SMU Mustangs defenseman Brandon Crossley was ejected in the third quarter of the team’s win over the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday night after spitting in another player’s face.

Crossley, a senior from Dallas, had not kept statistics before he was ejected from the game. The officials called Crossley an unsportsmanlike penalty and sent him away.

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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)

“The officials make decisions and we have to live with that. They do a good job of officiating the game,” Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said after the game, per 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 allowed Nevada to continue scoring and the Wolf Pack scored a touchdown to take a 24-13 lead.

“That’s our fault. It cost us him, and it cost our team,” Lashlee added. “We’ve got to be better than that. We’ve got to stay calm. There’s a difference between playing with passion and emotion. We were very emotional tonight. We’ve got to be passionate. Big difference.”

Southern Methodist Mustangs safety Brandon Crossley vs. 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 spitting incident earlier in the game. He said wide receiver Jordan Hudson told him he was spit on in the first quarter, which is why he hit Nevada’s Kristopher Ross.

So there was no punishment for spitting.

SMU won the game thanks to a touchdown pass from Preston Stone to RJ Maryland with 1:18 left on the clock.

Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee watches a play during a Navy Midshipmen game on Nov. 25, 2023, at Gerald Ford Stadium in Dallas. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Thanks to this touchdown, the Mustangs defeated the Wolf Pack 29-24.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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