Legendary Football Superstar

The city derby's always been a firecracker, and this year ain't any different. This game ain't just about the season rankings or the Rose Bowl invite; it's about a decade's worth of beef between these two teams.

Last year, the UCLA Bruins had a shot at a comeback, but under Kevin Craft's lead, they still got whooped by the Trojans, "7-28." That just made USC even cockier. And this year? Oh boy.

Weeks before the game, fans from both sides were already squaring off, tensions rising like a pressure cooker. No one knows who threw the first punch, but it ended in a massive brawl with nearly two hundred people, and two dudes even got stabbed. Cops and ambulances showed up, making this year's derby even more intense.

The ref's whistle blew, and the annual grudge match kicked off.

Right outta the gate, the Trojans, led by QB Matt Barkley, came out swinging. The Bruins were left gasping for air. In the first three quarters, the Trojans nailed two passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and hit all four extra points. Their offense was a freakin' hurricane, and the Bruins' defense, which had been solid all year, just couldn't hang.

On the flip side, the Bruins' offense was a hot mess. Kevin's passes were all over the place short, medium, long, you name it, they missed. The wide receivers and tight ends barely got a sniff of the ball. They only managed one touchdown in the first quarter, thanks to a miracle run by Marcus Lynch.

By the end of the third quarter, the Trojans were up "28-7," heading into the final quarter with a comfy three-touchdown lead.

The crowd was split. USC fans were partying like it was 1999, celebrating their team's killer performance and rubbing it in UCLA's face. For UCLA fans, it was a nightmare. By the middle of the third quarter, some had already bailed, too bummed to stick around.

And the kicker? This was a home game for the Bruins.

The UCLA Bruins' home turf is the legendary Rose Bowl, where Roberto Baggio had his infamous moment in the '94 World Cup.

This place can pack in 100,000 people and is one of the top stadiums in the world. It's seen a ton of classic games. The stadium's called the Rose Bowl, and the top honor in the Pac-12 is also called the Rose Bowl, showing off UCLA's long-standing tradition.

But tonight, the Rose Bowl, packed to the rafters, was about to witness another humiliating loss for the Bruins. Two-thirds of the crowd were UCLA fans, but they were dead silent, watching helplessly as the one-third of USC fans went nuts. It was pure torture, worse than hell.

Losing ain't the end of the world 'cause UCLA fans never give up. The scary part is seeing no fight, no hope, no spirit in this Bruins team. It's like they've lost their mojo.

There were still fifteen minutes left, but the Rose Bowl was already a ghost town, no cheers, no shouts, just dead silence. It was like a zombie apocalypse. They couldn't remember the last time they saw the pride of a powerhouse in the Bruins.

The whistle blew for the fourth quarter, but Bruins fans couldn't tell if this was another round of misery or just more darkness.

Kevin led the offense back out. On the first down, they ran for two yards. On the second down, before Kevin could even throw, he got sacked, pushing them back from the twenty-two-yard line to the fifteen. Now, on the third down, they needed to cover fifteen yards.

Things were going from bad to worse, a total trainwreck.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. After the sack, the defensive player celebrated, but Kevin stayed down, clutching his calf and howling in pain. The ref had to stop the game.

In a flash, every player on the UCLA Bruins' bench shot up, eyes glued to the field, nerves jangling. Luke was no different. He and Kevin weren't exactly bros, but they weren't enemies either. More importantly, he was part of the Bruins squad, even if he was just a backup. The Trojans on the other side? Total arch-rivals.

Rick, fuming, chucked his playbook to the ground. He spotted the water cooler and, in a fit of rage, kicked it over. But that didn't do squat to calm him down or fix the mess they were in. He spun around, glaring at his colleagues. "Get Darius over here."

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But then he paused, second-guessing himself. "What do you guys think?"

Darius was a freshman, not exactly a standout, and his game sense was meh. Luke, a senior, had never officially played and had clawed his way up from the practice squad. Not exactly a dream team.

Technically, Darius was the second-string QB, and Luke was third-string. So, it should be Darius's turn. But the problem was, these two were pretty evenly matched, making the choice a real head-scratcher. The Bruins were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Defensive coach Chuck hesitated, then made his call. "Darius."noveldrama

Offensive coach Norm was more direct. "Luke."

One vote each. Rick turned to Anthony, the assistant coach who knew the team inside out, maybe even better than Chuck and Norm. Anthony thought back over the past five months and had to admit, the first name that popped into his head was, "Luke."

Luke might not be a natural-born QB, but his grit, hard work, and persistence had left a mark, not just in the past five months but during his time on the practice squad too. More importantly, Luke was a smart QB, showing leadership qualities that even Kevin Craft lacked.

Anthony wasn't sure what this intangible quality could bring, but he was willing to roll the dice. He nodded again to confirm. "Yeah, Luke."

Rick didn't say a word, eyes fixed on Kevin being carted off on a stretcher. Kevin was clutching his right knee, face twisted in pain, clearly out for the count. The team's been struggling all season, and tonight was a disaster, but this was the Bruins' reality.

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and turn. The next chapter awaits, exclusively on our site. Dive in now! So, Darius or Luke?

"Get Luke over here." They were already at rock bottom, might as well take a shot. At least Luke's adaptability was something they could use. Rick made the call. Without a word, Anthony sprinted over, yelling, "Luke, hurry! Move it!"

Luke glanced at Kevin being carried off, then around the Rose Bowl. More fans were bailing, and the whole stadium was a mix of sadness and anger under the night sky. The offensive team on the field looked lost, unsure if the game should even go on.

Someone bumped Luke's shoulder. He turned, not seeing who it was, and then saw Anthony running towards him. "Quick, get your helmet! Where's your helmet?" Before Luke could respond, Anthony grabbed a helmet from the bench, shoved it into Luke's arms, and pulled him along. "Hurry, you're going in!"

"What?" Luke thought he misheard.

He'd been waiting for this moment, but the four-month season had flown by, and he still hadn't gotten his shot. Every week before the roster was announced, he hoped to leapfrog Darius and Kevin to become the starting QB, only to be let down each time. He'd then collect himself, sit in the players' area, and watch each game up close, soaking in experience and studying the opponents.

He had so much to learn, and time seemed to blur. But deep down?

"Get ready to go in!" Anthony repeated, confirming Luke's guess. They reached Rick and Norm. Rick quickly said, "It's third down. Just go out there and handle it. Not losing possession is a win." With only forty seconds between each down, plus the time taken for Kevin to be carried off, there wasn't enough time to discuss tactics. They had to get through the third down and then punt, after which they could plan more carefully.

Rick patted Luke on the shoulder and gave him a push. Luke, still in a daze, stumbled onto the field.