Lu Ke was reading the opposing team's defensive formation. Up to this point, the Badgers had consistently used a strategy of zone defense combined with a blitz, which severely limited the quarterback's effectiveness. The Bruins' offensive line was clearly struggling to hold their ground.
An idea flashed in Lu Ke's mind.
If the opponent continued to use zone defense, he would take full advantage of the strong side with the tight end, relying on Logan's individual talent to break through for a few yards and then steadily advance, disrupting the opponent's defensive rhythm. The previous play, "orange marmalade," was a simple shifting command. It could be seen as a way to test the opponent's defensive alignment.
"Orange marmalade" meant that the tight end had to change their starting position. If the opposing defenders followed the tight end, it meant man-to-man coverage. If they didn't move, it meant zone defense. The same strategy could be applied to the running back. If the defenders followed the running back, it meant man-to-man coverage. If they didn't move, it was zone defense.
"5, 24" was a team formation adjustment. After hearing the command, the entire offense would slightly adjust their positions. Logan, the tight end, ran to the left side and positioned himself behind John. The two receivers' positions overlapped, which allowed them to block and cover for each other. At the same time, their different running routes would draw the attention of the opposing defenders.
If the opponent was unfazed by Logan's movement, it meant they were continuing with a zone defense. In that case, Lu Ke would throw the ball to Logan. According to the play call, the pass should be to an open space about three to four yards to the left. This was a play that required a lightning-fast release. The opponent's number 99 wouldn't have enough time to blitz before the pass was completed. Lu Ke was gambling on his chemistry with Logan and Logan's catching ability.
But what if Logan's movement did draw the opponent's defense?
The actual situation was as expected. Logan ran in a circle behind Lu Ke and moved to the left, standing behind John. This sudden movement made the Badgers' defenders panic.
The Bruins already had a wide receiver on the left side, and the running back was also on Lu Ke's left. Now, there was a tight end too? The entire left side suddenly became crowded. It seemed like a clear trap, designed to lure the defenders to stack up on their own right side. But the problem was, even if they knew it was a trap, they had to step into it—what if Lu Ke really threw the ball to the left?
The side with the tight end was already the strong side. With the addition of the running back and the wide receiver, there were three potential receiving targets.
So, the members of the Badgers' defense exchanged a glance. Finally, a linebacker ran out of the formation and stood directly across from Logan. But the positions of the other defenders didn't change. They still maintained the framework of their zone defense and blitzing strategy.
But Lu Ke's eyes lit up. Even though the Badgers were still using a zone defense, a linebacker was now specifically assigned to cover Logan. This meant that the players' defensive zones would inevitably be misaligned. To avoid holes in their coverage, they had to switch to man-to-man coverage. This meant that the zone coverage was no longer perfect.
Without any hesitation, as soon as he saw the linebacker run out, Lu Ke took a step forward and shouted, "99, 99." This wasn't a play number, but the opponent's player number. It meant that after the center snapped the ball, they weren't supposed to block the quarterback, but instead, they should go after number 99 to block him, and the other offensive linemen should react accordingly.
This tactic was called a key-man defense. The quarterback, through observation and analysis, identifies the opponent's defensive focus, weakness, or center. Then, by changing the play, they alter their offensive formation to disrupt the opponent's defensive scheme.
There were many smart young quarterbacks in college football. They could read the opponent's defensive formation, but they couldn't create corresponding plays or come up with a suitable solution. Lu Ke was making a bold, even crazy, attempt today.
However, Lu Ke didn't overthink or hesitate. After giving the command, he immediately shouted again, "6, 14." This was the real play change, which completely altered the previous offensive strategy. "6, 14!" Lu Ke repeated it three times to ensure every player received the information. Then, without any pause, he called the snap.
After grabbing the football, Lu Ke didn't hesitate. He took a step and started moving to the left. The Badgers' defense was completely thrown off by the three quick and dazzling play calls. After the snap, all the defensive alignments changed. Watt was about to blitz again but was sandwiched by two players from the left and right, which caused him to hesitate.
Watt had outstanding individual talent, but he wasn't a god.
The Badgers' blitz stalled, not completely stopped, but just for half a second. But in that half-second, the situation on the field changed in an instant. John ran out, Marcus ran out, and Logan ran out. The Badgers' defense had indeed switched to man-to-man, and a hole was "ripped" open in their zone coverage.
