"Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Unbelievable!"
Three consecutive exclamations, but Kirk still couldn't express his excitement because of number 11 on the field, and because the suspense of the game was back. After the exclamations, Kirk kept shaking his head; he was completely dumbfounded.
"113 seconds! Four plays! The Bruins completed their first passing touchdown tonight! On the play that completed the touchdown, the Bruins' substitute quarterback, with a 40-yard long pass, successfully connected with John Ward to score a touchdown! A brilliant drive, a brilliant debut, a brilliant touchdown! Wow! Folks, I think from this moment on, the suspense is back on the table!"
Looking down and carefully reading the player list, Kirk finally learned the name of the number 11 player for the first time. "Lu Ke, number 11, Lu Ke. This substitute quarterback came in in an emergency after the starter was injured, and he officially announced that the Bruins are competitive again! I think after tonight, every one of us will remember this name!"
The Bruins' special teams came on and, after kicking the extra point, narrowed the score to 14-28. The three-touchdown deficit suddenly became two touchdowns, and the seemingly unreachable score became approachable in an instant. As Kirk said, the suspense of the game was back!
A one-touchdown change created a subtle psychological shift. What's more, this was a touchdown completed in less than two minutes. It seemed that before they could even catch their breath, with a burst of acceleration, the psychological advantage of the leader and the chaser was completely different.
Sure enough, when the players from both sides came on, the momentum shifted. The Bruins' defense was on fire, rushing, defending, and covering with outstanding performance. After being dormant for most of the game, they finally showed their fighting spirit and took control of the field. On the other side, the Trojans seemed a little lost. Matt Barkley, who had been consistently good all night, was performing poorly. A run resulted in no gain, and two passes were incomplete.
In a flash, the Trojans had wasted three plays without any gain and had to punt.
To make matters worse, the special team's punt was also very bad. After the Bruins' special team receiver caught the ball, he broke through and advanced to their own 45-yard line before being tackled, stopping his long run.
Lu Ke came on again, starting the offense from their own 45-yard line.
Jeff couldn't help but stand up and shout, "Bruins!" trying to cheer on his team. He pulled Nate up with him. Looking at that small figure in his sight, Jeff felt emotional. His chest was filled with excitement and happiness, and he felt like he could fly.
He didn't care what others thought, and he didn't care that the stands were mostly empty. He only knew that if the team didn't give up, he wouldn't either. It was that simple!
Jeff and Nate cheered with all their might. "Bruins!" Luckily, they weren't the only two. The shouts around them started to come together, forming a unified chant. "Bruins! Bruins! Bruins!"
The coordinated shouts weren't very loud. The large number of empty seats meant the supporters were scattered in different parts of the stadium, and the cheers seemed sparse. But everyone was waving their arms and shouting at the top of their lungs, cheering for their home team.
The USC supporters across the stands started to boo. The jeers and vulgar curses were endless. Although there was no unified shouting and they couldn't form an effective counter-chant, they were still on equal footing with the home crowd. Their menacing threats and distorted faces had a certain deterrent effect.
This second time on the field, Lu Ke was even more nervous than the first time. It was because he had come back to his senses, because he had time to look around, and because he was starting to feel the pressure.
"Bambi, Bambi?" Logan's voice brought Lu Ke back to reality. He patted his friend's shoulder hard. "Don't mind those noises. Just focus on the game. We need you to concentrate!"
Lu Ke took a deep breath. "Give me a second." Then he exaggeratedly let out a breath and said with a laugh, "Okay, I'm ready. Now the question is, are you ready?" With that, Lu Ke ran ahead and went to their starting position.
There were still 12 minutes and nine seconds left in the game, and the Bruins were still two touchdowns behind. Time was their biggest enemy! So, Lu Ke knew he didn't have much time to breathe. He gathered his teammates to discuss this play.
"Guys, listen, we can't be too hasty. We have to be steady," Lu Ke said. After forcing himself to calm down, his thoughts became clearer.
