Jeff's muscles were all tense. Ever since number 11's first successful pass, he felt like he had forgotten how to breathe. His eyes were wide, fixed on every move on the field. He forgot to cheer, forgot to be nervous, and even forgot about the rivals across the stadium.
His heart slowly climbed up and got stuck in his throat, almost jumping out, but Jeff kept staring at the field. Then he saw the most unforgettable moment of the night.
After the snap, number 11 quickly dropped back, creating distance between himself and the offensive line. At the same time, his feet moved steadily and quickly in a crossover step, leading the entire team to move to the right. Marcus followed number 11 closely, ready to receive the ball at any moment and start running.
The play started so quickly that the defenders didn't have time to react. The entire defensive line was in disarray, unable to organize an effective defense. They didn't seem to know what to do. Should they rush the quarterback and sack him? Or defend against a run and stop Marcus from getting another big gain? Or defend against a pass—a short one? A medium one? A long one?
The Trojans' defenders' movements and positions were completely disorganized. They were in a state of chaos, seemingly lost in the Bruins' relentless offense, unable to find any effective way to stop them. There was no defense to speak of.
The defenders' poor performance gave the offensive line enough time and space, and it also gave number 11 enough time to observe and prepare. But why wasn't number 11 throwing the ball yet?
Jeff was confused. More importantly, he didn't have time to think. He was just anxious, incredibly anxious. His stomach started to cramp with nerves. His body was so tense he couldn't move. It felt like only a few seconds had passed, and yet it felt like an entire century. Then, number 11 finally threw!
He drew back his arm like he was shooting an arrow.
Jeff's eyes were fixed on the football. It went up, up, and kept going up. The arc it made was so full, so round, and so high. After reaching its peak, it started to descend. The forward momentum was so strong that it flew past the 30-yard line, the 20-yard line, the 10-yard line, and into the end zone...
Jesus Christ!
It was a super long pass, aimed directly at the end zone? Jeff felt like his heart stopped beating, and even time seemed to stop. The question was, was anyone in the end zone?
Yes. John Ward.
The entire end zone was open and empty. When Jeff noticed John, the Trojans' defenders finally reacted, rushing toward him like hungry wolves. But it was too late. The closest player was more than 15 yards away from John. They could only watch as John extended his hands, easily caught the football, and then stopped, standing right there.
His feet were in the end zone! A heart shot, a deadly blow!
The referee's whistle echoed loudly. Jeff's mouth hung open in disbelief, and he jumped up. "Touchdown! Touchdown!" He was so excited that he choked on his saliva and started coughing violently, but that didn't diminish his joy and happiness. He jumped and waved his arms wildly, screaming, "Touchdown!"
After jumping up, Jeff hugged Nate, who was also standing up and cheering. They were both screaming as if they had won the game. "Ahhh!" This was the only way they could release the overwhelming emotions inside them. This was the only way they could express how they truly felt at that moment.
The Rose Bowl was in a state of chaos. The Bruins supporters were simply celebrating, celebrating freely. It wasn't for the victory of the game, but for the long-awaited revival of their offense. Even though only less than a third of the Bruins' fans were left, the rest having already left, the cheering and shouting were like rain after a long drought, bringing life back to the Rose Bowl.
The Trojans' supporters were a bit confused. Some didn't even know what had happened. It seemed like the touchdown was completed before they could react. Some were furious, shouting at their defenders to get it together. Others started cheering loudly for their team, as they were still winning the game.
"Bambi! Bambi!" Marcus was the first to run to Lu Ke, hugging him tightly and using his whole body to express the joy he was feeling. Before Lu Ke could protest, the other offensive linemen ran over, surrounding him completely. The loud noise of shouting, yelling, and cheering was endless, hitting Lu Ke's eardrums as if the whole world had become noisy.
The emotions that had been suppressed for the entire game finally found a release.
