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Isaiah's legs churned as he surged downfield, cutting a sharp angle away from the cornerback. He tucked the ball close to his chest, his body leaning forward as he streaked past the 30-yard line. Cheers erupted from the UCLA crowd, their voices blending into a chaotic roar. But even as Isaiah pushed himself harder, a streak of red and white cut across his vision.
The Hawai'i free safety, Tai Manu, closed the gap like a heat-seeking missile. Isaiah tried to stiff-arm him, but Manu wrapped him up around the waist and dragged him down with a bone-rattling hit.
[11:56, 1st Quarter - 2nd & 4 - Hawai'i's 32-yard line]
"Solid tackle by Tai Manu! The Rainbow Warriors are not giving anything away easily!" Callum Benson's voice cut through the noise of the stadium, echoing the excitement of the play.
"Yeah, you can see just how talented Austin is, he recognised the unfavourable matchup and adjusted, gaining 6 yards for his trouble," his co-commentator James Rucker added. "It might be time for teams at the next level to show some interest in this QB."
The Bruins hustled back to the line of scrimmage, their tempo relentless, but Hawai'i was already adjusting. The defence shifted into a nickel package, the extra defensive back sneaking up towards the line to jam the slot receiver before dropping into coverage. Despite being disgruntled at his call being ignored, Coach Baker remained professional and indicated for the next play.
Maddox glanced at the shifting defensive formation and quickly relayed the call. "Gun Spread Right, Smash Concept! On one!" His voice cut through the intensity, steady and sure. His eyes scanned the field as he settled under the centre, reading the defence, trying to determine how best to play this.
"Ready! Set! Hut!"
The ball snapped into his hands, and Maddox dropped back, eyes flicking from one receiver to the next. Isaiah ran a hitch route on the right — a simple but effective move where he sprinted forward a few yards before stopping abruptly and turning to face Maddox, ready for the pass. Meanwhile, Tyson sprinted up the left sideline on a corner route, which required him to sprint straight downfield before sharply cutting at a 45-degree angle toward the sideline, aiming to create separation from the defender.
But Hawai'i's Nickelback, Jalen Pa'aluhi, had sniffed out the play from the start. His eyes locked on Maddox, and his instincts screamed for him to undercut the hitch route. Maddox saw it too late. As the ball left his hand, Jalen exploded forward, his arms outstretched. Fingers grazed the leather but couldn't quite haul it in. The ball bobbled, nearly spiralling into a disaster before Isaiah managed to scoop it up, stumbling forward for a modest gain.
"Whoa! Nearly a pick by Jalen Pa'aluhi! The Rainbow Warriors' defence might have just received the spark they needed to get things going," Callum Benson's voice crackled with excitement. "Not sure if it was a miss in communication or lack of threat awareness but the Bruins can't afford a lot of those.
"Isaiah Windfield showing great awareness there, turning a near disaster into something positive," James Rucker added. "Now that is a player who is a joy to watch, and he has talents in droves. Now in his junior year, he might be one of the names at the end of the season to make his declaration.
"You're right, Callum, when you have a player like..." As the two commentators continued to discuss the possibility of Windfield declaring for the draft the Bruins lined up for the next play hoping to score the first down.
[11:32, 1st Quarter - 3rd & 2 - Hawai'i's 30-yard line]
The Bruins lined up again, their offence primed and ready. The Hawai'i defence wasn't backing down; their players barked instructions to one another, gesturing wildly as they adjusted their alignment. They needed a stop, and this was the best place to make such a stop knocking their opponent's momentum out with a gut punch.
Maddox's eyes scanned the field, his eyes flicking from right to left, taking in every little shift in the defensive coverage. "Gun Spread Right, Power Red! On one!" he called out, voice sharp and urgent. This play was designed to test the interior of Hawai'i's defence, with Trey Sanders poised to receive a handoff if Maddox read the defensive end crashing inside. Basically, it was a running play designed to carry the ball across those 2 yards and gain that first down.
However, their opponents also realised this was the most likely play, and their formation shifted in response. Anyone with half-decent knowledge would know they were gearing up for a blitz.
