Chapter 52 51: Bold and Meticulous
Lu Ke was reading the opposing defensive formation. Until now, the Badger Team had consistently employed a strategy of zone defense combined with a heavy pass rush, which had successfully shut down the quarterback. The Brown Bear Team's Offense Line was struggling to hold up.
In a flash of inspiration, a plan formed in Lu Ke's mind.
'If they stick with zone defense, I'll exploit the strong side with the Tight End. I'll rely on Logan's talent to force our way through for short yardage, then advance methodically and disrupt their defensive rhythm.' The previous audible, "Orange Jam," was the simplest motion call, designed to probe the defense's alignment.
"Orange Jam" meant the Tight End would shift his starting position. If a defender followed him, it was man-to-man coverage. If the defenders held their positions, it was zone. The same principle applied to the running back: if a defender trailed the running back in motion, it was man-to-man; if the defenders stayed put, it was zone.
The audible "5, 24" was a formation adjustment. At the call, the entire offense would shift slightly. Logan, the Tight End, would run to the left, lining up behind John. This created a stacked formation with two receivers, allowing them to screen for each other or use different routes to pull defenders out of position.
'At the same time, if the defense doesn't react to Logan's motion, it means they're staying in zone. In that case, I'll throw to Logan. According to the play call, it should be a quick pass into a three-to-four-yard window on the left. It's a lightning-fast play. Their number ninety-nine won't even have time to start his rush before the ball is out. I'm betting on my chemistry with Logan and his ability to make the catch.'
'But what if Logan's motion did draw the defense out of position?'
Reality unfolded just as he'd anticipated. Logan circled behind Lu Ke, ran to the left, and lined up behind John. The sudden motion immediately flustered the Badger Team's defenders.
The Brown Bear Team already had a Wide Receiver on the left, and the running back was also positioned to Lu Ke's left. Now, a Tight End on top of that? The entire left side was suddenly overloaded. It seemed like an obvious trap, designed to bait the defense into stacking up on their own right side. The problem was, even if they knew it was a trap, they had to spring it. 'What if Lu Ke actually throws to the left?'
The side with the Tight End is by definition the strong side. Add in a running back and a Wide Receiver, and that meant three potential receiving threats.
The members of the Badger Team's Defense Team exchanged a glance. Finally, a linebacker broke from the formation and lined up directly across from Logan. The other defenders, however, didn't change their positions, maintaining the framework of a zone defense and pass rush scheme.
But Lu Ke's eyes lit up. 'Even though the Badger Team is still showing a zone look, they've assigned a linebacker to shadow Logan. That means their zone assignments are bound to be messed up. To avoid leaving gaps in their coverage, they'll have to switch to man-to-man. And that means their zone coverage is no longer perfect.'
Without a moment's hesitation, the instant he saw the linebacker move, Lu Ke stepped forward and shouted, "99, 99!" This wasn't a play call; it was the opposing player's jersey number. It meant that after the snap, the center should ignore his standard pass protection and go straight for number ninety-nine to block him. The rest of the Offense Line would react accordingly.
This kind of tactical adjustment allows a quarterback, through observation and analysis, to identify the defense's key player, vulnerability, or point of attack. He can then change the play and offensive formation to disrupt the opponent's defensive scheme.
There were plenty of smart young college quarterbacks who could read a defensive formation, but few could formulate a counter-play or devise a solution on the fly. What Lu Ke was doing today was a bold, even crazy, attempt.
But Lu Ke didn't overthink or hesitate. After the first call, he shouted again, "6, 14!" This was the real audible, completely changing the offensive strategy. "6, 14!" He yelled it three times to make sure every player got the message, then, without pausing, immediately called for the snap.
As soon as he took the snap, Lu Ke immediately began to roll out to his left. The dizzying series of audibles had left the Badger Team's Defense Team completely disoriented. After the snap, all the defensive matchups shifted. Watt was about to launch another rush when he was suddenly hit with a double-team, one player from his left and another from his right. His attack stalled for a fraction of a second.
Watt was exceptionally talented, but he wasn't Apollo.
