Sitting in the commentary box, Kirk Charleston was a bit flustered. "...Wow!" He couldn't form a coherent sentence, only letting out an instinctive exclamation. "After number 11 came on, he didn't hesitate at all. The pass was quick and accurate, and the play was clear and well-executed. He completed about a nine-yard pass, and Logan found an open space, advancing for 23 yards. This pass not only pulled the Bruins back from the brink but also showed a rare sharpness..."
Kirk's mind was racing. He didn't recognize this number 11. He had only caught a glimpse, and it seemed to be an Asian player, but before he could tell, number 11 had already put on his helmet and was organizing the next play.
The player list had been put aside after the game officially started, and now Kirk had to get it back to find number 11's name. But before he could even look, the next play had already started. A quick and decisive short pass was completed in a flash, and they got a new set of downs.
Kirk didn't have time to breathe or even look down at the player list. His exclamations came out instinctively. "Number 11 is calling for another play, clearly hoping to use the opponent's confusion to get the Bruins' offense going again. Kevin Prince's injury disrupted the Bruins' rhythm, but it also disrupted the Trojans' defense. The game is changing every second, and now it's about who can adapt faster. From the looks of it, the Bruins seem to be ahead. Number 11 is organizing another play!"
Kirk clutched the player list tightly, and his commentary poured out, almost becoming an instinct. "Snap! The Bruins' offensive line quickly pushed forward, holding off the Trojans' first wave of attack. Number 11 drops back, adjusts his footwork, and throws! Amazing! Amazing! The release speed was unbelievably fast. Logan caught the pass. Logan Newman has caught another pass. He ran directly out of bounds without a head-on collision, completing the catch and stopping the game clock."
When the football goes out of bounds, the game clock automatically stops. This is a crucial strategy for time management.
"Let's take another look at that play!" Kirk said quickly. "After the snap, Logan had no running route. He ran straight to the right sideline, ran about five yards, stopped, turned around, and caught the ball easily between two defenders. On the one hand, number 11's pass was incredibly fast, and the defenders couldn't see his passing intention. On the other hand, the pass was incredibly accurate, going directly into Logan's arms. The rest was up to the Bruins' talented tight end!"
"Let's look at the release speed! It was only 1.78 seconds. Wow, lightning! That's pure lightning!" Kirk looked at the replay again. "Number 11 didn't give the opponent much time to react. A quick release, a quick catch, and a quick advance!"
"Excellent! Simply excellent!" Kirk thought for a moment, but the exclamation still came out. "Another 10-yard gain, and the clock is stopped. The Bruins are now at midfield. After number 11 came on, the Bruins' offense has been flowing smoothly. It's so good to watch! Wait, number 11 is calling for another play. There's no time to breathe. The Trojans' defenders seem a bit dazed, their judgment completely lost. A pass? No, no, this time it's a run! Marcus! Marcus! Marcus comes through again!"
"That's a 14-yard run, clean and decisive! This is also the first time the Bruins have run for more than 10 yards tonight. Holy Jesus Christ! The Trojans don't know what's going on." Kirk exclaimed repeatedly. In fact, not only the players on the field but also he, sitting in the commentary box, felt the same way. It seemed that after number 11 came on, the game speed on the field was being played at three times the speed, and he couldn't keep up. "This run was really excellent! Marcus's legs are still on fire tonight!"
Marcus tossed the football to the referee. There were no celebrations or cheers. He just ran back quickly. Even he didn't realize that his game rhythm had started to follow Lu Ke's. He ran back quickly and huddled with the other teammates around Lu Ke. He heard Lu Ke's no-nonsense explanation. "Practice game! Do you guys remember the practice game? The first down play!"
Lu Ke and the starters had never really practiced together.
Even though all the quarterbacks on the team learned the same set of plays to avoid a situation where a substitute quarterback couldn't work with the offense in an emergency, Lu Ke had never played in a game. The team's plays were naturally focused on the starting quarterback, and the substitute quarterbacks only had limited practice.
