The Big Ten revealed over the weekend that USC’s misleading fake punt, which involved third-string quarterback Sam Huard donning the same jersey number as the team’s punter, during the Trojans’ 38-17 victory against Northwestern on Friday, should have been penalized.
Following the second-quarter trick play, which went viral on social media, the league issued a statement on Sunday.
When Huard, sporting the same No. 80 as punter Sam Johnson, took the field on 4th-and-6 to execute a fake punt, Northwestern was deceived. He threw a 10-yard pass to Tanook Hines for a fresh set of downs, ultimately leading to Jayden Maiava’s touchdown.
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The Big Ten, referencing the NCAA rule regarding “unfair tactics,” stated that USC should have received a 15-yard penalty because Huard entered as a punter, not as a quarterback.
According to ESPN, the league’s statement read, “If a foul was identified when #80 (Johnson) entered the game as a punter, a Team Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty would have been assessed resulting in a 15-yard penalty from the previous spot. The Big Ten will continue to review the situation with both institutions.”
USC FOOTBALL PULLS OFF ELABORATE DECEPTION TO FOOL NORTHWESTERN ON FAKE PUNT PLAY: ‘GOT TO PAY ATTENTION’
Huard, who wore the No. 7 jersey earlier in the year, was officially listed on the roster this week with the new number, a change quietly implemented by coach Lincoln Riley. While college football teams often have two players with the same number, rules forbid players in the same position from doing so.
Riley stated that the change had been in place for weeks and jokingly thanked reporters for not publicizing it on social media.
“You guys got to pay attention,” he remarked. “Seriously, it’s been on there for three weeks. I’m glad none of y’all put it on Twitter.”
After the game, Northwestern coach David Braun acknowledged that the jersey swap was submitted “legally.”
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