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Big Ten Reviewing USC's Jersey-Switch Fake Punt as Riley Insists Play Was Legal

The league says the maneuver should have drawn a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty under the NCAA's unfair-tactics rule.

Overview

  • In Friday's win over Northwestern, third-string quarterback Sam Huard, listed as No. 80, lined up as the punter and hit Tanook Hines for a 10-yard gain on fourth-and-6 to set up a touchdown.
  • The Big Ten stated that two players at the same position wearing No. 80 should have triggered a team unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty under NCAA Rule 9 on unfair tactics.
  • The conference said it will continue to review the play and roster procedures with both schools, and the game's result remains unchanged.
  • Lincoln Riley said on his weekly show and after practice that the fake punt was entirely legal and that USC had assigned Huard the new number weeks earlier.
  • Northwestern coach David Braun said the number change appeared on the roster distributed at the Coliseum and called it a lesson to scrutinize game-day documentation.