Noah Gragson and Riley Herbst are friends and teammates in everyday life, but EA Sports' "College Football 25" showed that they are clearly rivals on the virtual gridiron.
The two Stewart-Haas Racing drivers faced off against each other in a three-game series celebrating the long-awaited release of the college football video game. Gragson had the early advantage as he defeated Herbst 28-0 in one quarter of play. Gragson said that his fellow Las Vegas native "rage quit" after the first quarter.
Herbst was able to get on the board with a win of his own. He built up a 14-0 lead over Gragson and then went on to win the game. However, Herbst only won the battle. He did not win the war. Gragson took the third game of "College Football 25" and the overall series win.
We really got @NoahGragson and @rileyherbst playing College Football 25 before GTA 6. pic.twitter.com/ad2u6uQvKP
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) July 22, 2024
"We played three games," Herbst said in a video posted by Stewart-Haas Racing. "I won one, I lost two."
The return of EA Sports' college football game is one that many gamers have embraced. The long-running series went on hiatus after "NCAA Football 14," a game that featured Michigan's Denard Robinson on the cover.
The Madden series provided some virtual football for fans of the sport, but it was not the same. This series remained focused on the NFL. It didn't provide gamers with the opportunity to take SMU or Wyoming to the playoffs.
Now, the series has returned. Fans can control their favorite college football teams while NASCAR drivers can compete in friendly competitions.
This virtual rivalry with Gragson is not the first time that Herbst has taken part in a video game competition with fellow NASCAR drivers. He also did so back in October 2022.
Herbst, then in his second Xfinity season with Stewart-Haas Racing, joined multiple Monster Energy athletes for a "round robin" style iRacing competition. Two would face off in a virtual race while others would join Monster Energy personality Dingo for a conversation on the couch.
The list of participants included Ty Gibbs, Hailie Deegan, Herbst, and Kurt Busch. Two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip and Monster Energy girl Pam Rebora also took part in the unique competition.
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