It was late in the fourth quarter, with tensions high and the result hanging in the balance, when the unexpected happened: Florida’s redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Brendan Bett, in a moment nobody will soon forget, spat directly into the facemask of South Florida offensive lineman Cole Skinner. It was a gesture so brazen that the stadium seemed to gasp collectively—an unraveling of composure at the worst possible moment.
Florida had committed a pass interference penalty earlier on that pivotal drive, setting up South Florida in a dangerous position. On the very next snap, Bett rose and deliberately spit on Skinner. The referees flagged him immediately—unsportsmanlike conduct—and ejected him from the contest. With that penalty came 15 free yards and an automatic first down for South Florida, catapulting them deep into Gators territory and onto one of the most consequential sequences in recent Sam Gillies Stadium memory
The Florida offense had looked shaky, riddled by penalties and questionable clock management, but nothing quite as explosive and self‑destructive as a spitting ejection. Florida had committed 11 penalties in total, accumulating 103 yards, and the timing of Bett’s infraction was more than unfortunate—it was catastrophic
With the football now on Florida’s 39-yard line and just over two minutes remaining, South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown wasted no time. He hit running back Isaac Alvon on a 29-yard screen pass—exactly the kind of explosive play the Bulls needed to close out a late-game drive. It was as if that single act of indiscipline, that one spit, handed the Bulls the exact momentum and position they needed. From there, battered but relentless, South Florida methodically moved within field goal range
Florida head coach Billy Napier, seething but restrained, called the act “unacceptable.” He lamented in his postgame comments that it was selfish, harmful—”when a guy does something like that, he’s compromising the team. He’s putting himself before the team”
That ejection created space and momentum for the Bulls—not just between the 30s, but in the narrative of the game itself. Having already missed a 58-yard field goal attempt with 2:52 on the clock, South Florida’s kicker Nico Gramatica suddenly had a chance not just for redemption, but for glory. The Bulls put together an 87-yard, 8‑play drive in just over two minutes—just enough time to set up that field goal push
As the clock wound down, Gramatica strode onto the field and delivered—a picture-perfect 20-yard kick as time expired, splitting the uprights to give the Bulls an improbable 18‑16 upset of the No. 13 Gators
With that kick, USF notched their first victory ever over Florida, and not just that—they did it in dramatic fashion at the Swamp. This came on the heels of another win over a ranked opponent just last week, marking a historic start for South Florida. Through Bett’s indiscipline, Florida had handed them an opportunity, and they took it with both hands
For the Gators, what should have been a chance to rally instead unraveled. Florida had responded earlier with some offensive sparks—freshman Vernell Brown III returned a punt 40 yards, setting up a touchdown pass by DJ Lagway—but the final minutes showed a team unraveling. Penalties, questionable decisions, and now an ejection for spitting—momentum evaporated. The Gators were left to watch as their discipline failed them all at once
Napier’s position as head coach, already under scrutiny, looked more precarious than ever. He spoke of his own doubts about whether he was the right person for the job, lamenting the breakdowns and calling on his team to “get the football fixed.” The boos from a frustrated Florida crowd and the swirling questions about whether he’d last much longer—especially with back-to-back games looming against No. 3 LSU and No. 5 Miami—made the blowup feel explosivet happened. Right when his team needed all the composure they could muster, Bett’s misstep became the free extension of a drive that cost his program dearly. One moment of uncontrolled behavior became the fulcrum on which a game—and perhaps a season—turned.
The incident also came in the wake of a high-profile NFL situation. Just two days prior, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter had been ejected for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the NFL opener. That episode, while widely discussed, didn’t change a game’s outcome. Bett’s did, and in a far more public and painful way
So many layers of story seemed to be stacked in that final stretch: the parallels between college and pro, the nature of discipline in football culture, the impact of a single penalty, the instant shift of narrative from potential Florida comeback to historic USF upset.
Florida drops to 1‑1, top‑25 hopes already in doubt. South Florida, now 2‑0, enters the rankings soon, riding a wave of unprecedented success. Bett’s action, simply put, changed the outcome. A school record, a coaching crossroads, national attention—wrapped up in one moment of loss of control.
Florida fans, instead of celebrating a tightly earned victory, are left talking about how Bett “compromised the team,” how 11 penalties piled up, how the final drive delivered heartbreak. South Florida, conversely, earned something no one saw coming. An epic, emotion-altering sequence turned a likely Florida win into a stunning upset.
In the end, football games are about momentum, discipline, and sometimes, discipline’s absence. Bett’s act—spitting on Skinner—did more than earn a penalty: it triggered the sequence that rewrote a game. A 15-yard gift, a flash of misbehavior, and the rest became history.
That’s the full narrative, rich in detail and emotion, weaving in quotes and context. Let me know if you’d like to add any additional analysis, fan reactions, or looks ahead to what’s next for both teams.
