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[End of 1st Quarter – Hawai'i 10 – UCLA 3]
The second quarter only made things worse for UCLA. The Rainbow Warriors continued to pound them with precision and aggression, while the Bruins' offensive series fell apart with one poorly executed play after another.
From the first snap of the second quarter, Hawai'i's defence dug their heels in and refused to budge. Darius Muasau, their linebacker and defensive leader, played with the kind of intensity that left opposing players second-guessing every movement. His presence in the middle of the field was nothing short of a nightmare for UCLA's offensive line.
"Did you see that hit by Muasau?" Callum Benson practically shouted over the broadcast. "He's playing like a man possessed! The Bruins have to figure out a way to neutralize him or Maddox is going to be running for his life all night."
"He's got a knack for diagnosing plays before they even develop," James Rucker replied. "And it's not just him. Bethley is playing like he has a personal vendetta against Maddox. Hawai'i's defence is firing on all cylinders."
Every time Maddox dropped back to pass, it felt like he was staring down the barrel of a cannon. Muasau shot through gaps like a predator stalking his prey, his hits landing with bone-jarring intensity. And Khoury Bethley? He patrolled the secondary like a hawk, breaking up passes and blitzing off the edge with frightening speed.
With their ground game stalled and their passing game sputtering, UCLA's offensive line buckled under the pressure. Maddox continued to scramble desperately, his pocket collapsing far too often. On a 3rd-and-9 from their own 28-yard line, he tried to buy time by rolling to his left, but Bethley had sniffed out the play, diving through the gap to deliver a vicious sack that drove Maddox into the turf.
"That's another loss of eight yards! Maddox just has no time to think out there," Callum called out. "And you have to credit the Rainbow Warriors' defence for making life miserable for him."
By contrast, Hawai'i's offence continued their methodical dismantling of the Bruins' defensive front. Cordeiro orchestrated another long drive, mixing quick screens and short passes with handoffs to Hunter, who bulldozed through UCLA's front seven with merciless efficiency. The drive ended with a masterfully executed RPO—Run-Pass Option—where Cordeiro faked a handoff, froze the defence just long enough, then fired a dart to Calvin Turner, running a slant route across the middle. Turner caught the ball in stride and accelerated past the UCLA secondary, sprinting untouched into the end zone.
[7:04, 2nd Quarter – Touchdown, Hawai'i 17 – UCLA 3]
"Wow! Just... wow. Cordeiro is making this UCLA defence look like Swiss cheese," Callum announced. "And Turner is just too fast for them to keep up."
"Whatever adjustments the Bruins made between quarters clearly aren't working," Rucker replied. "Hawai'i is running circles around them, and Cordeiro looks like he's playing backyard football out there. Easy as you like."
Maddox tried to rally his troops during the next series, but the result was the same. Hawai'i's defence continued to press, their blitz packages confusing the offensive line, who looked lost and helpless. Another sack by Muasau followed by an incomplete pass forced yet another punt. The jeers from the crowd grew louder, and the sense of frustration on the Bruins' sideline was palpable.
"Coach Baker has to figure out something to get this offence going," Callum noted. "Right now, it feels like they're just waiting for the hammer to drop."
"Feels like it already has, Callum," Rucker replied dryly.
Hawai'i continued to pile on the points. Their offensive line seemed to be gaining confidence with every successful drive, pushing the Bruins' front seven back on their heels. Dae Dae Hunter ripped off a punishing 15-yard run, steamrolling through tackles as if they were mere annoyances.
Their next scoring play was a beautifully orchestrated screen pass to Wyatt. The tight end caught the ball in the flat, his massive frame rumbling forward with defenders bouncing off him like pebbles thrown at a truck. The play covered 25 yards and set Hawai'i up within the Bruins' red zone once more.
This time, Cordeiro took to the air, launching a fade route toward Zion Bowens once again. The UCLA cornerback was outmatched from the start, his attempts to jam Bowens at the line unsuccessful. The pass was perfect, arcing high before dropping straight into Bowen's hands in the back corner of the end zone.
