UNC DT Jalen Dalton ejected after helmet-to-helmet hit

North Carolina defensive tackle Jalen Dalton was ejected from the Tar Heels’ game against California on Saturday after he delivered a punishing helmet-to-helmet blow to Cal quarterback Ross Bowers in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium.

Dalton’s ejection, which came with about one minute left in the first half, gave the Golden Bears a first down after they’d failed to convert on a 3rd-and-12 from their own 18-yard line. On their next play, Bowers threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Vic Wharton, which cut UNC’s lead to 17-14.

This was the second consecutive regular season game in which Dalton was ejected. He was also ejected from UNC’s regular-season finale last season against N.C. State after he threw a punch. Dalton was a highly-regarded prospect in high school, but he has struggled to meet expectations at UNC.

UNC led 17-14 halftime, but Cal was leading 28-24 early in the fourth quarter.

This story was originally published September 2, 2017 at 3:30 PM with the headline "UNC DT Jalen Dalton ejected after helmet-to-helmet hit."