USC Deceptive Play Catches Northwestern Off Guard
LOS ANGELES - In a surprising turn of events during Friday night’s game against Northwestern, USC executed a trick play involving third-string quarterback Sam Huard, successfully deceiving the Wildcats wiht a clever uniform number switch. Huard entered the game wearing No. 80, the same number as USC’s punter, Sam Johnson, and completed a 10-yard pass to Tanook hines, extending a drive that culminated in a touchdown run by Jayden Maiava.
The legality of the play stemmed from a recent roster adjustment; Huard had previously worn No. 7 but was listed as No. 80 on the USC game day roster, a change quietly made by coach Lincoln Riley’s team. College football rules permit multiple players to share uniform numbers.
Northwestern coach David Braun acknowledged the ingenuity of the play, calling it a “lesson learned.” “Did not show up on the roster online. Had not shown up anywhere else,” Braun said. “But they did legally submit that. Was on the game day roster that was here present at the Coliseum. And the lesson I’ve learned in that for the rest of my career is we arrive at a facility, we will go over that with a fine tooth comb and look for any of those potential issues.”
Riley revealed the play had been planned for several weeks, with Huard’s number change made in accordance with NCAA regulations. “It was just a well thought-out thing,” Riley said. “Had it at the right time, and we had confidence in it, and Sam stepped in there and made a good throw. Had a guy kind of in his face. … We have some creative guys on our staff.” He also playfully chided reporters for not noticing the roster change,stating,”You guys got to pay attention. seriously, it’s been on there for three weeks. I’m glad none of y’all put it on Twitter.”
This isn’t the first instance of such a tactic in college football. Last season,bowling Green employed a similar strategy in the 68 Ventures Bowl,with quarterback Baron May switching from No. 8 to No. 18 – mirroring punter John Henderson’s No. 19 – and completing a 43-yard touchdown pass.
