Football is life in the town of Dillon, Texas. No one knows that better than new Head Coach Eric Taylor and his team of Dillon Panthers, but no one is prepared for the ways they will all be tested in the days and weeks to come.
MONDAY... RADIO ON AIR Sammy on radio: Good morning, West Texas! Slammin' Sammy Mead comin' at you with Panther Football radio! 470 AM on your dial. It's Monday morning, and we all know what that means. Only four days till Friday night. The night that our Dillon Panthers bring the hammer down on the Westerby Mustangs. Who wants to talk Panther football, I'm all ears. Woman: Hey, Sammy, this is Susan from South Bain. This new coach, uh, Coach Taylor, right? Sammy: Eric Taylor, that's right. Woman: Well, he... he's got himself a lot of pressure right now, and there's lots of expectations on him, and what the heck is going on there? You got a news crew following him around every step of the preseason. Who does he think he is? Mack Brown? He's no Mack Brown, I'll tell you right now. Sammy: Well, now, Susan, I don't think anybody is, but let me tell you something. He has stepped into the number one team in Texas. Woman: That's right. Sammy: And he does have a news crew followin' him. I agree with you, and that's a lot of added pressure, but it's lettin' him know how important this football is to us here in Texas. Woman: Well, I want to add my voice to that... to that... MATT SARACEN'S HOUSE - Living room Matt: Okay, Grandma, I made you two tuna fish sandwiches, and I put your medicine in the green Gatorade, okay? Grandma: Green Gatorade, but I only want one sandwich. Matt: Well, then just eat one. Grandma: But you made two, and I just want one. Matt: No, no, no, no, I-I'll eat the other one when I get home from practice, okay? Grandma: You'll be hungry. After that good ol' practice. Matt: Yeah. Grandma: You... I adore. EXT. MATT SARACEN'S HOUSE - Landry's car Landry: Y'know, I think I'm gonna get me one of those signs that say Landry Clarke: Utterly Useless. All State jerk team. Matt: Yeah, I'd probably be on that team too. We can hear radio on air... Sammy: Jason Street has a 72% pass completion rate. Not only is that number one in the state of Texas, that is number one nationally. Landry: Are you even gonna play at all? Matt: Nope. Landry: Seriously, this is some kind of big misdirected "Daddy, love me" thing, ain't it? I can't keep driving you to this practice in humiliation, it's not good for either one of us. Matt: You're an insomniac. You're up anyway. I'm doing you a favor. You should be thanking me. Landry: Now that was mean, Matt. That wasn't nice. TIM RIGGINS' HOUSE - Living room Billy: Gotta get up, little brother. Probably 49 players right now. Up and at 'em. Right now, this minute. 49 players on the move. Tim, they'll kick you off the team. Tim: Yup. You're a brother, don't forget. Not a mother. Billy: You ain't that good. Tim: Twice the player you ever was, man. Billy: This is life, this isn't Maxim magazine. Tyra: What's that supposed to mean? Billy: Waste of time. Tim: Right. LYLA GARRITY'S HOUSE - Kitchen Pam: And no going out with Jason Street this evening. We're having a family dinner tonight. That means the entire family, dinner together. Lyla: Rally rehearsal tonight. She's gonna be rehearsing how far she can get how far she can get her tongue into Jason Street's mouth. Buddy: Nip it. Lyla: I love you, Daddy. Buddy: Uh, love you too, baby. FOOTBALL FIELD Journalist: How you doin', Coach? Tommy Hayskins, NBC Sports. Eric: Tommy, welcome. Journalist: How's it feel to be head coach after, what, how many years? Eric: Six years, it is. Got yourself a heck of a quarterback. He's a good boy. Very proud of him. Journalist: Now, you two have been at this together for some time, right? Jason: Yes, sir, he was my coach all through Pee Wee, and Coach Taylor's been QB coaching me since, uh, freshman and JV years, so it's been awhile. Journalist: So, Coach, is it a coincidence you finally get the head coaching job the final season of Jason's high school career? Eric: It is, it's a very fortunate coincidence. You gotta feel blessed to spend your first year with a young man who's got the talent and the moral strength this young man right here has. Player: Hut! Man: We'd like to get you all on the field next Saturday up in South Bend. There are really no words to describle the experience... Jason's dad: Sounds terrific. Man: We're ready to get this thing done. Jason's dad: Think we are too. Jason's mum: How good is he? Man: Mrs. Street, I've been scouting quarterbacks for Notre Dame for 27 years. Your son may be the best I have ever seen. Eric: We expect a lot of him, and, uh, he produces. And, uh, we're very proud of him. Smash: We go in undefeated, shattering records. Taking these high expectations to unimaginable new highs. State champions. Journalist: What's after high school, Brian? Smash: Me and Mack Brown gonna get our