Fourth down, one yard to go, 46 seconds left.
This meant Lu Ke had a few options: he could give up on the offense and try for a field goal to tie the game. After the kick, he would hand the ball to the third-string team to see what their offense could do with the remaining time. After all, Lu Ke's first touchdown only took less than 30 seconds.
Alternatively, he could continue the offense. If he failed, the third-string team would start their drive at the 21-yard line, which was the practice squad's current position. If he succeeded, he would gain that one yard and have the rest of the 46 seconds to continue the offense, aiming for a touchdown and winning the game.
That single yard was a difficult choice.
In this drive, their first and second attempts had failed, gaining no yards at all. A seemingly simple yard has different levels of difficulty depending on the position and time. Right now, it was the final moments of the game, and they were not far from the opponent's end zone. This meant the defensive area was smaller, the defenders could cover more ground, and the defensive intensity would naturally increase, making it harder for the offense to succeed.
Lu Ke didn't make a decision right away. In an official game, the coach would make the call. But in a scrimmage, the quarterback was their decision-maker. He looked up at his teammates. They didn't hesitate. Tevin was the first to speak. "Your decision." The others nodded, their eyes fixed on Lu Ke.
"Lu Ke," John said. "Tell us what to do! We trust you!"
Teammates. Comrades.
Lu Ke clenched his fist and slammed it down. "Offense!" He then knelt on one knee, gathering his teammates in a huddle. "We only have one shot. But we're going to make it happen. Trust me!" He focused only on this one play, this one yard—without thinking about the consequences, the outcome, or the aftermath.
They quickly finalized the play, and Lu Ke stood back up. The players lined up, and the entire field was in shock. If their choice to go for a touchdown earlier was a gamble, this was pure insanity. On fourth down with one yard to go, they were still going for the offense. This wasn't just a gamble; it was a crazy risk. The adrenaline surged, and no one could react. The entire field was silent, and you could almost hear heartbeats.
There was no time to think, vent, or discuss. The preparation time for fourth down was only 40 seconds, just like the other three downs. The simple discussion and play-calling took 20 seconds in the blink of an eye. The offense was about to begin.
Lu Ke held his hands out in front of him, ready to receive the snap, but his eyes, like a hawk's, carefully observed the opposing defensive formation. A run? A pass? They had to take a chance, and Lu Ke had to, too.
For one yard, a run is always the safest option. The running back just needs to use their physical advantage, and the rest of the players push forward like a pack of wild boars, gaining that one yard. If there's one thing that defines college football, it's using physical strength. People always say college football is about talent, while professional football is about hard work and effort.
So, Lu Ke believed his opponents would expect a running play. After all, Derek had played well today, and Lu Ke's short and medium pass accuracy was still questionable. But Lu Ke was confident that he wouldn't flinch at this critical moment!
"Hike!"
Tevin snapped the ball, and Lu Ke caught it. He took three steps back and raised his hand to pass. But the defensive players didn't fall for it. They thought Lu Ke was faking a pass to run again. But in the next second, Lu Ke actually drew back his right arm, getting into a throwing position. This scared the defenders, and they started to look for the wide receivers and tight ends.
John.
John was Lu Ke's best receiving partner today. He not only scored the first touchdown but also made most of the successful catches. Everyone could see there was chemistry between John and Lu Ke.
At that moment, John was running to the right, turning around with his hands up, ready for a catch. This panicked the defenders, and a large group of them swarmed toward him.
But in the next second, Lu Ke shifted his body, switched positions, and without any hesitation, threw the football. The entire process took less than two seconds and included a fake out. It happened so fast that no one had time to blink. The defenders who were crowded around the offensive line didn't have time to break through and could only watch as the ball was thrown.
It wasn't to the right. It was to the left. Damn!
Wasn't the left side empty? Who was on the left? Wade Yandell! No one was covering Wade Yandell!
