John could see two cornerbacks in his line of sight—the guards who protect the corners of the field and are specifically responsible for covering receivers. They were spread out on their side of the field, playing defense according to their tactical assignments. But this time, they were defending a running play, so the two cornerbacks were near the center of the field, moving to the left with the offense, leaving most of the field wide open.
The entire field in front of him was empty, a clear path ahead.
John held the football tight, running, running fast, running with all his might, running with full concentration, with no one in his way. After catching the football perfectly at the 40-yard line, he ran selflessly, getting closer and closer, running freely toward the end zone.
There were no blocks, no tackles, no interruptions. John sprinted, his ears filled with the sound of the wind, and ran all the way into the end zone for a touchdown. It was so effortless, he didn't even need to use any extra energy. All he had to do was run, catch, and run. It was so easy, so simple, so perfect.
A lethal strike!
After crossing into the end zone and completing the touchdown, John spiked the ball on the ground. He had done it! He had done it! The overwhelming emotions in his chest poured out. His first reaction was to look to the other end of the field to find Lu Ke, but it wasn't easy.
The practice squad's offensive players were swarming toward him, blocking his view. Everyone's face was filled with excitement, and their hoarse voices filled the air, shouting, "You did it! You did it!"
Also blocking his view were the opposing defensive players, who stood frozen on different parts of the field, looking lost. They didn't even understand what had happened—how a long pass was completed, how a touchdown was scored.
The people on the sidelines were stunned, too. The first and second-string players couldn't believe that the first team to score was the practice squad, and with a single, decisive long pass at that. The offense had been on the field for less than 30 seconds, and a touchdown was already scored. It was so unbelievable, so mind-boggling, so fantastical that everyone just stared at each other.
Even the three coaches were in disbelief. Rick Neuheisel looked at the center of the field with great interest. He wasn't surprised by the touchdown itself, but by the entire trajectory of the pass—from the setup to the throw, from the ball's flight path to John's secure catch. The power, accuracy, and control displayed in the pass were truly impressive.
He wondered if this was a fluke or a genuine skill.
Rick turned to his two coaching colleagues. "Did you guys notice the offensive formation? Was that intentional? Did the quarterback make an audible before the snap?" They hadn't paid close attention before, so they naturally missed those details.
The offensive coach, Norm Chow, and the defensive coach, Chuck Bullough, both smiled wryly, unable to give a definite answer.
Norm said, "It all happened too fast."
Indeed, it only took about 30 seconds for the touchdown to be completed. That was incredibly fast, even for a scrimmage.
Rick smiled wryly. "It seems the practice squad kids have a lot of surprises in store for us."
However, he knew that the third-string defense hadn't taken the first play seriously enough, which led to a defensive lapse and gave Lu Ke enough time to throw. Now that everyone was on alert, things would be much more interesting. Rick was looking forward to seeing how Lu Ke's offense would respond and perform.
The defender who was a step too slow to tackle Lu Ke stood up and sullenly walked to the side. Lu Ke got up, clenched his fists, and pumped them a few times. He couldn't hold it in and roared, "Great job!" He had succeeded. His play had worked, and all his recent efforts had paid off with this touchdown!
This was his first step on the field since he got the system. Although it was just a scrimmage, it was a huge step up from being just a practice player.
Before Lu Ke could celebrate further, he saw John barreling toward him like a runaway train, with a whole string of teammates following behind. They surrounded Lu Ke, cheering loudly, "Lu Ke! Lu Ke! Lu Ke!" The celebration was as euphoric as winning the Super Bowl.
A huge smile spread across Lu Ke's face.
"Thud!" Kevin, standing on the sidelines, kicked a chair hard, only to hurt himself. He gritted his teeth, pretending not to care, but his knuckles were white as he gripped his helmet. He ground his teeth in frustration. "Damn clown!"
"Get it together! It was just one touchdown! We'll get one back!" Kevin yelled at his teammates as he prepared to go onto the field. But a teammate grabbed his arm, and Kevin turned, glaring at him. "What is it?"
The teammate shook his head. "The extra point hasn't been kicked yet." After the extra point, the special teams would have to kick off, and only then would it be their turn.
Unlike in soccer, where a goal is followed by a kickoff from the center circle, after a touchdown, the team that just scored kicks off from their own side of the field. The opponent receives the kick and can also return it, similar to a punt. The spot where the returner is tackled and their knee touches the ground will be where their team's offense starts its drive.
The practice squad's special teams came on and kicked the extra point, which was good, giving them a temporary 7-0 lead. Then the special teams kicked off, and the ball went out of the end zone, giving the third-string returner no chance. The third-string offense would now start on their own 20-yard line.
Kevin, once again, took the field.
Back on the sidelines, Lu Ke wasn't idle. The joy of the first touchdown quickly subsided. The scrimmage had just begun, and they couldn't be sure of a victory with just one touchdown. They needed to keep attacking, attacking, and attacking again!
Lu Ke gathered his offensive teammates. "The same thing won't happen a second time."
The first play was a perfect storm of timing, position, and execution. If any one part had gone wrong, they couldn't have replicated the result. The risks of a long pass were simply too high, especially with their lack of chemistry. They needed more plays.
"But we still have the advantage!" Lu Ke encouraged his teammates. "You saw it; their chemistry isn't great either. At least it's a little worse than ours." The third-string team was, after all, not the first-string team.
After the unbelievable long-pass touchdown, the practice squad's offense was in high spirits and full of confidence. Lu Ke's words made them all laugh.
"Now it's for real, no more flukes," Lu Ke said, looking around at his teammates. "Next, we need more blocking..."
A quarterback is called the brain of the team because they must memorize the entire playbook and also be familiar with defensive tactics. The quarterback is the only player on a football team with this requirement. On the field, in the blink of an eye, the coach can't change the play; it's up to the quarterback.
The biggest advantage for the practice squad was that they were very familiar with every opponent because they had to study the starters and substitutes to act as a practice squad for them. The starters, however, did not have to and could not study the practice players' tactics. Therefore, the practice squad knew the habits and weaknesses of the players on the opposing offensive line.
Lu Ke began to assign plays. For a quarterback, having enough time to observe and throw is the first priority. In other words, the offensive line must block the defensive players' rush, or the entire offense will fall apart.
Even the best quarterback in the world is just one person. One person can't take on multiple opponents alone and win.
If they were facing the absolute starters of the first-string team, the practice squad would have no chance. The gap in skill and tactics would be too great to overcome, even with their best efforts. But they were facing the third-string team, the substitutes' substitutes. They also didn't get much practice and game time together. This meant that if Lu Ke observed carefully enough, he could find a weakness.
"Goddammit!" A curse came from the field, interrupting Lu Ke's tactical discussion. He turned to look at the field and saw that the third-string team had advanced to the centerline but couldn't go any further. It was clear they would have to punt again. Kevin's face was red, his veins were bulging, and he was yelling at his teammates in a rage.
Lu Ke took a deep breath. "Guys, it's our turn to go on the field again."
But this time, the practice squad wasn't able to pull off another stunning play. With the opposing defenders paying attention, the practice squad's offensive line couldn't organize an effective block. The first pass was broken up, and Lu Ke was sacked. A sack is when a defensive player forces a quarterback to the ground while they are still holding the ball. This means the down is over, and the next play will start from where the quarterback's knee touched the ground.
On the second down, they tried a run, but only gained two yards. On the third down, Lu Ke attempted a medium pass, but it was incomplete. With no other options, they had to punt.
The scrimmage then devolved into a chaotic pattern, with neither offense able to make any real progress. The game entered a stalemate.
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