USC football pulls off elaborate stunt to fool Northwestern with fake punt play: ‘Gotta pay attention’
NEWNow you can listen to News articles!
USC football pulled off what could be the travesty of the century during Friday night’s blowout victory over Northwestern.
Punter Sam Johnson was hailed as a hero after he appeared to make an incredible fake punt by completing a 10-yard pass to Tanook Hines early in the second quarter on fourth-and-six. The play extended a drive, resulting in Jayden Maiava’s touchdown.
Third-string quarterback Sam Huard (80) of the Southern California Trojans passes a fake punt in front of Ricky Ahumaraeze (10) of the Northwestern Wildcats for a first down during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2025. (Harry How/Getty Images)
But it wasn’t Johnson’s play that should take credit.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON News
Third-string quarterback Sam Huard, wearing the same No. 80 jersey as Johnson, was actually the player who threw the pass. And the trick itself? Completely legal.
Huard, despite wearing the No. 7 jersey earlier this year, was officially named to the roster this week with the new number, a change coach Lincoln Riley quietly made. College football teams usually have two players who wear the same number.
Southern California Trojans quarterback Sam Huard warms up before a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Sept. 13, 2025. (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“It was well thought out,” Riley said. “We had it at the right time and we were confident in it. And Sam stepped in and made a good throw.”
NEBRASKA LAUNCHES HAIL MARY HIGHLIGHT REEL TO CLOSE FIRST HALF TILT WITH BIG TEN RIVAL MICHIGAN
Riley said the change had been in place for weeks and jokingly thanked reporters for not posting it on social media.
“You guys have to pay attention,” he said. “Seriously, it’s been there for three weeks. I’m glad none of you put it on Twitter.”
Northwestern coach David Braun called it a “lesson learned.”
Southern California Trojans quarterback Sam Huard (80) leads the sideline after a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2025. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE News APP
“It didn’t appear on the online list. It hadn’t appeared anywhere else,” he said. “But they filed it legally. It was on the game-day roster that was here at the Coliseum. And the lesson I learned from that for the rest of my career is that when we get to a facility, we’re going to take a hard look at it and look for any of those potential issues.”
The News contributed to this report.
Follow News Digital sports coverage in Xand subscribe to the News Sports Huddle newsletter.