STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State linebacker Chris Hughes has been suspended one game by the Southeastern Conference for his hit to the head of a defenseless player during Saturday’s 29-24 victory over Alabama-Birmingham.
After reviewing tape from the game, the SEC determined Hughes’ hit on UAB receiver Frantrell Forrest with 26 seconds left in the second quarter was “flagrant” and “unsportsmanlike.” There was no penalty called on the play and Forrest returned to the game.
Hughes, a 6-foot-0, 215-pound freshman, has appeared in seven games this season as a backup, making five tackles, including one for a loss. No. 23 Mississippi State (6-2, 2-2 SEC) hosts Kentucky (4-4, 1-4) on Saturday.
In a statement from the school, Hughes calls the hit a “silly mistake.”