During the short break, he had analyzed the plays with the offensive coach, Norm, and now it all came back to him. The situation was clearly different from the crisis he was thrown into earlier. He couldn't use the same strategy twice. So, Lu Ke started to lay out the play. "...That's it! Let's get another touchdown!" Lu Ke looked at his teammates with confidence. "Brothers, game on!"
"Did I mention? I like this kid," Logan said with a laugh, making everyone else laugh as well. Then he turned around and walked to his position, getting ready to line up.
Lu Ke didn't go forward. He stood side-by-side with Marcus, his back straight, looking down from a high point. The Trojans' defense had calmed down, but in Lu Ke's eyes, he could still feel their nervousness. The last drive had clearly left a psychological mark.
Lu Ke's eyes were like a hawk's, scanning each defender's face, even making eye contact with them. The brief confrontation was full of sparks, but Lu Ke was fearless. He stared at the opposing defense, then slowly bent down, like a vulture circling in the sky, aiming at its prey: the rotten corpses.
Malik Jackson stared intently at number 11, his brow furrowed without any sign of relaxation. But the other side's confidence and assertiveness showed no weaknesses.
As the Trojans' defensive captain, Malik could clearly feel the powerful aura coming from number 11. It seemed he was ready to repeat the miracle of the last drive, scoring a touchdown in just two minutes. It also seemed he was ready to repeat the rainbow pass, a deadly blow that would press his advantage. This put the Trojans' defense under immense pressure.
The pressure came from the unknown. They knew nothing about this substitute quarterback. Their only previous encounter was a complete suppression in 113 seconds. They couldn't figure out his habits or patterns. They weren't sure if they should stick to their original plan or put more pressure on the rookie. Or should they start defending against a pass?
His chaotic thoughts had just begun to form when Lu Ke's shout came into his ears. Malik hesitated for a moment, maybe just five milliseconds, which caused him to pause. His mind instantly made a decision. He would continue to rush. If he could sack number 11, all the problems would be solved!
Malik slammed into the Bruins' offensive line, then used the momentum to take a step back, going around the players and rushing toward Lu Ke. In the corner of his eye, he could see that the offensive line was in pieces. They had broken through the offensive line's block with an absolutely powerful charge according to their plan. The only thing left was to sack the quarterback!
Malik's eyes were locked on number 11. He didn't move. A fierceness erupted from deep inside him. He gritted his teeth and charged. To him, number 11's footwork was too slow. He used his momentum to lunge forward, fiercely tackling number 11 around the waist and bringing him down like a mountain.
Success!
Before Malik could even feel happy, his heart sank. Number 11 didn't have the football in his hands. Where was it?
Malik quickly looked up, and in the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the football going into Logan's arms. Damn it! They had focused four players on rushing the offensive line, which meant their other defensive forces were weaker. They had left the entire middle open, allowing Logan to easily catch the ball.
"Shit!" Malik slammed his fist into the ground, a sense of defeat welling up inside him.
It was a short pass, about six yards. When he was making the play, Lu Ke's goal was clear: don't be greedy, advance steadily, and then wait for an opportunity to strike with a medium or long pass.
The advantage of a short pass is a quick release. With exquisite coordination, accurate running, and precise passing, the pressure on the offensive line is reduced. The receivers, running backs, and tight ends can use crossover routes to confuse the defenders' strategies and create more space for the receiver to advance.
All of this depended on speed, accuracy, and coordination.
Logan was incredibly familiar with this kind of catch. Lu Ke was also incredibly familiar with every single one of Logan's running routes. With just a quick run, a left turn, and a spin, the football was delivered right in front of him without any difficulty. Logan started to quickly look around. There were three defenders on the left, which meant the right side was relatively open. So, he turned around, braced himself against the defender rushing at him from behind, and like an eel, he spun away from the tackle and then… ran!
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