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NC State EDGE Sabastian Harsh ejected for targeting, to miss first half vs. Duke

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz11 hours agoNickSchultz_7
Sabastian Harsh
© Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State EDGE Sabastian Harsh was ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game against Wake Forest. As a result, he is set to miss the first half of next week’s game against Duke.

Harsh was in on a sack of Demon Deacons quarterback Robby Ashford with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The officials didn’t blow the whistle immediately, but the replay center buzzed down and indicated potential targeting.

After review, the referees confirmed the call. It meant a 15-yard penalty for NC State and an ejection for Harsh, who is also in line to miss the first two quarters against Duke in Week 4.

“It’s a tough penalty, but it’s the correct call,” ESPN rules analyst Jerry McGinn said of the penalty. “The replay center, command center for the ACC, is really on top of it tonight. It’s a nice get by them. Unfortunately, No. 54 does duck his head. He’s not seeing what he’s hitting. He’s going to sit for the rest of this game and the first half of the next game.”

Harsh is in his first season at NC State after spending four years at Wyoming, though he missed 2022 with an injury. He turned in his most productive season in 2023 when he had 50 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks – all career-highs – as well as a fumble recovery.

Last year, Harsh appeared in eight games, totaling 40 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He then entered the transfer portal and committed to NC State, where he has made a strong impact through the first three games of the year.

Entering Thursday, Sabastian Harsh had 12 tackles over two games, including four tackles for loss. At the time of his departure against Wake Forest, he had multiple tackles, along with the sack late in the game.

“We wanted to be better off the edge,” said NC State head coach Dave Doeren of Harsh and Cian Slone. “We wanted to create more tackles for loss this year, more sacks, and not have to blitz all the time to create those things. We wanted to be able to do it with four or five guys. … We wanted to have guys that could play outside, play in space and give us a pass rush. That was a huge emphasis by the staff in recruiting, and it obviously paid off.”