USC Football’s Surprising Trick Play Against Northwestern

USC football had a standout moment during their game against Northwestern on Friday night, though it turned out to be a bit chaotic behind the scenes.

Punter Sam Johnson was initially celebrated for a stunning 10-yard pass to Tanuk Hines on a crucial fourth-and-6 situation in the second quarter. This play kept their drive alive, eventually leading to a touchdown by Jayden Maiava.

However, it wasn’t Johnson who made the pass. Instead, it was third-string quarterback Sam Hurd, who happened to wear the same number, 80. Surprisingly, the play was completely legal.

Earlier in the season, Hurd had donned number 7, but he switched to 80 this week, a change orchestrated by coach Lincoln Riley that somehow went unnoticed. It’s not uncommon for college football teams to have players share jersey numbers.

Riley later remarked, “It was just well thought out. He threw it at the right time and we had confidence in it.” He further humorously thanked the reporters for not making the information public sooner, noting it had been in place for weeks.

In light of the play, Northwestern’s coach, David Brown, referred to the incident as a “lesson.” He noted how the situation wasn’t communicated clearly, admitting, “It didn’t show up in the online directory. But they submitted it legally.” Brown concluded that the takeaway was the importance of thoroughly checking details before game day.