North Texas State Fake Fair Catch Fools Arkansas For A Touchdown

GatorInGeorgia

Senior Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 25, 2014
6,340
7,068
I think the officials should have blown that play dead when the runner did not attempt to advance the ball. Further I think North Texas should have been penalized for unsportsman like conduct.

This is a blatant taking advantage of the defense being hamstrung by all the safety rules. It was poor sportsmanship on their part in my view.

How so? As he didn’t signal for a fair catch it was fair game for the defense to level him. They chose not to. Instead, the defenders actually pulled up while the play was still live. Nobody to blame for this other than Arkansas.
 

MJMGator

Founding Member
Slightly amused
Lifetime Member
Jun 10, 2014
20,038
41,115
Founding Member
I believe in college football they already penalize a player offense or defense who continues to play after their helmet is knocked off.

I really view this as similar to the offensive player often a QB who runs hard towards the sideline like he is going out of bound but then at the last second turns up field while the defender trying to avoid an out of bounds hit is left to be yelled at by his coach. That too should be an unsportsman like foul.
Damn near every play called on both sides of the ball involves deception. Be aware of the rules, be alert and do your job. Otherwise, get left looking like a dumbass.
 

itsgr82bag8r

Founding Member
Tell your mom I said hi
Lifetime Member
Jun 11, 2014
22,328
28,415
Founding Member
I'm not "worried" about him getting hurt - that's part of the game. I think it was incredibly reckless, both personally for him and for the team. The potential for serious injury is obvious. On top of that, does anyone think he would have held on to the ball if he'd been cut in half by a ST gunner? That would have been a TD for Arky. It was dumb. Good for him that he got away with it.

Him not giving a fair catch signal is no different than the hundreds of other games where a punt is returned by someone who also doesn’t give the signal. What is it that you who aren’t cool with this want, no more live catches & everyone MUST signal on every kick? I fail to see the logic in the comments against what he did. IMO, it was ballsy, good for them.
 

InstiGATOR1

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Mar 27, 2016
4,890
3,201
Damn near every play called on both sides of the ball involves deception. Be aware of the rules, be alert and do your job. Otherwise, get left looking like a dumbass.

I agree with you in principle. The problem is these officials are ordered to penalize and often throw defensive players out of the game a the drop of a hat. Then offensive players start taking advantage of that by being too cute on the sideline and now this bs punt return. I say if defensive players have to modify their behaviors or get thrown out of the game, then offensive players should have to not do deceptive things that might lead to a defensive player getting thrown out of a game or be subject to penalty or disqualification themselves.
 

MJMGator

Founding Member
Slightly amused
Lifetime Member
Jun 10, 2014
20,038
41,115
Founding Member
Him not giving a fair catch signal is no different than the hundreds of other games where a punt is returned by someone who also doesn’t give the signal. What is it that you who aren’t cool with this want, no more live catches & everyone MUST signal on every kick? I fail to see the logic in the comments against what he did. IMO, it was ballsy, good for them.
Pump fakes, counter plays, draw plays, play action passes, fake punts, fake field goals, disguised coverages, corner blitzes and fake pitches should also be met with a penalty, ejection and public execution. Sh*t just ain’t fair and it must be stopped NOW!
 

InstiGATOR1

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Mar 27, 2016
4,890
3,201
Pump fakes, counter plays, draw plays, play action passes, fake punts, fake field goals, disguised coverages, corner blitzes and fake pitches should also be met with a penalty, ejection and public execution. Sh*t just ain’t fair and it must be stopped NOW!

Let's see:

1. Pump fakes: I think you have a point, the QB is way over protected. So in today's game I would be happy if pump fakes were flagged.

2. Counter plays: I do not see any way that deception leads to defensive personal fouls.

3. Draw plays: Again I see nothing there that puts the defense at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the offense in terms of personal fouls.

4. Draw plays: Nope nothing that leads to personal fouls and ejections.

5. Play action passes: It does lead to hits on the QB that if official are not up to their job, it can be a problem. So far it has not been too much of a problem.

6. Fake punts: Fake punt passes are clearly no problem. Fake put runs depends a bit on if officials act like their job is to protect the little punter. So far I have not seen too much of that.

