Hoosiers battle each other on video game gridiron

They're a staple in college campuses across the country. Football video games have invaded the college culture dating from Nintendo's Tecmo Bowl in the 1980s to EA Sports NCAA Football 2004 currently. \nStudents compete in dorms. College bars, such as Kilroy's Sports Bar on Walnut Avenue, sponsor tournaments. \nLike other college and IU students, Hoosier football players, like sophomore running back Chris Taylor and freshman Marlin Lynch, participate in team tournaments in NCAA Football 2004 and Madden 2004.\nWhile tournaments are few during the season, they were very common during fall camp in August.\n"We all go over to somebody's house and play the game and have fun," Lynch said. "(Junior) Kevin Smith would play. I'd play. Chris Taylor would play. (Junior) Josh Moore would play. We'd just gather up and play the game. It's fun."\nLynch and Taylor are roommates who also challenge each other individually in Madden and NCAA. Both players play with IU some, but competition forces the players to branch out.\nWhen not playing with IU, Taylor controls his home-state Tennessee Volunteers. Lynch opts for Virginia Tech's strong rushing attack.\nTaylor admits that Lynch wins most of the time, but he's equally quick to point out that he's improving. \nLynch also wastes no time stating the obvious, in his opinion.\n"Yeah, I'm way better than Chris is," Lynch said. "I usually blow him out whenever we get a chance to play. The games are close when my team makes mistakes. When my team is on their game, nobody can beat me on the team. I'm the game genie. When it comes down to PlayStation games, I'm good."\nHow close is the game play to the real thing? The results are mixed, according to the Hoosiers.\nTaylor is listed as the third-string running back on the game but is actually the second-team tailback for the Hoosiers. The Memphis, Tenn., native said he quickly inserts himself into the lineup, no disrespect to the other running backs.\n"You have to sub yourself in," Taylor said. "I have to get some carries. I play with myself most of the time."\nTaylor and Lynch laugh at the virtual bodily characteristics EA Sports gives each one of the Hoosier players.\nPlayers' bodies vary from size, skin color and tone, hair color and styles, whether or not they have facial hair, and what additional equipment they wear on their bodies, like wristbands.\nTaylor chuckles at the disparities between the game and real life, including junior Matt LoVecchio's virtual mustache.\n"LoVecchio has a bush below his nose," Taylor said. "(Sophomore) Tyke Spencer has a mustache. I normally wear wristbands and gloves, but I don't have anything on my arms. It's cool though."\nLynch, who isn't featured on the game as a freshman, said he teases Taylor about the differences.\n"Sometimes we joke around about that," Lynch said. "They got (Taylor) light skinned in the game, and he's dark skinned in real life. We just laugh about that."\nThe discrepancies when it comes to game play aren't fodder for as many jokes. Taylor and Lynch agree that the game made Taylor slower than he actually is, prompting Taylor to say he was "mad" about the mistake.\nThe differences also include having Taylor and junior Travis Haney returning kickoffs. Neither Taylor nor Haney have returned a kick all year.\nTaylor said he was very surprised when he saw himself and the 6'4" Haney awaiting kickoffs. \n"When I first saw that I was shocked," Taylor said. "I remember my friends used to call me and be like, 'Hey man, you returning kicks.' I didn't have the game yet."\nOn the shock of Haney standing next to him, Taylor was even more surprised.\n"I didn't think they'd put somebody who's 6'5" back there returning kicks," Taylor said laughing. "I don't know about that."\nJunior Herana-Daze Jones, in his fourth year at IU, doesn't play NCAA or Madden as much as he used to when he was a youngster like Taylor and Lynch.\nWhen Jones did play frequently, he squared off against departed Hoosiers like Antwaan Randle-El and Justin Smith.\n"We used to call it the ACC because they used to live at Arlington Crossing," Jones said. "It was the Arlington Crossing Conference. We used to have a win-loss board, schedules and everything."\nAll three players, whether playing each other, in a tournament, or against the computer, try to close the gap between the game and real life by incorporating what they've learned as a Hoosier.\nMost of the adjustments, according to the trio, occur on the defensive side of the ball. Jones said he uses his experience in the secondary to the betterment of his defenses.\n"I move my safeties two yards outside the hash so they can play better cover two," Jones said. "They don't play good cover two on the video game. If you do a seam and a corner route, you can pick on one safety."\nIn their down time away from football and school, Taylor, Lynch, and many other IU students will be picking on each other on the virtual gridiron.\nTaylor said Lynch better watch out because he's going to be improving.\n"If I work on my game, I'll be able to beat (Lynch) one day," Taylor said. "Once I start practicing, he doesn't want to see me in a game. You can tell him I said that too."\n-- Contact staff writer John Rodgers at jprodger@indiana.edu.