Big Ten suspends Nebraska DL Khalil Davis for striking Ohio State player
Coming off a tough loss to the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will be without their top defensive lineman this weekend as they battle the Northwestern Wildcats.
The Big Ten announced on Wednesday that it is suspending defensive lineman Khalil Davis one game for striking Ohio State center Josh Myers, an action that violated the league’s sportsmanship policy.
The conference cited a specific play that may not have been immediately caught by fans watching the game at full speed. As Buckeyes running back J.K. Dobbins ripped off a 15-yard run with 9:18 left in the first quarter, Davis appears to shove Myers in the back, tussle with him on the ground and exchange words after the play.
I see Khalil Davis essentially shoving a Buckeye in the back and get a stern talking to. This is apparently grounds for a suspension for reasons.pic.twitter.com/Xf9ahn9DUS
— Brandon Cavanaugh (@eightlaces) October 2, 2019
When in doubt, look at @LeeMarionKLKN's footage.
Slow motion replay shows Khalil Davis entangled with the Ohio State player on the ground, something the TV cameras didn't pick up.
Worthy of a suspension? You decide: pic.twitter.com/ntJ5K760Y1— Matt Reynoldson (@MattReynKLKN) October 2, 2019
Davis was not flagged, but an official talked with him after the play. Ultimately it was deemed bad enough behavior for Davis to miss a conference game in his senior season.
“The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship,” the conference said it its press release. “Such fundamental elements include integrity of the competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials.”
Davis leads Nebraska with three sacks and six tackles for a loss through five games this season. That's nearly surpassed his numbers in 12 games last season (3 sacks and 7.5 TFLs).
The Ohio State loss dropped the Huskers to 3-2 on the season. Saturday’s game against Northwestern kicks off at home at 4 p.m. ET.
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