Football is a game built on tactical innovation, and No. 24 UNLV did its part Wednesday at the LA Bowl.
Facing a 4th-and-7 against Cal in the second quarter, the Rebels completely fooled the Golden Bears with a new form of fake punt. Instead of risking a run or throwing away a quick pass, they had their right shooter Cameron Oliver cut inside while the rest of their punt team ran down the field.
Cal sent eight blockers to punter Marshall Nichols, leaving Oliver wide open with a fleet of blockers in front of him. The result was a gain of 52 meters.
Quarterback Jacob De Jesus made the fake count one play later with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Hajj-Malik Williams to take a 14–10 lead.
Veteran football fans might watch that play and blare the words “ineligible receiver downfield” in their heads, but UNLV avoided a game-killing penalty by having Oliver run behind the line of scrimmage. In college football, there is no downfield penalty for an ineligible player if the pass is caught behind the line of scrimmage.
So the NFL won’t be copying this piece anytime soon. But as for the rest of the college ranks, we’ll see if in a week or two any College Football Playoff teams take notice and feel playful.
