Chapter 132 131 Gorgeous Steps
Bang!
With a fierce rush of five men, the University of Washington aggressively took the initiative, instantly tearing through the University of Alabama's offensive line pocket protection and gaining the upper hand, stirring up a storm at the Georgia Dome.
Hertz's heart tightened, and no sooner had he started to backpedal than he could feel the successive waves of air clawing towards him. If it were early in the season, Hertz would likely have panicked, but now, despite a slight trembling in his knees betraying his inner turmoil, his brain remained calm and he turned and handed off the ball immediately.
The University of Washington was scheming, and the University of Alabama was doing the same.
The experienced and crafty Saban chose to start with a very unexpected tactic—
Read Option Offense.
How about that, unexpected, right?
This season, they hadn't often used the Read Option Offense, but on the occasions they did, it always brought a touch of surprise. The tactic cleverly combined Hertz and Li Wei's abilities, showcasing the Crimson Tide Storm's existing offensive versatility perfectly.
Everyone knew of Li Wei's outstanding ability; everyone knew that Jackson and Watson were good at the Read Option Offense, but often overlooked Hertz's presence.
This had its pros and cons.
The biggest advantage was that with Li Wei as a decoy, Hertz could pass the ball; when Hertz drew attention, Li Wei could play to his strengths.
And now was the latter's turn.
After receiving the ball, Hertz immediately noticed the ferocity of the University of Washington. Continuing to backpedal, the opposing defensive line realized that Hertz still had the ball and the rushers relentlessly closed in on him.
So, with decisive action, he handed off the football.
Hertz had already tucked the football into Li Wei's embrace and quickly stepped back—
Ready to watch the show.
Li Wei was somewhat excited.
Over the three weeks of the Christmas holiday, despite still training, nothing could match the intensity and excitement of a game. He eagerly awaited his return to the field.
He looked forward to the challenge, the intensity, and the continued growth.
If the University of Washington was intimidated and surrendered without a fight, it would be too dull. The national championship game was all about intensity; such stimulation was what he craved, and now at last, he could properly face a strong opponent.
Football, secured in his embrace.
Li Wei could also feel the overwhelming heat wave clawing towards him, but he didn't rush. Instead, he paused his steps briefly, his gaze quickly sweeping over, taking in the chaos unfolding before him.
The University of Washington's defense was pressing forward in full force, not just the defensive line, but the secondary defense was also pushing up aggressively. Their front line was packed with heavy forces, but to Li Wei, it was riddled with holes.
They were not adept at this tactic and could not be compared to Louisiana State University. It was evident they were trying to boost morale by forcefully pressuring the rush, creating this strategy specifically for the Crimson Tide Storm. But in executing it, their blocking and running routes were not in sync and not meticulous enough, leaving their defense incomplete.
— Opportunity.
Li Wei was both calm and composed.
With a push of his foot, he could see a brawny, clumsy figure ahead, charging at him like a bear—none other than the opposing Defensive Tackle Elijah Qualls.
Qualls was slightly ponderous. His first reaction was to aim at Hertz, but after the handoff between Hertz and Li Wei, he was forced to change direction. His heavy body didn't help, his round ankles unable to nimbly support his body's rotation, making the action seem a bit comical.
His upper body had turned, but his lower body was still facing Hertz; moreover, his feet were still in place while his upper body hurried forward, causing him to fall forward as if tripped.
Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh!
Despite this, Qualls still exerted his full effort. He saw Li Wei's figure pull to his right and subconsciously made a slight movement. Then he saw Li Wei cut back to the left and tried to follow, but his body lost balance and toppled over like a capsized fish, belly-up, succumbing to the pull of gravity, collapsing thunderously while watching Li Wei effortlessly pass by on the outside.
Qualls: Damn it.
Li Wei glided past effortlessly and with poise, cleverly utilizing Qualls' bulky frame—one feint and he successfully shook off the defender's attempt to tackle him.
The next moment, the field of view opened up.
Stomped the ground, started, accelerated.
His body burst out in an instant, darting through like an arrow released from its bow.
In his peripheral vision, he could see the cornerback to his right and the lineman to his left trying to close in and tighten the pocket, converging from both sides like a pair of scissor blades.
Cornerback Sidney Jones and lineman Azeem Victor had both had an outstanding season, demonstrating their strong defensive abilities against secondary passes, especially Jones, who was predicted to have the potential for first or second-round draft picks.
They were both eager to face off against Li Wei, eager to prove themselves in the Peach Bowl.
They had just entered the game, and the opportunity had already arisen; Jones and Victor were somewhat excited, quickly shedding their respective matchups with the wide receivers and lightly moving laterally to encircle Li Wei.
The air tensed up in an instant, and within sight—
Two figures moved in from the sides, while a lone arrowhead tried to break through before the door could close.
Step, step, step! The three figures all sprinted toward a single point of convergence, unleashing their speed and power to the maximum without any reservation.
Closer!
Ah, ah, ahh!
Even closer!
Ah!
Just as Li Wei seemed about to become trapped, a gleam of surprise shone in the eyes of Jones and Victor—they stretched their arms out, ready to make the tackle.
However, at that moment, Li Wei took two strides to further accelerate, his sprinting figure turning into a streak of light, leaving behind lingering afterimages.
Bang.
A muffled sound of helmet against helmet echoed through the Georgia Dome.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Only to see Jones and Victor both diving towards a blur of afterimages and colliding head-on, the force of the impact was so fierce that both men were sent flying into the air, landing heavily, kicking up a cloud of grass and dust.
Ha.
The entire arena let out a gasp, grimacing as if they could physically feel the pain of the head-on collision, a dizzying sensation as every muscle cried out in agony.
And Li Wei?
Li Wei had already broken out of the encirclement, continually making short, quick changes in direction like Sonic the Hedgehog, running an "S" curve forward, disrupting the University of Washington's heavily fortified short-pass zone, continuing his advance amidst the chaos of shifted centers of gravity and scrambled footsteps.
Five yards.
Ten yards.
Before anyone had time to blink, Li Wei had already broken through the short-pass defense, continuing his onslaught amidst the gasps and astonishment of the University of Washington fans.
Baker was on the move.
"Stay calm, keep calm,"
Baker reminded himself, not to get too excited and miss the tackle, just like that idiot Humphrey. He knew he could stop Li Wei—
It was not belief, but clarity, crystal clear understanding.
With continued short steps for adjustment, Baker bent his knees to lower his center of gravity and quickly moved forward, not acting rashly, waiting until he had completely determined Li Wei's running direction and center of gravity before moving in.
Stepped, stomped, exerted force.
Tackle!
—Boom.
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