Final Score: Air Force 10 – Navy 24
Team and Player Ratings in (Parentheses)
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Gameplay Details
Platform: PS3
How: 100% Computer Simulated Gameplay
Air Force Overall Team Rating: 74
Navy Overall Team Rating: 72
Air Force gets Grounded by Navy
Using the updated EA Sports NCAA 14 Football game rosters, we simulated the first matchup for the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy, a week in advance of their actual game.
Even with a slight edge in overall rating, Air Force (72) is manhandled by Navy (72) in our PS3 game simulation. Behind a strong defensive showing from the Mids, which included 11 Tackles-for-Loss, they were able to wear out the Falcons.
With firepower provided Kadin Remsberg (87) and Timothy “Duval” Jackson (83) I expected to see a lot of yardage piled up behind two of top rated road graters on the NCAA 14 game in Nolan Laufenberg (95) and Parker Ferguson (92), but that certainly was not the case. Air Force was only able to cobble together 86 total rush yards, while their nautical brethren pounded the rock for 197.
Air Force ended up using two quarterbacks in Warren Bryan (67) and Haaziq Daniels (67), which is pretty interesting considering the question marks at this position entering the real Air Force- Navy game. For the Mids, Dalen Morris (71) engineered enough offense from under center to help his team cruise comfortably to victory.
Interesting Stats
NAVY: Despite 11 TFL’s, standout linebacker Diego Fagot (92) didn’t register any, and just two tackles. And their reliable kicker, Bijan Nichols (81) missed 2/3 field goal attempts.
AIR FORCE: Their backfield tandem of Remsberg and Jackson combined for just eight total carries. Their quarterbacks were sacked five times as part of all those TFL’s.
Neither team committed a turnover.
Takeaway
There is a common saying that “stats don’t tell the whole story.” This is one of those cases where I would have to respectfully disagree. If this game simulation stats were to bare on October 3rd, the results would be the same.
If you are a fan of the United States Naval Academy, not only did you get to enjoy seeing an Army team whose offense was completely stuck in the mud as they fell to Cincinnati this afternoon, but you earn the spoils of video game glories as well. Christmas in September!
Conversely, Air Force fans can simply be relieved that this was only a video game as a form of comfort as its officially one week from becoming a real game. Let’s hope for the Falcons this simulation narrative is a far cry from the fate that awaits them next week.
