LEXINGTON, Ky. — Why would Luke Bauer be surprised?

He’s a punter, yes. And a punter playing just his fourth week as the starter over his four seasons with Mizzou football, sure.

That doesn’t mean he can’t change the trajectory of a Southeastern Conference game with a single swoop of a non-kicking limb.

“I grew up playing baseball,” Bauer said. “I know I can throw it.”

Sure can.

Bauer’s fake punt turned 39-yard touchdown pass to freshman Marquis Johnson in the second quarter of Missouri’s 38-21 win over No. 24-ranked Kentucky at Kroger Field put Missouri on the scoreboard. More than that, it lifted the Tigers (6-1, 2-1 SEC) out of the depths of despair and seemingly sunk any momentum the Wildcats (5-2, 2-2) had built over a dominant first quarter.

“The fake punt to spark us right there was unbelievable, and that's all we needed,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “We just needed something to believe in, and that's what good football teams find a way to do.”

Missouri hasn’t been averse to a slither of trickery this season

Harrison Mevis recovered his own onside kick against Memphis in Week 4, only for it to be pulled back for offsides. There have been brave two-point conversion calls, which have been part of a much more adventurous playbook on offense.

Bauer’s moment was a cut above any and all of that.

And it sparked Mizzou to a 38-7 run that sealed bowl eligibility well before its bye week and gave the Tigers a bounceback win from its first loss of the season.

The play was special teams and tight ends coach Erik Link’s call, Drinkwitz said.

Kentucky gave the Tigers the look they wanted to see. Any time MU crossed the halfway line, the head coach said, Missouri was watching for Kentucky to settle into “safe defense.”

Then MU crossed midfield for the first time.

Stalled out.

And then Bauer balled out.

“You know, down 14, nothing more you’ve got to lose at that point,” Drinkwitz said. “So we said let's roll with it and Luke made an unbelievable throw.”

It helped that Johnson, who ran a 10.29-second 100-meter in high school in Texas, was running the route.

“I know how fast he is,” Bauer said, “so I knew I wasn’t gonna overthrow him.”

Bauer said the Tigers had been practicing the play throughout the week. The possibility the call would come was on his radar — he had a feeling it was coming, even.

Still …

“For a second I didn’t think it was gonna get there,” Bauer said. “But then I saw (Johnson) jump up, I’m like, “Oh, this is happening.’”

Suddenly the Missouri defense that looked incapable of stopping star UK running back Ray Davis shored up. The Tigers stopped Kentucky from scoring on each of the next six drives, got to quarterback Devin Leary for four sacks by the end of the game and created four other turnovers.

The offense that had managed just 16 yards of forward momentum through two drives gritted its teeth and put up the necessary numbers without needing to match the heights of the past four weeks.

“That's one of the best friends,” MU quarterback Brady Cook said. First of all, just to see him get the opportunity to win the starting job and get an opportunity. This is fourth year, too. So, I mean he's been through it. And then, wow. I see the ball up in the air. I didn't even realize what was going on. And I see him running down the sideline. So, so happy for him.”

It quite possibly changed the scope of MU’s season. The Tigers are still in the race for the SEC East.

They were seemingly down and out without a prayer in the Bluegrass State. Back-to-back losses seemed like a lock.

Until an unlikely source saved the day in an extremely unlikely way.

Sometimes it pays to take a punt.

“We haven’t run a fake in a long time,” Bauer said. “But the chance came up, and we took advantage of it.”

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: The anatomy behind Missouri football's Luke Bauer game-changing TD pass vs. Kentucky