Florida's Brendan Bett latest player to be ejected for spitting as Gators fall to South Florida

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett was ejected for spitting at a South Florida player late in the No. 13 Gators' 18-16 upset loss to South Florida on Saturday night.

Bett, who transferred to Florida after two years at Baylor, was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, kicked out of the game and escorted to the locker room after spitting in the facemask of Bulls offensive lineman Cole Skinner. It was one of two penalties assessed against the Gators on the final, 87-yard drive that set up Nico Gramatica's 20-yard field goal on the final play.

“We’ll take a good look at it, but it’s unacceptable,” embattled Florida coach Billy Napier said. "I think we’ve got a lot of players in that room as well that have the same belief that it’s unacceptable.

“When a guy does something like that, he’s compromising the team. He’s putting himself before the team. Everything the game is about, you’re compromising. So there will be lessons to be learned there. Yeah, it's that simple.”

Bett's spitting foul came two days after Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott in the NFL opener.

Last Sunday in Seattle in the Leagues Cup soccer final, Inter Miami star Luis Suárez spit toward a Sounders staff member and grabbed a Seattle player by the neck after a loss.

Bett isn't the first player under Napier to be ejected for spitting at an opponent during a game. Defensive lineman Jamari Lyons was tossed for spitting at a Florida State player late in the first half of Florida's 24-15 home loss to the Seminoles in 2023.

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