Spotlight reel performs are nice. However the “SportsCenter” High 10 nominations aren’t the one moments that make school soccer wonderful. A number of the sport’s biggest charms come off the overwhelmed path.
Week 13, like most weeks earlier than it, proved that axiom to be appropriate as soon as once more. From a weird punter fumble restoration in Raleigh to a hero’s welcome for an orthopedic surgeon in Norman, the wacky and wild sides of faculty soccer have been as prevalent as ever.
Like each week, we’re handing out quite a few nontraditional superlatives to honor a number of the sport’s much less probably protagonists. Listed below are one of the best, the strangest and the funniest from Week 13 in school soccer.
Most type factors in a single play: USC
We established that spotlight reel performs aren’t all the things within the introduction, however it’s troublesome to not highlight the extent of spectacular issues that occurred in No. 15 USC’s game-tying landing on the primary play of the second quarter in its showdown with No. 7 Oregon.
First, there was the playcall: a double-pass trick play that put the ball within the palms of extensive receiver Makai Lemon for a throw. Then there was the ambition: Regardless of not being a quarterback by commerce, Lemon had no points winging the ball practically 30 yards down the sector into the top zone. After which there was the finale: Lemon’s fellow extensive receiver Tanook Hines had no issues climbing the ladder for a powerful high-point seize. Should you have been in search of swagger on Saturday, USC’s rating delivered it in concept and execution.
Makai THROWS a TD to @tanxxk16 😱@CBSSportsCFB | #GoodFor6 pic.twitter.com/smpzIX15TD
— USC Soccer ✌️ (@uscfb) November 22, 2025
Friday night time video games usually result in some odd occurrences, with NC State–Florida State offering a moderately excessive instance.
With 4 minutes remaining within the fourth quarter, holding onto a three-point lead, the Wolfpack have been compelled to punt the ball away to the Seminoles and play protection. Or so it appeared. North Carolina State punter Caden Noonkester booted the ball down the sector, however the kick did not discover the arms of a Florida State returner. As an alternative, it ricocheted off the helmet of a would-be Seminole blocker … and bounced all the best way again into the diving arms of Noonkester to present the Wolfpack a contemporary set of downs.
Remarkably, Florida State’s protection would maintain agency to power one other punt, which the Seminoles would muff once more. The third time proved to be the appeal for the North Carolina State offense, which discovered the top zone because the Wolfpack received 21-11.
Caden Noonkester punt. Caden Noonkester fumble restoration!#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/HYrTLyb7MT
— NC State Soccer (@PackFootball) November 22, 2025
Final week, a weird incident occurred in South Carolina’s sport in opposition to Texas A&M, wherein Gamecocks receiver Nyck Harbor and a Kyle Discipline state trooper brushed collectively as Harbor was returning to the sector after a landing catch.
All however actually conscious of its viral nature, Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield put his personal spin on the interplay throughout a Thursday night time sport in opposition to Arkansas State. After discovering the top zone on a landing run, Winfield headed proper to a field-side state trooper … and a agency handshake between the 2 events ensued.
The place else however school soccer would it not make sense to listen to college students roaring in delight on the look of an orthopedic surgeon?
Such was the scene Saturday afternoon in Oklahoma, the place Sooners followers have been overjoyed to welcome Dr. Steven Shin to Gaylord Household-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. In September, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer suffered a hand injury in opposition to Auburn. It was revealed that Shin can be performing the surgical procedure, resulting in a torrent of web posts lionizing the physician.
Mateer has since returned and has helped the Sooners transfer into pole place for a playoff berth, and Shin obtained loads of cheers — even seemingly throwing up a “horns down” movement — in his look in Norman.
Within the first break up choice within the admittedly restricted historical past of the ESPN weekly nontraditional school soccer superlatives, Buffalo and Rice share this week’s honor.
The route Rice took was so simple as you may get: free stuff for students. Free shirts? Regular sufficient. Free meals? Now we’re speaking, however that is not completely unusual. Free beer although? That is what makes a winner.
Buffalo went slightly extra unconventional. Ever heard of a meat raffle? Should you attended Buffalo’s midweek sport in opposition to Miami (OH), you virtually actually have. Followers who purchased raffle tickets have been entered right into a 12-round giveaway of quite a lot of meats occurring all through the sport, together with New York strip steaks throughout the second TV timeout of the second quarter and entire boneless pork loins on the finish of the third quarter.
Profitable MACtion Meat Raffle! 🤘🥩🍗
Solely in Buffalo, simply the best way we like It. #UBHornsUP @SickosCommittee @MACSports pic.twitter.com/jJC6utrzAh
— UB Athletics (@UBAthletics) November 20, 2025
Trailing by 5 factors with three seconds remaining and staring down 86 yards of open subject, the Benedict School Tigers wanted one thing of a miracle to safe a primary spherical street win within the Division II playoffs. They obtained one.
The Tigers dialed up the ol’ lateral technique — usually tried, however very not often profitable. Undaunted, Benedict wanted just one cross and one cross-field lateral to place the Bulldogs protection on their heels. The velocity of senior extensive receiver Malik Mullins did the remaining, outracing the Wingate secondary to search out the endzone for an unbelievable walk-off landing.
It is unlikely that Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr will ever have a neater day on the workplace than he did on Saturday within the Preventing Irish’s sport in opposition to Syracuse. Thanks to 2 pick-sixes and a blocked punt return, Notre Dame was up 21-0 earlier than Carr and the offense even stepped on the sector. The Preventing Irish led 35-0 by the top of the primary quarter, with Carr having thrown simply three passes. And his day was carried out early within the third quarter, with Notre Dame’s lead having stretched previous 50.
Settled in on the bench, Carr turned his consideration to different abilities — resembling catching marshmallows thrown his manner by the coed part (Preventing Irish college students throw marshmallows in the direction of the sector all sport throughout Senior Day, a tradition dating back decades). Craning his head again, Carr was capable of efficiently snag a snack late within the sport, prompting cheers from the coed part and an appreciative thumbs up from the signal-caller.
