Lu Ke stepped up and stood behind his offensive line. Shouts of "Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!" poured down from all directions. The entire Rose Bowl was once again in a frenzy. The non-stop energy, as if it hadn't gone through an entire game, was pouring down wildly. The whole world was calling his name, the whole world was anticipating his performance, and most importantly, the whole world was anticipating his victory!
Lu Ke's focus was razor sharp. He could still hear the thunderous shouts in his ears, but his mind was calm. He could even hear the sound of blood rushing, and his adrenaline was pumping.
Read the defense, read the defense, read the defense.
Surprisingly, the Badgers' defense hadn't adjusted and was continuing with their zone defense strategy. Lu Ke didn't know the exact reason. Maybe they believed this defense could still win, or maybe they didn't have any effective tactical changes and thought sticking to their guns was more effective. But this was a good thing for Lu Ke!
He dropped back, a quick drop back. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Watt, who had changed his blitzing strategy, but his intent was still very obvious. Nelson and Eddie were working together to block Watt. He could also see that the other defenders' blitzing tactics were quite chaotic. The remaining three members of the Bruins' offensive line successfully held them back, and Marcus also helped a little.
More importantly, Lu Ke was looking for open receivers. Wait, the intensity of the zone defense was more dense than he expected. Every corner seemed to be covered. There were no open spots!
John, there was a defender about two yards away, ready to pounce. Logan, there was a player five yards to his left and three yards to his right. Cory Harkey, the wide receiver, had a defender three steps diagonally in front of him. Christian Yount, the last wide receiver, was completely surrounded in the short-pass area.
Marcus? Marcus was busy helping to block the blitz.
Damn it, the opponent had reduced the number of defenders on the blitz and increased the number in the zone defense. The coverage was becoming more dense, and the passing targets were now dangerous.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
He had been thinking for too long. He had to make a decision because the pocket formed by the offensive line was closing quickly. Although the defenders hadn't broken through the line to make "intimate" contact with Lu Ke, the shrinking pocket didn't leave much room for him to pass. So, Lu Ke stopped thinking and decisively threw the football.
Sure enough, in the next second, the pocket completely collapsed, squeezing Lu Ke tightly in the middle. The defenders' arms were constantly swatting at Lu Ke's helmet and shoulders, trying to disrupt the pass—or trying to hit the quarterback.
The football was already in the air, so what was the result of the pass?
All eyes were on the football. After figuring out the passing lane, the defenders immediately pounced: Logan Newman! Lu Ke's most trusted passing target, and also the most important offensive weapon for the Bruins.
Logan was running fast, but at the same time, two players, one from the left and one from the right, were already pouncing on him. On top of that, another player was rushing over to cover, so Logan was caught in a three-man trap.
Fully focused, Logan didn't panic at all. While running, he kept his eyes on the ball, and out of the corner of his eye, he managed to see the positions of the surrounding defenders. The player on his right only took two steps to close in on him and blocked his position, constantly bumping into Logan to try and throw him off balance.
But both of them were running at high speed, so the collisions were not stable. And Logan was tall and strong, not afraid of a head-on collision, so his steps were steady.
In a flash, the pass arrived. Logan raised his hands high and forcefully caught the football over the heads of the opposing defenders. Just then, a hand reached out from behind, trying to swat the ball out of Logan's hands. It was clear that another defender had also arrived.
"There are no open targets. The Badgers' defense is in position. In a hurry, Lu Ke throws the ball," Kirk's smooth commentary flowed on. "Logan! Lu Ke once again throws the football to the team's number one receiving target, Logan Newman. Three defenders are closing in, but Logan jumps up and catches the football over their heads! Wow, Logan makes the catch! Logan makes the catch! With three players surrounding him, and one of them even trying to swat the ball away, Logan holds on to the football securely! No problem, the referee confirms it, the catch is complete!"
