After the snap, the Longhorns returned to the air as Morrison kept the ball. He scanned the field, though only gave Kentavious and Ty a passing glance. Ty's spear shot out, but was pushed aside as Kentavious drifted up and outside, making space for his teammates.
Sebastian was still the primary target now, and he was still giving Deshaun trouble as he flashed across the field, dragging from one side to the other before catching the ball and turning upfield, stretching across the first-down marker before JJ finally shoved him out.
It was another 10-yard gain, and even without any run support, the Longhorns were still chugging through the Dons' defence. Perhaps the Dons had simply run out of energy. Their miracle run through the tournament—scraping and fighting against so many strong teams, even going into overtime when it was necessary—maybe it was finally catching up to them. Maybe they were finally beat. It might not even have been because they finally met their match as they'd been running into teams that were a match for them constantly. They'd vanquished teams who were bigger, stronger, faster, and more talented. They just had the fight and spirit to overcome such odds. But such efforts took a toll on you. Maybe, no matter who had made it to the finals to stand against the Dons would've been their downfall. Maybe it was the finals itself that was the one obstacle the Dons couldn't overcome.
This line of thought was easy to fall into with the Longhorns progressing downfield once more. As they crossed half-field, they looked to be on their way to their fifth consecutive touchdown without response from the Dons. But the Dons' coaching staff weren't giving up hope yet. Even if their boys were tired, they were still fighting, and for as long as the boys did, the coaches would support them any way they could.
And the answer could be found in the Longhorns' own defensive adjustments. At least that was the inspiration behind Coach Hoang's change. If the Longhorns were willing to pull their best pass-rusher back to ensure a more cohesive defensive unit against the run, Coach Hoang could do the same to provide better downfield coverage.
Unfortunately, Donte still hadn't figured out how to get around the blockade on the end of the Longhorns' O-Line. The TE didn't even need to chip in to the stop him, as the Tackle was handling him all on his own. So Donte was pulled out of the pass-rush, and back into zone coverage.
It was a decision that frustrated Donte, though one who knew not to argue with. Even if it felt as if he was admitting defeat to Lachlan, he knew it was the right call, and he was more than happy to help his team however he could. Truth be told, he couldn't get any pressure on the QB at all, and until he could, it was pointless having him blitzing endlessly; there was no time for selfish duels while the team was struggling.
With an added body in the zone defence, there was less room for the Longhorns' Receivers to operate. JJ and the rest of the defence had less to worry about, and could more easily keep a body on those who came near them without having to be concerned about another route slipping in behind. Finally, Sebastian was wrangled, and couldn't find an opening.
Morrison lowered his eyes, flicking the ball over the middle to the TE, hitting him on a short hook Curl. Donte was right there when he made the catch, and brought him down immediately, stopping the reception at only 5 yards.
Wyatt Jacobs was lithe for the position. Tall, and sturdy, but more flexible than most. His arms were slightly shorter than usual, which gave him a bit of a t-rex look, but he found that made them easier to get better leverage with. Some said he had a t-rex's face, too. It was a bit too stretched, and his mullet didn't help his looks.
But on the field, looks didn't matter, only performance. He was their starter, but also their utility piece. Perhaps not their best Receiver or blocker, but clearly the best of both worlds; his adaptability was his best asset, as he was able to fit whatever role the team needed.
Still, the Longhorns would just need one more reception like that from Wyatt to earn another first down, and it already pushed them more comfortably into field goal range. But the changes were working.
On the next play, Sebastian feinted inside before breaking out on a Corner route. With additional support inside, Deshaun had been leveraging his position near the sideline, and stayed on top of the desperate route.
Kentavious offered a Post over the middle, but it was more of a distraction than anything else, as the Longhorns were committed to proving they could beat the Dons without him. So Morrison lowered his eyes, hoping to find Wyatt on another Curl. He fired the ball over.
Donte lunged. He trusted Ty, and as much of a threat Kentavious was, after a drive and a half, it was clear to even the Dons that the Longhorns were avoiding him. Donte hadn't been pulled out of position, and because of that, he was able to reach across Wyatt's shoulder, and knock the ball out of the air.
Third down was upon the Longhorns, and for once it looked like they might not succeed… not unless they turned back to Kentavious, which was what Morrison did in the huddle. How patronising it was. Kentavious hoped the others would use it as motivation to better themselves on the next drive.
At the snap, Kentavious shifted inside to avoid Ty's spear. They shot upfield side-by-side. Ty flowed with him like a mirror, even when he cut inside, slicing in between Linebackers, who were pulled down to cover Wyatt and Sebastian's Drags, and Safeties above. As the pass was fired over, Ty used his dazzling speed to undercut the route. Again, Kentavious was on the back foot, and—much like the first play of the game—was forced to play defence to prevent Ty's interception.
