Strategy flaws o' the day

Legend mode, we're Missouri, 4-1 playing at 5-0, top-ranked Texas. Trailing 16-7 at halftime, we close to 16-14 in the third quarter, then force a fumble on a screen pass and return it to the 5. Three plays later, we score ... but then the stupid computer goes for 2. With a spread offense. Why? Because it's EA. When you're leading, especially on the road, you get the sure points. Make the opponents chase. Of course we miss, and it's 20-16. (Earlier in the quarter, we decide to punt on fourth-and-1 from the 31 instead of going for it or trying a 48-yard field goal with the best kicker in the country. Yet more stupidity.)

So on the ensuing drive, we have a great goal-line stand (thanks in part to a great play by me, crashing through the line and chasing down the RB for a one-yard loss on third-and-1), so we take over at the 5. 3:31 to play.

What do we do? Three straight plays out of the shotgun. Freaking morons. And on top of that, the punter kicks it straight out of bounds. So the three-and-out we force doesn't do much good, as they hit the FG to make it 20-19.

2:10 to play. What formation? Spread, of course, and of course we're running the ball. QB gets hurt on the first play, dislocated ankle, out for 10 weeks. Did I mention he's the backup? The third-string QB comes in, hands off once and throws a terrible screen pass, we punt. They convert on the short drive, field goal, 22-20.

However, the game's not over. The bug where the clock doesn't run on kickoff returns comes into play again, and we get one more play. Oddly enough, the third-string QB fails to throw a touchdown pass and we lose.

EA's playcalling is absolutely terrible. Don't run out of the spread. Run out of a running formation.