win on in Pasadena. Get my national championship on, get my Heisman on. Journalist: It's known that a uple years ago, your father passed away. And he's not gonna be able- Smash: No, look, I don't talk about that, all right? You wanna ask me football questions, I'll answer your football questions. Journalist: Let's shift gears a minute. There's been talk of racism around this squad. Have you experienced anything like that? Smash: I don't let that fade me. I just keep my blinders on, and keep moving. I got things to do. Tim: That's not racism, man. I just don't like him. He can be from Saudi Arabia, or Sweden, or Czech. That dude could be Santa Claus, and I still won't like him. Name's Tim Riggins, I play, uh, fullback. Journalist: It's known that you're one of the more aggressive players. What do you find appealing about that? Tim: I just like to hurt people. Just pull'em down. Jason: This is a very good football team, and we all know each other extremely well, so that's how we play. Coach: Saracen, go take a look at that trash can for a yellow play sheet, I think I accidentally threw it out. Player: Hut! Coach: Move, move, move, move, move! That's the ball, right there, that we want, Steve. Journalist: Tim, I don't mean to be inappropriate, but I do smell alcohol on your breath. Have you been drinking? Tim: No. Journalist: Not at all? Tim: No. Journalist: Okay. Coach: Pick it up, pick it up! You wanna play football today? What the hell is going on with you right now? Eric: Are we not clear that in five days a group of men are gonna be coming down here to try and destroy you? Is that not- is that not clear? ...32... Get up, Riggins. These same men are gonna be coming down here. They're gonna use everything they have to hurt you... 84... I'm tired of seein' that out here on this field! ...82... get up, Riggins. Get up! Journalist: You feel a ttle extra responsibilit. Eric: Yeah, there's a little bit of extra responsibility. Of course, that comes with the territory. It's to be expected. You wanna do that, you take it somewhere else! Journalist: How good is this team? Jason: We're a very good team. Smash: Man, this team's the best team. They got me. Eric: Get up, Riggins. They're gonna attempt to do this in front of your mother, in front of your fathers, in front of your brothers, in front of your sisters...8... Come on, son, get up. Smash: You're making us look weak! Tim: I hate that guy. Smash: One person fumbles the ball, we all fumble the ball! Tim: Hate him. Smash: One person shows up half drunk, we all show up half drunk! Eric: 20. Smash: This is business, I keep it football. We ain't got time for your games, Rig. Leave all other stuff at home. We got a game to win. Eric: Get up, son. Get up! ********** Generic ********** DILLON RESTAURANT Jason: This is where pretty much everybody eats. Uh, I come here and get the Aztec burger, every day, leading up to a game. Journalist: Oh, yeah, is that an endorsement? Jason: Endorsement, sir? Journalist: Well, that could be your first professional endorsement, the Aztec burger. Lyla: No, he doesn't have any endorsements. Jason: No, no endorsements. No way. Smash: I got some endorsements! Journalist: What you got? Smash: Nike, Adidas. Journalist: Nike and Adidas? Smash: Yeah. Journalist: Isn't that a conflict of interest? Smash: Not the way the Smash does it, baby. I got so much skills, there's room for everybody. Reebok too-I'ma do Big Macs and Whoppers. Coke and Pepsi. Look, I'ma bring the whole world together, baby. Then I'ma bust up Paris Hilton's marriage. Journalist: Is that right? Smash: The Smash gonna be running hotel chains. Landry: So, you-you wanna go for it? Matt: No, that's the coach's daughter. Landry: Yeah, I know-I know it's the coach's daughter, but... is that some kind of rule? I mean, we can't talk to the coach's daughter? I wasn't aware of that rule. Come on, let's go. Julie: Yes? Landry: I'm in your English class. Julie: Okay. Landry: So is he. Julie: Yeah. Landry: We were just, ah, wonderin' if you wanna maybe have some lunch. You know, talk some Moby Dick. Julie: You're on the football team, right? Landry: I, actually, no, I don't play. He's technically, barely, on the team. He never plays. Matt: I hold extra points sometimes. Landry: Yeah, he held two last year, not-not well, but he's... he's kinda the backup extra. Matt: I'm the backup quarterback. But Street plays, I-I don't play much. Julie: But you're still on the team. And I don't eat with football players. Landry: You know, I'm not- I'm not a football player. Julie: And I don't eat with you either. Landry: No problem. Journalist: How do you see him handling all these enormous expectations? Lyla: You know, Sports Illustrated has this as the number one high school football team in Texas. Oh, I know, that's what I've been saying. Tyra: Oh, really? Lyla: I don't know, he-he just handles it really well. Tyra: How interesting. Lyla: On