Chapter 53: Chapter 48: The Stadium Calls
In the chess match on the one-yard line, all three attempts were met with a heavy blow. Kevin Price was completely shut down, utterly at a loss. Gazing at the End Zone so close at hand, he heaved a long sigh and finally looked to the coaching staff for help.
After a brief consultation, the coaching staff chose to go for broke and run a play on fourth down. The decision took everyone by surprise. The score was "13-7," and the first half wasn’t even over. They could have easily opted for a field goal to further close the gap; if the fourth-down attempt failed, the three points from an easy field goal would be lost, and the Badger Team would immediately take over at that same spot. The risk was simply too aggressive.
But the Brown Bear Team’s coaching staff still chose to put their faith in the offense. Not in Kevin, however. In Marcus.
Marcus, who had been in top form all night, lived up to the trust placed in him. Under immense pressure, he made a crucial one-yard carry, plowing through the defensive line like a bulldozer and into the End Zone for a Touchdown! The special teams unit didn’t falter either, kicking the subsequent extra point. And just like that, the Brown Bear Team took the lead, "14-13"!
It was the Brown Bear Team’s first lead of the game!
The entire Rose Bowl erupted. All the Brown Bear Team fans descended into a frenzy. A tsunami of cheers triggered a seismic upheaval, as if they could already touch the Rose Bowl Trophy itself. Crazed, distorted faces were everywhere; it was as if the entire world was beginning to melt.
That joy, however, lasted less than three minutes. The Badger Team soon took the lead right back.
In an offensive drive that lasted two minutes and twelve seconds, the Badger Team finally showcased the powerful offense that had run up seventy points in just three games this year. Their attack was as smooth as flowing water, its rhythm leaving no room to breathe. The Brown Bear Team’s defense was run ragged, completely powerless to fight back, led by the nose every step of the way.
In the end, Scott delivered the killing blow with a seven-yard short pass, effortlessly securing the Touchdown. After the extra point, the lead once again belonged to the Badger Team, "20-14." The game seemed to have reached a fever pitch.
The game had officially reached a fever pitch. The pace of the back-and-forth action quickened. At this stage, if either side fell even slightly behind, it could spell disaster—just look at the Badger Team’s regular-season opponents, who had allowed an average of over forty points per game. It was a terrifying statistic.
Fortunately, the Badger Team’s offense seemed unable to find its top gear tonight, and the Brown Bear Team’s defense consistently managed to snuff out attacks at crucial moments, averting disaster. Unfortunately, the Brown Bear Team’s offense remained a complete mess. The opposing Defensive End, JJ Watt, had already racked up an easy three sacks and seven tackles, leaving their offensive rhythm in absolute tatters.
At the end of the second quarter, the score remained "20-14."
At the end of the third quarter, the score was still "20-14." Neither side had managed to break the stalemate.
The game had become so dull that the home fans grew increasingly restless. When Kevin threw his third interception of the night, they finally couldn’t take it anymore. A chorus of boos erupted as they vented their frustration at their own team. The away fans, however, began to clap and cheer, seemingly celebrating the string of gifts from their opponent—if this score held until the final whistle, the Badger Team would win the Rose Bowl Trophy!
"Tonight’s game has been truly unexpected. Both teams are underperforming, and it hasn’t been much of a spectacle," Kirk commented quickly. "There isn’t much time left for the Brown Bear Team. They’re only down by six, so a single Touchdown could put them ahead. But their offense’s performance tonight has been deeply unsatisfying. Now that we’re in the fourth quarter, the tension and urgency will only become more severe. Getting that one Touchdown seems like a monumental task."
Kirk glanced down at the live game stats and took advantage of the timeout called by the Badger Team to offer a quick analysis. "While they have two Touchdowns, both came entirely from the individual effort of running back Marcus Lynch. Quarterback Kevin Price’s performance, on the other hand, has been a catastrophe: only thirteen completions on twenty-seven attempts, a completion rate not even reaching fifty percent, for just sixty-seven yards, zero Touchdowns, and three interceptions. With numbers like that, it’s hard to believe the Brown Bear Team can manage a game-winning Touchdown in the time they have left."
Without pausing, Kirk continued, analyzing from the Badger Team’s perspective. "Scott’s performance hasn’t been great tonight either, but at least he’s still moving his team down the field. They’re talking it over now, hoping to break the stalemate and widen their lead. Whether by a Touchdown or a field goal, if they can push the score to a two-possession game, victory will be firmly in their grasp."