The two collided heavily as they both reached for the same goal. The ball was poked free, falling to the ground; both Kentavious and Ty soon joined it, tumbling over one another.
They rolled to a stop. Kentavious stood. He'd stopped Ty. Conversely, the Longhorns had been stopped, and now faced forth down. For the first time that game, a Longhorns' drive wouldn't end in a touchdown. Instead, the special teams unit was coming out for a field goal.
A chill ran down Kentavious's spine as he watched Ty dust himself off. Without looking at Kentavious, Ty said: 'Now do you see why they can't throw to you?'
Kentavious didn't respond as he walked off to the sideline and took his seat on the bench. Yes, Tyrese had changed. The air around him was different, but it wasn't just that. He stood differently, walked differently. They were subtle changes, but Kentavious saw them clearly. Ty moved with such a seamless flow… and a predator's grace. He was a hunter in his utmost element.
Even though the result was the same as earlier, Kentavious hadn't been simply probing at Ty this time; that ball should've been his, but Ty had changed that. Was he finally looking at the version of Tyrese Samuels who had struck fear into so many hearts, and earned his reputation as the greatest CB in the nation? More importantly, he wondered whether the Ty he saw now was good enough.
Despite the Dons' wishes, their luck couldn't continue as the Longhorns' kicker made up for his earlier mistake, and nailed the field goal, extending the Longhorns' lead to 30–0.
It was the biggest deficit the Dons had faced, yet was the last play not cause for celebration? They'd stopped the Longhorns. Giving up a field goal was better than giving up a touchdown. While it wasn't perfect, it was progress, and evidence the Longhorns had flaws; they were as human as anyone else.
So after Chris downed the kickoff for a touchback, the Dons' offence marched onto the field with renewed vigour, taking their formation at the 25-yard line. JJ was still with them, but Cam had come out as well, and took the place of Chris, who left to the bench with head held high, knowing his brother carried his strength forward.
Expecting another gruelling onslaught of runs, Pippen shifted further inside as the Longhorns set up their defence. Though it was hard to see what effect he had on the play, as JJ and Cam smashed through the defence for a gain of 6, which they quickly repeated.
A swiftly-earned first down gave the crowd a boost, heightening their cheers for the moment. But as the Dons set up again, the Longhorns made a switch, bringing Lachlan out to join the D-Line, and parking him right in the middle of it, where Cam had been doing his damage.
Undeterred, the Dons snapped the ball, and Jay handed it over to Cam who followed in behind JJ to carve up through the middle of the Longhorns' defence. But JJ ran into an iron wall, and even he had a hard time moving Lachlan off his spot.
This left Cam without much of an opening. Though he powered his way, regardless, he only came away with 3 yards before the combined forces of Adam and Pippen dragged him down.
The next run fared worse, only squeezing out 2 yards. While JJ wasn't creating much of an opening, he was at least holding off Lachlan and keeping him from stopping the run completely. But without anyone to protect him, Cam had no hope against Adam AND Pippen.
Facing third-and-four, the Dons needed to switch tactics. So they did, and hit the Longhorns with Play-Action. Faking the hand-off to Cam stunned the defence for a moment, giving Benny all the time and space he needed to slip in behind the LBs. Jay lobbed the ball over, and Benny rose up, collecting it. When he landed, he didn't waste time turning around, and simply backed his way towards the end-zone, picking up the first down and then some as he was pulled down after a 7-yard gain.
The Dons rallied around Benny, pulling him back to his feet, thumping him on the pads and helmet. That was the way to do it! Their celebrations and hyping continued as the clock drained away into the two-minute warning, and the game came to a short break.
As JJ led the way back to the bench, he gestured to the crowd, hyping them up as well. The comeback started here. If they could just get a touchdown on this drive, the score wouldn't be as petrifying. They just had to worry about getting there.
Maybe passing was the way to go with Lachlan out on the field. Jay noticed he didn't get much penetration into the pocket during passes. While Lachlan was an iron wall, and a pain in the ass for runners, he wasn't exactly rushing himself. That extra space in the pocket could buy Jay time to make a key pass.
After the break, that's just what the Dons tried. Knowing there wasn't much time left, and if they failed here they'd be going into the half having been completely shut out was the best motivation the boys could ask for. They were calm, collected, and determined as they took their positions. They made no secret what their intentions were, as Amon and Chris replaced Cam and JJ in the formation.