He was a freshman who just joined the team this year. Wade was talented but not stunning, good enough to be a third or fourth-string substitute. The coaches had suggested he switch to defense, but Wade refused and was temporarily assigned to the practice squad. Wade had only been with the practice team for less than 15 days. He had two chances to catch a pass today, but one was a drop, and the other was a bad throw by Lu Ke.
Now, Wade was the target for a pass?
The problem was that Wade was completely uncovered. It was a 7- or 8-yard pass. The ball was flying incredibly fast and hard, as if Lu Ke had put too much power into it. But the ball's trajectory was good, a perfect spiral with a good arc.
There was no chemistry between Wade and Lu Ke. This time, Wade had also run too far, about three or four yards past the agreed-upon spot. But Lu Ke had also over-thrown it, putting so much power into the throw that it flew far. What would the result be?
Two wrongs made a right!
Wade put his hands out and caught the football. The force was a little too much, and the ball bounced in his arms. But Wade charged forward, absorbing the ball's force. After two bounces, he held it securely. He used his momentum to sprint forward.
The 10-yard line was under his feet in an instant. He kept going, seeing a group of defenders rushing toward him in his peripheral vision, but he knew they couldn't catch him. He sprinted again, and then he was in the end zone.
Wade finally stopped after crossing the end zone. He held the ball tight in his right arm, breathing heavily. He was still in shock, dodging the charging defenders and looking for Anthony in the crowd.
Lu Ke's eyes were fixed on the football, watching it bounce into Wade's arms and then seeing Wade stumble into the end zone. Everyone around him raised their hands to signal a touchdown, but Lu Ke didn't celebrate. He turned to Anthony. He then saw Anthony raise his hands high: Touchdown!
"Yes!" Lu Ke clenched his fists, pumping them three times, using every muscle in his body to express his joy and excitement. But even that couldn't convey his true feelings. He had succeeded! He had completed a short pass, and in the most dangerous and important moment, with only 64 points of short pass accuracy, he didn't make a mistake when it mattered most!
"Ahhhhh!" All the practice players went wild, screaming, cheering, and roaring in unison. They weren't celebrating the win but their resilience in the face of adversity. This fiery spirit gave the practice squad its unique identity!
Lu Ke finally let go of his emotions. He held his fists tight and roared, celebrating the comeback at a crucial moment! This was the fatal blow, the fatal blow! Then everyone swarmed him, surrounding Lu Ke. "Roar! Roar! Roar!" Everyone roared in unison, their shouts echoing across the field.
The score was now 13-10, with the practice squad once again overtaking the third-string team. There was still an extra point to kick, but whether it was good or not, the outcome was decided.
The coaches were stunned. This was not what they expected. The comeback, and the fact that it came from the practice squad, was a complete shock. Even though their opponents were the third-string team, this was an epic comeback! Especially Lu Ke's intelligence, composure, and decisiveness in the final drives. His big heart was truly impressive!
Rick's mouth dropped open, and he shook his head. "Guys, did you see that coming?" At this point, there were only six seconds left on the clock.
This meant the practice squad's special teams could come on, run down the clock, and kick the extra point in the final second. The third-string team wouldn't have any chance. The game was over. The dust had settled.
The other two coaches were speechless, their mouths wide open in disbelief.
Anthony blew the whistle, signaling the special teams to come on, but then he heard Rick's voice. "Don't kick the extra point. This is a scrimmage, not a real game. Let's end it here. Training is over for today." After he spoke, Rick called the other two coaches and turned to leave.
Behind them, a cheer erupted. "We won! We won! We won! Ahhhh, we won!" The defensive players on the sidelines also ran onto the field. No one paid attention to the third-string team. Even the first- and second-string players started talking in low voices, their eyes filled with excitement and amusement. But this time, the target of their amusement wasn't the unnoticed practice squad but the third-string team.
The defensive players, the offensive players, everyone was cheering and celebrating. It was a party, a huge party!
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