"And play resumes! The Brown Bear Team’s Raheem Moore comes up big—an interception! Raheem Moore with the pick! That’s Scott’s second interception of the night, and it’s a turnover! The ball is back in the hands of the Brown Bear Team!" Kirk’s voice was full of excitement. This game was becoming ludicrous, but what happened next was even more unbelievable—
"Jesus Christ! What in the world just happened on that field? Let’s look at the replay; it all happened so fast. Kevin Price attempted a pass, but... it was to open space, completely open space! There wasn’t a single Brown Bear Team receiver anywhere near it! What’s going on here? Was there a miscommunication between Kevin and his teammate? To be more precise, while there was no Brown Bear receiver there, there *was* a Badger defensive player. JJ Watt! The absolutely brilliant JJ Watt comes up with the interception! One interception is traded for another! Kevin Price has thrown his fourth pick of the night, and possession goes right back to the Badger Team. My God, the fans watching this game in person tonight are going to need strong hearts."
Nate Chandler clutched his head in disbelief. "OH!" A cry of despair seemed to drag him down by the ankles, sinking him lower and lower. This up-and-down rollercoaster was worse than death itself. He watched, helpless, as possession returned to the opponent with less than six minutes left in the game.
’Less than six minutes. What does that even mean?’ He thought back to the Brown Bear Team’s last touchdown drive. It had taken them six minutes to push the ball to the one-yard line before they went for it on fourth down and scored. ’This means that if the Badger Team can just keep moving the ball, it’s not impossible for them to run out the entire clock. They could leave the Brown Bear Team with zero time, ending the game right here and now.’
Despair, anger, anxiety... A storm of emotions churned in his chest, but Nate couldn’t even manage to curse. He just wailed internally, ’How could this be happening! How could this be happening!’ In that moment, he truly understood the meaning of being too devastated to cry.
"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" Jeff Locke couldn’t stay in his seat. From the latter half of the second quarter to the first half of the fourth, the Brown Bear Team had been given so many opportunities, but the offense failed to capitalize on a single one. They had even handed the ball over directly multiple times. ’How is that any different from just laying down your arms and surrendering? It’s a disgrace! An absolute disgrace!’
Rage rampaged through his chest. ’We’re capable of winning this game. We have a shot at the championship. We can make a comeback.’ He knew all of this, but reality had shattered his hopes. Watching the Brown Bear Team slide step by step into the abyss, he was so overwhelmed with frustration that his entire body began to tremble.
’Bambi!’ An image flashed through Jeff’s mind—a figure like a life-saving straw. ’We still have a hope of winning, and all of that hope rests on him!’ Jeff couldn’t suppress his excitement and began to shout, "Bambi!" But amid the storm of angry boos and curses, his voice was as feeble as a reed in the wind. He spun around, looked at his friend Nate, and yelled frantically, "Bambi!"
Nate was stunned for a moment and didn’t react at first. But after Jeff shouted it a few more times, Nate gradually came to his senses, his eyes lighting up. He then joined in, shouting loudly, "Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!"
Danny Rice heard the shouts from behind him. They were calling out a name that was at once unfamiliar and yet illustrious. Over the past month, the nickname "Bambi"—tied to the stunning comeback victory against the Trojans—had spread far and wide across the UCLA campus. Everyone knew who he was.
Danny turned to look at Jeff and Nate, who were screaming at the top of their lungs. They were just a small group, maybe seven or eight people, but they were shouting in unison—veins bulging, faces flushed, expressions ferocious. Their voices merged, becoming one, and erupted with a powerful force!
Danny’s heart began to pound. He couldn’t quite believe what he was doing, but a decision had already been made in his heart. He turned back around, joined their chorus, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Bambi!"
Hearing the shouts from her right, Jiang Youning couldn’t help but turn her head. Bambi. She knew that was Lu Ke’s nickname. But why were those people calling for Lu Ke? Jiang Youning’s mouth fell open in surprise. She turned to look at Lu Zhengze, but he was just as clueless, completely baffled.
The next moment, Jay, who was sitting beside them, joined the chant. "Bambi!" He beamed at Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning. "Last game, Bambi led the team to an unbelievable comeback! Honestly, he’s our hero and our only hope!" With that, Jay jumped to his feet, raised his right fist high in the air, and pumped it once, then twice, shouting with every fiber of his being, "Bambi!"
Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with astonishment and a dawning joy. They stared at each other in disbelief, then turned their incredulous gazes back to the other fans. The chanting was growing louder and louder: a hundred voices, then a thousand, then ten thousand... Slowly, the mighty chorus swelled into a world-shaking force—
"Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!"