the field he's so competitive, but after, when we're alone, he's not like that. Tyra: That is so interesting, really. I'd be hard-pressed to remember anything in my entire life that's ever been so damn interesting. Whore. Smash? Smash: Hey. What's up? Tyra: Can I get a bite of your burger? Smash: Hey, baby, you can get a bite of anything you want to. COACH TAYLOR'S OFFICE Tammy: Hey. Eric: Hey babe. Tammy: How they lookin'? Eric: They're fast, and they run a lot of counters. Tammy: So I heard a ugly rumor. Eric: Really? Tammy: Had to do with you and me. And a certain car dealership opening tomorrow night. Eric: Oh, shoot. Tammy: Did you forget to tell me? Eric: I think that I did forget to tell you. Tammy: Alaska, I'm just saying. Eric: I know. Tammy: A much more relaxed lifestyle. Eric: It's under advisement. EXT. MATT SARACEN'S HOUSE Landry: I'm startin' to look at this whole damn town like a big ol' out-of-tune guitar. You know what I mean? I mean, smashed up like- like some-like some demonic crossword puzzle. Y'know, 42 across, 11 letters. Could that be? Yes, it is! It's Satan's horns. Is that a word? 'Cause-'cause I'm seein' it owin' out of Street's mom whenever she gets within 20 feet of a Notre Dame recruiter. Matt: Stop. Landry: 33 down, eight letters, state of bliss. Starts with a S. Matt: Dude, you're just being random. Landry: Try SERENITY, a quality that's in dire shortness of supply out here. But you know what? It doesn't even matter. I'm thinking about starting a Christian speed metal band. You in? Grandma: Matthew! You need to get a new friend. Landry: Ain't funny. EXT. LYLA GARRUTY'S HOUSE Lyla: Mr. Street, is it true that you can throw a 400-yard touchdown pass to three different receivers at the same time? Jason: This is true. Lyla: Then you must kiss me. Is it true that you have superhuman powers and can demolish building and hurl fireballs? Jason: This is true. Lyla: Then you must kiss me. Is it true, Mr. Street... Jason: That I love Lyla Garrity? Lyla: Yes, is that true, Mr. Street? That you love Lyla Garrity? Jason: More than anything in the world. Lyla: More than football? Jason: More than almost anything in the world. TAYLOR'S HOUSE - Living room Tammy: Alright, listen to this, y'all. Large, bright, family home nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac, three large bedrooms, a pool, and his and her closets. His and her closets. Eric: Relent. Tammy: I'm just sayin'. Eric: I know, I know what you're saying. Tammy: Darling, his and her closets. Julie: Moby Dick is actually the perfect metaphor for this town. The cold black sea representing the season in all its uncertainties. Dad. Eric: What? Julie: The magical white whale is the Holy Grail. State championship. Eric: Yeah. Julie: The boat, I mean, the whalers are the team, right? The players and the coaches. Smash Williams is Queequeg, the hulking, African Zulu, harpoon-hurling whale killer? Eric: Who's that make me? Coach Ahab? Julie: Absolutely... coach, captain, hunter, hunted. Tammy: Mm-hmm, his and her closets. Julie: Driven to catch what may be uncatchable. Eric: I'm not so sure you're mine. I'm gonna have to order up a DNA test on you. Tammy: Did you hear me? Eric: If we can see over this front line, and not bite at those counters, we may just capture that fish. Tammy: His and hers closets, baby. Whoo-ooh! TUESDAY... RADIO ON AIR Sammy: Leonard, welcome, what's on your mind? I'm getting tired of listening to people up here worrying about the coach. These people got nothing better to do but worry about that? We got boys who can play football. EXT. PANTHER'S HOME Eric: Well, how's Westerby looking? You get down there, Coach? Man: Yeah, I just got back. Eric: Yeah, what do you know? Man: I know they run some of the fastest son of a bitch counters that I've seen in a long time. Now, the front line is big. Not particularly heavy, but tall. It's gonna make it hard to follow that ball. Now, you're gonna need to add some height on your defense. Maybe play Dillard and Oliver on those defensive ends. That way, it'll give you some height. You can see down on them counts. Eric: Yeah, I like that. Man: Hell with what you like. You have got to win this footbalgame. Now, Coach, I'm dead serious. Now, you got no excuses, and that's a lonely place to be startin'. With expectations like this, the only place you can go is down. That's the problem with being his good. Eric: Yeah, I know. Man: Now, you got to drill 'em on counters. Eric: I will. Thanks, Coach. Man: How's the family? Eric: Everybody's feelin' fine. Man: Well, enjoy. 