Bowling Green came seven points short of a college football bowl win over Arkansas State on Thursday night but it was not for lack of trying. The Falcons ran an incredible fake punt that resulted in the easiest and most creative touchdown of the season.
To do so, head coach Scott Loeffler disguised his third-string quarterback as the punter and hoped that the Red Wolves wouldn’t notice. Sure enough, they didn’t!
Bowling Green punter John Henderson wears No. 19. He is 6-foot-1, 180 pounds. Quarterback Baron May had not attempted a pass all season prior to the 68 Ventures Bowl. He is 6-foot-0, 195 pounds and typically wears No. 8. However, he swapped No. 8 for No. 18 on Thursday. The goal was to make May look like Henderson for the fake punt.
It would’ve been illegal for May to wear No. 19 like Henderson because that number is already assigned to wide receiver Shawn Thigpen as well as the punter. Thus, No. 18 would have to do.
The Falcons spared no detail with their intentional college football cosplay. Henderson normally wears white leg sleeves and tucks a white towel into his pants.
Loeffler had May wear the same leg sleeves and tuck his towel in the same position as his punter.
Bowling Green ran the fake punt on 4th-and-20. Nobody suspects a fake on 4th-and-20.
May lined up as the punter and Arkansas State did not notice that it wasn’t Henderson. He looked just like him. The Falcons were surely going to punt. Except they didn’t!
May took the snap and threw an absolute rope to wide receiver Malcom Johnson Jr. for a wide-open touchdown. The Red Wolves only realized what was happening after it was already too late.
🚨 FAKE PUNT TD ALERT! 🚨@BG_Football | @68VenturesBowl | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/cz6cNyWGIV
— MACtion (@MACSports) December 27, 2024
Loeffler and special teams coordinator Alex Bayer executed the sneakiest fake punt of the entire college football season to perfection. Not only did they pick up the first down, they scored!