This Purdue fake flea flicker is just as mean in a real game as it was during spring ball

This is just impolite.

Football is a game of adjustments and adjustments to those adjustments. Coaches spend lots of time seeking ways to deceive the opposition, and when the opposition figures it out, coaches need to find new means of deception.

The Purdue Boilermakers have done that. Look at this thing they did against Rutgers on Saturday (in a loss, but still):

They did the same thing in their spring game back in April:

One method of deception is the flea flicker, which teams at all levels have used to occasionally devastating effect. The New England Patriots threw a touchdown on one in the AFC Championship Game this year, and it’s a play that’s simple enough for even Pop Warner kids to run. It’s a popular gadget play, and defenses should be aware of the possibility that a given opponent’s going to run it.

That’s why this Purdue fake flea flicker is so delightfully mean.

When the running back takes a handoff out of the pistol formation and turns back to his quarterback, a pitch is supposed to be coming. The back fakes that pitch, confounding the linebackers on the play. They have no chance, and he runs right through them. It’s deception stacked on top of deception.

Purdue has also worked in a reverse flicker this year:

That’s great innovation. The Boilers are fun.