Jay called for the snap, and dropped back deep. Pippen went wide. Jay stayed calm, and bounced forward in the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield. Yet nobody was open. The middle was congested, and even as Benny dragged out wider, Adam followed. Cole and Amon's Dagger was handled expertly by the defence. Jimmy coordinated the rotations like the conductor of an orchestra. Even Stephen still had that gnat clinging to him. Jay turned, and flicked the ball over to Chris in the flat.
While there was space initially, the Longhorns quickly swarmed and shut it down, holding Chris's gain to 4. Once the whistles blew, signalling the play was over, Coach Long called the first of the Dons' timeouts.
Second down had almost the same result. All Receivers were covered except for Chris in the flat, though the Longhorns' response was quicker, their watch closer and more vigilant as they brought him down for only 3.
Another timeout was expended, and as the Dons returned to the sideline, Stephen brushed shoulders with Jay.
'You gotta trust me, man,' Stephen said, 'I'll get that catch. Don't be scared of that little bitch.'
'I'm not scared…' Jay responded, '…but you can't say it isn't a risk… we need to find a way to get you open.'
'Alright. I'll get open, trust. Just throw it deep when I do.'
Play resumed on third down. When Jay took the snap, Benny took an extra second to chip Pippen at the line before releasing late and streaking upfield. Cole and Amon criss-crossed one another over the middle, and again Chris settled into the flat. Yet they were all covered this time, even Chris. Jay looked Stephen's way, but found no opening there either.
A shimmy inside, faking a Post route didn't buy Stephen an extra step when he cut back up. And while Benny was occupying the nearest Safety, Juan was still all over Stephen. Jay had to trust him, so he threw the ball high and deep.
Juan drifted aside, giving himself room for a running leap as the ball neared. With one hand extended, he swatted the ball free from Stephen's grasp just when it arrived. The ball tumbled to the ground for an incompletion, and the Dons had run into yet another impregnable wall.
The drive ended just out of range of a field goal, so it came down to another punt, one that deflated the crowd even before it bounced into the end-zone for a touchback. Yet the drive hadn't been a total failure. Even if the defeat demoralised the offence, Donte had learnt something from seeing Lachlan on defence.
The iron block wasn't completely immobile, as he could make short bursts of movement to keep an edge-rusher like Donte from getting around him easily, and even quick lunges to drag down whatever RB tried skirting past him. Yet it was almost as if Lachlan was rooted in place.
He was malleable. Fluid, but slow, though he made up for it by taking on a different shape if he needed to protect the inside or outside. He wasn't iron; he was lead, and that could work in Donte's favour. If Lachlan could be moulded, then it was a simple matter of moulding him into the shape Donte wanted.
The Dons' defence took the field. Where only a minute ago the offence had been hoping to kick-start their comeback before the half ended, now they were left desperately clinging on. The only goal in mind was to not lose the game before the second half even began. Donte could fix that. He knew he could.
Taking his position, he couldn't stop his jitters. There was too much excitement and nervousness. Too much was riding on the moment; on him! He dug his hands and cleats into the turf to anchor himself… then the ball was snapped.
Donte shot outside, then spun back to the middle. He slammed on the brakes half-way, stopping with his back to Lachlan reversing his spin back to the outside. Lachlan stumbled against his own teammate as he tried to push off back to the outside. Finally Donte was free.
Morrison had his eyes downfield, waiting for Kentavious to break open over the middle. The Dons would be expecting them to keep to the outside now there was so little time left. Even if Ty recovered, all Kentavious needed was an inch of separation. What a blessing to have such an easy job.
With Morrison's focus on Kentavious and Ty, he was completely blindsided when Donte smashed into him from behind. Suddenly his feet were off the ground, and his face was diving towards it. The ball spilled free, and Morrison ate dirt. A mad scramble for the fumble broke out.
Lachlan, trailing Donte, dove on the loose ball, securing it for the Longhorns before a pile of Linemen—offensive and defensive both—crashed into him. Whistles blew shrilly as the officials broke up the pile, signalling it was the Longhorns' ball even before they got to the bottom.
Coach Bourne watched the players pick themselves up slowly. Morrison gave a thumbs up, showing he was okay after the heavy hit, and the team huddled together. But after the clock ran for several seconds, and Coach Long saw the Longhorns had no intent on using one of their timeouts, he used the Dons' final one instead; there was a chance they could get the ball back if their defence stood tall. One more chance to wipe that "0" off the scoreboard before the half.
As the Longhorns retreated to their sideline, perhaps on the back foot for the first time that game, Lachlan apologised profusely to Morrison.
