California Golden Bears

USC top LB Smith ejected from Rose Bowl for targeting

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:22 p.m. ET

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) Southern California linebacker Cameron Smith has been ejected from the Rose Bowl for targeting.

Smith hit Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley with 2:39 left in the third quarter, apparently initiating helmet-to-helmet contact while McSorley fell after releasing a pass.

A flag was thrown immediately, and the call was upheld on review. The call deprived the Trojans' suddenly beleaguered defense of its top tackler.

Smith, a sophomore out of Roseville, California, had four tackles, two solo and one for loss, at the time of his ejection. He led the Trojans with 79 tackles in the regular season.

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