Violently, heavily, Li Wei felt as if he had been hit by a truck—a ruthless force blindsided him, causing his organs to churn tumultuously, involuntarily making him groan.
Before he had a chance to steady himself, a second force came crashing down head-on, toppling the last bit of strength supporting Li Wei's body, then his control was lost, and he collapsed with a boom.
Boom, he hit the ground heavily, like a meteor crashing into Earth.
Pain, like a tidal wave, instantly engulfed his brain; every muscle, every cell in his body felt the impact and the pressure, and all surging emotions were compressed into his chest—oppressed, further oppressed—
Muffled, stifled, angry.
Yet he couldn't vent it out, hitting the wall, again and again, all the passion suppressed, making him seem clumsy and somber.
Li Wei had never been so miserable.
Since his first step onto the football field at the spring training camp, this was a first.
Although Saban had anticipated a tough and bitter fight, the reality still exceeded expectations; it was undoubtedly the toughest test for the Crimson Tide Storm this season, surpassing even the fierce battle against the University of Mississippi.
Of course, the situation wasn't that simple—
With eight consecutive victories, the team might have grown a bit complacent, plus both mentally and physically they had reached a tipping point; the effects of dopamine and adrenaline were waning, fatigue began to show, steps became heavier, reactions slower, and even high spirits were hollow.
In the long season, fluctuations in performance were inevitable.
But to Li Wei, there was no need for excuses; so far, the opponent had performed better, not only well-prepared but also executed brilliantly; it was that simple.
The Louisiana State University Tigers, like the Crimson Tide Storm, chose a "3-4" defensive formation, with three defensive linemen and four linebackers.
Clearly, their head coach, Orgeron, had studied the Crimson Tide Storm seriously and made targeted adjustments, fully realizing the talent of his defensive group, who had been outstanding since the start of the game.
Orgeron's defensive strategy was crystal clear—
Cut off the ground offense.
In terms of pass defense, Orgeron used two cornerbacks, one linebacker, and one safety to man-mark, matching up with the four receiving points of the Crimson Tide Storm without deploying a large number of troops.
But for the ground defense, Orgeron committed a substantial force for backup; he not only used two linebackers and one safety to mark the running back but also constantly resorted to a linebacker to ambush and harass the quarterback with passes, maintaining pressure at the front line.
It was evident that this was a tactic specially tailored against the Crimson Tide Storm; they would rather be defeated by the passing offense than concede ground in the battle of rushing.
Orgeron's confidence stemmed from the individual abilities of his players, as well as from team collaboration.
The current Tigers Defense Squad of Louisiana State University had a number of exceptional players, with the biggest star undoubtedly being Jamal Adams.
Adams, a junior, safety, explosive in physical fitness, with both speed and power, capable of playing both strong safety and free safety, had a terrifying coverage ability.
Whether under the former head coach or the current one, Adams' capabilities were evident for all to see, having locked in a spot in the first round of the next year's draft, and was even considered by many scouts to be the strongest safety in this NCAA season.
Orgeron's defensive tactics revolved around Adams.
As previously mentioned, the main task of a safety is to guard the backfield, responsible for defending against long passes; however, the strong safety is often tougher, matching up against the tight end and, on very rare occasions—teams will use a strong safety or cornerback to assist in run defense.
Orgeron did just that.
Adams's positioning was advanced, even more advanced, virtually standing just behind the linemen. His duty was to mark the tight end and running back, with an emphasis on the running back.
If Crimson Tide Storm opted for a pass play, Adams was ready to cover; if they chose a run play, Adams would step up immediately.
To put it simply, the entire defensive strategy was orchestrated around Adams as the core.
At the same time, Adams had the support of a group of excellent teammates.
Linebackers Duke Riley and Kendell Beckwith, whose abilities were not top-notch—akin to third or fourth-round picks—but these blue-collar players were professional and reliable, utterly trustworthy.
Riley and Beckwith had one task: to cover the running back.
No matter the situation, their first step was always to follow the running back, unless the quarterback had already thrown the ball, then they would assist in pass defense.
Moreover, when adding the possibility of a sudden attack from the defensive line, that is to say, Orgeron used at least three and sometimes even four players to mark the running back, piling up airtight numbers for defense, thoroughly severing the ground offense, and in such a manner, forcing Crimson Tide Storm to pass.
Orgeron was betting that Crimson Tide Storm's passing offense couldn't break the deadlock.
First, he bet that Hertz wouldn't dare to go long.
Therefore, both safeties moved up their positions, effectively abandoning the deep pass zone altogether, desperately deploying heavy forces at the confrontation line.
Second, he bet that Hertz's short passes might be challenged—
Orgeron was not casually letting Hertz pass the ball. Cornerback Tre'Davious White had first-round talent, and Cornerback Donte Jackson, slightly inferior but still presenting third-round level, were responsible for man coverage.
Unlike run defense, in pass defense, Orgeron relied more on the individual abilities of his players, relying on them to stick to their assignments in man coverage.
Even if the defense failed, it did not matter; they needed to tightly mark Hertz's intended targets, forcing him to pass under pressure.
Third, he bet that Hertz would fluster under pressure.
Orgeron played to the strength of his four linebackers; besides two of them covering the run, the other two's positions were unpredictable.
Sometimes, they assisted in short pass defense; sometimes, they supported run defense; sometimes, they would merge with the defensive line to launch a blitz, applying enough pressure to Hertz.
Under such a strategy, Hertz's inexperience and naivety were starkly exposed, and his pass defense faced a series of serious challenges.
In the past, Crimson Tide Storm always resolved problems with their ground offense, relying on the running back to advance and disrupt the formation, easing the pressure on Hertz and thereby carving out space for the passing offense; but today, Orgeron's specifically targeted mass strategy completely blocked the ground offense, and Crimson Tide Storm's offense was paralyzed.
Whether it was individual ability or team coordination, Louisiana State University truly demonstrated a resolve that was unified in spirit and purpose.
The second half had already started, but the score remained stuck in place.
Although Louisiana State University's offensive group also hit wall after wall, facing the fierce treatment of Alabama's defensive group and being aggressively ground into the turf; similarly, Alabama's offensive group was unable to find a breakthrough.
Li Wei's run was blocked again, double-teamed, the standard setup, over and over again.