Within the reasonable collision zone, as long as it wasn't intentionally aimed at injuring someone, it rarely triggered a foul.
Moreover, in this round, Mike was on the defensive, and his actions were considered clean.
The head referee, who had been watching, shifted his gaze after seeing the large man who was thrown flying get up as if nothing had happened.
On the field, apart from Coach Cotton protesting on the sidelines, no one else thought Mike's defense was problematic.
With Oher completely contained by Mike, and the state top ten within reach, the other players of Medford High also showed their tenacious side.
In the fierce confrontation, Saint Mary's quarterback was intercepted by Aaron and his team near the midfield, even showing signs of being subtly forced back.
Beep—
Saint Mary's quarterback, who was holding the ball, was tackled by the opponent's continuous impact.
Clutching the football tightly beneath him, he maintained possession but lost an offensive down.
Soon after, with both sides adjusting their positions, Saint Mary's kicked off again, initiating a second down offense.
In the opponent's second down offense, Mike once again sought out Oher.
After some probing, this time he chose to actively collide with his opponent.
"Bang! A violent collision sound, accompanied by exclamations from the spectators outside the field.
The two tackles engaged in a struggle of strength.
It was evident that in this contest of strength, Oher, who exerted force later, was stronger than Mike.
However, Mike, relying on his superior technique, used his elbows to wedge between his opponent's ribs and upper arm, making it difficult for the opponent to exert force.
For a moment, the two were evenly matched.
And in this brief exchange, Mike also estimated that Oher's physique should be between 180 and 200.
Of course, this was just Mike's guess, and from the looks of it, Oher still hadn't learned how to fully utilize this strength.
On the other side, without Oher's cover, Saint Mary's quarterback was stopped again.
Clearly, without the big man to clear the way, Saint Mary's rushing tactics had lost their intended effectiveness.
And it was at this moment that the Medford Football Team's center found an opening and chose to come help Mike.
Next, under the pincer attack of the center and Mike, Oher was decisively tackled to the ground.
Beep—
Saint Mary's quarterback, once again, lost another offensive opportunity due to being stopped for too long.
As Saint Mary's offense stalled again, Coach Cotton on the sidelines realized the seriousness of the problem.
Looking at Oher, who was once again lying near the sideline and had done nothing in this offensive down, Coach Cotton protested to the head referee again: "Hey, my player is being roughed up, don't you see? Their actions constitute a defensive foul!"
Coach Cotton wanted to find a foul by the opponent to get another fourth down opportunity for his team.
However, the head referee looked at the strong Oher, shook his head slightly, indicating that Medford's defense this time was not a foul.
It must be noted here that due to the high intensity of football, the head referee in each game will adjust his officiating standards based on the actual situation on the field.
If a small player was tackled by two opponents, most head referees might, depending on the situation, give the opponent a foul penalty.
It's just that Oher's physique was too strong; the conditions for him to draw a foul from an opponent would naturally increase.
In a situation where it could or could not be called, Oher did not gain any sympathy points from the referee in this game.
And at this time, Medford High's idea of having Mike intercept Oher was indeed a brilliant move.
By the time Coach Cotton realized the seriousness of the problem, it was already a bit too late to change tactics.
In this situation, if Saint Mary's still wanted to win, the key was whether Oher could use his physical advantage in the upcoming game to continue helping his quarterback score efficiently.
In a way, all of Saint Mary's hopes for victory now rested on Oher.
Seeing Oher get up, Coach Cotton anxiously reminded him: "Michael, don't get entangled with the opponent; your job is to protect the quarterback."
At this moment, the two Mikes stood very close.
Before Michael could answer, Mike turned his head and asked in a deliberately puzzled tone: "Coach, are you talking to me?"
Coach Cotton, who had previously studied the opponent's information, naturally knew there was also a Mike in the opposing formation.
However, hearing the teasing tone of Mike, number twenty-one, left Coach Cotton speechless, and he indicated he didn't want to talk to the other party.
Big Mike's simple face also showed an anxious expression.
