University of North Carolina offensive lineman Kiaro Holts took a cheap shot at University of South Carolina superstar Jadeveon Clowney during the waning minutes of Thursday night’s season opener for both teams at Williams Brice Stadium.
The play occurred on the Tar Heels’ first drive following a nearly two hour weather delay – which means the stadium was nearly empty when it happened.
In fact that may be the only reason Holts is alive right now …
For those of you who missed it, take a look at this .gif (via SB Nation) …
(Click to play)
Yeah … that could have very easily been a season ending leg injury for Clowney.
Holts was flagged for an illegal block on the play, but he should have been thrown out of the game. And we believe he should be suspended for the Tar Heels’ home opener against Middle Tennessee State on September 7.
ESPN’s announcing team correctly labeled the play as dirty, and some UNC fans agree with that assessment.
“It was a cheap shot, and could have potentially injured Clowney,” one wrote on a Tar Heel message board. “I’d be in favor of (North Carolina coach) Larry Fedora setting an example that our program does not find that acceptable.”
Fedora should set that example, but if he doesn’t the ACC – or the NCAA should set it for him.
Oh … it’s worth noting North Carolina fans were outraged a year ago when a Duke University lineman did virtually the same thing to one of their players.
What do you think? Vote in our poll and post your thoughts on Holts’ cheap shot in our comments section below …
FIRST REACTIONS
@fitsnews No! It’s football – lots of cheap shots. SC will say yes of course.
— RhysTay (@iRhysTay) August 31, 2013
14 comments
Pretty soon the NCAA is going to take the pads off players and make player wear a belt with two streamer flags velcro’d onto them.
Football pussified around the time the first domed stadium was constructed. I’m old enough to remember Vikings vs. Packers games where Bud Grant refused the Vikings to have heaters on the sidelines. But that was back when players were men and not prima donnas who sit out because they have a sprained finger.
Don’t disagree that football as we know it will be different in years to come, but toughness and cheap shots from behind are very different.
Agreed on the pussification. And rules against hard, clean hits are ridiculous. But this was not a clean hit. It was a dirty play and Clowney could have been seriously injured.
What does it matter???
College and pro football has become no BS bread and circus for the masses anyhow.
Sadly, you can even see it in high school football.
In the not too distant future years they will be gladiators.just like in Roman times.
Thank you for reminding me, once again, why we left the ACC. Dirty play and the worst refs in America.
This video shows both angles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiLzOnOv-Qs
Wanna know what 270 pounds of man feels like falling on you? Ask Kiaro Holts.
Looks to me like he was falling but I really can’t tell from the clip, I was sound asleep by that point of the game and youtube is banned on this network.
Who cares if he gets to play, maybe he’ll cheap shot someone on a team we need to lose and then have his clock cleaned in a bench clearing brawl…
Interesting that by that point in the play, that late in the game, the “gassed, out of shape, no effort” Clowney was standing next to the Quarteback who had released the ball milli-seconds before and who managed to bunny hop out of the hit – makes you wonder how he managed to know it was coming since he and Clownely were focused on what was going on down field. Every one else in the clip was still moving to try to get into the play. One of the things I admire about Clowney is the heads up style of play, he never kills the QB when the ball has been released even though he is usually within range and it takes great effort to not follow through on the hit.
You are dumb! Just stfu!! Real idiot you are.
The intentions were plain this piece of crap intended to injure Clowney bad!
The ACC/NCAA will “protect the blues” so don’t expect anything else to be done… That’s how the ACC/NCAA rolls…
Clowneys earning polental makes him a target every time he’s on the field. Jealousy is a powerful evil.
No why would you suspend him because he chop block a College football star???? No you flag him n move on with your life Geez stop making every little thing bigger then it is Cloweny is a college player treat him like one he’d not even that good didnt impact that game at all
This is just another example of the “flagship” university in North Carolina. The academic scandal involving football players taking non-existent classes for credit just will not go away (faculty investigators covered it up to soften the damage). The basketball team is having its own issues with criminal behavior that is continually ignored (yeah, a kid was suspended “indefinitely” which in NC speak means this: when practice starts, he will be back). Fedora is supposed to be bringing in a “new” culture. UNC has become a laughingstock….
If you had “bets” placed on the number 1 draft pick and were actually “shorting” the odds……….what would an action like this do to your winning percentage..? This is clearly about “money”.