The Badger Team's pass rush stalled—not completely stopped, but paused for a mere half-second. In that half-second, however, the entire field changed in a flash. John took off, Marcus took off, and Logan took off. The Badger Team's defense had indeed switched to man-to-man, and their zone coverage was torn wide open.
One gap, one mismatch, and the entire football field opened up before him. The vast expanse was laid bare. Lu Ke could clearly see the routes of all four receivers and the positions of their one-on-one defenders. He had a perfect read on the situation. He didn't rush the throw. Instead, he adjusted his footing, using his peripheral vision to check the blocking from his Offense Line. The moment he sensed his opportunity, he didn't hesitate. He raised his right arm and, with a compact, sharp motion, cleanly released the football.
A short pass? No, an intermediate one!
Lu Ke had actually opted for an intermediate pass! It was a throw of about fifteen yards. The ball traveled in a low, tight arc, easily clearing the congested area over the middle and shooting out like an arrow, capturing the eyes of every single spectator.
The only problem was, there was no receiver in the open spot where Lu Ke threw the ball! Was it an errant throw?
No, wait! There was! John's figure emerged, accelerating to his top speed. The defender covering him was a burly player who charged in from the right, but John put on a burst of speed, deftly sidestepping the tackle. His opponent only managed a swipe at John's hip, failing to grab him or even break his stride.
John sprinted faster and faster, gritting his teeth and giving it his all. But it seemed he had misjudged it! 'Based on the flat trajectory and the velocity on the ball, I thought it was a seventeen-yard pass,' he realized. By the time he corrected, he found he had overrun the spot—not yet, but with his momentum, he was about to.
Fifteen yards. It was a fifteen-yard pass! The accuracy was beyond anything he could have imagined; it was practically pinpoint. I say "practically" because there was still a half-yard of lateral error; compared to Lu Ke's short and long passes, his precision still had room for improvement. But one thing was certain: John had misjudged the throw.
'What do I do?'
Using his forward momentum, John twisted his body abruptly and dove to his right, securing the football firmly in his arms. His body, however, couldn't fight the inertia. He spun half a turn in mid-air and went flying, all forward progress lost. The next second, gravity took hold, pulling his body down hard onto the turf and sending a spray of grass into the air.
'Protect the ball, protect the ball, protect the ball.'
It was the only thought in his mind. He curled his body into a ball, protecting the football with everything he had, determined not to fumble or have the catch broken up, just holding it tight.
John opened his eyes and saw the referee approaching, signaling a successful catch. He scrambled to his feet, tossed the ball to the official, and looked around, trying to confirm his landing spot.
On the sideline, an official is responsible for the markers. He holds a marker, and as long as the offense crosses its position, it means they've met the minimum requirement for a new set of downs. The marker also displays a number from one to four, corresponding to the current down—first through fourth.
John looked at the down marker. The number "2" showed it was second down. But he realized his spot was ambiguous; he was right on the line. It was impossible to tell if he had gotten the first down or not. Now it was up to the referees—they would have to bring out the chains to measure and make a final ruling.
John didn't have time to think, because Lu Ke was already hurrying the offense to the line of scrimmage. He jogged up to join his teammates and heard Lu Ke's voice ring out, "Ignore it! There's no third or fourth down for us! We don't care if we need one yard or ten!"
For the Brown Bear Team, a field goal was meaningless at this point. They had to score a Touchdown, and there were no other options. So, just as Lu Ke said, nothing else mattered. They had to be completely focused.
The biggest benefit of the referees bringing out the chains for a measurement was that the clock stopped. It gave Lu Ke time to organize the next play.
"We're going to keep passing. It doesn't matter if they change their defensive strategy; we have to throw the ball!" Lu Ke said decisively. "The only question is short or intermediate, so listen for my call! Number ninety-nine is their key player!" Lu Ke stressed again, "Keep an eye on him! Keep an eye on him! The rest of their pass rush isn't strong enough. Even if they break through, don't worry. Marcus and I will handle it!"
It was a risky plan. In a normal game, it would be unwise, but at this critical juncture, Lu Ke had to simplify the tactics to focus the offense's attention. So, he made a calculated sacrifice.
"Trust us! Even if this play fails, we'll get it on the next one!" Lu Ke finished simply, then waved everyone back to their positions.