Mississippi State linebacker Deshawn Page was ejected for a brutal hit on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart on Thursday night.
Dart was diving forward toward the line-to-gain when he took a shot from a pair of Bulldogs defenders. Targeting was called on the play after review, resulting in the ejection of Page.
Here’s replay of the hit:
DeShawn Page was ejected for targeting on Jaxson Dart, who left the game for 1 play after taking this hit: pic.twitter.com/9ViCVf911E
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) November 24, 2023
Dart appeared to be woozy as he walked off the field midway through the 3rd quarter. He was initially replaced by backup quarterback Spencer Sanders, but Dart was able to re-enter the game after 1 play on the sidelines.
A few plays later, Dart led Ole Miss to its first touchdown drive of the game. Running back Quinshon Judkins broke the plane from a yard out to give Ole Miss a 10-7 lead over the Bulldogs.
Page is a big loss for Mississippi State. Entering this game, he recorded 27 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1 forced fumble in 2023. Because this targeting occurred in the second half, he will be suspended for the first half of his next contest.
Mississippi State must beat the Rebels on Thursday in order to reach bowl eligibility.