“Basically, I'm going to act like I don't comprehend it,” Utah's sophomore receiver joked. That way, Covey could catch the ball and run, just like always.
That's not necessarily the best approach anymore, as Utah's coaches quickly would remind him. The NCAA rule change allows a returner to signal for a fair catch (preventing the defenders from tackling him), field the kickoff anywhere short of his 25-yard line and have his team's offense start at the 25.
The rule is simple; deciding how it applies to both the returners and coverage teams is complex. “It’s big, game-changing,” said Sharrieff Shah, Utah’s co-special teams coordinator.