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Auburn Fails On The Most Obvious Fake Punt Of All-Time
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- Auburn Fails On The Most Obvious Fake Punt Of All-Time
Auburn head coach Alex Golesh got a challenging matchup for his debut game with the team as they hosted the Big 12's Baylor Bears . But whether the team wins or loses, the game might be forever remembered for one of the most bizarre fake punts in college football history.
Late in the third quarter, with Auburn leading 10-7, the Tigers had the ball at Baylor's 36 yard line on 4th-and-5. Rather than send out the field goal unit or just try to convert the down in a no-danger zone, Golesh sent out the punt unit.
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To the surprise of pretty much no one – including the Baylor defenders – it was a fake. Baylor didn't even bother putting a return man out there and lined up with their normal defense. Omar Mabson II then took the direct snap and tried to run up the gut, only to be stopped for a two-yard gain and a turnover on downs.
"In over his head"
Functionally, Auburn would have been better off just going for it with the regular offense rather than using trickery. Even if they'd gotten stopped, it would have left them at around the same place.
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Instead, the Tigers have now become the laughingstock of the football world:
"Auburn Defense pitching a shutout essentially and you fake a punt at midfield?? Maybe I was wrong about Golesh…" one user wrote on X.
"Dumbest punt fake of all time from Auburn lol. They were pretending to punt from the opponents 30, did they think they were gonna drop back to set up a big return???" wrote another.
"Auburn might win this game but Golesh might be in over his head," a third remarked.
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"Omg Golesh just ran the most obvious fake punt on the Baylor 36 yd line. No one punts on the 36 yd line wtf."
"Why did Auburn run a fake punt from there? If you're going to go for it, just go for it. No need to get cute."
"Auburn with an extremely obvious fake punt. Baylor didn't even have a return man out there. Tigers fail to convert."
Sep 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh on the sideline against the Baylor Bears in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesCredit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Golesh was hired by Auburn following a pretty successful three-year run at South Florida . He had gone 23-15 with two bowl wins and has another 20 years of coaching offenses in colleges across the country.
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Maybe this fake punt will be looked back on as one silly moment in an otherwise stellar career. But more often than not, plays like this wind up being more of a sign of things to come.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Sep 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
