‘1000% awesome’ – Fans erupt as Sophie Cunningham used as bizarre ‘distraction’ vs Troy Trojans

The Missouri Tigers won against the Troy Trojans 27-17 in NCAA Football to keep their unbeaten streak, and they can perhaps thank… Sophie Cunningham for it?

Missouri is Sophie Cunningham's alma mater, having a great career with the Missouri Tigers' basketball team before playing for the Indiana Fever .

As it turns out, Cunningham is helping her alma mater years after leaving, as the fans erupted at the player being used as a bizarre distraction tactic in the Tigers' 27-17 win against the Trojans.

Missouri Tigers' Sophie Cunningham distraction tactic

Late in the fourth quarter, when the Trojans made it an unexpectedly tricky game for the Tigers, their kicker Ethan Head lined up a 54-yard field-goal attempt.

Just behind it was the jumbotron, where the Tigers displayed a huge image of Sophie Cunningham pointing directly at the goal.

Had Head succeeded, this would have become a one-score game, but the bizarre distraction tactic worked. Head missed, and the Tigers closed out a nervy game.

The fans erupted in equal parts hilarity and bewilderment at what the Tigers pulled off.

"This is 1000% awesome and a high-five to the person who thought of that," said one fan, as another agreed, "This is going to be epic. Massive trolling incoming."

A third said they wanted to "build the statue" for Sophie Cunningham as she keeps helping her alma mater years after moving on to professional basketball.

"This needs to become a trend," joked another, as a fifth said, "That lady would distract me, no problem!" Another said, "When I saw this I was laughing so hard. I love it."

One didn't find it as funny. They were probably a Troy Trojans fan! They wrote, "That would actually help them kick it through. Just aim it at her face."

"One can't blame them. Sophie Cunningham distracts me every time I see her," one fan jokingly sympathized with the Trojans' kicker.

For her part, Cunningham dropped a dud in her next game as Indiana Fever lost to Washington Mystics . Cunningham played just seven minutes and missed both of her only 3PT attempts to finish with zero points.

The good day's work was done earlier for her alma mater, it seems!