'Cause it ain't gonna last. Eric: Coach, it ain't that serious, it's only football. Man: It's only football. Eric: It's only football. Man: It's only football. Eric: All right, now. AUTOMOBILE GARRITY'S - Panther's Party Buddy: Uh, we have a few introductions that we need to make at this time, starting with our mayor, Lucy Rodell. Mayor Rodell: Thank you. Thank you, and welcome, everybody, to the openin' of this beautiful automobile dealership owned and operated by Buddy Garrity. Congratulations, Buddy. And of course, we wanna extend a special welcome to Coach Taylor and his coaching staff. Gentlemen, can you join me up here? Come on up here, fellows. Come on up, we want you up here on the stage with us. This is your team, ladies and gentlemen. Eric: I'm gonna make this quick. As a lot of you know, my wife does most of the talking around the house. I'm gonna get in a lot of trouble for that too. Uh, thank you, Mayor. Uh, I wanna second what Buddy said. I wanna thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight. And I just want to say what a privilege it is for each and every one of us standing up here to be part of the mighty Dillon football tradition. We all-and I speak for each and every coach, player, and, uh, trainer up here. We all feel honored. And we feel fully prepared to represent this beloved community this Friday night, and every Friday night. Until we bring home that state championship. Julie: Let's see where that love is if he loses a game. Tammy: I know. Smash: Panthers gonna play extreme, Westerby gonna cry and scream, Panthers gonna get diabolical. Hold up, hold up, hold up. Like Tom Cruise gets scientological. Panthers gonna whoop that ass. As long as Street gets Smash the pass. C'mon, give it up, give it up! Put the rings in the air! Put those rings in the air! Make some noise. Get up on your feet! Woman: Hey, hi! Tammy: Hey! How are you? Woman: Oh, how you? Tammy: I'm great, how are y'all doing? Woman: Oh, fantastic. Tammy: Good. Woman: Now, Tami, how come you never join us for book club? Tammy: Oh, well, you know, with the beginning of the season... Woman: Oh, come on, Tami. Wednesday night's our next meeting. A little wine, a little gossip, it'll be good for you. Tammy: That would be great. Woman: Fun. Tammy: That would be fun. Woman: We would love to have you. Tammy: Oh, thank y'all... Woman: Wednesday night! Tammy: Okay. Wednesday. Woman: We can't wait. Tammy: All right. Woman: Oh, aren't you the cutest thing I've ever seen? Tammy: She is, oh, she is. Woman: All right, y'all. Okay, we'll see ya! Tammy: Bye. Thank you so much, bye. Julie: That's gonna be so awful. Tammy: Stop it. Eric: Excuse me. How about a little space, huh? Pete: Coach. Coach, let me see ya. How you doing? Eric: Hey, Pete, how you doing? Pete: Well, great to see you. Eric: Hey, Tom, how are you? Pete: Hey, good luck tomorrow night. Uh, you know, we've been watching your offense for five years. So it's your time now for the big money, right? You're the boss. Y'know, your name goes next to that WRL after this one. It's not like the last five years, is it? Mayor Rodell: If he lets you call anything, throw the ball, son. Jason: Yes, ma'am. Mayor Rodell: Air it out. Jason: Yes, ma'am. Mayor Rodell: You know you got the skills, you know it right there. Jason: Thank you, I... Mayor Rodell: You got what it takes. Jason: Thank you. Mayor Rodell: Let her fly. Jason: Yes, ma'am. Mayor Rodell: You're a nice boy. Jason: Why, thank you. Mayor Rodell: And you got great manners. Jason: Yes, ma'am. Mayor Rodell: Knock it off. You can't go into the game tomorrow night like that. Tom: The second most important thing after defense is the kicking game, and then they can get their offense in there. Pete: We're hoping we're gonna throw the ball a little bit more this year. Mayor Rodell: Carpet bomb 'em, you understand? Jason: Yes. Mayor Rodell: Chew 'em up, spit 'em out. Jason: Yes, ma'am. Mayor Rodell: So we understand each other. Jason: Yes, ma'am. Mayor Rodell: Excellent, good, good. Jason: You like early Black Sabbath? Mayor Rodell: Black... Black Sabbath? Jason: It'll make you mean. Pete (To Eric): You know, the other thing some people think is you gotta have a great quarterback to win a championship. That's obviously not true. Woman (To Tim): I am so confused about what a blitz is. It sounds a little sexual. Pete: We've been by there a couple times, and didn't see any cars, and lights were off, and it concerned us some. Eric: But you have been working, you've been working. Woman (To Tim): Have you ever blitzed an older woman? You could, you know. Tyra: Hi, Jason. Jason: Tyra. Tyra: So where's Lyla? Jason: She's meetin' me here tonight. Tyra: Oh, that's too bad. Jason: Why's that? Tyra: Y'know, it's gotta get a litt old, Jason. Like, drinking milk all day, every day. You oughta try a milkshake every once in awhile. Pete (To Eric): What are you gonna do tonight? What do you do the night before the game? You've never been a head coach the night before the game. You don't even know what you're gonna do, do you? Photograph: Jason, do you mind? Smile for us. Oh, is that your new girlfriend? Jason: No, no, sir. No. Excuse me. Lyla! Lyla, come here, come here. Look, I'm-I'm sorry. Shouldn't have-I don't even know how