EA Sports College Football 25 Simulation: Hoosiers Get Pushed To The Limit By FIU

Late field goal helps Indiana escape with 30-27 victory in our sim of the season opener.

Todd Golden | Aug 29, 2024

A player holds an Indiana helmet during fall camp on Aug. 1. / Indiana athletics

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – EA Sports’ wildly popular College Football 25 video game was released in July. It revived a series that had been dormant since 2013. College football fans of all ages flocked to a game many craved over the period it wasn’t produced.

For the first time ever, the game features real players. In its previous iterations of the game in the 2000s and early 2010s, the game used barely-disguised, generic versions of real players. It was one factor that led to landmark legal proceedings that put the game on-ice and which played a supporting role in giving all collegiate athletes Name, Image and Likeness rights in 2019.

Since NIL is now legal in college athletics, the game could return. All players who opted into the game were paid a sum and given a free copy of the game. All of the FBS programs competing in 2024 are included, along with the vast majority of players.

So with real players in the game? Hoosiers On SI decided to simulate the 2024 season opener between Indiana and Florida International at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

What played out was a much-closer shave than anyone anticipates on Saturday – at least from the Hoosiers’ point of view. A 26-yard field goal by Derek McCormick with one second left gave Indiana a dramatic 30-27 victory over FIU as the Conference USA team showed no fear playing in a Big Ten venue.

Indiana had real trouble containing FIU quarterback Keyone Jenkins in the simulation, which was played with seven-minute quarters and with the computer AI playing for both teams.

Jenkins completed 14-of-18 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns. He exploited Indiana’s secondary for huge gains, including one 81-yard completion and four more for 30-plus yards.

Where Indiana got to Jenkins was via turnovers. He threw two interceptions, both in the fourth quarter, including a crucial pick-six by James Madison transfer cornerback D’Angelo Ponds with Indiana trailing and another interception by JMU transfer linebacker Jailin Walker to give Indiana the ball for its game-winning field goal.

The Hoosiers’ defense also completely stymied FIU’s ground attack, allowing only 13 rushing yards.

Indiana was outgained 353-242 in total offense and 479-341 in total yardage, but the Hoosiers stayed clean in the turnover department. The AI predicted a muted day for new Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The Ohio University transfer completed 13-of-20 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown.

FIU took a 10-0 lead, only to have Indiana roar back with 17 consecutive points. Kaelon Black’s 1-yard touchdown run, a 50-yard McCormick field goal and an 8-yard Myles Price touchdown catch put Indiana in front 17-10, but the Panthers responded with a touchdown with 10 seconds left in the first half to knot the score at 17 at the break.

A simulated version of Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds celebrates an interception return for a touchdown in Hoosiers On SI's simulation of Saturday's Indiana-Florida International football game. /

FIU took a 24-20 lead in the third quarter, but then Indiana’s defense provided a big play when it seemed the Hoosiers were flagging. With FIU trying to push its advantage, Ponds stepped in front of a sideline route and raced 35 yards for an interception to give Indiana a 27-24 advantage.

The Hoosiers still had to sweat, though. FIU tied the game with a field goal and got the ball back with the game still tied with 1:58 left.

However, Indiana’s opportunistic defense struck again. Walker intercepted Jenkins near midfield and returned it 16 yards to the FIU 33-yard line. Six plays later, after Indiana had driven as deep as the FIU 7-yard line, McCormick booted the game-winner.

Of course, with any video game, there’s plenty of provisos to go around. Among other things, there was only one penalty called in the contest, a doubtful outcome for Saturday’s game. The depth charts were as accurate as one might expect, but probably not what they likely will be for the real thing.

There are unrealistic quirks. Although taken out of the opening game depth chart, at some point, the AI inserted guard Nick Kidwell into the game for Indiana, which obviously won’t happen on Saturday given his knee injury.

So this is far from gospel when it comes to being predictive, but it’s fun to have the chance to try, isn’t it?

Here’s the box score.

FIU	10	7	7	3	27
Indiana	0	17	3	10	30

FIU – Nazeviah Burris 7 pass from Keyone Jenkins (Chase Gabriel kick)

FIU – Gabriel 49 FG.

IU – Kaelon Black 1 run (Derek McCormick kick)

IU – McCormick 50 FG.

IU – Myles Price 8 pass from Kurtis Rourke (McCormick kick).

FIU – Dean Patterson 8 pass from Keyone Jenkins (Gabriel kick).

IU – McCormick 26 FG.

FIU – Eric Rivers 48 pass from Jenkins (Gabriel kick).

IU – D’Angelo Ponds 35 interception (McCormick kick).

FIU – Gabriel 27 FG.

IU – McCormick 26 FG.

Team statistics	FIU	Indiana
Total offense	353	242
Carries/Rushing yards	20-13	23-70
Passing yards	340	172
Comp.-Att.-Int.	14-18-2	13-20-0
First downs	12	13
Turnovers	3	0
Third down conversions	6-9	4-10
Fourth down conversions	0-0	0-0
Penalties	1-5	0-0
Total yardage	479	341

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Passing – FIU: Jenkins 14-18-2, 340, 3 TD; IU: Rourke 13-20-0, 172, 1 TD

Rushing – FIU: Shomari Lawrence 13-26, Juju Lewis 2-(-2), Kejon Owens 1-(-2), Jenkins 4-(-9); IU: Justice Ellison 15-44, Elijah Green 2-19, Rourke 5-6, Black 1-1, 1 TD

Receiving – FIU: Rivers 4-99, 1 TD, Desna Washington 2-120, Josiah Miamen 2-35, Lawrence 2-29, Lewis 1-35, Patterson 1-8, 1 TD, Burris 1-7, 1 TD, Owens 1-7; IU: Zach Horton 3-45, Elijah Sarratt 3-40, Donaven McCulley 3-23, Price 2-31, 1 TD, Miles Cross 1-21, Ellison 1-12.

Sacks – FIU: Cole Gustafson 1, IU: Marcus Burris Jr. 1, Lanell Carr Jr. 1.

Interceptions – IU:.Ponds 1-38, 1 TD; Jailin Walker 1-16.

Kicking – FIU:: Gabriel 2/2 FG, 3/3 XP; IU: McCormick 3-3 FG, 3/3 XP.

Punting/Avg. – FIU: Daton Montiel 1-40; IU: James Evans 3-43.3.

Weather – Overcast.

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