The Big Ten stated USC should have been penalized for its fake punt against Northwestern Friday night. The reason? Two players played the same position with the same jersey number.
“During Friday’s Northwestern at Southern California football game, with 13:58 remaining in the second quarter (4th at 6), USC #80 (Huard) lined up 13 yards in the backfield within a punt formation and completed a 10-yard pass,” the statement read. “A second $80 (Johnson) is listed on the Trojans roster and punted twice in the contest. NCAA Football Playing Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2 is labeled ‘Unfair Tactics,’ with paragraph ‘d’ stating: ‘Two players playing the same position may not wear the same number during the game.’