7. Fake field goals: See fake punts.

8. Disguised coverages: I don't see any well this leads to more personal fouls or ejections on the offense.

9. Corner blitzes: I do not see how this leads to more personal fouls or ejections on the offense.

10. Fake Pitches: Again I see no advantage to the offense in terms of getting personal fouls or ejections on defenders. Of course when the defense blasts the guy you are faking to, it is up to the officials not to call a foul because you might well have been fooled by the fake.

So for all your hyperbole perhaps you can learn from this what the discussion is about.
 

MJMGator

Founding Member
Slightly amused
Lifetime Member
Jun 10, 2014
20,038
41,115
Founding Member
Let's see:

1. Pump fakes: I think you have a point, the QB is way over protected. So in today's game I would be happy if pump fakes were flagged.

2. Counter plays: I do not see any way that deception leads to defensive personal fouls.

3. Draw plays: Again I see nothing there that puts the defense at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the offense in terms of personal fouls.

4. Draw plays: Nope nothing that leads to personal fouls and ejections.

5. Play action passes: It does lead to hits on the QB that if official are not up to their job, it can be a problem. So far it has not been too much of a problem.

6. Fake punts: Fake punt passes are clearly no problem. Fake put runs depends a bit on if officials act like their job is to protect the little punter. So far I have not seen too much of that.

7. Fake field goals: See fake punts.

8. Disguised coverages: I don't see any well this leads to more personal fouls or ejections on the offense.

9. Corner blitzes: I do not see how this leads to more personal fouls or ejections on the offense.

10. Fake Pitches: Again I see no advantage to the offense in terms of getting personal fouls or ejections on defenders. Of course when the defense blasts the guy you are faking to, it is up to the officials not to call a foul because you might well have been fooled by the fake.

So for all your hyperbole perhaps you can learn from this what the discussion is about.
It’s about your feelings.
 

InstiGATOR1

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Mar 27, 2016
4,890
3,201
It’s about your feelings.

It has nothing to do with my feelings. It has everything to do with a fair game. That is what the rules of any game a to do, create a level playing field. A game where only players on one side of the ball risk ejection leads to plays like the North Texas punt return against Arkansas. The playing field needs to be made level again.
 

MJMGator

Founding Member
Slightly amused
Lifetime Member
Jun 10, 2014
20,038
41,115
Founding Member
It has nothing to do with my feelings. It has everything to do with a fair game. That is what the rules of any game a to do, create a level playing field. A game where only players on one side of the ball risk ejection leads to plays like the North Texas punt return against Arkansas. The playing field needs to be made level again.
:harvey2:
They didn’t tackle him because they weren’t paying attention, not for fear of ejection. They were deceived...not scared. Every team plays by the same rules, so how is it unfair?
 

InstiGATOR1

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Mar 27, 2016
4,890
3,201
They didn’t tackle him because they weren’t paying attention, not for fear of ejection. They were deceived...not scared. Every team plays by the same rules, so how is it unfair?

I disagree. Scared is too tough a word for me, but they were being careful not to run up and hit a guy standing with the ball. Should they have come up grabbed hold of him, sure. What do you think would have happened if a defensive player had come in full speed and knocked him to the turf? I bet a flag would have come out for unnecessary roughness.

You may not have notice this, but in football most players specialize in playing on either offense or defense. In basketball and baseball and many other sports players play both offense and defense so I can understand your confusion. So the unfairness is that defensive players are subject to ejection more than offensive players by the way the game is being officiated today.
 

Jack o' Diamonds

My mind is made up, don't confuse me with facts...
Lifetime Member
Aug 29, 2015
1,805
3,236
:harvey2:
They didn’t tackle him because they weren’t paying attention, not for fear of ejection. They were deceived...not scared. Every team plays by the same rules, so how is it unfair?
I don't believe this discussion will go anywhere.....
 

Slevin

Law’s Alter-Ego
BANNED
Aug 12, 2014
5,846
15,818
I think the officials should have blown that play dead when the runner did not attempt to advance the ball. Further I think North Texas should have been penalized for unsportsman like conduct.

This is a blatant taking advantage of the defense being hamstrung by all the safety rules. It was poor sportsmanship on their part in my view.

3UIzrub.gif
 

T REX

Founding Member
Well-Known Member
Jun 24, 2014
10,107
7,389
Founding Member
Question, where is the deception? He seems to be actually fielding the punt for a return. If players on N Texas, were calling out fair catch...yeah, that would be some type of delay of game or procedure penalty or maybe even a PF. But he just catches and pauses before running off. Was it planned?
 

