Portal:College football/Selected article/January, 2007

A trick play, also known as a gadget play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team. Trick plays are highly risky, usually with a large potential for a loss of yards or turnover, but the payoff is often high with large gains and even touchdowns.

Trick Plays take advantage of the fact that nearly all American football plays are either a pass from the quarterback or a run by the halfback. As a result, defenses will think pass when the quarterback has the ball and run when the running back has it. Trick plays try to do something different in these situations. Trick plays are unusual plays, and therefore tend only to work if they are unanticipated.

In college football, the Boise State Broncos used several trick plays in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl:
 * Trailing Oklahoma 35-28 with less than 20 seconds left in regulation and the ball at midfield, the Broncos executed a hook-and-ladder play. Quarterback Jared Zabransky connected with wide receiver Drisan James on a 15-yard pass over the middle. James then lateraled to Jerard Rabb, who ran the rest of the way for the touchdown with 7 seconds left. They successfully converted the extra point to force overtime.
 * In overtime, with the Broncos down 42-35, they faced a fourth-and-2 from the Oklahoma 6-yard line. They lined up in the shotgun, but sent Zabransky into motion and snapped to backup wide receiver Vinny Peretta, who was playing as a running back. He then ran an option pass, throwing to tight end Derek Schouman for the touchdown that narrowed the lead to 42-41.
 * Broncos coach Chris Petersen then opted to go for two to win the game rather than kick the extra point to send the game to a second overtime. Zabransky faked a pass to a wide receiver on the far right side with his bare right hand; all the while holding the football behind his back with his left hand. He handed the ball off behind his back to star running back Ian Johnson, who ran into the end zone untouched to complete the two-point conversion and win the game.

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