Washington State suffered a huge loss early in the third quarter when defensive tackle Hercules Mata’afa was ejected for targeting after a big hit on UW quarterback Jake Browning.
With UW up 24-0, Mata’afa and Dan Ekuale combined to chase down Browning on third-and-8 from the UW 35-yard line, early in the third quarter.
Ekulae hit Browning low as he released the ball, but Mata’afa went in a little higher, and his helmet made contact with Browning’s, knocking the quarterback’s head backwards.
The play was ruled a personal foul with targeting on Mata’afa, and the ruling was upheld after a review.