SMU Mustangs defensive back Brandon Crossley was ejected in the third quarter of the team's win over the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday night when he spit in another player's face.
Crossley, a senior from Dallas, did not record any statistics before being ejected from the game. Referees called an unsportsmanlike foul on Crossley and ejected him.
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Brandon Crossley of the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the Texas State Bobcats game at Bobcat Stadium on September 5, 2020, in San Marcos, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
“Refs make decisions and we have to live with them. They do a good job of running the game,” Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said after the game, via the Dallas Morning News. “It's really hard for guys to control their emotions when they're getting spit on, but they have to.”
The penalty kept Nevada's offense alive and the Wolf Pack scored a touchdown to take a 24-13 lead.
“That's our fault. It cost him his life and our team,” Lashlee added. “We have to be better than that. We have to have composure. There's a difference between playing with passion and with emotion. We got very emotional tonight. We have to be passionate. There's a big difference.”
Southern Methodist Mustangs safety Brandon Crossley against the North Texas Mean Green on Nov. 10, 2023, at Gerald Ford Stadium in Dallas. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Lashlee said there was another incident where someone spit on him earlier in the game. He said wide receiver Jordan Hudson told him he was spit on in the first quarter, which is why he was seen slapping Nevada's Kristopher Ross.
So there was no penalty for spitting.
SMU won the game on a touchdown pass from Preston Stone to RJ Maryland with 1:18 remaining in the game.
Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee watches a play during the Navy Midshipmen game on Nov. 25, 2023, at Gerald Ford Stadium in Dallas. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The touchdown helped the Mustangs outscore the Wolf Pack 29-24.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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