"Let's watch it again! The Badgers' zone defense completely contained all the receivers. In the end, Lu Ke chose the most reliable and strongest receiver—Logan Newman. This is a twenty-one-yard pass with no open space. With three players surrounding him, Logan makes the catch with his individual ability. The defenders had no chance. One player was blocking, one was tackling, and one was trying to swat the ball away, but! The catch was still completed! Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
"In a crucial moment, Lu Ke and Logan connected. There was no real play here, it was all pure individual ability. The Bruins have advanced again, an incredible advancement!"
Kirk's words came one after another. His voice was hoarse, but he couldn't calm down. It wasn't just him; the entire commentary box was in a frenzy. The Bruins had made the impossible possible.
This was not just a catch; it wasn't even just a twenty-one-yard pass. In less than six seconds, they had pushed forward and broken into the opponent's half of the field. They were now at the 43-yard line! They had pulled victory out of danger, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat!
Amazing! Absolutely amazing!
John, Cory, and the others ran up, pushed the Badgers' defenders away, and helped Logan get up. Everyone was excitedly shouting, "Way to go, man! Awesome job!"
Logan, however, pushed his teammates away, ran toward Lu Ke with a big smile on his face, his eyes wide and his mouth open. He rushed up to Lu Ke, and they both jumped up, bumped chests, and shouted at the same time, like the Incredible Hulk transforming, "Ahhh!"
The last play was a huge gamble. With almost no chance of success, Lu Ke chose the only ray of hope. He didn't need to use John's speed but Logan's strength. So, he took a risk and succeeded, reaping a great reward!
Adam Klein narrowed his eyes. That pass was interesting. Everyone's attention was on Logan. There was no denying that by beating three defenders and making the catch, Logan showed his talent, ability, and willpower, making him the biggest hero. But Adam's attention was on the quarterback.
His accurate judgment in a crisis and his ruthlessness in a crucial moment. Putting aside the defensive read, it was possible that the quarterback had identified Logan's zone defenders and knew they were at a disadvantage in a physical confrontation, or maybe he simply trusted Logan's ability and made the pass out of reflex. But the most important point was that the quarterback's pass was incredibly accurate. The power, direction, and arc were flawless, and it landed perfectly in Logan's hands.
Unfortunately, sitting in the stands, he couldn't watch the replay. But from what he saw, Logan caught the ball in a crowd, but the pass was so steady and precise, almost as if it had been calculated in advance. Logan's catch was effortless, which was the main reason he avoided the hand that was trying to swat the ball away.
This quarterback was interesting.
Adam couldn't help but rub his chin, and his mind started racing. There were only seventy-one seconds left in the game, and the clock was ticking. He had a feeling that these seventy-one seconds would be very exciting. Sure enough, the quarterback didn't hesitate and immediately started the next play. But was this a reckless impulse, or a calculated risk?
Lu Ke could taste blood on his tongue. His mind was incredibly clear, even clearer than usual. He knew that the last pass was a close call, and luck had played a part. But he couldn't rely on luck. In sports, once you start relying on luck, it's the beginning of a breakdown. He had to believe in his own ability, and he could only believe in his own ability!
So, how should they run this next play?
A screen pass? A wildcat formation? A play-action pass? A crossing route?
His mind was racing, and his eyes were fixed on the defense. Everyone said the Badgers' defense was not good, but only by actually standing in front of them—especially J.J. Watt—could you feel the immense pressure. How should he choose his play?
"Strawberry marmalade!" Lu Ke shouted again, but this time it wasn't to test the opponent's defensive formation, but to actually execute a play.
After hearing the command, Marcus started to run. He was originally standing behind Lu Ke, but now he ran to the right side, inside the wide receiver, appearing to be another offensive lineman or a receiver. His ambiguous position made it hard to tell what he was. Then Lu Ke's voice came through, "1, two 1s." He actually said it like that, not "11," but "two 1s." This series of play calls sounded like binary programming.
The Badgers' defense hesitated for a moment but didn't fall for it. No one moved. Then Watt saw Lu Ke bend down and repeat the play again, "1, two 1s." His eyes were fixed on Lu Ke, like a cheetah in the jungle, ready to hunt its prey. This time, he would make a lethal strike, tearing the prey's throat and leaving no chance of survival.
"Hut!" The command was given, and Watt pounced, making a powerful move!
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