[3:52, 2nd Quarter – Touchdown, Hawai'i 24 – UCLA 3]
"This is starting to look like a rout, James," Callum said, his tone sombre. "UCLA can't get anything going, and Hawai'i's playing like it's Madden on rookie difficulty."
"They absolutely do. They came here to prove they can hang with the so-called 'big boys,' and right now, David is slaying Goliath in fashion."
The rest of the second quarter was more of the same. Maddox managed a couple of completions but was constantly running for his life. Every yard the Bruins gained felt like it was achieved through pure desperation rather than any kind of cohesive strategy. By halftime, the scoreboard told the story.
[End of 2nd Quarter – Hawai'i 24 – UCLA 3]
As the players trudged off the field toward their respective locker rooms, the boos from the UCLA fans were loud and unforgiving. Whatever game plan Coach Baker had put together was clearly not working. And if the Bruins didn't find a way to regroup during the break, this could turn into a massacre of national embarrassment.
~~~
"That was embarrassing. Never in my life have I seen a team bent on making life difficult for themselves." Coach Baker's booming voice resounded across the lockers as he paced in the middle of the room. "I don't even know where to start, except you all better get your act together 'cause I ain't going to let y'all embarrass me out there."
Coach Baker paused to let the sting of his words sink in, his gaze sweeping over every player hunched on the benches. The players sat in various states of disarray—some burying their faces in towels, others staring at the floor as if it could offer answers.
"You should've seen the looks on those Hawai'i coaches," he continued, tone bristling with anger. They are having the time of their lives while we look like a clown show. News flash: they are not checking for any of you, matter of fact, you are their favourite friends right now."
Offensive Coordinator Harris had been leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His normally calm demeanour showed cracks under the strain of the score. "We talked about this a hundred times—pressure, eyes up, quick reads. Maddox, you've gotta trust your pocket for more than a second. O-Line, you have to give him that extra second. We can't be at each other's throats; we have to work together."
Coach Baker shot him a glance. "Together is right. We're not losing because of one person; we're losing because we're not playing as one unit. We've got guys out there panicking, tryin' to freelance instead of sticking to the plan."
Maddox, still dressed in grass-stained uniform pants with his helmet resting on his lap, kissed his teeth in annoyance. It was meant to be quiet, but with the silence in the locker room, it was glaringly loud. "You got something to say, Mr Maddox?"
"No, sir," he responded as he shook his head. "But with all due respect, sir, this is not working. I'm trying to follow the game plan, but the moment I look up, they are breathing down my throat."
Crisp silence lingered in the locker room with no one daring to say a single word not even the coaches, as they looked at Coach Baker. "You know what, you right, it's not working, let's all pack up and call it a day. Coach Mack, go tell the over 20,000 Bruins fans that it's because our QB Maddox says it's not working."
Coach Baker's words hung in the air like a challenge, echoing across the silent locker room. No one moved. No one dared to breathe too loudly. Maddox sat there, eyes down, the sting of the coach's sarcasm prickling his already bruised pride.
At last, it was Darnell Jones, the team's captain, who stood up from his spot on the bench. He looked exhausted, sweat still dripping from his hair despite the air conditioning, but most of all, he looked frustrated. "Coach, none of us are ready to pack it up. That's not what Maddox meant."
Baker's gaze shifted to Darnell. "Then enlighten me. What did he mean?"
Darnell glanced at Maddox, then back to the coach. "We're just frustrated, sir. The game plan is there, it just feels like we are not in synch and are getting in each other's way more than actually helping each other." Coach Baker set his jaw, but he didn't interrupt. The rest of the players watched, feeling relief that someone had the guts to speak the truth out loud.
"I see," were the first words he said after a moment of silence, "If that's the case, let's take things back to the basics, Coaches we will be using the wolf pack variation, get your players ready I want to see a completely different team in the 3rd quarter."
Following his words, he started walking towards the small coach's office in the Rose ball locker room, only to come to a stop at the door. "Oh, before I forget, Curtis is going in, make sure he is ready, Coach Johnson,"
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To Be Continued...