USC football pulls off elaborate deception to fool Northwestern in fake punt play: 'Got to pay attention'

USC shot pulled disconnected what mightiness beryllium the fake of the period during Friday night’s blowout triumph implicit Northwestern.

Punter Sam Johnson was being hailed arsenic a leader aft helium appeared to propulsion disconnected an unthinkable fake punt by completing a 10-yard walk to Tanook Hines astatine the commencement of the 2nd 4th connected fourth-and-six. The play extended the drive, resulting successful Jayden Maiava’s touchdown.

Third-string backmost Sam Huard (80) of the Southern California Trojans makes a walk connected a fake punt successful beforehand of Ricky Ahumaraeze (10) of the Northwestern Wildcats for a archetypal down during the archetypal fractional astatine Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum successful Los Angeles, California, connected Nov. 7, 2025. (Harry How/Getty Images)

But it wasn’t Johnson’s play to instrumentality recognition for.

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Third-string backmost Sam Huard, wearing the aforesaid No. 80 jersey arsenic Johnson, was really the 1 down the pass. And the instrumentality itself? Completely legal.

Huard, contempt wearing the No. 7 jersey earlier this year, was officially listed connected the roster this week with the caller fig – a alteration that manager Lincoln Riley softly made. College shot teams often diagnostic 2 players wearing the aforesaid number.

Quarterback Sam Huard (7) of the Southern California Trojans warms up earlier a assemblage shot crippled betwixt the Purdue Boilermakers and the Southern California Trojans astatine Ross-Ade Stadium successful West Lafayette, Indiana, connected Sept. 13, 2025. (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"It was conscionable a well-thought-out thing," Riley said. "Had it astatine the close time, and we had assurance successful it, and Sam stepped successful determination and made a bully throw."

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Riley said the alteration was successful spot for weeks, and jokingly thanked reporters for not putting it connected societal media.

"You guys got to wage attention," helium said. "Seriously, it’s been connected determination for 3 weeks. I’m gladsome nary of y’all enactment it connected Twitter."

Northwestern manager David Braun called it a "lesson learned."

Quarterback Sam Huard (80) of the Southern California Trojans directs the set aft a assemblage shot crippled betwixt the Northwestern Wildcats and the Southern California Trojans astatine Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum successful Los Angeles, California, connected Nov. 7, 2025. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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"Did not amusement up connected the roster online. Had not shown up anyplace else," helium said. "But they did legally taxable that. Was connected the crippled time roster that was present contiguous astatine the Coliseum. And the acquisition I’ve learned successful that for the remainder of my vocation is we get astatine a facility, we volition spell implicit that with a good bony comb and look for immoderate of those imaginable issues."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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