The tension thickened as the defenders shuffled forward, their helmets bobbing as they crouched into aggressive stances. The linebackers crept toward the line of scrimmage, their eyes locked on Maddox and Trey Sanders like hungry wolves eyeing prey. "Ready! Set! Hut!"
The ball snapped into Maddox's hands. His eyes immediately flicked to the defensive end, who crashed inside with a forceful step aimed at collapsing the running lane. Without hesitation, Maddox kept the ball instead of handing it off, pulling it back and rolling to his right.
The coaches at the side immediately felt their nerves shoot up a notch as the chances of a fumble when a QB improvised rose exponentially. "Harris, what is he doing that's the second time now," Coach Backer lightly mumbled, but the man who was held up by crutches clearly heard him.
"Not sure, maybe he saw something we're not, or the blitz simply frightened him," Offensive coordinator Harris responded as Trey darted forward anyway, acting as a decoy to draw the linebackers' attention.
Maddox kept the ball, his legs churning as he rolled to the right, scanning the field for an open man. His eyes locked on Tyson running a quick out route, breaking sharply towards the sideline just five yards downfield. The route was designed to exploit the blitz, creating a brief window where Tyson would be wide open.
Maddox planted his back foot and released the ball with a flick of his wrist, the pass zipping towards Tyson. But Hawai'i's cornerback, Makani Hale, read the play brilliantly. He had shadowed Tyson's every move, anticipating the quick pass like he'd seen it a thousand times before. Hale lunged forward, his hand swiping at the ball mid-flight.
It wasn't a clean swat, but enough to alter the pass's trajectory, forcing Tyson to dive forward to make the catch. His fingers barely managed to graze the ball, and it slipped through his hands, tumbling to the turf.
"Incomplete! The Rainbow Warriors hold the line!" Callum Benson's voice rang with excitement. "Makani Hale with a fantastic read, shutting down what looked like a guaranteed first down!"
"That's pure football IQ right there," James Rucker added. "Hale's ability to anticipate the play and react that quickly is impressive. UCLA might be the bigger name on paper, but Hawai'i is proving they're not backing down an inch."
[11:15, 1st Quarter – 4th & 2 – Hawai'i's 30-yard line]
Maddox's frustration was evident, his fingers twitching at his sides as he glanced toward the sideline. They were well within field goal range, and, as expected, Coach Baker called for the offensive team to make their exit as the punt team took the field. Securing the 3 points was more important than taking the risk with a QB who was not on the same page as him.
But as Maddox jogged towards the sideline, the murmurs from the crowd began to grow, discontent simmering beneath the excitement. Fans weren't happy with settling for a field goal so early in the game. The scoreboard still read 0-0, and the Bruins faithful wanted blood, not cautious calculations.
"Looks like Coach Baker's playing it safe here," Callum Benson commented over the broadcast. "Fourth and two isn't the most difficult conversion, but they're going for the guaranteed points instead of risking a turnover. Can't really blame him, can you, James?"
"Depends on how you see it, Callum. Sure, taking the points is the sensible call, but when you have an offence as talented as UCLA's, you've got to wonder if caution isn't a little premature. Maddox might've been shaky on that last series, but he's still their best weapon."
The field goal unit lined up quickly. Carlos Mejia, UCLA's reliable kicker, paced back, eyes locked on the uprights. The ball was snapped cleanly, and Mejia's right foot swung through the ball with precision. It soared end-over-end, slicing through the air before sailing neatly between the posts.
[11:10, 1st Quarter – UCLA 3 – Hawai'i 0]
"Field goal is good! And the Bruins strike first, but not exactly in the fashion they were hoping for," Callum noted, his voice tinged with the same disappointment felt throughout the stadium. "They were looking for a touchdown there, but some stellar defensive work from Hawai'i forces them to settle for three."
"Let's see if Hawai'i's offence can take advantage of that momentum shift," James added. "Their defence showed what they're made of. Now it's up to the offence to answer."
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To Be Continued...