South Carolina player penalized for pointing shotgun in opponent’s face when the score was 24-3

An old and common calling cliché – particularly in high school and college sports, where athletes tend to be more environmentally friendly – is to refer to a particular penalty as a penalty that’s called “every time.”

In that sense, there is – really – a punishment that is meted out every time.

On Saturday, No. 12 Ole Miss took a 24-3 lead over South Carolina to bounce back from last week’s surprise loss to Kentucky. With 3:15 left in the third quarter and the Rebels struggling on third-and-six, Gamecocks defensive end Dylan Stewart broke through the Ole Miss offensive line and sacked quarterback Jaxson Dart.

The sack was for naught, however, as Stewart pretended to repeatedly shoot Dart in the head with a shotgun, earning him a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct foul.

The Rebels eventually scored a field goal on the drive, extending their lead to 27-3.

Good news for Stewart – who, despite his serious misjudgment here, forced two fumbles in an otherwise solid season – in the team film sessions this week.