Word: With EA Sports activities’ Faculty Soccer 25 bringing faculty soccer again to the online game world, the Deseret Information is simulating each BYU sport towards an FBS opponent this season.
BYU, due to a game-winning landing cross to Darius Lassiter with 10 seconds left final week towards Oklahoma State, continues to be unbeaten.
The Cougars will take their 7-0 file — and 4-0 in Massive 12 play — into UCF on Saturday, the place BYU can have the chance to remain good going into their second bye week of the season.
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Can the Cougars beat the Knights, who’re on a four-game shedding streak however practically knocked off No. 10 Iowa State final week?
The Deseret Information ran a simulation of Saturday’s sport on the EA Sports activities Faculty Soccer 25 online game, and UCF was in a position to give the Cougars their hardest check of the 12 months.
How the simulation was arrange
There have been a few floor guidelines in place: The simulation used 12-minute quarters and I let the pc simulate the sport with no consumer interference.
CPU scores have additionally been adjusted a bit from the usual to make cross protection extra practical — I adjusted the passing accuracy from 50 to 35, then adjusted cross protection scores from 50 to 80.
Accidents and depth chart motion have been additionally applied.
Broad receiver Kody Epps continues to be out for BYU, and with heart Connor Pay nonetheless sidelined with a damaged foot, Bruce Mitchell changed him at heart once more for BYU.
The uniforms each groups shall be sporting have been additionally applied into the simulation.
BYU goes with its street white jerseys with royal trim, together with royal helmets (with royal facemasks) and royal pants, with white trim.
UCF goes with an all-black jersey and pants look, together with a throwback gold UCF brand helmet, which was made accessible within the online game this week following an replace for CFB 25.
How correct was the simulation of BYU’s final sport?
The precise rating: BYU 38, Oklahoma State 35
Faculty Soccer 25 simulation closing rating: BYU 41, Oklahoma State 33
My evaluation: The simulation precisely predicted that the BYU-Oklahoma State sport could be a high-scoring, backwards and forwards battle.
In contrast to actual life, when the Cougars wanted a 35-yard landing cross from Lassiter to drag out the win, BYU was the one nursing a late lead within the simulation and watched because the Cougars’ protection sealed the win.
Nonetheless, the online game was fairly near predicting the rating and margin of victory.
How did the simulation between BYU and UCF play out?
Last rating: UCF 31, BYU 24
Key sequence: The Cougars trailed by seven with beneath six minutes to play and had an honest drive going as they neared midfield.
That’s when UCF pressured its solely turnover, as Mac McWilliams stepped in entrance of a Jake Retzlaff cross for the interception on the BYU 44.
Three performs later, UCF quarterback Jacurri Brown scored on a 6-yard QB keeper to make it 31-17 Knights.
There wasn’t sufficient time for BYU to make up its deficit after that.
How the simulation transpired: Each offenses began sluggish earlier than choosing up steam within the second half.
BYU took the opening drive deep into UCF territory earlier than LJ Martin was stuffed for a loss on third and aim, and the Cougars’ Will Ferrin missed a chip-shot subject aim.
Close to the tip of the primary quarter, UCF working again RJ Harvey broke off a 38-yard run on third and 13 to maneuver the ball into BYU territory, and he later scored within the first minute of the second quarter on a 1-yard run to make it 7-0 Knights.
Following a Cougars three and out after the landing, UCF was once more driving the ball, however BYU edge rusher Isaiah Bagnah got here up with an interception on the Cougars’ 37 to cease the drive.
The Cougars capitalized on the turnover, marching 59 yards in 10 performs — with Keanu Hill changing a pair third downs with catches — earlier than Jake Retzlaff discovered Parker Kingston for a 6-yard landing cross with 5:24 till halftime to make it 7-7.
Neither crew scored once more earlier than halftime, however there was loads of offense within the second half.
UCF scored on its first three possessions after the half, together with the opening drive of the third quarter, when the Knights made a 51-yard subject aim to go up 10-7 following a time-consuming drive that ate up half of the quarter.
Following a BYU three and out, UCF once more put collectively a drive — aided by a third-down cross that netted 20 yards and a 14-yard Harvey run to the BYU 1 — and Brown scored on a 1-yard keeper to make it 17-7 with 1:51 left within the third.
The Cougars responded rapidly, although, as Kingston took a jet sweep on the following possession and picked up 70 yards on the explosive play. That arrange a Martin 12-yard landing run two performs later to make it 17-14.
UCF had three 20-plus yard passes on its subsequent drive, together with a 22-yard landing to Randy Pittman Jr., to maneuver the lead again to double digits at 24-14 with 10:55 to play.
BYU had one other reply — which included a 30-yard cross to Kingston on third and 9 that moved the Cougars into UCF territory — however BYU needed to accept a 48-yard Ferrin subject aim to make it a one-score sport once more.
The Cougars had an opportunity to tie the sport after forcing a punt on UCF’s subsequent drive — Bagnah batted a cross down on third and seven — however Retzlaff’s aforementioned interception on BYU’s ensuing possession modified the ultimate minutes of the sport.
After UCF took the 31-17 lead, the Cougars responded with a landing drive the place Kingston — who else — caught a brief cross and gained 31 yards to the UCF 4. Martin then scored his second landing of the day, a 1-yarder, on fourth and aim with 1:50 to play to make it 31-24.
The Cougars, who had all three timeouts accessible, kicked deep, however Harvey broke off two lengthy runs, together with a 39-yarder, because the Knights ran out the clock to drag the upset.
Star gamers: Retzlaff accomplished 63% of his passes for 423 yards, one landing and one interception. His two greatest targets have been Kingston (10 catches for 209 yards and a landing) and Hill (12 catches for 137 yards).
The run sport struggled to get going for BYU, as Martin had 27 yards on 12 carries, although he scored two touchdowns.
Defensively, Bagnah had a stable all-around sport with 5 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and an interception.
Brown, extra a working quarterback in actual life, threw for 300 yards, one landing and an interception. He had minus-35 speeding yards — BYU sacked him six instances — however two speeding touchdowns.
Harvey paced the UCF floor assault with 181 yards on a 6.9 per-carry common and scored one landing.
Pittman Jr. had six catches for 127 yards and one landing.
Key stats: Each groups have been in a position to transfer the ball effectively, notably within the second half, as UCF edged BYU in whole yards, 455 to 438.
The Knights, although, had a way more efficient working assault, speeding for 155 yards to only 15 for the Cougars.
UCF was higher at extending drives as effectively, going 7 of 11 on third down whereas BYU was 5 of 11.
How practical was the simulation?
My evaluation: There must be much more yards picked up on the bottom than via the air for each groups when the precise sport is performed — UCF is a run-heavy crew, and Martin and Co. are establishing a powerful floor assault for BYU.
Apart from that, this appeared like a plausible state of affairs that might play out in Orlando.
