Chapter 142 141 Standing by the abyss
"Josh! Roar!"
"Josh! Roar!"
Even though Jacobs had left the field, the cheers of the Crimson Tide Storm supporters still echoed in Richmond James Stadium—
the game was not over yet.
Clemson Tigers' Defensive Tackle Watkins had seized the ball, securing an excellent offensive position at the opponent's end zone front line at the thirty-five-yard line for his offensive group, giving Watson the chance to kill the game.
And Watson didn't miss it.
Cool, resolute, and decisive, Watson, like an assassin, showed his big heart. After coming back to the field, he swiftly cut down the hopes of the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm with another touchdown pass.
Moreover, after firmly kicking in the extra point, he continued to widen the lead.
"51:37."
Before you could even blink, the score gap had already grown to fourteen points; what's worse, the consumption of time pushed the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm towards an abyss.
Four minutes and seven seconds.
Now, that's all the time left for the defending champions in the whole game.
"The goddess of victory is now standing in the Clemson Tigers' end zone waving her hand, in the closing moments of the game, there's been a significant turn of events, Clemson Tigers have created and firmly grasped an opportunity."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"From a local perspective, this was a mistake, a fatal fumble, but from an overall viewpoint, this was a victory for Sweeney's tactical strategy. Starting from the kick-off, a war of attrition had been waged; while preserving defensive group energy, it kept depleting the ground offensive strength of the Crimson Tide Storm.
In the clash of titans towards the end of the game, a vulnerability finally emerged."
"Sweeney's roundabout tactics have achieved an unbelievably effective result!"
"From the defensive group's strict execution of tactics to the offensive group's continued perfect performance, the Clemson Tigers have indeed proven themselves as the only team in the league capable of beating the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm; they were truly prepared."
"Now, the Clemson Tigers are just four minutes and seven seconds away from defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm."
"The defending champions are hanging by a thread!"
Watson finally found his smile; after scoring again, he jogged along the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm's sideline, not doing any particular gesture, just waving casually and beaming with joy. He looked as if he was admiring a group of dejected losers, easily proceeding with his victory lap.
His gaze finally landed on Li Wei.
With full confidence, Watson lifted his chin, staring intently at Li Wei, then slowly backed away, even busting out some flashy dance moves, happiness and joy swelling in his chest like cotton candy—
Victory is no longer yours.
Richmond James Stadium plunged into madness, the atmosphere once again reaching an unimaginable climax, the scales of victory completely tipping to one side.
So, had the suspense ended?
...
The wind was howling furiously.
Alabama Crimson Tide Storm fans' cheers filled the whole stadium; they had not given up, they still believed in a Crimson Tide Storm comeback, but the entire mood of the venue was quite the opposite.
The louder and more tumultuous the Crimson Tide Storm's chants grew, the more they highlighted their despair and unease, an ultimate release in the burning of life's last breath.
The to-and-fro, closely contested game was suddenly tipped off balance, and the gap was instantly widened—an impact and oppression like this can surely upset one's mental equilibrium, leaving the mind blank in an instant.
"51:37".
The score was particularly glaring, like an abyssal chasm impossible to cross—
The Clemson Tigers had reached the other side, while the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm stood on the brink, teetering dangerously close to total devastation, at any moment they could shatter to pieces.
Then, the players from both teams took the field once again.
Sweeney didn't play tricks; the Clemson Tigers Special Duty Group played it safe and kicked the ball straight out of bounds, giving no chance for a kickoff return, which meant that the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm would start their offense from their own twenty-five-yard line.
If the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm's attack failed to score, or if they took too much time to score, it would be tantamount to declaring the end of the game.
The nightmare had returned—
They shouldn't forget that during the spring training camp's warm-up match, the Clemson Tigers had indeed dominated the Alabama Crimson Tide Storm in the first half.
All season long, strong and smooth sailing led the Crimson Tide Storm to forget this fact, but now, all memories were awakened.
Whew.
Li Wei also exhaled deeply, sensing the low pressure among his teammates:
They didn't know how bad Jacobs's situation was, they were completely outstripped in the rapidly changing match, and the ongoing tension and exhaustion made it hard to catch their breath. For a brief moment, their eyes seemed a bit lost.
These young men in front of him, after all was said and done, were still just college students, too young, showing a brief dip in spirits and a sense of loss after a series of sudden storms, which was only natural.
But Li Wei wasn't.
Having experienced something as miraculous as transmigration, as absurd as dealing with the system, and transitioning from cross-country running to mixed martial arts and then to football, Li Wei had grown more mature and more composed. The more difficult and dangerous the time, the more focused his attention. That was what he loved most about competitive sports:
Challenge. Limits. Desperation.
At this moment, they needed to face their opponents, and they also needed to face themselves. The only one in the world who could defeat them was themselves.
"The game is not over,"
When the Offensive group huddled together in a circle, Li Wei scanned those faces and spoke.
"The moment you choose to give up, whether you're ahead or behind, no matter how much time is left in the game, that's when the game is truly over."
"But I'm not prepared to give up."
"We are the Crimson Tide Storm, we fought strenuously all season to come to Richmond James Stadium, not to surrender here."
"Yes, the Clemson Tigers think the game has ended, they've started celebrating victory, they've become complacent; they've begun to slack. It's foolish, but I won't remind them because I'm going to seize the opportunity, to show them with actions not to celebrate too early."
"Not to mention the game hasn't even reached the two-minute warning, there are still four minutes left. They've played all their cards, taking pride in a minor mistake because that's all they have. They need luck, they're hoping for sheer chance, deep down, they're apprehensive, they don't believe they can beat us."
"But we don't need that."
"Remember how we got here? How did we make every Defensive group in the NCAA tremble at the sight of us?"
Every word resonated with determination.
It's hard to imagine that this was Li Wei's first football season.
But on the other hand, precisely because it was Li Wei's first season—ignorant and fearless, bold and daring—he wouldn't be afraid, he wouldn't back down or stop, even if standing on the edge of a cliff, he would still aim for the goal and sprint with all his might.
However, in a football game, relying on Li Wei charging alone isn't enough. He needed his teammates, to stand shoulder to shoulder in battle with him.
The game is not over.
To be precise, the real game was just beginning now.