Zhu Zhu was panicking.
Clearly, the start of today's game had gone completely off track. Even though Trojan's head coach Hayden had emphasized never to underestimate the defending champions, the Crimson Tide Storm was now dominating both the offense and defense, not only gaining the upper hand but also showing absolute dominance.
A crisis gripped his heart tightly.
However.
There was still a chance for a turnaround; in the midst of the absolute chaos, the only silver lining was that everything had happened so quickly that not much game time had been used up. This meant that as long as the Trojans could stabilize their footing soon, there was still a chance to salvage the situation.
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Zhu managed to steady himself and ran back to the resting area with quick, small steps, eagerly looking towards the Defensive group and continuously clenching his fists to cheer them on—
We are all Trojans, fighting side by side; now it's your turn to shine.
"Come on! You can do it!"
"Keep going, keep going, keep going!"
To the side, Danord was somewhat stunned.
It was his first time playing as a quarterback in his career, and before he could catch his breath, he had already been intercepted. So this was what the Crimson Tide Storm was like?
The game continued.
Since the Crimson Tide Storm had just completed an interception and thus secured the ball on the spot, there was no need for the Special Duty Group to enter. The Offensive group took over directly, starting from their own 37-yard line.
The running back, Jacobs, entered the game.
In the season opener, Saban also hoped that the running backs could get their chance to adapt to the game atmosphere; they couldn't put all the pressure on Li Wei alone.
Actually, during the first ground attack of the game, including Saban, everyone was quite surprised. It was a regular run, but it relied on Li Wei's individual ability to break free from tackles and ultimately turn into a seventy-five-yard touchdown dash.
It's not to say that this was bad, but it left no opportunity for other running backs to feel the game.
No worries, Saban, being experienced, quickly adjusted for the second wave of the offense.
Saban consciously arranged a more stable and tactically coordinated run, to cover for the passing offense, hoping that Hertz's passes could also open up the game. Jacobs and Li Wei took turns entering the game, steadily advancing.
At the same time, the solid thickness of the Trojan's '5-2' formation also came into effect, not just for Jacobs but also Li Wei's ground advances which were continuously caught in encirclements, as the Trojans fully utilized their numerical advantage on defense.
This was the norm; massive yardage gains in ground offense were after all in the minority.
In the back-and-forth confrontation, the Crimson Tide Storm consumed a total of five minutes and thirty-three seconds and finally reached the edge of the Red Zone, thirteen yards from the end zone.
Until now.
Tyree knew he was like a madman, his vision blurred with hot tears, but it didn't matter, none of it mattered.
Because he knew, he wasn't alone.
On the sidelines, Li Wei was also waving a towel and cheering for Clark, and other offensive group players joined Li Wei, shouting together.
"Roar, master!"
"Roar!"
Clark was a bit stunned, but he still took a deep breath and controlled himself, concentrating as he listened to Hertz's tactical arrangement, then lined up behind Hertz.
Saban called it once... a fake run and true pass strategy.
Clark played the decoy, and Hertz confused the Trojans' defensive group with a fake hand-off, turning around to pass the ball, connecting with wide receiver Calvin Ridley to advance.
Immediately, Clark quickly stepped up, blocking any gaps in the offensive line, standing in front of Hertz, ready to intercept any escaping opponents.
Even though this time, the Trojans did not opt for a blitz, the pocket wasn't torn, but Clark still diligently maintained a hundred percent focus until he caught the parabolic flight of the football with his peripheral vision, then his heart soared with the trajectory of the football.
Touchdown?
Could Crimson Tide Storm achieve a touchdown?
In his sight, figures intermingled, forces collided.
Ridley, successfully caught the football and with a turn, continued to advance forward, gaining a little space in the short-pass area with a very firm step.
However.
Regrettably, within the Red Zone, the Trojans' dense defense didn't falter, tightly covering the whole area, firmly securing the channels. Three players converged, stopping Ridley at the one-yard line.
No touchdown.
Then.
In a daze, Clark was once again taken off the field—
He still had not grasped what had happened.
This, was it already over?