"Calm down! Calm down!" Bruins defensive captain Justin Edison ran onto the field, pulled his teammates apart, and patted Lu Ke on the shoulder. "Great job, man! But the game isn't over yet!"
A happy feeling rushed through Lu Ke's mind like a flood, a dragon breaking free and looking for an outlet. But Justin's words brought Lu Ke back to his senses. He took a deep breath, and then another, telling himself that a touchdown was worth celebrating, but it was only the first step toward victory. Winning was the ultimate goal!
"Guys, let's give the field to our boys and let them do their thing." Lu Ke punched Justin's shoulder. "Now it's the defense's turn!"
Justin gave a thumbs-up. "Let's show them what we've got now!" The defense had been completely suppressed by the opponent today, which was frustrating. Now that the offense was back, they couldn't fall behind. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to hold their heads high when they got back.
Lu Ke and the offensive players left the field and saw their defensive teammates all raising their right hands. Logan was the first to run over, high-fiving each one of them. The dark cloud that had been hanging over the Bruins all night was finally starting to clear, and cheers and excitement started to build up again.
Marcus bumped Lu Ke's shoulder and said happily, "Everyone's waiting for you, Mr. Number 11." After that, Marcus ran over and celebrated with every teammate, high-fiving each one. Lu Ke followed, raising his left hand high, one by one, hitting each other's palms and truly feeling the trust and support of fighting side-by-side.
At the end of the line were the three coaches and Anthony.
Rick looked at the smiling Lu Ke and put on a serious face. "You know you didn't follow the play on the field just now, and that's not right, right?"
In football, there can be as many as 20,000 offensive plays. Even if a quarterback memorizes all of them, he can't analyze and choose the best one in a short amount of time. After all, a quarterback isn't a computer, and it requires a whole team to do it.
In a professional game, there are not only the head coach and offensive coaches on the sidelines making the plays, but there are also teams in the press box above the field observing the entire situation, analyzing every offensive and defensive play, reporting to the head coach, and then making a new play.
In other words, making a play for every down requires direct communication between the coach and the quarterback.
However, during the game, the quarterback makes split-second decisions. Changing a play based on the situation on the field is also the quarterback's job. This was the case just now.
Everything happened too fast. Lu Ke made the right call, and Rick didn't even have time to discuss or direct. The offense was moving in waves. Rick had considered stopping Lu Ke, slowing down the pace, and adjusting the plays, but after a moment of hesitation, he kept his mouth shut.
Clearly, it was a smart choice.
But the situation was different now. The quarterback needed to communicate with the coach. Football is not a sport you can play alone, and it's not just the players on the field who are fighting. Rick needed this substitute quarterback to understand that.
Lu Ke looked at the serious Rick and didn't argue. He just nodded seriously, showing that he understood.
Rick chuckled, not saying anything else, and patted Lu Ke's arm. "Excellent work! Now, let's talk about the next offensive play. Let's leave the rest to the defensive guys!"
After sitting down on the sideline, Lu Ke realized that his fingers were trembling slightly. The delayed nervousness and excitement had finally become real.
After being called to play in a crisis, Lu Ke didn't have time to think or get excited. He was thrown into the game without a moment to breathe, and everything felt unreal.
It wasn't until this moment that reality sank in. Lu Ke realized that just now, he had completed his first official NCAA game as a semi-professional player. At the same time, he also completed his first official passing touchdown in a game.
His dream had finally come true.
After coming to his senses, Lu Ke slowly, slowly clenched his fists. He loved that feeling of a close call and almost suffocating pressure. He loved the feeling of controlling the whole game and fighting against the other team. The sound of his heart beating was so clear, pounding against his eardrums. It was so wonderful that he didn't want to leave. After just one try, he had fallen in love with this feeling!
He looked up at the stands of the Rose Bowl. Even with so many empty seats, it was still magnificent. It felt like standing at the center of the world, feeling the heat of the spotlight. Everything was so captivating! He couldn't wait to start the next play!
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