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WATCH: Penn State LB gets ejected on debatable targeting call
Published:
Penn State was already depleted at linebacker. All three starters are out. That’s why senior walk-on Brandon Smith was starting in the first place.
But a targeting call ended Smith’s day.
It looked like Smith was trying to make a play on the ball, but he did make contact with the crown of his helmet. Whether or not that warranted a flag is another discussion.
The play was reviewed and ultimately upheld:
bchurney: Penn State targeting ABC College Football: Penn State at Michigan https://t.co/aZ1Q2F7z7c pic.twitter.com/wx5cTRUbLo
— FanSportsClips (@FanSportsClips) September 24, 2016
Smith was ejected from the game, which means that redshirt freshman Jan Johnson is now in at linebacker for the Lions. That would also mean Smith would be out for the first half next week, too.
Penn State’s defense is running out of bodies at this point.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.