Trick Plays - How Many Do We Have?

Against Colorado yesterday, Nebraska ran:

- a fake field goal for a touchdown, passing to a defensive end who played tight end in high school

- a fake field goal punt to the one yard line which resulted in a safety one play later

Zac Taylor celebrates as Joe Ganz comes off the field after throwing a touchdown pass to defensive end Barry Turner. Source: Husker Extra)

- a halfback pass early in the game which Marlon Lucky didn't throw and ended up running for a two yard gain

- a throwback to the quarterback, resulting in a pass interference penalty and first down

- a direct snap to a back after the quarterback walked away from center and appeared ready to call a timeout

Any I left out?

So much for the idea that you're supposed to `hide' something from an opponent, especially a bad opponent. The fact that Nebraska ran this many trick plays against Colorado should tell you that we have a huge number of them available.

No doubt there are purists who believe if you're running trick plays your offense must be incapable of moving the ball with your real playbook. Running the number of trick plays that Nebraska executed against Colorado? We must have the weakest offense in the nation.

I liked the trick plays - they were fun to watch and if college football isn't supposed to entertaining, then what? My favorite - the fourth and one play when Taylor began walking away from center, acting as if he were going to call timeout. Nebraska shifted from punt formation to a single back set loaded on the right side. As Taylor began walking away from center, it looked like Nebraska's sole intention was to draw Colorado off-sides when the ball was direct-snapped to Tierre Green who took it up field for a seven yard gain and first down. The play left our household howling with laughter.

The fake field goal "pooch" punt to the one yard line was the play of the game. One play later, the Blackshirts stuff Colorado in the end zone for a safety. It broke the Buffs' backs - their swagger was gone, their body language said that the game was over.

With the exception of Marlon Lucky's run/pass option in which he chose to run, each one of these plays had a huge impact on the game. Nebraska has obviously practiced them, as they were executed to perfection. I don't have a problem with that.

Yesterday's trick plays and the knowledge that Bill Callahan has a 975-page playbook should leave you with the question - what are we going to see in the Big 12 Championship game?