USC pulls off incredible fake punt — thanks to cheeky jersey change
USC completely duped Northwestern with a fake punt. And not with the play itself, but rather the player behind it.
Early in the second quarter of Friday’s game against the Wildcats, the No. 20 Trojans were able to pull off a fake punt with third-string quarterback Sam Huard standing in as their punter.
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On fourth-and-6, USC executed the fake punt to perfection, with Huard throwing a dart to wide receiver Tanook Hines for a first down.
Huard was able to fake out the Northwestern defense by wearing a No. 80 jersey, the same number as USC’s actual punter, senior Sam Johnson.
Although this trickery might seem to be illegal, the jersey change was permitted, as the Trojans listed Huard’s number as No. 80 ahead of Friday’s game.
Northwestern seemingly did not notice the change, as it is common for college football teams to feature multiple players wearing the same number.
Even the Fox broadcast got hoodwinked, with the announcing crew lauding Johnson for the play, which eventually led to a touchdown for the Trojans.
Following the trick play, Huard was seen grinning while high-fiving his teammates as he walked off the field.
According to the NCAA rules, players who switch their jersey number during the game must inform a referee of the change, with the officiating crew then informing the opposing team’s head coach and then making an announcement.
Since USC made the call before the game, it was ultimately up to Northwestern to notice the jersey change.
This is not the first time a team has used this kind of deception, as Bowling Green pulled off a similar stunt during a game against Arkansas State last season.
In that game, third-string quarterback Baron May switched his jersey number from No. 8 to 18, which was similar to punter John Henderson’s No. 19 jersey.
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