EA Sports College Football 25: Simulating Virginia Tech's 2024 Season
EA Sports College Football 25 is the first licensed college football game since July of 2013, when NCAA Football 14 was released. The quarterback for the Hokies in the season that followed that game was Michael Brewer. Michael Brewer is now retired from football, a father, and an avid golfer. It's been a long time.
Virginia Tech is in a really good position currently, similar to the position they were in then. Here's how their 2024 season will go according to EA Sports College Football 25:
Week 1: at Vanderbilt
Virginia Tech came out of the gates firing against the Commodores, scoring fourteen points in the first quarter and seventeen in the second. Four touchdowns were scored in the first half: Kyron Drones rushing touchdown, Malachi Thomas rushing touchdown, Jaylin Lane 26-yard receiving touchdown, and a 15-yard Nick Gallo receiving touchdown. The score at halftime was 31-7 Hokies and Kyron Drones had accounted for three touchdowns.
The second half was much more rough for the Hokies, the offense and defense both started to falter. A few three-and-outs, and a fumble from Stephen Gosnell left the Hokies down 32-31 into the final minutes of the game. Lucky enough for the Hokies, John Love absolutely drilled the game-winning field goal from 53 yards out, to win the game 34-32.
Hokies: 1-0 (0-0) through week one.
Week 2: vs Marshall
This game was much less entertaining, and it felt like Virginia Tech had command the entire game, finishing with 505 yards of total offense on no turnovers. Kyron Drones posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3 (although the game lists the rating as 320.5- odd), on 313 passing yards, four touchdowns, an 88% completion rate, and a tremendous 20.9 yards per completion. Tuten also ran for 118 yards and a touchdown, while Malachi Thomas ran for nine yards and two touchdowns.
The defense was great as well, forcing four turnovers out of the Marshall offense. Dorian Strong, Mose Phillips III, and Jaden Keller all picked up interceptions. Sam Brumfield had ten tackles on the day, while Aeneas Peebles and Kelvin Gilliam both picked up sacks. No field goals in the game for Hokies kicker John Love, just a perfect 8-for-8 day on extra-point attempts.
Hokies: 2-0 (0-0) through week two.
Week 3: at Old Dominion
This game was another solid one for the Virginia Tech defense, with cornerback Dorian Strong having two interceptions on the night. The rock solid defensive line held the Monarchs to 31 yards rushing.
The offense was less dominant against Old Dominion, in fact, Virginia Tech only scored 7 points in the first half, leaving the Hokies railing 17-7 at the break. There must've been an electric speech at halftime, as the Hokies came out guns blazing, outscoring Old Dominion 24-3 in the second half, and winning the game 31-20.
Hokies: 3-0 (0-0) through week three.
Week 4: vs Rutgers
Heading into this game, Virginia Tech had not faced an opponent with the skill level of Rutgers. Virginia Tech did not back down, scoring the first 16 points of the game all in the first quarter. One of the main reasons for this lead, was yet again John Love, he was perfect on all three of his first quarter field goals, with his longest coming from 58 yards out.
Virginia Tech never let off the gas pedal, forcing Rutgers turnovers, and staying clean on offense. Some of the main performers were: Mansoor Delane, who had two interceptions; Jaylin Lane, who caught a 73-yard touchdown pass, and Kyron Drones, who passed for 270 yards and no interceptions.
Side note: Rutgers finished the season ranked 16th in the nation, with a 10-3 record.
Hokies: 4-0 (0-0) through week four.
Week 5: at Miami (FL)
This game did not go so swell for the Hokies. It was all Hurricanes from start to finish, who lead 45-3 following the end of the third quarter. Virginia Tech ended up getting some garbage-time touchdowns to cut the lead a small amount, with the final score being 48-17. The first loss on the season for the Hokies.
There were some highlights in the game for Virginia Tech in spite of that. Antwaun Powell-Ryland looked really good on the defense, recording two TFLs and one sack. Backup middle linebacker lead the team in tackles, with 13. Stephen Gosnell was the highlight of the offense, catching two touchdowns with 71 receiving yards on the night.
Hokies: 4-1 (0-1) through week five.
Week 6: at Stanford
The Hokies got back on track in this game. 464 yards of total offense, three rushing touchdowns, and two defensive interceptions. The Hokies soared through this game, with the final score lnding at 38-15. The MVP of the offense for this game was probably Bhayshul Tuten, Tuten had 117 rushing yards, 9.0 yards per carry, and one touchdown.
Sam Brumfield was the one to pick up the interceptions on defense, and also led the team in tackles with six. A great all-around win for the Hokies, the first in ACC play.
Hokies: 5-1 (1-1) through week six.