it happened. She snuck up on me, cameras started flashing, I started smiling, I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened. Smash: What's your favorite football team? Man: Oh, you know, USC. Smash: Oh, yeah? Tyra: Hey, Smash. Smash: Hey. Man: I gotta roll. Yeah. Smash: How you doin' there, angel eyes? Tyra: Bored as hell. I hate these things. Smash: Yeah? Pete (To Eric): I mean, you got that, kinda that deer in the headlights look that I'm a little worried about you steppin' up to the plate here. Jason: Hillary, I did not have sexual relations with that girl. Tyra: So what are you doing? Smash: Y'know, just chillin' on top of the world. Picking diamonds off the clouds, baby. I'd love to pick you one. Tyra: Oh, is that right? Smash: Yeah. Funny. Tim: It's time to go home. Tyra: No, I'm having a conversation. Smash: It's cool, man. Tim: Do yourself a favor, Williams. Shut your face while I talk to my girl here. Smash: Say that again. Tyra: Guys, stop. Smash: C'mon, Rig. Tim: No. Smash: No, Rig, bring that. Say that again. Tim: Been meaning to ask you something. You're all about God, but at the same time, you got the bling right there. Tyra: Guys, seriously! Tim: You're some mouth, aren't you? Pete: We don't want you to go out there and be soft and be scared. Eric: Oh, we're not gonna be soft. Pete: We want you to be aggressive now. Are you going to be able to answer the bell and bring championships back to this town? We wanna win championships. [SCENE_BREAK] WEDNESDAY... FOOTBALL PRACTISE Jason: Now, you guys really want to focus on learning these plays 'cause these are the exact same plays that we run, and if you learn it right here like we all did, you'll have a pretty solid understanding of what's gonna be expected of you once you get to varsity. All right? All: Yes, sir! Little boy: Mr. Street? Jason: Yes, son? Little boy 1: Are you gonna play professional football? Jason: I'm thinkin' about it. Little boy 1: I think you should. I think you should play for the Cowboys. And that you should be better than Roger Staubach, and better than Troy Aikman. Jason: I'm gonna think about it, but I'm gonna go through school first, and we'll see what happens, son. Little boy 2: I think you can be better than Peyton Manning. Jason: Oh, I appreciate that. Let's pray. Little boy 3: Sr. Street, do you think God loves football? Jason: I think that everybody loves football. Little boy 3: Me too. All: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. HOUSE FOR SALE Eric: It sure is nice. Woman: Mm-hmm, and you saw the room in the bathroom. I am tellin' you, room in the bathroom is what has saved more marriages than Oprah and Dr. Phil combined. It is so peaceful, isn't it? Eric: It is peaceful. Woman: So why don't you have your wife come down and take a look? Eric: Well, I'll tell you, I don't think I have to do that. I think she's gonna like this just fine. Woman: Oh, I'm sure she will. So you gonna make an offer? Hmm? Eric: I'll tell you what... Let's see how we play Friday night, and then we'll be getting back to you. Woman: You're gonna kill 'em, Coach. Eric: I hope so. Woman: Bring 'em hell. RADIO ON AIR Man: I'm just a little concerned about Coach Taylor. He's not been a head coach before. He's not experienced. Uh, you know, he's gonna rely on Street too much. The thing is, is that, he just can't keep on throwing all the time. I mean, this ain't the West Coast, you know? This is Texas football. Sammy: I understand. He's got a running back like Smash Williams. I don't think he's plannin'... CAMP FIRE Tim: Here's how I figure it's gonna work. Correct me if I miss something here, but... I'm cool just hanging out right here, man. You go do your, what? Maybe ten years in the NFL. Say at five mil a year. You give me 1% of every paycheck. Mmm. When it's all said and done, you and me are gonna own ourselves a big old hunting ranch. I'll keep it stocked with some ladies. Lyla: What? Hello? Jason: There's only one little problem, Rigs. I don't want you living on my land. Tim: Yeah, you do. I'm the caretaker, Streeter. Whether you like it or not. Here's to God... And football... And ten years from now, Street. Good friends living large in Texas. Texas forever, Street. Jason: Texas forever. Tim: Yo, everybody, listen up! Let's do it. Let's touch God this time, boys. Let's touch God. FRIDAY... RADIO ON AIR Sammy: The radio 470 AM, and it is on. It is game day, people! And I have never felt this kind of electricity. Not in years. This town of Dillon, Texas is on fire, and I mean really on fire. FOOTBALL GAME Speakers: The Panthers should win this game, there's no question about it. With all the buildup and the hype of this season, and the talent they have on this team... It's that great offensive backfield for Dillon that has everybody's eye. Jason Street, the quarterback, and Smash Williams, the tailback, there's nobody better, probably. Finally got here after