He, of course, also wanted to help his quarterback rush for points, but the opponent clung to him like a sticky candy, making it impossible for him to break free.
Beep—
The whistle for Saint Mary's third down offense sounded.
Saint Mary's quarterback, who should have continued rushing, was once again blocked behind the midfield after this whistle sounded.
Having tasted success in the previous two rounds of defense, the Medford Team players chose to press forward actively during the opponent's third down attack.
In a continuous series of head-on impacts, Saint Mary's quarterback, clutching the football, was forced back little by little.
The Medford Team's current strategy was more like a wolf pack tactic, abandoning their retreat and focusing solely on offense.
Such an aggressive play style also drew continuous cheers from the spectators.
If this continued, the high-spirited Medford High was likely to achieve a safety score in the opponent's fourth down offense.
Coach Cotton, who was already restless, saw the team's disadvantage growing and couldn't help but shout loudly at Oher: "Michael, what are you waiting for? The team needs you—"
Infected by the coach's emotions, Oher's eyes instantly became fierce.
He charged fiercely at Mike, who was defending him.
At this moment, he stopped thinking and just wanted to break through his opponent and reunite with his teammates.
Feeling his opponent's determination, Mike also didn't intend to passively defend this time.
Physics tells us that the magnitude of momentum depends on velocity and mass.
So, Mike also picked up his speed and charged towards his opponent.
"Bang—"
Accompanied by exclamations, both Mikes fell to the ground.
Beep—
Until the end of Saint Mary's third down offense, the two Mikes on the left sideline hadn't managed to get up.
Both coaches, seeing that something was wrong, ran over.
"Mike, how are you?" George asked worriedly, already regretting letting Mike defend the opponent's big man.
"I'm fine, just a bit winded—" Mike took a breath, then got up clutching his chest, feeling his head still dizzy.
If it weren't for the protective gear absorbing the shock of that violent collision, Mike was certain he would have broken at least two ribs.
It has to be said, the big man on the other side was truly powerful.
On the other side, the big man, Oher, tried several times but couldn't get up.
One of his arms hung limply at his side, appearing twisted.
Tears, mixed with sweat, streamed down his face.
Coach Cotton, noticing his player's injury, quickly called for the team doctor.
After examination, Oher's right arm was dislocated at the shoulder and required immediate reduction and rest.
"I'm sorry, Coach.
I've let you down…" Lying on the stretcher, Oher's expression was a mix of self-reproach and unwillingness.
"It's okay, Michael, you've done very well," Coach Cotton comforted the big man, saying, "This is just one game; once you've recovered, we'll come back next year."
Just then, Sean, holding his SLR camera, and his parents also arrived at the sidelines, and they simultaneously offered words of comfort to Oher.
Ultimately, accompanied by Sean's family, Oher went to the back for treatment.
As Oher left the field due to injury, the head referee looked at Mike, who seemed perfectly fine after a short while, with surprise.
Then, he pulled out a yellow flag and called a defensive foul on Mike.
Neither coach had any objection to this ruling.
The reality was that with Oher of Saint Mary's leaving the field, this penalty no longer had any impact on the outcome of the game.
Because of the previous rounds of confrontation, half of the fourth quarter had already passed.
An eleven-point difference, with six minutes to catch up.
Without Oher, even if Saint Mary's were given another fourth down opportunity, Coach Cotton couldn't think of any way for the team to win.
Next, with Medford High no longer under pressure to win, George also timely substituted Mike out of the game.
Beep—
As the game continued, Saint Mary's on offense reverted to their initial 4-3-4 formation.
Coach Cotton's tactical change was not for victory, but to prevent the team from losing too badly in the remaining time.
However, the high-spirited Medford High gave their opponents no chance, securing a safety score on defense through fierce confrontation.
43:30
The total score was rewritten once again.
Beep—
With the final whistle of the game, Medford High advanced to the state top ten with a significant lead.
Aaron, victorious, excitedly came to the sidelines, pulled Mike onto the field, and together they went to the center of the field to receive the cheers of the crowd.