Operation Sports:

NCAA Football 2005: No Passing Fancy

By Shawn Drotar, Managing Editor, OperationSports.com

You’ve picked up NCAA® Football 2005, and now you’re ready to throw it all over the field in a fast and furious fashion. After all, the epic gunslingers of college football’s history have brought us some of the most legendary plays and amazing feats ever witnessed on the gridiron—and you’re up next. However, NCAA Football 2005 isn’t your run-of-the-mill football game. The defenders weren’t born yesterday, and they know what’s coming. They’re ready—are you?

That’s going to hurt.

To borrow a phrase from NCAA’s commentator, Lee Corso: “Not so fast, my friend!”

If you expect to drop back 20 yards and pull a Flutie-to-Phelan every play for the whole game, you’re going to be in for a shock—and more than a few picks, to boot. Passing in NCAA Football 2005 is a lot more than just standing in the pocket and flinging the pigskin. Careful planning and solid execution are both necessary to succeed.

Here are a few helpful tips that will get you on your way to becoming a superstar QB.

Practice, practice, practice!
This one’s obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t think about it. NCAA Football 2005 has a practice mode—so use it. Get used to throwing the ball with touch, and learn the routes to find out when your receivers break, and what type of routes use the different types of throws. Every minute you spend practicing these things will come in handy the very next time you play.

Crash landing ahead.

Patience is a virtue
The most successful routes tend to have a cut in them, where the receiver makes a quick change of direction. That’s the best time to throw the ball, as the defender will be a step or two behind your receiver. Waiting for the cut can be difficult, especially when you have a 300 pound lineman breathing down your neck, but the proper timing makes all the difference.

Speeding bullets aren’t necessarily your best weapons
Bullet passes may get to receivers faster, but they’re harder to catch and easily batted down by defenders. Use the bullets on inside routes and the occasional screen pass where you know there will be no defenders between the receiver and the ball. Since bullet passes take a low trajectory, finding the open passing lane is a must. Ease off the pass button a bit, and you’ll see instant improvement.

The pocket is your best friend
Passing on the run is difficult for even the best quarterbacks, and interceptions will plague the QB that rolls out on every play. Your passer will throw a much better ball if his feet are set, so stay in the pocket as long as you possibly can. If you must roll out, try to make a complete stop before attempting a pass—heaving the ball downfield on the run is an invitation for disaster. The black button will make your quarterback pass the ball out of bounds, and you shouldn’t be afraid to use it. Losing a down is nothing compared to throwing an interception, or taking a bad sack that loses yards, causes a fumble, or injures your signal-caller.

The perfect pass is a rare gem.

Deception is the key to success
There are two powerful tools at your disposal that can pick apart a defense—the play-action pass and the pump fake. If used judiciously, these can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

A play-action pass fools the defense into thinking a running play has been called. Oftentimes, a linebacker or defensive back will fall for the fake, and a receiver will be wide open, if only for a moment. There’s one trick to the play-action pass, however: It’s not effective if your opponent doesn’t believe you’ll really run. Commit to the rushing offense early, and the defense will have to respect it for the rest of the game, leaving them much more likely to fall victim to your trap during crunch time.

The pump fake works a bit differently. A quick nudge on the right thumbstick will cause your quarterback to execute the fake. If timed correctly, say, right as a receiver cuts, the defender may come up towards the ball in an effort to stop what he thinks is a pass. If he bites, your man will be streaking down the field all by himself. Like the play-action pass, though, don’t overuse the pump fake, or it will lose its effectiveness.

Keep those defenses guessing at what you’ll do, and as the game goes on, there’s a better chance that they’ll guess wrong—and then everything will go just right for you.

There you go—the five step plan to better passing in NCAA Football 2005. Now what are you waiting for, rookie? Get to work!