We’re here to talk about Thursday night football. And no, we don’t mean the NFL. The Marshall Thundering Herd are currently taking on the Appalachian State Mountaineers. The game is still at halftime, and a first-half kick return has already given us an all-time special teams moment.
When it comes to kick returns in college football, creativity is encouraged. Fans undoubtedly remember the famous 2016 “camouflage” play that Kansas pulled off when a receiver used his blue uniform to blend in perfectly with the turf. Well, Marshall’s kick return tonight wasn’t quite that inventive. But the fake had everyone on the field and watching at home looking the wrong way.
The return went for 98 yards and a touchdown. The points were well earned. If you can manage to find your way to the endzone without the camera crews noticing you still have the ball, you did something right. We can’t even see what happened to the ball because the fake was so convincing.
To hear the announcers tell it, Marshall return man Rasheen Ali made it the entire way without so much as an App State finger touching him. An impressive feat considering he was the one to make the initial catch and kept the ball for the entire play.
“I knew it was a fake and I still got faked lol,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“This would never fly in the big ten, teams and coaches are much more disciplined. Be better,” a considerably less impressed, and possibly sarcastic, college football fan wrote.
“The guy without the ball being chased was pointing and laughing at the defensive players chasing him! Haha. That’s gotta be the best feeling in the world,” another observed.
Arby’s Is Way Ahead of the College Football Sponsorship Curve
Now that NCAA athletes can profit off of their image and likeness, the floodgates of corporate sponsorship have opened. Of course, only a handful of D1 college football players can leverage their popularity into professional-level money. But iconic fast-food beef business Arby’s is already making waves.
It’s not life-changing money, by any means. But hey, $500 is a serious chunk of change, especially for a college student. That’s what the fast-food chain is offering each running back for participating. If you haven’t noticed already, the chain is the perfect fit for any self-respecting collegiate RB out there.
“Are you a D1 college running back looking to beef up your bank account? Arby’s RB’s pays you to say, ‘Tonight, I’m getting Arby’s!’ Time to get that Arby’s cash, y’all.”
Calling all RBs!! Join #ArbysRBshttps://t.co/z8Ur0fDr6E pic.twitter.com/weEjVRTH4j
— Arby’s (@Arbys) September 22, 2021
The Arby’s campaign marks one of the first significant sponsorship deals from a big company. The sky is the limit for NCAA football players in the future.
