LSU football's Ali Gaye ejected for targeting in second half vs. Florida State

LSU football has had a long Sunday night against Florida State in New Orleans, and the third quarter play that resulted in senior defensive end Ali Gaye's ejection epitomized it.

Gaye was ejected for targeting on Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis with 4:17 left in the third quarter on a play that resulted in a Travis touchdown pass to Ontaria Wilson. The play put the Seminoles ahead 17-3.

Take a look. There shouldn't be much doubt that Gaye should have been ejected by rule, as he launched helmet-first into Travis.

Because it happened in the second half, Gaye will be suspended for the first half next Saturday against Southern if the ejection is upheld by the NCAA. A new feature of the targeting rule is that teams and conferences can submit a request to the NCAA's coordinator officials, and a player deemed incorrectly penalized for targeting would be cleared for the first half of the next game.

Gaye, a 2020 Second Team All-SEC honoree, had one tackle in Sunday's game before the targeting suspension. LSU has also lost defensive tackle Maason Smith to a knee injury.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football's Ali Gaye ejected for targeting in 2nd half vs Florida State