USC Trick Play Stuns Northwestern

USC successfully pulled off a fake punt against Northwestern, but it wasn’t just the play that caught everyone off guard—it was the player involved.

In the second quarter of Friday’s game, the No. 20 Trojans executed a seamless fake punt. Third-string quarterback Sam Hurd, acting as the punter, threw a precise pass to wide receiver Tanuk Hines, securing a first down on fourth-and-6.

Hurd tricked Northwestern’s defense by wearing a jersey number that matched USC’s actual punter, senior Sam Johnson, who also sports the number 80.

Some might think this maneuver was questionable, but the jersey switch was permissible since Hurd had already donned that number before the game.

It seems Northwestern was caught off guard by the sudden change, as it’s fairly common for multiple players on college teams to share jersey numbers. Even the Fox broadcast team seemed confused, mistakenly applauding Johnson’s performance for the Trojans’ subsequent touchdown.

After the play, Hurd was seen with a big grin, exchanging high-fives with his teammates.

Per NCAA rules, if a player decides to modify his jersey during a game, he is required to inform the referee, who then needs to relay that information to the other team’s head coach.

Since USC followed protocol prior to the game, it was ultimately Northwestern’s responsibility to catch the jersey change.

This type of deception isn’t new to football; for instance, Bowling Green executed a similar trick last season against Arkansas State when third-string quarterback Baron May switched from No. 8 to No. 18, aligning with punter John Henderson’s number.