from getting their goal-line defense in the game.”
“David Dawson takes the quick snap and bulls his way into the end zone for his third score of the game.”
By the end of the first half, USC was up 28–17 and would get the ball first in the second half. David had gained 198
rushing yards and passed for another 56. He’d accounted for over 80 percent of USC’s offense and had all four of USC’s touchdowns.
◊◊◊
When David reached the locker room, Marcus gave him a good-natured shove.
“What’s up with you stealing all my scores?”
“No one said you had to run out of bounds on the two-yard line,” David fired back.
“Yeah … well, just don’t forget your boy in the second half,” Marcus said with a smile.
Coach Thomas called David over and handed him the VR
goggles. Dare had figured out the real-time rendering issue, so he could use the footage captured during the first half. Everything was a bit disconcerting because Coach Thomas was driving the views.
“I wanted to show you two plays where you had opportunities,” Coach Thomas began.
He showed him two instances of RPO plays, and in each, Bill was getting himself free of the corner covering him.
David hadn’t thrown the ball because Bill wasn’t wide open, but David was confident he could get him the ball.
“If you see that again, I want you to ignore my earlier advice about throwing into a tight window,” Coach Thomas said.
They both knew that of all the receivers, Bill had the best hands. He would come up with it if the ball got close, even if it turned into a 50/50 ball.
Then he showed him the run portion of the option and why Marcus wasn’t gaining any yardage. The defensive end was playing to contain Marcus. It was apparent after the pitch, but Coach Thomas pointed out that if David kept the ball and cut upfield, the defensive end was in the process of stepping outside, so a hole would open up.
David rehydrated and got ready for the second half with that all in mind.
◊◊◊
Before they went back out on the field, Coach Thomas had the offense gather around for a brief talk.
“We’re up 28-17. It’s good to be ahead. But this is UNLV, for chrissake! We should be blowing them out. Linemen, I remember in practice when you were pushing our defense two or three steps downfield on every play. ‘One shot, one kill,’ remember? Like Coach Bolton said, I want you to explode off the line and dominate!
“Receivers, I don’t know what’s going on out there, but you need to focus. You’re faster than they are; you’re better than they are. Time to collect some passes and show them what it means to try to defend USC.
“Running backs, if you’re not carrying the ball, you’re blocking, making holes for others, or protecting your quarterback. And if you are carrying the ball, look for those holes your line will be creating. Use your power to push through and punish those tacklers.
“David, you’re doing well, but you’re taking a lot of chances. Just do your job and protect the football, and yourself.
“We have the better team. We have the BEST team. Now I want you to go out there and play like it!”
◊◊◊
On USC’s opening drive, David threaded a pass to Bill, who gained eight yards.
“That pass right there confirms that Dawson’s play hasn’t at all suffered from his time off. He looks like he can put the ball exactly where he wants it, tight window or not,” Tom Rubin said.
On the next play, David tossed the ball to Marcus, who made it back to the line of scrimmage. On third and two, Coach Thomas called the same play.
David would hurry up and get his team lined up on each play, and if he liked what he saw, he would run the play.
Otherwise, he would wait for Coach Thomas to send down the play from the booth, and it would be signaled in.
“Set! Hut!”
Willie hiked the ball, and David ran the RPO to his left, where Bill was. Marcus had good spacing as David ran down the line. As soon as he passed Bear’s big butt, he planted his foot and ran upfield.
Up in the press box, the announcers made the call.
“It’s a third down and two on USC’s twenty-eight on the option. Uh oh, Dawson has room,” Jerry announced as the crowd erupted. “He breaks a tackle, now two. Can anybody get him? He’s cutting back against the grain. I think it’s lights out. David Dawson again takes it to the house.
Seventy-two yards for the touchdown!”
Tom commented on the replay.
“David Dawson might be playing the best opening game I’ve personally witnessed in all my years of watching college football. You cannot miss a tackle. Pause it right there. That is UNLV’s star linebacker who should have him dead to rights. Instead, David Dawson powers through like he wasn’t even touched. Now watch him stiff-arm the safety to get enough room to run past him.”
By the middle of the fourth quarter, USC was up 63–24, and David had 339 yards rushing and eight touchdowns.
Coach Merritt came to him.
“I’m inclined to take you out of the game, but the press box just told me you’re eight yards shy of USC’s single-game rushing record. You’re currently tied with the national record of eight touchdowns in a game. I’ll let you play one more series, and either you break them or you don’t. But be careful; I don’t need you getting injured in a blowout game.”
The offensive line heard their coach, and Willie announced, “We’re doing this!”
UNLV went three and out. The bonus was Big Cat, Nick Collins—USC’s freshman slot receiver from Baltimore—
took the punt and ran it back to USC’s forty-nine-yard line.
All they needed was fifty-one yards for another score.
On first down, David ran a quarterback draw for seven yards. He was shy of the rushing record by one yard. On second down, they ran the option, and this time the defensive end stayed at home. When David cut upfield, he ran head-on into the defender. His dad would later tell him that he could hear the contact up in the box seats his parents had gotten for home games.
David felt like he’d run into a truck as his bell was rung from the helmet-to-helmet contact. He staggered and was surprised when the defensive end went face-first into the turf. On instinct alone, he stepped over his opponent’s prone body and ran as fast as he could.
David wasn’t sure what was going on when his teammates swarmed him. The referee stopped the game for the injury to the UNLV defensive end as well as the score.
The stadium announcer took advantage of the stoppage to share that David had just set two records. As he went off the field, he felt dizzy and grabbed onto Bear.
“Help me get to the tent. I think I’m hurt.”
Bear helped him to the sideline, where he was met by the medical staff.
◊◊◊
Chapter 4
Concussion.
After the game, David was taken to the hospital, where they first did a complete physical and a CT scan. He had to endure an MRI when they weren’t happy with the scan.
Dr. Liao, USC’s team physician, met with David to give him the verdict.
“We are keeping you here overnight to make sure you don’t suddenly get worse. Then you’ll be on a strict rest protocol, which includes limiting activities that require thinking and mental concentration for a minimum of two days.”
“What does that mean? Something like lying in a dark room listening to soothing whale sounds?” David asked.