USC should have been penalized for pulling off a gambit that resulted in a conversion of a fake punt, but not on that particular play, according to a memo the Big Ten circulated on Sunday.
Here was the situation: Facing a 4th-and-6 at their own 46 with 13:58 to play in the second quarter in their game against Northwestern on Friday night, USC trotted its punt team on the field. However, dressed in the same No. 80 as punter Sam Johnson, backup quarterback Sam Huard caught the snap and fired a 10-yard completion to wide receiver Tanook Hines. USC scored on the extended drive and went on to win the game, 38-17.
According to the Big Ten's memo, USC violated Playing Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2, the rule against "unfair tactics," which prohibits two players who play the same position for wearing the same number. Technically, USC should have been penalized the first time Johnson lined up at punter, which occurred on the following drive. Had the rule been enforced, USC would have been assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Here is the Big Ten's memo:
After the game, USC head coach Lincoln Riley defended the action, saying that USC listed Huard as 80 on the roster -- and has done so for a while now.
USC head coach Lincoln Riley jokes about Sam Huard’s number change: “It’s been on [the roster] for three weeks!”
— Keely Eure (@keelyismyname) November 8, 2025
The question we asked on the FootballScoop podcast was why don't more teams do this? Now, in light of the publicity that play and applicable rule have gotten, a new question arises. If you think you can pull this trick off on your first punt of the game, is a near-certain conversion worth a 15-yard penalty later in the game?