American Football: King of the Bay Area

Third and fifteen, at their own fifteen-yard line, right on the edge of the End Zone.

This was a tough spot for the offense, leaving them with very few options. The slightest mistake could not only result in a turnover but could also put the other team right on the edge of their End Zone, making another score highly likely. The smartest play would be to gain a few yards for a better punting position, give up on this drive, let the Defense Team take over, and try again later.

What’s more, the Brown Bear Team’s quarterback on the field now was no Peyton Manning.

The Brown Bear Team’s offensive players got into formation. The five players on the Offense Line lined up side-by-side. To the left were two Wide Receivers, to the right was one Wide Receiver and one Tight End, with a running back behind the line. Among these players, John and Logan were the teammates Lu Ke knew best. The running back was Marcus, the one who’d scored their only Touchdown of the day.

Lu Ke stood behind the center. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the play clock at the end of the field, which was counting down: fifteen, fourteen… It showed the time remaining before they had to snap the ball. Then, his eyes swept across the defensive players of the opposing Trojans Team.

He knew them, but they didn’t know him. It was inevitable they’d underestimate him. But this wasn’t a scrimmage; they were still focused and alert, trying to get the defensive stop and maintain their advantage in the game.

’I could go for a long pass, just like in the scrimmage,’ Lu Ke thought. ’Catch them by surprise and make a splashy entrance.’

’But things are different now. This isn’t the start of the game; it’s third and fifteen, and the offense is in a terrible position. If the goal is to convert on this down, a long pass is indeed the best option, but what about their defenders?’

’From the Defense Team’s perspective, they’d primarily defend against the run to stop us from getting into a better punting position. But they’d also leave themselves some leeway to guard against any potential trick plays, especially a long pass. They might even be expecting it.’

’So, I can’t take that risk. From this field position, the slightest mistake could lead to an interception, and the consequences would be disastrous. It was the start of the game during the scrimmage, so I could afford a failed long pass. But in a real game, I can’t—not if I want to win.’

”Game Missions:

Complete first pass in an official NCAA game; Requirement: None; Reward: Basic Points +1.

Complete first Touchdown in an official NCAA game; Requirement: None; Reward: Basic Points +1.

Complete a Touchdown in an official NCAA game; Requirement: None; Reward: Basic Points +1 per Touchdown.

Achieve passing yardage in an official NCAA game; Requirement: At least seventy-five passing yards; Reward: Basic Points +1.

Achieve victory in an official NCAA game; Requirement: None; Reward: Basic Points +2.”

The system in his mind displayed the missions again. They looked familiar, yet slightly different. But time was slipping away, and Lu Ke didn’t have time to read them in detail. He knew that once he stepped onto the field, victory was his only objective. And for the sake of that victory, he had to make the perfect call!

Lu Ke slowly bent down, his gaze locked onto the opposing defenders. His eyes darted back and forth, assessing the layout of the entire field. Anyone would have expected him to be nervous, but the reality was the exact opposite. He was incredibly calm, as if he had stood on this field countless times before. The blood pounding in his veins and the heat rising in his skin betrayed his inner excitement. He loved this feeling.

”Hike!”

Lu Ke yelled, completely without warning. There were still eleven seconds left on the play clock, and he had been under center for less than five. What’s more, it had been just thirty-five seconds since he’d even stepped onto the field. This nobody hadn’t had time to communicate with his team, confer with the coach, or even soak in the atmosphere at the center of the field, yet he was already starting the play.

So clean, so decisive. Even if he was just executing a play called by the coach, that level of decisiveness and boldness was still impressive.

Lu Ke took the snap from the center. With no fancy moves, he immediately began rolling out to his right. The entire Offense Line began to move quickly in unison. For the defenders, there was no time to think; they could only react on instinct, following the Offense Line and shifting quickly to their left. They tried to find a gap to rush through, sack the quarterback, and snuff out the play in the pocket.

However, this was no easy task. The entire Offense Line was on the move, and trying to shift laterally while also charging forward was incredibly difficult, which naturally neutralized the defenders’ rush.

More importantly, Marcus, who had been playing exceptionally well all day, ran a diagonal route to the top right, looking like he was about to meet Lu Ke for a handoff. The defenders had to guard against the run. They were already out of position from the lateral movement, which would make stopping a run play even more difficult.

