And one player took that to another level.
“I don’t have the game,” says senior place kicker Mark Myers. “If I did I would probably take out Jared [Allen] and put myself in as quarterback.”
Well, that says it all; this game has something for everyone.
