ESPN and ABC’s first big college football game of the Saturday slate in Week 1 featured Tennessee and Syracuse going head-to-head in Atlanta.
Late in the second quarter, the Volunteers began to run away with the game. After multiple big first downs in a row, the Orange seemingly responded by sending players to the ground with suspicious ailments, stopping the clock and, they likely hoped, their opponent’s momentum.
The Syracuse secondary appeared to execute the tactic all too well, as two players on the same side of the field went down. As the training staff tended to defensive back Demetres Samuels Jr., ESPN announcers Louis Riddick and Bob Wischusen were quick to point out the team’s purported trickery.
“This isn’t a good look, this one looked blatant,” Riddick said. “They’re trying to crack down on this kind of thing, faking injuries, and I don’t want to assume anything about any player, but this one looked suspicious.”
ESPN’s Bob Wischusen and Louis Riddick call out Syracuse (and Tennessee) for “faking injuries”
Riddick: “They’re trying to crack down on this kind of thing … this one to me looked suspicious.”
“If you’re serious about getting this out of the game, you have to call that.” pic.twitter.com/xB9JwDPWRw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 30, 2025
Over the summer, the NCAA Football Rules Committee announced it would be an “offseason priority” to crack down on the practice of players faking injuries to stop the game clock, according to ESPN. When presented with a clear example in Week 1 of the new season, Wischusen and Riddick were all over it.
“That’s just not what college football wants,” Riddick said. “They’re trying to get this out of the game. We understand strategically why defenses try to do this when they’re on their heels … but this is something you’re going to wind up getting penalized for if referees catch it. ”
The referees did not catch it as Samuels exited the field, and the Syracuse defense got a break.
However, Wischusen also noted that Tennessee had tried a similar tactic when the Orange were on a run earlier in the game (as well as last season in a primetime clash with Georgia, also on ESPN).
“It’s all across college football,” Wischusen said.
Riddick turned attention toward the officials, who must enforce the “offseason focus” for teams to change.
“If you’re serious about getting this out of the game, then you have to call that,” Riddick said.
A few plays later, as the Volunteers neared the goal line, Wischusen noted that Samuels was back on the field.
A moment later, at the goal line.
Wischusen: “Demetres Samuel has made a miraculous recovery, he is back on the field.”
Riddick: “Yeah, well.” pic.twitter.com/Ma5iWiQ4fz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 30, 2025
Case in point.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.