After the snap, John and Logan paid no mind to the action on the Offense Line and immediately took off downfield.

John ran in the opposite direction, to the left, cutting a sixty-degree diagonal slant that sliced through the Trojans Team’s defense like a sharp blade. The cornerbacks in the secondary immediately tried to read the play. ’Is it a run or a pass?’ In a split second, two defenders broke off to double-team John. His route was aggressive; if the pass were completed, it wouldn’t just convert the first down but could gain twenty or even twenty-five yards! They couldn’t afford to overlook him.

Meanwhile, Logan ran toward the right sideline. Nearing the edge of the field, he planted his foot, cut back sharply, took three steps back toward the line of scrimmage, then made another sharp ninety-degree turn and charged straight ahead. He didn’t sprint blindly, though. After about eight or nine yards, he found himself in a wide-open pocket of space, with the nearest cornerback over twenty yards away. Logan adjusted his stride, slowing slightly without stopping, turned his upper body, and raised his right hand high.

An instant. An opening.

Lu Ke’s eyes narrowed. He glanced at John, then at the defender who had broken through the line. He paused for a beat, letting Marcus run past to block the oncoming rusher. Then, his arm swung forward—a quick, clean, decisive motion with no wind-up. The football traced a small arc, just high enough to clear the defender’s head. If someone had reached for it, they might have batted it down—but no one did.

The ball flew fast, a tight spiral, like a homing missile. It WHOOSHED toward Logan, who only needed to raise his hands to comfortably secure it. Hugging the ball tightly, he then rumbled forward like a tank.

The moment Lu Ke threw the ball, the defenders realized their mistake and converged on Logan like a pack of hungry wolves. But the gap was just too big; in two short seconds, they couldn’t possibly close in. They could only watch helplessly as Logan made the catch. One after another, the defenders charged forward, trying to stop him.

But Logan was already picking up steam.

As a Tight End, Logan was built a size larger than most, and his charge was exceptionally powerful. Now, using his forward momentum without turning or pausing, he showed an unstoppable drive. The first defender got into position but couldn’t manage to wrap him up for the tackle. A second defender slammed into Logan hard, but Logan just used the momentum to keep pushing forward. It took a third defender to finally complete the tackle and end the play.

Ballsy! Absolutely ballsy! That was one hell of a ballsy play!

Up in the stands, Jeff and Nate were completely stunned, even more so than the Trojans Team. The new number eleven hadn’t just refused to give up or play it safe; he had audaciously and meticulously chosen a short pass, using the play design to complete a huge advance.

Fifteen yards! Logan hadn’t just converted the first down; he had gained a full twenty-three yards, bringing the Brown Bear Team all the way to their own thirty-six-yard line, not far from midfield.

”Shit! Shit!” The curses spilled out of Jeff, one after another. It was the only reaction he could muster. It wasn’t until their rivals across the stadium started booing, trying to pressure the green-as-grass rookie, that Jeff finally snapped out of it. He scrambled to his feet, waved his arms, and yelled at the top of his lungs, ”Bears! Bears! Bears!”

A moment later, Nate snapped out of it too. He jumped to his feet and joined Jeff, cheering loudly, but the excitement and shock in his eyes only grew brighter. It wasn’t because they were winning the game. It was because of hope. In that single moment, they had seen hope!

Lu Ke didn’t celebrate. He quickly waved his teammates forward. ”To the line! Quick, to the line!” There was only one quarter left, and they were down by three whole Touchdowns. They couldn’t afford to waste any time. If they wanted to win, every second counted.

Logan jogged back, ready to high-five Lu Ke in celebration, but all he got was a gesture to move forward. Lu Ke was already leading the way back to the line of scrimmage, leaving the other players to exchange bewildered glances.

Everyone looked to Logan—it was common knowledge that he and Lu Ke were best friends on the team. But Logan just shrugged. ”You heard the quarterback. Let’s keep attacking. We don’t have much time!” With that, Logan took the lead and ran forward. The other players exchanged a look, and before they even realized it, the corners of their mouths curled into smiles. Without another word, they put their heads down and ran, gathering around Lu Ke again, ready for the next play call.

But this time, Lu Ke didn’t say a word. He just shook his head and motioned for everyone to get into formation. The players were baffled, not knowing what was going on, when they heard Lu Ke repeatedly bark out a command, ”One! One! One!”

’Play number one?’