a long summer of practice. Lot of expectations on this Dillon Panther ball club. Panthers are the team to beat. Feed the dogs, spit the fire, lock up your daughters. Turn on the radio, sit down, and shut up 'cause it is game time, people! CLOAKROOMS Eric: Gentlemen... There's been a lot of talk about expectation lately. Expectation of what we should be able to do to win. People are expecting. People are expecting quite a bit. I see us winning out there tonight. I have no trouble seeing that. That is not what I'm expecting. I expect you boys to go out there and not take this team lightly because I promise you, they're gonna come at you with everything they've got. I expect you boys to execute. Players: Yes, sir. Eric: I expect you boys to play football. Players: Yes, sir. Eric: Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose. Players: Can't lose! Eric: You deserve this, do you understand? Jason: Yes, sir. Eric: You've earned this, the right to win. You put that in your head. Jason: You too, Coach. Expect to win. You've earned that. FOOTBALL GAME Speaker: We are underway. Out on the left side, gets away from one man, breaks another tackle, and gets about a 25-yard gain out to the 40-yard line. It's a great way to start the season. Jason: We got strong left eye, wide flip, 24 counter on one. On one, ready? Players: Huh! Speaker: Let's see what this young superstar's got for us. First chance to see the 6'2", 190-pound quarterback Street,along with Smash Williams, Tim Riggins in the backfield. The hand-off to Williams, he tries that right side.Gets away! Oh, this kid can move! First down, Panthers! By Smash Williams. He bounces it outside,and breaks a tackle. Coach: We got the cornerback. Eric: I want Barracuda 550. Barracuda 550. Speaker: And the hand-off this time to big Tim Riggins, the fullback. Oh, Tim gets ten yards before getting pulled down. You gotta love Tim Riggins when he runs. Jason: It's going back to Manny, 27 stretch, on one. On one, ready? Players: Huh! Speaker: Panthers on a roll, just like we thought they'd be. First and ten at the 35. Street, drops straight back to pass, has Eugene Williams open over the middle. He's there with a touchdown! Touchdown, the first touchdown of the season! So it's Westerby's turn to respond now, after the easy touchdown drive for Dillon. Coy Awnee brings back the kickoff for Westerby, and up the left side, the near side, he gets away, and gets a beautiful run back to the Dillon 40-yard line. And the first down's called, a little bit of misdirection, as they always do, and Campbell bounces it out. And gets away! He's gonna go all the way into the end zone! Westerby scores on its first play from scrimmaging. Wow, we heard about these counters, and man are they fast. What a great misdirection. And it fooled the Panthers. We're already into the second quarter. Westerby's Chaps giving us all we can handle right now. Big block. Tim Riggins. Jason Street brings him out. Takes the step. Drops straight back to pass. Looks left. Finds Tony Golia. He's there. He's got to catch, dives to the cone. Did he get in? Yes, touchdown, Dillon! Westerby Coach: Don't you fall for that! Speaker: That's the sign of a great leader and that's who Jason Street is. Westerby with the first down and ten at the 30-yard line, though. Westerby Coach That's it! Speaker: And Ferguson, one-on-one coverage, is open over the middle. He's got it! Touchdown, Westerby. I'll tell you, Westerby is showing up a lot stronger than anyone thought they would. Coach Taylor has got to do something to get his defense into this game. HALF TIME - Cloakrooms Coach 1: You need to get your head out of your butt and start playing up to your own district potential. 'Cause you ain't doing it now! He's having to help you. Haven't we got one guy coming, he's having to help you?! Coach 2: What are you seeing out there, Street? Jason: Seeing a lot of Texas defense, coach. Coach 2: Texas? Jason: Yes, sir. Our corners are jamming. They're staying out there in the flats. It seems like I'm getting a lot of pressure off the outsides. Coming off the ends like crazy. I can't even see 'em. The safeties are staying pretty deep, so we got a lot of short stuff. More slants and crosses, I think. Coach 2: Play it close to over the top? Jason: We can fade if I can get some time. But they gotta beat that jam off of the line. Plus, I'm getting blitzed like crazy off the weak side. I ain't even see it coming. Coach 1: You are not that good! Coach 2: See what's going on, now. We need some more time. Jason: Coach, they are running the box down on us. Coach 1: We have not been communicating. We're gonna pick it up now. Hey, you guys wanna communicate now?! Players: Yes, sir! Coach 1: We're going into a fistfight! FOOTBALL GAME Speaker: Smash gets the call, tries to go outside. There's nothing there, and he gets thrown for a five-yard loss. Eric: That didn't work. Speaker: They're totally out of sorts here in the second half. Jason: Fellas, this is our field day. Do not push us around! Speaker: Street tries to find Horn over the middle. He gets... And even the passing game's out of sync, K.C. Nothing is working right now. It is really a dangerous time. Westerby blew out that offensive line that time. Eric: 54 Bandit. Jesus, they're fast! Jason: Run your routes. Have faith in your routes. You will catch the ball. It will be there every time, and we will take this down the field. Speaker: Nobody expected Westerby to be giving us this kinda trouble. The Panthers are looking completely outta sync! Westerby right now clearly with the momentum. Eric: Ed, that was horse crud! Arbiter: Watch yourself, Coach. Speaker: You let a team like Westerby stick around long enough, they think they could beat ya. And the give is to Campbell on the counter yet again. And he gets a long way all the way down towards the goal line. He is down at the one yard line. They just seem to have no answer for these counters. Triple stack formation. Fakes once, fakes twice. Gives to Cameron over the top-dives... And he's in the end zone! Touchdown Westerby! The Westerby Chaps lead with six minutes to go. And Coach Taylor and his boys are in deep trouble with time running out. The Panthers cannot believe what's going on. Eric Taylor's gotta do something to figure this thing out. Dillon trying to rally from down ten. A flip pass to Williams. That's another first down. Move the ball! Move the ball! We're gonna come back. Jason: Look at me! Are you ready to play this game? We got strong left, 89 gun, 453 heat on one, on one. Ready, break! Speaker: Third and five on the Panther 38. Eric: Come on now, offense. Let's go! Speaker: Well, they gotta get something going. Down by ten. They need two possessions, and score in those two possessions to win the ballgame. Third and five. And Street looks like he's in command like we've seen him look before. This is a critical play for the Panthers. Player: Hut! Speaker: Street takes the snap. Drops back to pass. Has protection. Throws a wobble. Oh, it's picked off by Chandler. Interception. He's got a good wall in front of him. Down on the left side. Street the only one that might be able to get to him. Fumble on the play. A fumble. The ball is loose! Get the ball! That's a gigantic hit on Street. He's down on the ground. He is down. Eric: Who is that, Street? Coach: That's Street. Eric: Trainer! Lyla: What happened? Speaker: And he's not moving. That was a heckuva hit! When Street met Chandler. And he was the only one that could've stopped him from scoring what would've been a game ending touchdown basically for Westerby. Jason's mom: He's not getting up. Speaker: It's very quiet here in this stadium. Arbiter: Doctor. Jason's mom He's not getting up. Speaker: You know, this is obviously the worst nightmare for a coach and especially for a parent. Well, you know, his entire family of course in the crowd tonight. Even some folks from his family from out of state making the trip. Lyla: Why isn't he getting up? Doctor: Can you hear me? Jason: Yes. Doctor: Okay, I'm gonna check your eyes-Hold on. Lyla: Jason! Jason, get up! Please. Doctor: I think it's a spinal injury. I'm not sure yet. But he has been moving... Can you squeeze my hands for me, buddy? Squeezing! Good, good, good. Can you move your feet for me? Jason: Yes. Doctor: Good, good, good. All right. Should we try to get him on the backboard real quick? Let's keep him steady, guys. Let's keep him steady. Speaker: It looks likthey're gonna have to take him off. In fact, they've got him strapped to the headboard now and they're lifting him up, and they'll put him in the ambulance shortly. Doctor: Just move him sideways slowly. Perfect. You're doing real good there. Real good. Jason: Thank you. Doctor: Okay, we're going up. One, two, three. Okay, we're going up. Speaker: You know, the amazing thing is we got the number one football player in America carted off on a stretcher. But this game has to go on. It has to be finished. And the third string quarterback... no one's seen this guy play... is Matt Saracen. Eric: Saracen ! Speakers: I don't know if he's taken a snap in practice. Well, you can see the look on his face right now. I don't think he ever expected to play in this one. You know, here he is in maybe the biggest game of his life. Yeah, this young man's gonna have to get down to some serious business, because his team needs it. And he's gonna have to communicate with this team and get them back in the game. Arbiter: Coach, I need your captains, please. Eric: Captains! Saracen. Quarterback's captain. Arbiter: Okay, guys. Everybody all right? We have just under three minutes to go. I want you to play hard. I want you to play fair. And I want you to go back and tell your players to keep your heads up. Hit only what you see. Y'all understand? I want you to take that back and tell your guys, all right? Let's finish this thing up with style. Best of luck, guys. Speaker: You gotta be calm in this situation. Don't turn the ball over. Don't do something foolish. Matt: All right, we're going pro right 90. Smash: No, we're going pro left 90. Pro left 90. You know the play, right? Matt: Yeah, okay. We're going pro-pro left 90. 