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USC releases hilarious troll video after fake punt controversy

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra11 hours agoSamraSource
Riley, USC
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC pulled off an incredible fake punt against Northwestern in Week 11. It’s come with its fair share on controversy though, as the Big Ten has since pointed out it shouldn’t have counted, but that’s not stopping the Trojans from having their fun.

For context, USC has punter Sam Johnson, who wears No. 80. They also have backup quarterback Sam Huard, who wears No. 7. But on this fake punt, Huard actually wore a No. 80 jersey to line up as the punter in the second quarter, with the game tied 7-7. 

He completed a pass for a first down to keep the drive alive. The Trojans went on to win 38-17, but they were in a dogfight in the first half. There’s no doubt this play started swinging the momentum in USC’s favor.

So how did the Trojans react? Well, they shared a hilarious video on social media of Johnson and Huard reaching for the same coffee cup with the name Sam written on it, with both players wearing No. 80. Check out the masterful troll below.

Everyone but Wildcats fans might get a kick out of it. They’ll have to take solace in the Big Ten releasing a statement saying USC should’ve been penalized due to two players playing the same position with the same jersey number.

“During Friday’s Northwestern at Southern California football game, with 13:58 remaining in the second quarter (4th at 6), USC #80 (Huard) lined up 13 yards in the backfield within a punt formation and completed a 10-yard pass,” the statement read.

“A second $80 (Johnson) is listed on the Trojans roster and punted twice in the contest. NCAA Football Playing Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2 is labeled ‘Unfair Tactics,’ with paragraph ‘d’ stating: ‘Two players playing the same position may not wear the same number during the game.’

“If a foul was identified when #80 (Johnson) entered the game as a punter, a Team Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty would have been assessed, resulting in a 15-yard penalty from the previous spot. The Big Ten will continue to review the situation with both institutions.”

All told, Northwestern coach David Braun admitted he and the staff should’ve been more prepared for that situation, but USC seemingly planned for Huard to pull this off only on a trick play. Unfortunately, no one noticed the rule violation in real time. 

Moving forward, it’ll go down as a memorable moment — a teaching one for both teams, and for college football officials as a whole. In the end, USC advanced to 7-2, and they now have a massive showdown with Iowa coming up on Saturday. 

— On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this article.