Big Ten says USC should have been penalized on fake punt play under the NCAA's Unfair Tactics rule

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Southern California should have been assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during its game against Northwestern for having a reserve quarterback who executed a fake punt wear the same number as the Trojans' regular punter, the Big Ten announced Sunday.

Early in the second quarter of Friday's game in Los Angeles, third-string quarterback Sam Huard lined up in the punter's spot wearing jersey No. 80 on a fourth-and-6 play. He took the long snap and completed a pass to Tanook Hines for a 10-yard gain. The Trojans scored a tie-breaking touchdown five plays later and won 38-17.

Sam Johnson, the Trojans' regular punter who wears No. 80, punted for the first time on the next possession. At that point, the Big Ten said in a statement, USC should have been penalized un