[2] The fumblerooski typically begins with the quarterback deliberately placing (or in some cases bouncing) the ball on the turf immediately upon receiving the snap from the center, technically fumbling it.
The origin of the fumblerooski goes back to the early days of football, when similar trick plays were relatively common, and has been attributed to pioneering coach John Heisman.
The play, which Dodd later said he had also run with his high school team, went for a long gain on the Volunteers' only offensive scoring drive during their win.
Sooner quarterback Charles Thompson left the ball for offensive guard Mark Hutson, who proceeded to run for a touchdown.
Oklahoma, like Nebraska four years earlier, would suffer the same fate in that they would eventually lose to Miami 20–14, costing them their undefeated season and their national championship.
Auburn would score the tying touchdown on the ensuing drive and eventually win on a last-second field goal by Jim Von Wyl, marking one of the very rare occasions that the play failed.
Tulane appeared to execute the play for a 21-yard touchdown run against Alabama in a game on October 10, 1992; however, guard Andy Abramowicz's knee was on the ground as he picked up the ball, resulting in him being down at the spot.
[13] Direct handoffs to offensive linemen are still thoroughly legal, meaning that the play can still be executed as originally devised, except the ball must be handed off instead of left on the ground to be picked up.
[14] On November 23, 2013, the Fresno State Bulldogs successfully executed a fumblerooski on their home field against the New Mexico Lobos, scoring on a 26-yard touchdown run by senior wide receiver Isaiah Burse with 10:27 remaining in the second quarter.
[15] The Washington Football Team used the Bumerooski on Thanksgiving Day November 26, 2020 in a regular season game against the Dallas Cowboys which resulted in a 10+ yard gain and a 1st down.
The Carolina Panthers used a variation of the bumerooski on December 18, 2011 in a regular season game against the Houston Texans which resulted in a touchdown by fullback Richie Brockel.
Immediately after the snap, Presbyterian quarterback Brandon Miley threw what appeared to be an incomplete short pass to the side, to WR Derrick Overholt.
The Wake Forest defenders fell for Overholt's incomplete-pass theatrics, not realizing the pass was backwards, making it a live ball.
Right after the snap, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff appeared to stumble to the ground and fumble the ball, though he never did lose control.
The play was designed after Detroit's offensive coordinator Ben Johnson saw the Green Bay Packers's quarterback Jordan Love complete a touchdown pass to his tight end after fumbling the snap.
[24] The fumblerooski was used in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard to bring the prisoners within one point of the officers on the last play of regulation (pending the two-point conversion).