บท 46: Turnover
Watson couldn't sit still.
His leg was shaking.
When Ferrell missed the tackle, his leg started shaking, and he began biting his nails, a far cry from the relaxed and arrogant attitude he'd had during halftime. Now, his heart felt like a crumpled-up piece of paper.
Everyone knew the Crimson Tide's strength lay in their defense, while their offense heavily relied on Derrick Henry. This year, without their star player, the Tide's offensive firepower had been cut in half. When the Tigers led by three touchdowns in the first half, shutting out the Tide, it seemed like an easy victory was in hand.
But then—
Where on earth did that number 23 come from?
Damn it.
Watson knew this was just a warm-up game, but for Clemson, this wasn't just a chance to avenge their loss in last season's national championship game. It was also an opportunity to declare their championship ambitions for the upcoming season. He craved victory.
And preferably, a blowout.
But now, after the Tide had scored two touchdowns, Watson thought, "Maybe we won't get a blowout, but at least we'll still win." After all, he hadn't played in the second half.
But now?
Forget about a blowout—winning itself was in jeopardy.
Damn it!
Watson sprang to his feet. He didn't care if this was just a warm-up game. They had to win, no excuses.
It wasn't just Watson—Watkins, Wilkins, Lawrence, and the other "Dark Lords" couldn't stay seated either. They all stood up, looking toward Coach Swinney.
Swinney noticed their glances. Though none of them said a word, he understood. The entire team was united in their desire to build confidence and start the season strong.
Swinney had assumed Saban was using this game to test his second and third-string players. Given Saban's experience, he likely didn't care about winning a warm-up game, which gave Clemson the advantage of playing with a winning mindset.
But now...
Swinney had a headache. After a brief hesitation, he made up his mind.
"WATSON, get ready to go in!"
It didn't matter if this was just a warm-up game—they needed to build confidence, and the team's strategies had been well-tested. Right now, victory was more important than anything else.
If they couldn't stop the Tide's second-string offense, what would that make them?
Watson didn't care about any of that. As soon as he heard his name, he jumped up and used the time during the extra point and ensuing kickoff to hurriedly put on his gear.
In his rush, he tugged on his ear while putting on his helmet, muttering a curse under his breath, but there was no time to worry about it. He hastily suited up, eager to get back on the field.
After the kickoff—
The Crimson Tide's special teams played it safe, not taking any risks, and gave the Tigers a standard starting position at their 25-yard line.
"HA!"
Watson roared, clenching his fists, eyes burning with determination as he stepped onto the field.
Across from him, Allen and Lance locked eyes for a brief moment.
Allen gave Lance a thumbs-up: As expected, you pushed Watson back onto the field. His earlier smugness was long gone, thanks to you.
Lance, in return, made a "come on" gesture: Now it's up to the Tide's defense. Allen and the others finally had their chance to face a more polished version of Watson. Let's see what happens.
Allen grinned, turned to his defensive teammates, and raised his hand, signaling them to take the field with their heads held high.
Bryant-Denny Stadium erupted into a new peak of excitement.
Lance was curious to see how Clemson's offense would respond. In his mind, bringing Watson back in was actually a mistake.
Not because it would hurt backup quarterback Bryant's confidence—after all, Bryant had done fairly well on the previous drive, pushing the ball into the red zone, even though they didn't score. Continuing to use Bryant to control the clock might have given Clemson the upper hand. But by putting Watson back in, the Tigers revealed their urgency and desperation.
Watson was still young and impatient. Coming onto the field with a mindset of crushing the opponent to secure victory, he was likely to play aggressively. This could be the Tide defense's opportunity. Even if Watson managed to score, there might still be enough time left for the Tide's offense to mount another drive.
Every strategy reveals something, and even Lance, a newcomer, could see this. Surely, Saban—an experienced coach—was fully aware of what was going on.
Sure enough, Lance was right—
SACKED!
On the very first play, Allen delivered a bone-crushing sack to Watson.
A "sack" occurs when the quarterback is tackled while holding the ball. Though it doesn't result in a turnover, it costs the team yards and delivers a hard hit—especially dangerous for quarterbacks, who aren't as durable as other players.
Watson had been too eager to make a statement. On first-and-ten, he tried for a big pass but fell right into Saban's trap. All his passing options were locked down, leaving him hesitant to throw. By the time he realized what was happening, Allen was already in his face. Watson tried to escape with his legs, but Allen wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away.
Sacked.
With that, the Tide's defense began to assert themselves. Having watched their backups get torched by Watson in the first half, Allen and his teammates were definitely out for redemption.
But Watson wasn't done yet—
Despite the sack, Watson managed to recover and earn two first downs with his exceptional playmaking ability. The Tigers' offense was starting to find its rhythm when the Tide's defense struck again.
"INTERCEPTION!"
"Oh my god! Watson has just thrown the game's first interception by either team. The Crimson Tide's linebacker, number 10, Foster, snatches the ball away, giving possession back to Alabama!"
"And now, the Tide's offense will take the field again."
"The game's outcome is still wide open—anything can happen! This is truly a rematch of last season's national championship game, filled with excitement and drama!"
An interception happens when the quarterback's pass is caught by the opposing team instead of their own player.
Defensive players can contest the ball with receivers and tight ends as long as they don't commit a foul. If they successfully catch the ball, it's an interception, and the defense can then attempt to return the ball for as many yards as possible, or even score.
Interceptions are one of the ways a defense can change the course of a game.
That's why quarterbacks must be extremely cautious with their passes.
Watson, though, had been too aggressive, misreading the defense's alignment. He threw the ball straight into the waiting arms of Foster, who swooped in and snatched it out of the air.
One interception. One turnover.
The Crimson Tide's defense sent Watson packing less than three minutes after he stepped back onto the field, regaining possession and giving Alabama's offense two minutes and seven seconds to make a final drive.
The momentum had completely shifted.
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