There are a lot of rules in college football, but the simplest of them all is this: Respect the opposition.
But if you can't do that, this is a good substitute: Don't do something stupid on the field that potentially harms your team.
Jabari Lyons broke both of those rules as Florida battled Florida State with a chance to pull off a Top 5 upset.
Late in the second quarter, Lyons was ejected for spitting at an FSU offensive lineman, and ESPN caught it on tape.
Watch: Florida's Jabari Lyons spit at an Florida State lineman
— wow that was crazy (@CowardlyDoggo) November 26, 2023
There are so many awful elements of that moment. First and foremost, spitting at an opponent is the ultimate form of disrespect. It's a classless thing to do. There's no room in the game for it.
It's also straight up gross and unhygenic. In a post-COVID world, it's straight up unsafe.
And it's also incredibly dumb with a referee standing right there and rightly ready to throw a flag and call for an ejection. Lyons got himself thrown out of a rivalry game with his team battling for an upset victory.
Florida State was on their own side of the field and trailing 12-0 when Lyons committed his penalty. The flag moved the Seminoles to the 39-yard line and helped to spark a touchdown drive.
Lyons is a redshirt freshman. He's a young player but even peewee football players should know that spitting is crossing a line. The defensive lineman will have to hope his teammates can get the job done without him.