Morrison waved him down. 'It's fine, dude. Shit happens. I should've been paying attention.' He stretched his back, grimacing slightly; it always sucked when he was bruised after a game, but he knew should be thankful that wasn't EVERY game.
'Maybe we just stick to shorter passes now, though,' Morrison said, looking around for someone who agreed with his idea.
Coach Bourne nodded. 'If you want to get your rhythm back, go for it. But don't get trigger shy. Have faith. Kentavious can get a catch whenever he wants, so don't be afraid to throw it deep.'
Morrison glanced at Kentavious, whose attention was captured by the Dons' sideline. 'You've got me, don't you, buddy?' Morrison asked, extending a fist.
Kentavious didn't take his eyes off of Ty, but nodded and bumped Morrison's fist.
The break was soon over, and both sides were back on the field. Kentavious and Ty said nothing as they stood before one another.
The ball was snapped. Donte went for another half-spin, but Lachlan—expecting it—flowed with him. Morrison still had eyes on Kentavious, but kept more aware of his immediate surroundings as he watched Kentavious snap around into his Curl. He should've been open. Maybe he was, but with Ty looming, it was like a shadow had fallen over Kentavious. Morrison shook his head. How could he be losing trust in Kentavious of all people? He stepped into the throw, but that sliver of doubt made him hold on for a fraction too long, and the ball spiralled towards the turf before Kentavious's feet.
Kentavious dove, stretching out a hand. The pass was way too far off the mark for Ty to have an impact on it, though it should've ended up in the dirt. Miraculously, Kentavious got his hand under it, and scooped it back to his helmet, securing it. Before he could stand, Ty tapped him, downing him for only a 4-yard gain, which wasn't even enough to get the Longhorns back to where they'd started.
Kentavious pushed up to his knees, and caught Ty's gaze. A thousand challenges swirled between them without the need for words. They both calmly stood and went their separate ways.
Facing third down, the Longhorns kept the clock running. Kentavious approached Morrison as the team hurried back to the line.
'Keep calm, Herb. Let's get the first down, then worry about going deeper.'
'Okay. Yeah.' Morrison nodded. 'I'm real sorry about that last pass, KJ.'
'Don't be. You put it right where you thought you needed to. I'm the one who failed you by not giving you something to believe in.'
Morrison clenched his fist as Kentavious walked back onto the field. Kentavious had never failed him. But such a humble guy would never admit that. He had to be a QB deserving of such a great WR.
When both teams took their formation again, it was clear to all just how much was riding on this next play, and who was going to determine the fate of the drive. Of course, the ball was going to Kentavious. Yet, with it being third down, it was also clear the fate of the drive depended on this next play. Whether it was a catch or incompletion would decide whether the drive ended in a punt or a touchdown. Ty was the one Don standing between the latter.
The ball was snapped. Donte tested and probed at Lachlan, who scrambled and struggled but kept him back.
Kentavious feinted inside, then burst up along the sideline. Ty was draped over him, and no more shimmies or feints came; no cuts. It was a straight race down the sideline, and Kentavious's hand was raised as soon as he crossed the first-down marker.
Morrison put all his trust in his best friend, and lobbed the ball over on a back-shoulder throw. It hung up a little, falling a step short. Kentavious twisted, but Ty turned with him. Both lunged for the ball, and dug their hands into it like talons. They wrenched as they fell back, tangling with one another, wrenching and clawing, and the ball scattered free, flinging out across the sideline and out-of-bounds for an incompletion. The Black Hole had won, yet Kentavious came up smiling, offering Ty a hand.
Ty smacked the offer aside and rose, looking down at Kentavious, whose smile grew and twisted. Ty strode towards his bench and sat down, and Kentavious watched him as he retreated to his own sideline.
You think you can look down on me when you've only begun to reach my level? You've definitely got the ego the size of a star… but the real game only begins in the second half, Tyrese. Let's see how high you can soar.
The Longhorns sent out their punting unit, and the Dons matched it with their return team as they welcomed their defence back, hailing them as heroes.
The punt was thumped back to the Dons' 20, where Chris caught it, and could only bring it forward 5 more yards on his return before he was dropped by the Longhorns' Gunners.
Time was dwindling, and without any timeouts, Coach Long didn't think it possible for the team to punch through the Longhorns' defence. He settled to run the clock out instead with Chris on the ground, and the Longhorns were content to take a 30–0 lead into the half-time break.
When the whistle sounded, the Dons had a myriad of challenges ahead of them, and little bearing on how they should start tackling them. At least morale was… okay… all things considered.
The next twenty minutes would be among the most difficult and stressful of Coach Long's life.