GR8 2B

A Florida Gator
Lifetime Member
Jun 12, 2016
4,055
5,356
And, here we go:

North Texas explains the (amazingly elaborate) FAKE FAIR CATCH touchdown trick

North Texas explains (amazingly elaborate) FAKE FAIR CATCH trick

SB Nation talked Saturday night with the two people most involved in the play’s existence: UNT special teams coordinator Marty Biagi and punt returner Keegan Brewer.

This is the story of how the play went from idea to epic success story, explained by both.


The play required weeks of practice. And just to get that far, it needed buy-in from the return man. That’s not a given on a play that requires the returner to stand like a statue while oncoming coverage men charge toward him.

“You can’t just put that in on a Wednesday and then go, ‘Hey! Trust me!’” Biagi says.

So the coordinator told the returner in August, “Hey, we’re gonna start practicing this during fall camp, and I need you to trust me.”

“And Keegan looked me square in the eyes and said, ‘Coach, let’s practice it until you know it’ll work.’ So instead of just practicing that once, my big thing is: don’t practice it till you get it right,” Biagi says. “Practice it till you can’t get it wrong.”

Let’s start with Brewer, whose job was the simplest of all: catch the punt, play dead like he’d just made a successful fair catch, and then run like hell when the coast was clear. “When you know, go,” Biagi had told him.

Brewer’s blockers had a much more complicated set of tasks. First, Biagi’s staff instructed them to jam and block Arkansas’ coverage guys immediately at the line. That’s not an uncommon task, though some return units let gunners run free and funnel them in particular directions. On this play, the sustained blocking accomplishes two things:

  1. Distraction. The longer Arkansas’ players were engaged with blockers, the less likely they’d be to get eyes on Brewer and figure out the ruse. “They kept the blocks on enough for [Arkansas] to not see that I didn’t fair-catch it,” Brewer says.
  2. Speed control. Denying the coverage a chance to gain a full head of steam made the play safer for Brewer, who was basically a sitting duck after catching the punt.
The goal isn’t to hold them up forever, though. Eventually, would-be tacklers have to get close enough to make it believable that a fair catch would’ve been called, and the farther upfield they get, the easier it is to slip behind them. UNT’s blockers had to do it just right as keys to both the lie and their teammate’s safety.

Brewer clutched the ball tightly so he wouldn’t fumble in case someone hit him. And he assumed a slightly defensive posture, where he’d protect himself if he were hit.

That’s all the answer to the question: Wasn’t North Texas putting Brewer in extraordinary danger?

And wasn’t Brewer scared?

“I was, definitely,” he says. “But the punt that they kicked wasn’t a high one, so it wasn’t one where I’d be totally scared, where they’d just be surrounding me. So as soon as I caught it, I had a little bit of time to protect myself, which I was a little scared [about] before the play. But after that, once I had the ball, it was good.”
 
Last edited:

rogdochar

Founding Member
RIP
Lifetime Member
Jun 14, 2014
25,397
29,513
Founding Member
This type of thing used to be how the little guys made a chance against bigger opponents. Glad to see it is alive and well even though Arky isn't proving to necessarily be a bigger opponent.

Not saying this is an equal or vicinity comparison but =
So a vulnerable runner sweeps along the sidelines. Here comes a huge full-speed LB who clobbers him. But he prevents being tackled by putting his hand on the turf and with that tripod-bounce-effect continues on to score. That tackler didn't expect that or maybe he would have included some move to prevent being fooled. That's unfair. Refs should call back that TD. :confused:

The Tex guys practiced that & knew it was happening. That's why there was a wall with zero blocks in the back. With the distance-rule to allow him to catch it even if everybody is expecting him to run it, he believed he could "tuck" a bit to withstand the blow. On-rushers could have "bear-hugged" the guy without risk of penalty. Odd to "waste it" on a team they were easily beating? But Arky may be their biggest opponent of the season?
Any way, it's all in the game. :D
 

Swamp Donkey

Founding Member
7-14 vs P5 Fire Stricklin First
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2014
78,161
109,975
Founding Member
Every three or four posts, Insti reminds us that he is clinically insane.

This thread is full of them.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Help Users

You haven't joined any rooms.