Julius Turner climbed the Rutgers defensive-line depth chart throughout the season, drawing steady praise from the Scarlet Knights coaches.
But after the redshirt freshman defensive tackle was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty midway through the fourth quarter, Rutgers coach Chris Ash kicked Turner off the field.
"He got thrown out for an unsportsmanlike -- that's not the behavior we're going to have on this football team,'' Ash said following his team's 40-7 loss to Michigan State on Saturday night at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway.
While Rutgers safety Kiy Hester was cited for an unsportsmanlike penalty in the first quarter, Ash apparently ordered strength and conditioning coach Kenny Parker to escort Turner off the field following his infraction.