ESPNNCAABy Sean Keeley on

Camerapeople are a bit like offensive linemen. When they’re doing their job well you don’t even notice them but when something goes wrong, you’re suddenly very aware of them.

We’ve certainly seen plenty of fake-outs that fool not only the audience at home but also the person behind the camera during the broadcast. Hey, it happens. And it happened again Thursday night when Marshall ran an exquisite fake hand-off during a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Appalachian State kicked off in the middle of the 2nd quarter following a touchdown drive when Marshall’s Rasheen Ali took the ball, made like was handing it off to one of his teammates, and then used the ensuing confusion to scamper to the endzone on a 97-yard-touchdown run. While the ESPN cameraperson initially took the bait like most of us, they eventually caught on and were able to recover in time to see the score as it happened.

Marshall took a 30-21 lead into the fourth quarter and if they hang on to win the game, this kick return might end up making the difference. Of course, there’s always the chance they or App State has another trick play up their sleeve. We’re guessing that if that happens, the ESPN camera crew will be ready this time.

[Jomboy]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

View all posts by Sean Keeley