Right-side pass, Marcus catches it, runs left, Logan blocks, Marcus sprints.
The first pass to the right drew all the Trojans' defenders to that side, leaving the area where Logan was empty. The tight end's position is called the strong side for a reason. Logan still blocked the nearby defenders, clearing a path for Marcus.
As a running back, Marcus's ability to break through and advance was already excellent, and with an open field, he was unstoppable. Unfortunately, speed wasn't Marcus's strong suit. After running for twelve yards, he was tackled and stopped.
However, Marcus didn't feel any regret. He tossed the ball to the referee and ran back quickly. None of his teammates celebrated. They ran forward quickly, taking their positions at the new line of scrimmage, ready for the next play. Marcus was the last one to get back in position.
Malik Jackson barely had time to get up when he saw the Bruins' movements, and a bad feeling emerged deep inside him. "Hurry! Get back in position!" He then sprinted back and quickly lined up.
In football, the offense controls the clock. As soon as they are lined up, they can start the play, even if the opponent hasn't completed their defensive formation. This is one of the key advantages of a no-huddle offense.
At this point, Malik saw the Bruins' offensive line lining up, and the ominous feeling turned into an alarm. They lined up as quickly as possible, but before they could even catch their breath, they heard number 11's voice, "3, 58," followed by "Hut!" Without any break, the offense started again. Malik could only take a deep breath and rush forward again.
But this time, the Trojans' blitz lacked some discipline and intensity. The force of the charge was noticeably weaker.
There was a dense crowd, people everywhere, in front and behind. Their own team, the opponents, all mixed together like a stew. Lu Ke's vision was still blurry and chaotic, but this time, he saw an open spot. Without any hesitation or pause, he quickly moved his forearm, and the football was thrown immediately.
After the pass, Lu Ke's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of number 96 charging forward like an angry bull. This time, Lu Ke reacted in time, took a step back, moved out of the way, avoided the charge of number 96, and then quickly ran to the side, successfully dodging the tackle.
In the midst of the dense crowd, Logan stood like a lighthouse, steadily catching the football. Immediately, two defenders closed in on him, preventing any further advance, but for Logan, it was enough. He completed the catch and gained six yards.
It was like taking the head of an enemy general in the middle of a thousand soldiers! Adrenaline burst out. Logan secretly clenched his fist. He didn't celebrate, but quickly returned to the offensive line's position. His teammates had already lined up again. The goal of that pass was speed, speed, and more speed. The entire offensive rhythm had completely sped up. Gaining six yards was a successful goal.
"Logan Newman! Logan catches the ball again, advancing six yards!" Kirk was staring intently at the field. The pace of the game suddenly picked up, and his commentary became more fluid. "The Bruins are organizing another play. It's another pass, a seven-yard pass, and John Ward successfully catches the football. Whoa, whoa, whoa, the Trojans are getting overwhelmed. One play after another, the Bruins' number 11 is making bold and decisive short passes, with the no-huddle offense completely speeding things up. The Trojans' blitz is having trouble keeping up with the rhythm."
"A run blitz! Marcus makes a nine-yard gain!" Kirk didn't dare to blink or even breathe, afraid he would miss a highlight of the game. "The Trojans' defensive formation is falling apart. They have no way to defend against this. The Trojans still have two timeouts, but they don't dare to use them easily, to avoid being in a tough spot at the end of the game. So, they have no time to make adjustments now."
"A long pass, whoa! Lu Ke is being bold and going for a long pass! The Trojans' defense didn't expect it, and the cornerbacks are out of position. Logan! Logan! Oh, what a shame, what a shame. The Trojans' number 36 grabbed Logan's jersey at the last second. Foul! Using a foul to stop Logan from catching the ball. If that pass was completed, it would have been a deadly touchdown!"
The smooth, fluid offense was forced to stop because of the foul. The game clock was stopped, giving both teams time to get a drink of water and catch their breath.
But with four consecutive drives and advances, the Bruins had an unstoppable momentum. They had advanced to the opponent's 26-yard line, right in front of the end zone. More importantly, the fluid offense had completely destroyed the Trojans' defensive formation, and their blitzes were falling apart. This was why Lu Ke dared to try a long pass. It was a shame that the opposing cornerback held on for dear life and ended the play with a foul.