So, Lu Ke knew that his biggest advantage wasn't his ability but the opponent's lack of knowledge about him. This was Lu Ke's plan: use his strengths against their weaknesses.
For the second play, the "play one" he called was actually a signal between him and Logan, not a team play. To prevent the opponent from realizing that Logan was the target, Lu Ke simply exchanged glances with Logan. "Play one" was actually "route one," the most basic route Logan had taught Lu Ke during practice.
The core of the play was speed, not giving the opponent any time to think, and completing the pass quickly! As for the other teammates, their goal was to buy time for the pass. Two seconds would be enough. The rest would be handled by his 70 accuracy in short passes.
For the third play, Lu Ke surprisingly chose to run, catching the opponent off guard again. The two consecutive successful short passes, with the offensive preparation time compressed to under 15 seconds, didn't give the opponent any time to breathe or think, making them assume the third play would also be a pass. But Lu Ke handed the ball off to Marcus, who was in good form today.
The unexpected play call made the offensive line's job incredibly easy, creating a clear path for Marcus. He not only completed the 10-yard mission but also advanced another four yards, bringing them to the opponent's 40-yard line.
Now, it was time to gamble!
Because of the three consecutive attacks without a break, their minds weren't the only things that were blank. Their physical bodies had also reached a breaking point, making their reactions slow and preventing them from thinking further.
This was a position where they could either attack or defend. Even if the first down attempt failed, he still had a chance. Simply put, he could afford to lose.
So, Lu Ke chose the first down play from the practice game. He knew the risks of a long pass. He knew the opponents weren't the third team anymore. He knew that while the opponent's stamina was at its limit, his teammates were in the same predicament. But this was the best time to gamble! There was no better opportunity than this.
Marcus's first reaction was to open his mouth in shock, but the emotion quickly faded. He clenched his fist and asked, "Left or right?"
Because this was a long pass, the tight ends and wide receivers were the targets, so the running back's job was to join the offensive line, block the defenders, and buy more time for the quarterback. So, Marcus would stay by Lu Ke's side, blocking the opponents who broke through the offensive line, becoming Lu Ke's last line of defense.
"Right," Lu Ke said quickly. His eyes darted between Logan and John, and he finally looked at John and nodded slightly.
Logan was a tight end and was better at blocking and weaker at sprinting. John was a wide receiver, and his strength was his speed and sprinting. This was the main reason for Lu Ke's choice. More importantly, the previous two passes had been to Logan, so Logan would naturally attract more defenders, giving Lu Ke more time for a long pass.
"Don't give them any time to breathe!" Lu Ke clenched his fist and glanced at his teammates. Without much hesitation, he pounded his fist down. "Game on!"
There were no extra words and no unnecessary objections. Everyone turned around, ran to their positions, and got ready for the snap, showing their support and approval for Lu Ke with their actions.
Lu Ke didn't stand behind the center. He stood directly three or four yards behind the offensive line, at about the same level as the running back, just slightly offset. He was openly showing his intention to pass, creating space between the quarterback and the defenders. This small action immediately started to mess with the defenders' minds.
What was the meaning of this? Was he really going to pass? Or was he faking a pass to quickly hand the ball to Marcus? In the previous plays, he stood behind the center. Why did he step back a few yards this time? What did that mean? A long pass? A medium pass? Or a wildcat formation?
Their tired minds were in a panic and didn't even have time to think and make a judgment before the "hut" was shouted. "So fast?" This must have been the shared thought of every defender, and the only thought. They weren't going to think. They were just going to rely on their instincts and rush forward. No matter what the opponent's play was, as long as they could sack the quarterback, the problem would be solved.
But what? Why was he running to the right? Was he trying to run out of the pocket? What was going on? Why was the entire offensive line moving to the right? This wasn't a run; it was a pass! So should they drop back and defend the receivers and tight ends? No, it was too late!
One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, throw!
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