One hole, one misalignment, and the entire football field opened up. Lu Ke had a wide view of everything. He could even clearly see the running routes of the four receivers and the positions of the one-on-one defenders. He knew all the situations like the back of his hand. He didn't rush the throw. He adjusted his steps, his peripheral vision catching the blocks from the offensive line. When he saw an opportunity, he didn't hesitate. He raised his right arm, made a small arc, and threw the football with a clean motion!
A short pass? No, a mid-range pass!
Lu Ke actually chose a mid-range pass! It was a throw of about fifteen yards. The arc of the pass wasn't high. It drew a small arc and easily flew over the dense coverage area of the front line, shooting out like an arrow and grabbing the attention of everyone in the stadium.
But the problem was, there was no receiver in the open space where Lu Ke threw the ball! Was this a bad pass?
No, there was! John's figure appeared. His speed was at its maximum. The person defending him was a big player who was tackling him from the right. But John suddenly accelerated and gracefully dodged the tackle. The opponent only managed to swat at John's waist and couldn't grab him or disrupt his speed.
Then, John's sprint got faster and faster! He gritted his teeth and gave it his all, but it seemed like he had misjudged. John's previous judgment was that the pass would have a relatively flat arc and a strong push, and would be a fast throw. He thought it was a seventeen-yard pass. By the time he realized it, he was already past it—well, not yet, but due to his momentum, he was bound to run past it.
Fifteen yards. This was a fifteen-yard pass! The accuracy of the pass was far beyond imagination. It was almost like he was throwing it exactly where he wanted it to go. The reason it was "almost" was that there was still a half-yard error to the left and right. Compared to Lu Ke's short and long passes, the accuracy still needed to be improved. But what was certain was that John had misjudged it.
What to do?
John, using his forward momentum, made a sudden turn and dove to the right. He securely caught the football in his arms, but his body couldn't resist the inertia. He twisted in the air and flew out, stumbling. He couldn't continue moving forward. In the next second, gravity pulled John's body down hard, and he crashed onto the ground, kicking up a spray of grass!
Protect the ball, protect the ball, protect the ball.
That was the only thought in John's mind. He curled up his body and held the football tightly, trying to prevent a fumble or a dropped ball. He held it securely in his arms.
He opened his eyes and saw the referee walking over, signaling a successful catch. John got up and tossed the football to the referee. He looked around, trying to confirm where he had landed.
There was a referee on the sideline whose job was to measure the yards. Every time, they would hold up a red sign. If the offense got past the red sign, it meant they had completed the minimum requirement for the drive and could continue to the next down. There were also numbers from one to four on the red sign, corresponding to the downs, from the first down to the fourth down.
John looked at the red sign. The number on it was "2," indicating it was the second down. But he noticed that his position was ambiguous. He was standing right at the red sign, and it was unclear whether he had crossed it or not. At this point, the referees had to make a call. The referees would use special tools to measure the distance and come to a conclusion.
John didn't have time to think, because Lu Ke had already led the offense over. He quickly walked up and joined his teammates, then heard Lu Ke say loudly, "Don't pay attention to that! We don't have a third or fourth down, and we don't care if we're one yard short or ten!"
For the Bruins, a field goal was meaningless. They had to score a touchdown, and there was no turning back. So, just as Lu Ke said, nothing else mattered. They had to be completely focused.
The big advantage of the referees measuring the yards at this point was that the clock was stopped. Lu Ke could re-organize the offense.
"We're still going to pass. It doesn't matter if the opponent's defensive strategy changes or not, passing is a must!" Lu Ke said decisively. "The difference is whether it's a short pass or a mid-range pass. Listen carefully to my commands! Number 99, he's the key player on their side!" Lu Ke emphasized again. "Pay attention to your coverage, pay attention to your coverage! The other blitzes, the overall strength isn't enough. Even if they break through, don't worry. Leave it to Marcus and me!"
This was a last resort. In a regular game, this would be unwise, but in a critical situation, Lu Ke had to simplify all the plays and focus the offense's attention. So he made a trade-off.
"Trust us! Even if this offensive drive fails, the next one will definitely succeed!" Lu Ke concluded simply, then called everyone to get back into position.
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