NC State OL Anthony Belton ejected after spitting on Clemson player
Things have gone from bad to worse for NC State against Clemson. Wolfpack starting left tackle Anthony Belton has been ejected for spitting on a Clemson defender late in the first half of Saturday’s game.
Clemson was pounding NC State 42-7 with less than a minute left in the first half at the time of the ejection.
“After the play, unsportsmanlike conduct, offense No. 74 for spitting on an opponent,” the official said. “That penalty is enforced half the distance to the goal. No. 74 is ejected.”
ABC sideline reporter Molly McGrath provided some insight into what exactly happened leading up to Anthony Belton spitting on the Clemson defender.
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“I was standing right behind that play and I could see an orange cleat from Clemson stomp down on CJ Bailey’s head and then Anthony Belton trying to protect his quarterback and went after the Clemson players after the fact,” McGrath said. “I don’t think the officials saw the stepping on CJ Bailey’s helmet.”
Bailey is the freshman quarterback for the Wolfpack who is making his first start of his career. The Florida native actually played well in the first half, despite Clemson holding a 45-7 lead at the break.
Replays showed that Bailey did get shoved, but it did not appear as though his head was stomped on. Losing Anthony Belton is obviously a tough blow for an NC State squad that is struggling mightily on Saturday.
Dabo Swinney on Cade Klubnik vs. NC State: ‘Our quarterback’s blossoming right before our eyes’
While it has been a tough afternoon for the Wolfpack, Clemson is clicking on all cylinders.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik put on a show in Week 2 against Appalachian State, leading the Tigers to a 66-20 victory. The junior picked up where he left off coming out of the bye week, helping Clemson jump out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead against NC State.
Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney joined ABC during Saturday’s game and shared what he saw from Klubnik and the Clemson offense in the first quarter.
“Explosive. Explosive and consistent,” Dabo Swinney said. “They’re just taking what’s there. Our quarterback’s blossoming right before our eyes.”
Cade Klubnik was 7-8 passing for 77 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter. That performance came after he was 24 of 26 passing for 378 yards and five touchdowns in Week 2 against Appalachian State. He also ran for two touchdowns against the Mountaineers.
“This is two games in a row where we’ve come out of the gate in the first half and really played with a lot of precision,” Dabo Swinney said. “A long way to go. You can’t play to a scoreboard, just gotta play to a standard. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”