Trick plays are fun. Every weekend something deserves the breakdown treatment. Welcome to the first ITP Fake of the Week. And who better to appear in the debut piece than the masters of trick plays: Boise State and Brett Rypien’s ruse.
Early in the second quarter, Brett Rypien and the Boise State Broncos face 4th and 1 on the Hawaii 25-yard line. The true freshman lined up under center with 13 offensive personnel, in a short-yardage alignment using an offset i-formation with tight end Alec Dhaenens (#87) lined up as a fullback. The Warriors stack overload their defensive front, putting ten defenders into the tackle box in anticipation of a short-yardage run:
But Rypien does not hand off:
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The quarterback takes the snap, turns to fake the run, and simulates a fumble, crouching over and putting the ball nearly on the turf. As the defense loses sight of the QB, tight end Holden Huff (#85) releases vertically. Rypien pulls out of his exaggerated fake, finds his TE streaking wide open, and drops the football into his waiting arms.
Here is a good look at the fake:
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The freshman signal-caller opens to his left at the snap, then immediately bends over and sells the fake fumble. When he peels out of his play acting, Huff is wide open. Rypien actually double-clutches the throw, because some interior pressure forces him off the spot. But the defender gets a last second shove from Dhaenens, freeing up the QB to throw.
The Broncos went on to blow out Hawaii, 55-0. For Rypien, he turned in very impressive numbers in only his second collegiate start, completing 19 of 25 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns. But Boise State fans might remember most his bit of deception, even on a night when he did nearly everything right.
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Mark Schofield has always loved football. He breaks down film, scouts prospects, and explains the passing game for Inside the Pylon.
All video and images courtesy ESPN.