25 blast on one. Ready? Players: Break! Speaker: Matt Saracen, the sophomore, comes out and leads his team to the line of scrimmage to take his first meaningful snap probably in his life. And everybody's looking at young Matt Saracen, who calls the wrong play and gets drilled. He went the wrong way, and he paid the price. Well, you gotta try and get a first down. Landry: Come on, Matt. You can do it! Speaker: Okay, here's Saracen dropping back to pass. And he throws the ball... Oh, man. This kid is shook up. He has hit his own man right in the back of the helmet. That's not the way to instill confidence in your teammates. Eric: Saracen, get over here! Speaker: Panther time-out. Eric: You okay? Breathe. Slow down. I want you to try to read the coverage. You remember how to read the coverage? Matt: Not so well, sir. Eric: Look at me. What you do is you go out there and you look before you throw the ball. You look and see where the defense is and you see where our guys are. You with me? Matt: Yes, sir. Eric: Then you throw the ball to our guys. You got that? Matt: Yes, sir. Eric: Do your best. Go on. Speaker: Coach Taylor has gotta be just thinking about getting out of this game. Matt: We're going pro right, 25 shovel. Smash, this is you. Smash: I got this. Matt: All right, ready? On one. Players: Break! Speaker: Big ol' third down play now for the Panthers. Let's see if Saracen can at least get the snap this time. He's got to do something with this play. Saracen back to pass. A shovel pass to Williams. Goes off the left side. Has some room. Up the field he goes. Hey, that's a pretty good toss. Awesome. Great job. And they needed that play, K.C. All of a sudden, some life on the Panther sideline and in the stands too. Matt: Strong right eye, 28 tango. Ready? On one. Players: Break! Speaker: You can feel the energy picking up a little bit now. Maybe something's starting to happen. Smash: I'm going in. It's all you. Speaker: Saracen at the line of scrimmage. Matt: Hut! Speaker: Takes the snap. Pitches to Smash. He's got some room. He's gonna go all the way. Touchdown! Hey, okay. Just like that. The Panthers are right back in the game. We did it! Now it's all about the clock. They've got less than a minute to go. Coach Taylor's gotta be thinking about an onside kick. Gotta get the good hands,people out there who line up and get that ball. And here's the kick. It is onside. A mad scramble! Westerby misses it! The ball is still loose. A scramble for the ball. Who's got it? It looks like could the Panther ball. Panthers have it! Here we go! All right! Timmy Riggins comes up with the football. Eric: Go right 90, 7-5 high. We got a chance to win this game. Speaker: What a story. Young Matt Saracen bringing his team back into the ballgame. He drops back to pass. No, fakes! He hands off. Statue of Liberty... He'll school you if he's got room. He's gonna have to get out of bounds, and he does! They're gonna have to hurry. It's gonna start as soon as they move those chains. Trying to get the team back on sides. Coach Taylor screaming in plays. It's chaos out there right now. Eric: Towards right! Towards right! Go, go! Snap the ball! Speaker: Rushing to get the play off. Saracen calling for the shotgun. He's back. He's left. He falls. No, he gets up on his feet. Being pursued by two Westerby defenders. Eric: Go, baby! Grandma: Come on, Matthew! Speaker: He eludes a tackle. The clock runs out. He pumps. He steps up. He hurls that football. Oh, man, can this kid throw the ball! He's definitely wide open. He's got it! At the 20... the 10... He's going all the way! Touchdown! Panthers win! Panthers win! Matt Saracen somehow brings this team back to win the football game. How do you do? Coach 1: Congratulations, Coach. Smash: Right now, it's not really about who wins or loses, Father. We just all wanna be with Street right now, God. We know that you work in mysterious ways and we just wanna send our spirit, our presence, our love, just to heal him in whatever way, Lord... whatever might be broken, Lord. Just fix it right now, Father. Jesus, in your name we pray. Amen. Eric: Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable. And we will all, at some point in our lives... fall. We will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts... that what we have is special. That it can be taken from us... and that when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will be tested to our very souls. We will now all be tested. It is these times... it is this pain... that allows us to look inside ourselves.
Pilot