Week 8: vs Boston College
This game came down to the wire, and was certainly a weird one for both teams. Kyron Drones passed for over 200 yards, but no passing touchdowns. Boston College's leading rusher was Lewis Bond, the wide receiver. Virginia Tech relied on yet another Monsoor Delane interception to seal the game, taking the game 35-28.
Hokies: 6-1 (2-1) through week eight.
Week 9: vs Georgia Tech
This game started very low-scoring, with it being 10-0 Hokies at the half. The second half was an entirely different story. Virginia Tech dropped 28 points to Georgia Tech's 20. Virginia Tech got out of this game relatively safe, despite the defense struggling in the second half. Jalen Stroman and Sam Brumfield both had interceptions. Jaylin Lane caught for 137 yards, and Bhayshul Tuten ran it in for two touchdowns. This would be the high point of the Hokies season.
Hokies: 7-1 (3-1) through week nine.
Week 10: at Syracuse
This was another game on the schedule, where I thought if Tech stays clean, they could win. Bhayshul Tuten only ran for 31 yards in the game, and coughed up the ball twice in the first quarter, causing Syracuse to take an easy 21-3 lead in the first quarter. This would be a tough defecit for Tech to overcome, dropping the game 35-17 to a Syracuse team who would end the year ranked as the #20 team in the country.
Hokies: 7-2 (3-2) through week ten.
Week 11: vs Clemson
This game was another game that was over before it began. Clemson took a 29-0 lead into halftime and did not look back. Clemson stayed clean the whole game, committing no turnovers and only punting the ball twice (Clemson went three-for-three on fourth down conversions). The offense did not look horrible in the second half, with Jaylin Lane scoring on a 63-yard reception, and Kyron Drones taking a 58-yard run to the house. The defense was mostly neutralized on the day, with Aeneas Peebles being the only player with a TFL, as well as the only player with a sack. Clemson ran out of Blacksburg, Virginia with a 36-14 win.
Hokies: 7-3 (3-3) through week eleven.
Week 13: at Duke
After the bye week in week 12, the Hokies were looking to get back on track vs quarterback Maalik Murphy and the Duke Blue Devils. This again, was unfortunately not the case. Maalik Murphy passed all over the Hokies, finishing with 396 yards, zero interceptions, and only one touchdown. Duke lead 14-3 heading into the final quarter. There were no quit in these Hokies though, as they scored their first and second touchdowns, and holding Duke to no score. This still was not enough, leaving the final score as 24-16.
Hokies: 7-4 (3-4) through week thirteen.
Week 14: vs Virginia
The Commonwealth Clash. A big rivalry game, as well as a big game for Virginia Tech. If Tech wins this game, they finish the season 4-4 in conference, and 8-4 overall, probably securing them a solid bowl game. The game was close throughout, with the score landing at 14-14 at half. The Hokies got the memo at halftime, finally taking a substantial lead, 28-14 after the third quarter. Kyron Drones came through heavily in this game: 225 passing yards, three touchdowns, 83% completion percentage, and zero interceptions.
Virginia Tech comes out of the Commonwealth Clash as 35-24 champions.
Hokies: 8-4 (4-4) through week fourteen.
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: vs Texas
This is probably the hardest bowl draw that Virginia Tech could've gotten, and frankly I'm shocked Texas was 8-4 leading up to this game. Be that as it may, Virginia Tech kept pace with the Longhorns, taking a 20-17 lead into half. This kept true for Virginia Tech, with a Cole Nelson safety, and two field goals, causing Virginia Tech to expand their lead to 28-17. Virginia Tech Started the fourth quarter with another field goal, with their lead expanding to 31-17. No lead is too big for the Longhorns. Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns came storming back, scoring two touchdowns, but missing two two-point conversions after the touchdowns. Hokies still lead 31-29. This wouldn't be a fairytale story for the Hokies, as Texas kicker Bert Auburn nailed a field goal to win the game for Texas, 32-31.
The Hokies finished 8-5 (4-4) record after the season was over.
Season Overview
Overall, I feel like the simulation was solid, but it discredited Virginia Tech in some categories. Virginia Tech was a bottom half ACC team in opponent points per game, and didn't look like the strong defensive unit they are in real life.
RJ SCHAFER
RJ Schafer joined the On SI team in 2024, contributing to the coverage of Major League Baseball, Collegiate Basketball, and Collegiate Football at https://www.si.com/college/virginiatech/. Prior to this, RJ built a strong portfolio covering Georgia Tech and the Tigers for the Bleav Network. With a solid background in sports journalism, RJ has conducted interviews with both collegiate and professional athletes, enhancing the depth and authenticity of his reporting. RJ's extensive experience in the sports industry has equipped him with a keen understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of both collegiate and professional sports. His work is focused on providing insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage, making him a trusted voice in the sports community.