Clemson Player Ejected After Delivering Uppercut To Opponent

A Clemson player was ejected at the end of Thursday’s night’s game against N.C. State for delivering a near knockout blow to an opposing player.

There was only 90 seconds left in the game when a Clemson offensive lineman got into a bit of a scuffle with one of N.C. State’s safeties. The lineman, appropriately named Isaiah Battle, responded with an uppercut just under safety Jarvis Byrd’s facemask that sent the Wolfpack player tumbling to the ground.

The punch happened so quickly that N.C. State players didn’t know how to respond, but referees took control. The play resulted in a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the Clemson player was ejected from the last minute of the game.

The penalty and ejection did nothing to change the outcome. The No. 3 ranked Tigers did enough to win the game, overcoming a sluggish offense to remain unbeaten and win its Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

After the game Battle was apologetic for his actions, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he was still disappointed in his lineman.

“Very disappointed in Isaiah Battle. That can’t ever happen. Really, really disappointed. That’s not Clemson. That’s a lesson for every one of those guys in there, something we talked a lot about in the locker room,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the game, via Chip Patterson of CBSSports.com. “I will say this. [Battle] took ownership. He apologized immediately and he apologized to the team.”

The Clemson player ejected in the N.C. State contest could have an impact on the team’s next game. It’s expected that Isaiah Battle will be suspended for the team’s September 28 contest, a matchup against Wake Forest.