Lincoln Riley isn’t backing down from his perception that the pretend punt ploy USC pulled final Friday in its win over Northwestern was completely inside NCAA guidelines.
“The fake punt was entirely legal,” Riley stated on Tuesday. “Our guys did a fantastic job of executing it. And there’s not really a whole lot else to say.”
The play in query from Friday’s sport gave the impression to be a traditional pretend punt, with USC and Northwestern locked at 7 apiece, early within the second quarter. However unbeknownst to Northwestern, USC third-string quarterback Sam Huard lined up because the punter, carrying the identical uniform quantity as Sam Johnson, the Trojans’ traditional beginning punter. Huard, who quietly modified to No. 80 weeks earlier, hit freshman receiver Tanook Hines for a primary down, and USC went on to attain.
“It was just a well thought out thing by several of our staff members who were involved in it,” Riley stated after the sport.
The following morning, the Large Ten Convention made it clear that it didn’t see it that means.
In a press release, the convention pointed to NCAA Soccer Enjoying Rule 9, Part 2, Article 2, labeled “Unfair Tactics,” which states that “two players playing the same position may not wear the same number during the game.”
However it additionally notes that any unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would have utilized when Johnson, the precise punter, got here out to punt on the following drive.
Northwestern coach David Braun took the blame afterward for lacking Huard’s quantity change. Although, USC hadn’t modified the quantity on its on-line roster or in its weekly sport notes.
Most former officers and soccer guidelines analysts have agreed with the Large Ten’s interpretation. Terry McAuley, an NBC analyst and former official, posted on social media that USC “obviously violated the rules,” earlier than venting his frustration about USC “fans twisting themselves in knots defending their team.”
“Those trying to explain that USC #80 was not a play in the position of a punter has been something to behold,” McAuley wrote. “At best they are being incredibly pedantic. At worst, intentionally daft.”
Riley clearly feels in another way.
“We’re very aware of the rules,” he stated.
