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Maddox took a half-step forward, setting his feet and releasing the ball with a smooth, over-the-top motion. The spiral sliced through the air, arcing towards Tyson who had broken free from his man near the right hash mark. Tyson reached out with both hands, snatching the ball out of the air with the efficiency of a machine. He immediately pivoted, planting his right foot hard into the turf and cutting up field. The defender trailing him lunged for the tackle but only managed to graze his hip.
Tyson powered forward, legs churning as he tore down the field, passing the 40-yard line and barrelling towards midfield. Two Hawai'i defenders converged on him, closing the gap with each stride. "Big gain by Tyson!" The commentator's voice echoed through the stadium as the home fans erupted in boisterous applause. "The Bruins are moving down the field with authority!"
Tyson's momentum carried him to the 46-yard line before a hard, crunching tackle from the safety sent him crashing to the ground. The crowd erupted as the chains moved, the play gaining 13 yards and the first down was all they could ask for.
[13:37, 1st Quarter - 1st & 10 - UCLA's 46-yard line]
The Bruins kept their tempo high, already hustling back to the line of scrimmage before their opponents could settle into the rhythm. The strategy was evident: wear the Hawai'i defence down with speed and relentless waves of force attacks. Maddox called the next play from the line, relying on hand signals and quick commands to get everyone set.
"Gun Spread Right, Z-Jet Sweep," he barked, pointing towards Isaiah Windfield. The receiver nodded; his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Maddox clapped his hands. "Ready! Set! Hut!"
The snap came clean, and Maddox immediately pitched the ball to Isaiah who was sprinting laterally across the formation. Isaiah caught the ball in stride, sweeping out to the left side of the field. Devonte Watkin executed a perfect down block on the defensive end, while Tyson darted forward to seal off the cornerback with a well-timed block. Isaiah's speed was impressive, his legs pumping as he hit the edge and turned upfield.
His sharp change of direction left a diving defender grasping at air as he accelerated past the 50-yard line. That was as far as he got before a corner-back latched onto his thigh taking away his wheels and putting him out of commission.
[13:08, 1st Quarter - 2nd & 6 - Hawai'i's 48-yard line]
The Bruins had already pushed the ball past midfield, their hurry-up offence functioning like a well-oiled machine. The strategy was simple: keep Hawai'i's defence on their heels, gassed, and unable to adjust. Before the line of scrimmage could settle Coch Baker was already backing the next play through his headpiece as Austin nodded in affirmation.
Austin Maddox echoed the next play his voice commanding as he watched the opposing defence adjust into a variation of the cover 3 defence. "Gun Trips Right, Inside Zone! On two!" Maddox barked, keeping his composure despite the rapid pace. His eyes danced over the defensive formation, noting the slight shift of the linebackers toward the strong side. They were anticipating another pass. Perfect.
The offence broke from the huddle and lined up. Three receivers stacked to the right, the tight end playing off the line as an extra blocker. "Set! Hut! Hut!" The ball snapped into Maddox's hands, and he immediately handed it off to Trey Sanders, who darted forward with explosive power. The offensive line surged ahead, Deacon throwing a vicious chip block to seal off the edge rusher.
Trey dipped his shoulder and drove into the line of scrimmage. The hole between the left guard and the centre was narrow but open enough. Trey twisted his body, slipping past an arm tackle and churning his legs to push forward. He pushed through to the 44-yard line before being taken down by a linebacker who lunged at his thighs. Trey managed to drag him another yard before he finally collapsed to the turf.
[12:49, 1st Quarter - 3rd & 2 - Hawai'i's 44-yard line]
The Bruins hustled back to the line; their urgency unrelenting. The chant from the stands grew louder as the blue and gold faithful sensed momentum building. Maddox adjusted his gloves, eyes locking with Coach Harris on the sideline for the next call. The coach tapped his clipboard and pointed downfield — the message was clear. Attack.
"Gun Trips Right, Slant Bubble Combo! On one!" Maddox relayed, voice steady and firm. The receivers gave a slight nod, their bodies already angled to sprint the moment the ball snapped.
"Ready! Set! Hut!"
The ball snapped and Maddox immediately took a two-step drop, eyes darting from the defence to his first read. Tyson cut inside on a quick slant, his long strides eating up the cushion the cornerback had given him.
The Hawai'i defence tried to compensate by pushing their safeties forward, but it was too late. Maddox rifled the ball into the narrow window, the spiral crisp and precise. Tyson caught it cleanly, spinning away from the desperate arms of the defender and charging forward. The chains moved once more as he powered his way to the 38-yard line before finally being wrestled down.
[12:22, 1st Quarter - 1st & 10 - Hawai'i's 38-yard line]
The next call from the coaches was, "Gun Spread, Power Read on two!" but Maddox wasn't sure and asked for confirmation, especially upon seeing the Hawaiian defenders adjust into a man-to-man defence. They seemed to have noticed that the likelihood of a deep pass was rather thin and immediately adjusted.
Still, their formation changed into an inverse four-vertical formation designed to stretch the defence vertically and horizontally to push the football deep down the length of the football field. However, in their version, it was merely a bait to open up space behind the opposing line of scrimmage allowing them to score an easy down. Its strong point is to create a 1-on-1 matchup to help Trey Sanders cut a staggered slant along the 30-yard line.
What Austin struggled with though was the fact that the Hawai'i defence wasn't biting on the fake. They were pressing, their linebackers inching forward, ready to blow up any attempt to grind yards on the ground. Maddox's fingers twitched against the laces, his mind calculating the angles and timing.
In the end, he decided to call an audible as all his calculations resulted in the play being blown up. "Gun Blue Y 45 cross," Stepping back up from his crouched position he looked across his line and decided to motion for Isaiah. The wide receiver was confused at first but decided to trust his QB and switched to the right side as the formation changed into a branch return play.
The play saw Tyson run a 6-in drag route on the left side, on the same side his tight end would run a shorter slant route. The running back shifted slightly to the right, preparing for a potential block or release depending on how the play unfolded. Isaiah now lined up on the right, would run a medium post route that would see him exploding to the side of the field.
With five seconds to go to make the snap everything was ready, and he clapped his hands. "Ready! Set! Hut! Hut!" The ball snapped clean into Austin Maddox's hands. He took a quick three-step drop, his eyes flicking between Tyson on the left and Isaiah on the right.
Tyson sprinted hard off the line, his 6-in drag route developing just underneath the defensive backs' zone. The tight end's shorter slant was a decoy meant to draw the linebacker's attention away, and it worked. The defender hesitated for a split second, his head caught between Tyson's cut and the tight end's feigned break.
On the right, Isaiah launched into his medium post route, his legs pumping as he accelerated. The cornerback, trailing him by half a step, was already in panic mode. Maddox kept his feet moving, eyes darting across his reads, and then he saw it — the opening. Isaiah had found a pocket of space between the cornerback and the deep safety, who was too far back to close the gap in time.
Maddox's arm rocketed forward, the ball leaving his hand with precision. The spiral cut through the air, arcing perfectly toward the middle of the field where Isaiah was charging forward. Isaiah's eyes locked on the ball. His hands came up, fingers spread, body coiled for the catch. The ball thumped into his gloves with a satisfying firmness, and he turned up field immediately.
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To Be Continued...