Trick Play That Did NOT Count of the Day

The Johnny Knox TD that would have made the game only a one-score deficit was not to be; there was a holding penalty that brought the whole play back and cost the Bears a chance of a comeback. But, WHAT A FAKE by punt returner Devin Hester!

Crazy Cleveland Play

The Cleveland Browns, trying to surprise the Ravens today, pulled off this gadget play during their game early in the first quarter:






So, this is what happened:

• The Browns changed their offensive formation
• Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace took the snap
• Wallace pitched the ball to stud running back Peyton Hillis
• Hillis, on a double-reverse, flipped the ball to Mohamed Massaquoi
• Massaquoi then threw a 30-yard pass to seldom-used wide receiver Terry Robeskie for a TD

Les Miles... The Mad Hatter

The turning point of the #6 Alabama - #10 LSU game occurred when there was ten minutes left in the fourth quarter, with the Crimson Tide leading 14-13. The Tigers had just come up short on a third-down run - resulting in a fourth-and-one around the Tide 20-yard-line. That's when the 'Mad Hatter' once again pulled a rabbit out of his hat. The common play would be to tack on the field goal and lead by two.

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Punter Runs Wild!

In the biggest upset of Week 7 in the NFL, the punter ran for 68 yards on a fake punt. Yes, that is not a typo.



A friend of mine, who also saw the highlight, said that this might be the most the Browns' punter will have ever run in his lifetime.

WVU Pulling a Rabbit out of a Hat

I briefly watched yesterday's West Virginia Mountaineers - Southern Florida Bulls Big East football game yesterday, and saw one play that mystified me. The head coach for the Mountaineers, Bill Stewart, is more of a conservative play-caller. Yesterday, he pulled a Boise State and called for a trick play deep in Bulls' territory - the Hook-and-Ladder. I have seen many H-&-L plays before, but none when only 8 yards near the end zone - too little space; yet, Stewart called the play, and it worked to perfection! That play was the turning point of the game, and the Bulls never came back, losing 20-6.

Look 1:44 into the video:

The NFL Play of the Year!

I am already calling the play during the Kansas City Chiefs - San Francisco 49ers game as the NFL play of the year. It's a trick play in which the wide receiver (rookie wide receiver/running back Dexter McCluster) runs in motion towards the quarterback (in this case, the QB is Thomas Jones, who is technically a running back) and receives a hand-off from Jones. McCluster continues running parallel to the line of scrimmage and then laterals the ball to the stand-still quarterback Matt Cassel. The other wide receiver - Dwayne Bowe - is running a 'fly pattern' and catches the ball for a touchdown. The play is basically a complicated 'flea flicker.'

Too confusing? See it in action here:



Amazing, right?

The "Little Giant" Spartans

If you were watching the end of the Michigan State Spartans - Notre Dame Fighting Irish game today, then you saw the GUTSIEST call of the year - in ANY sport.

The Spartans and the Irish were tied at 28-all heading into overtime. Overtime in college football is different from regular football, since in the NCAA's, both teams get one possession each during each OT, starting at the opponent's 30-yard line. If one team scores more points than the other team after both possessions, the team that scores the most points wins. If the game is still tied, there are then more OT's.

Back to the game. Notre Dame lost the coin toss, so they had to receive the ball (Michigan State wanted to play defense first, an advantage in college football). They could not make a first down, so they settled for a field goal. 31-28 Fighting Irish.

Michigan State had similar results. Unfortunately for them, the Spartans went backwards, setting up a fourth-and-long from the 31-yard line. Since they had a young, unreliable kicker, Spartans' head coach Mark Dantonio pulled a rabbit out of his hat - he called for a FAKE field goal, in which the holder - typically the quarterback - would pass the ball to the receiver. The play is easier said than done.





The play worked to perfection, and Michigan State won in dramatic fashion, 34-31. Immediately after the game, when being interviewed by ESPN, Dantonio said the play was called:

Unfortunately, there might be some controversy brewing regarding the outcome. The play clock reached double-zeroes right before the snap of the ball, so there should have been a delay-of-game penalty called on Michigan State - making it that much more difficult of pulling off this trick play. See for yourself:

What's your opinion of the final play of the game?