Luke was scoping out the other team's defense. The Badgers had been sticking to a zone defense with a front-line blitz, making life tough for the quarterback. The Bruins' offensive line was having a rough time.
Then, bam! An idea hit Luke.
If they kept up with the zone defense, he'd use the tight end's strong side, banking on Logan's skills to break through for short gains and mess with their defensive rhythm. The "Orange Marmalade" play was a simple shift to test their defense.
"Orange Marmalade" meant the tight end had to switch spots. If the defenders followed, it was man-to-man; if not, it was zone. Same deal with the running back. If they followed, it was zone; if not, man-to-man.
"5, 24" was their alignment tweak. When Luke called it, everyone shifted a bit. Logan, the tight end, moved left behind John. The two receivers overlapped, ready to cover or block each other, pulling the defense apart with their routes.
If the defense ignored Logan's move, it was still zone defense. Luke would then pass to Logan, aiming for a small gap on the left. It was a quick play, and number 99 wouldn't have time to blitz before the pass. Luke was counting on his connection with Logan and Logan's catching skills.
But what if Logan's move drew the defense?
Just as expected, Logan circled behind Luke, moved left, and got behind John. The Badgers' defense freaked out.
The left side already had a wide receiver and the running back. Adding a tight end made it crowded, a clear trap to lure the defense right. But they had to bite, or what if Luke really passed left?
The tight end side was already strong, and with the running back and wide receiver, there were three targets.
The Badgers' defense exchanged looks, and finally, a linebacker moved to cover Logan. But the rest stayed put, sticking to their zone defense and blitz.
Luke's eyes lit up. Even though they showed a zone defense, assigning a linebacker to Logan meant their zones were off. To avoid gaps, they had to switch to man-to-man, messing up their zone coverage.
Without hesitating, as soon as he saw the linebacker move, Luke stepped forward and yelled, "99, 99." This wasn't a play number but the opponent's player number. He meant after the snap, the center should rush number 99 instead of blocking the quarterback, and the other linemen would follow suit.
This was core defense. The quarterback reads the defense, spots their focus or weakness, and changes the play to mess with their routine.
Most young college quarterbacks can read defenses but can't come up with counter-tactics. Today, Luke was making a bold, even crazy move.
But Luke didn't overthink it. After shouting, he called out, "6, 14," for a real tactical change, flipping their strategy. "6, 14!" He repeated it three times to make sure everyone got it, then called the snap.
Grabbing the ball, Luke didn't hesitate, stepping left. The Badgers' defense was already lost after the three quick setups. After the snap, all their matchups changed. Justin was ready to blitz again but got caught in a double team, making him pause.
Justin was talented, but he wasn't invincible.
The Badgers' blitz hit a snag—not totally stopped, but just enough to cause a half-second delay. In that split second, everything changed. John, Marcus, and Logan all took off. The Badgers switched to man-to-man, leaving a gaping hole in their zone coverage.
A gap, a misalignment, and suddenly the whole field opened up. Luke had a clear view of the receivers' routes and the one-on-one defenders. He had it all figured out. He didn't rush his throw; instead, he adjusted his steps, keeping an eye on the offensive line's blocking. Sensing the moment, he didn't hesitate, raised his right arm, and with a smooth arc, launched the football!
A short pass? Nah, a medium pass!
Luke went for a medium pass! About fifteen yards, with a low arc, just skimming over the front line's coverage, like an arrow, grabbing everyone's attention.
But wait, there was no receiver where Luke threw the ball! Was it a mistake?
Nope, there was! John appeared, hitting top speed. He was covered by a big defender charging from the right, but John suddenly kicked it up a notch, dodging the tackle. The defender only managed to slap John's waist, not enough to slow him down.
John's speed kept climbing, faster and faster! He was giving it everything, but it looked like he misjudged! John thought the pass had a flatter arc and more push, thinking it was a seventeen-yard throw. But he realized he was overshooting. Not yet, but with his momentum, he would.
Fifteen yards, it was a fifteen-yard pass! The accuracy was insane, almost perfect. The "almost" was because there was still a half-yard error in the lateral position. Compared to Luke's short and long passes, the accuracy needed a bit of work. But John had definitely misjudged.
What now?
With his forward momentum, John made a sudden turn, diving to the right, cradling the football. But he couldn't fight the inertia, twisting mid-air and stumbling forward. Forget about advancing; gravity yanked him down hard, sending grass flying!
Protect the ball, protect the ball, protect the ball.
That was all John could think about. He curled up, hugging the football tight, making sure it wouldn't get knocked loose by the defense.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the ref coming over, signaling a successful catch. John quickly got up, tossed the ball to the ref, and looked around to figure out where he landed.
On the sidelines, there was a ref with a red marker. Crossing that marker meant the offense met the minimum yardage for the play and could move on to the next down. The marker also had numbers, from one to four, showing which down it was.
John saw the red marker showing "2," meaning it was the second down. But he was standing right at the marker, unsure if he had crossed it or not. The refs would need to measure and decide.
John didn't have time to dwell on it because Luke was already rallying the offense. He quickly joined his teammates and heard Luke shout, "Don't sweat it! We don't care about third or fourth down, or if it's one yard or ten yards left!"
For the Bruins, a field goal was pointless now. They needed a touchdown, no other option. So, like Luke said, nothing else mattered; they had to stay focused.
The refs' measurement to confirm the yardage stopped the clock, giving Luke a chance to regroup the offense.
"We're still passing, no matter what their defense does. Passing is a must!" Luke said firmly. "The difference is between short and medium passes. Listen to my calls! Number 99 is their key player!" Luke stressed again. "Keep an eye on him, keep an eye on him! The other blitzes aren't strong enough. Even if they break through, don't worry, Marcus and I got it!"
This was a desperate move. Normally, it wouldn't be smart, but in this critical moment, Luke had to simplify everything and focus the team's attention. So he made the call.
"Trust us! Even if this drive fails, the next one will succeed!" Luke wrapped it up simply, then got everyone back in position.