Florida DL Brendan Bett ejected after spitting on crucial final drive in upset loss to South Florida
Bett was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct in the fourth quarter, eventually leading to USF's game-winning field goal
By
Cody Nagel
•
1 min read
Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett was ejected during the fourth quarter of a 18-16 loss to South Florida Saturday after appearing to spit on Bulls' offensive lineman Cole Skinner. The incident occurred with a little more than two minutes remaining during USF's drive toward a game-winning field goal.
The 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on Bett, a redshirt sophomore, gave the Bulls an automatic first down, advancing the ball to the USF 39. The play was preceded by a defensive pass interference call that got the Bulls some breathing room after starting the drive on their own 11 yard line.
Game on the line and Florida Player Brendan Bett SPITS on a USF Player😳 pic.twitter.com/hWL5QcxXs1
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) September 6, 2025
The Bulls then immediately hit a 29-yard completion to get into field goal range. Later in the drive, USF kicker Nico Gramatica hit a 20-yard chip-shot field goal for the upset victory against No. 13 Florida. The Bulls had already notched a ranked win to their résumé after thumping No. 25 Boise State in the opener last week.
The defeat put the Gators at 1-1 and brought Billy Napier's record in his fourth season to 20-20.
Florida faces a brutal stretch after the loss with road games against No. 3 LSU and No. 5 Miami, followed by a home matchup against No. 7 Texas and a visit to No. 19 Texas A&M.
Bett joined the Gators in the spring after transferring from Baylor. He saw action in Florida's season opener against LIU, recording three tackles, including one for loss, over 15 snaps.
Billy Napier buyout: What it would cost Florida to move on from embattled coach after latest loss to LSU
Robby Kalland
Discipline penalties haunt Gators
Florida's loss to USF brought back memories of a similar late-game meltdown under Dan Mullen in December 2020. In that 37-34 loss to LSU, Gators cornerback Marco Wilson threw a receiver's shoe downfield, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that gave the Tigers a first down and set up a game-winning 57-yard field goal to knock off then No. 6 Florida.
Saturday's ejection of Bett and 15-yard penalty against USF once again hurt the Gators in a critical moment, underscoring ongoing discipline issues that continue to plague the program.