"Foul! Five-yard penalty! Now the Bruins are at the opponent's 21-yard line, right in front of the end zone! The game is entering a make-or-break phase! But this is bad news for the Bruins. After they lost the rhythm of the no-huddle offense, the opponent also got a chance to catch their breath. The next defense will start from scratch! The question is, can the Bruins' number 11 create another miracle?"
"Guys, hurry!" Lu Ke lifted his water bottle and poured it over his head. Although it was December, it was never cold in Los Angeles, and besides, his body was giving off so much heat he felt like a walking sauna. He called his teammates back onto the field and lined up again. "We all know what we're about to face. They're going to go all out. They're going to be more aggressive. They're going to put more pressure on us."
As they got closer to the end zone, the closer they got to victory, the harder it would be. The space to use the no-huddle offense was also shrinking.
Everyone was staring at Lu Ke with bright eyes. No one was worried, and no one spoke. On the contrary, everyone's expression was so firm, without any hesitation. It was because they all believed that this kid from China could lead them to the end zone and win again.
"But we can beat them!" Lu Ke clenched his fist. There were no extra words. It was just a simple gesture, but no one would question it. They exchanged glances, then lowered their voices and returned to their positions, lining up for the play.
Time seemed to have lost its meaning in this moment. Everything Lu Ke saw, every task, seemed to be in slow motion. He couldn't track everyone's movements, but he could feel the tense and suffocating atmosphere coming at him. Even the air passing through his fingers felt hot and sharp.
The last drive seemed effortless, but Lu Ke knew it was his limit.
He had exploited his strengths and avoided his weaknesses to the extreme. His 67 tactical awareness, 80 willpower, 70 short-pass accuracy, and 66 passing accuracy while running—he had put every skill he had on full display! His outstanding tactical awareness was the fundamental reason he could be a quarterback in high school. The biggest difference between high school and college was the short-pass accuracy and passing accuracy while running. The transformation of these two skills allowed Lu Ke to fully use his understanding of plays.
This was a one-hit-wonder kind of drive. If the opponent had figured out the strategy, or if they had stopped the drive, or if Lu Ke had had a shaky hand and his pass accuracy was off, then he would have had no other options now. Just five months ago, he was a practice player, and now he was on the field, fighting USC until the very last moment. Lu Ke knew this was his stage, and he would not hold anything back!
Twenty-one yards.
Lu Ke bent down, looking at the lined-up Trojans' defense, trying to figure out their formation. A pass? A run? Or a quarterback run? From his limited arsenal, which one should he choose for the killing blow?
"5, 14." Lu Ke gave the command, making his final decision. The entire offense didn't move. It seemed their current positions were already in line with Lu Ke's command. Then Lu Ke scuffed his right foot on the ground, making sure his foot wouldn't slip. Without any hesitation—
"Hut!"
Lu Ke shouted again. His hands felt the leather of the football. He quickly dropped back, came to his senses, and handed the ball to Marcus. Marcus, with the football, started to run around to the left. The Trojans' defensive coverage was very dense, and they rushed toward Marcus immediately.
But after only two steps, they saw Lu Ke raise his right hand again. His body was bent in a huge arc, like a fully drawn bow, making a large semicircle in the air as the football left his hand.
It was too late. They had been fooled. It was a play-action pass. Due to their momentum, they had to stop and turn around, but they couldn't catch up. They could only hope that the cornerbacks could defend the target.
There were three wide receivers and one tight end, scattered on different routes. Who was it? Who was the target? John or Logan? Or were it the other two receiving targets?
Logan ran toward the end zone and saw the arc of the football. He secretly cursed under his breath: The pass was too long! At the most critical moment, Lu Ke's pass was too long!
Twenty-one yards to the end zone would have been a long pass, but Lu Ke's power was clearly aiming for 27 or 28 yards.
But Logan didn't give up. He used the momentum of his sprint to jump up, extending his left hand to reach the football with his fingertips. Luckily, the ball was still spinning like a shuttlecock. With a gentle flick, the football fell into his palm. Logan curled up and landed hard on the ground, every muscle in his body screaming: Don't go out of bounds, don't go out of bounds, don't go out of bounds!
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