BYU Cougars execute the worst fake punt ever (Video)
By John Buhler
The BYU Cougars’ heads must still be swimming after getting stiffed by the Big 12, because Johnny Linehan just executed the worst fake punt of all time.
Weird things are going on down on the Smurf Turf of Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho on Thursday night. It was supposed to be an intriguing non-conference game between the Boise State Broncos and the BYU Cougars. Now we had to see the worst fake punt of all-time.
BYU decided to have punter Jonny Linehan scramble on a fake punt on a 4th and 19 from his own endzone. He was tackled just outside of the goal line for a turnover on downs. BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has lost his coaching privileges for the rest of the game, or at least he should have.
What did Sitake think was going to happen by going for it on fourth and 19 near the BYU goal line? It wasn’t like Linehan was magically going to emerge as this generation’s Bill Marinangel.
Marinangel had wheels on that September afternoon in Tuscaloosa back in 1996 for Vanderbilt. All Linehan did was meet the Smurf Turf almost immediately after avoiding being tackled for a safety.
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So Boise State scored with that great field position coming off the BYU turnover on downs, right? No, the Broncos did not. They would get a 10-yard penalty and would miss the chip shot field goal on fourth down.
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Was that fake punt by design to Jedi mind trick the Broncos into thinking that it was going to be easy getting points on the Cougars? Boise State is one of 11 teams that are still undefeated in Division I football. BYU didn’t get into the Big 12, and the Cougars can’t run a fake punt, but they still might upset the Broncos in Boise.