Head shot earns Miss. St. LB Hughes a one-game break

Mississippi State linebacker Chris Hughes has been suspended for one game for going to the head and neck area of a defenseless player in the Bulldogs' win over UAB Saturday. Hughes will be held out of this weekend's night game with Kentucky.

Both Hughes and head coach Dan Mullen released statements addressing the suspension.

"We coach our players on these situations, how to lead with your shoulder, make sure you wrap up and see the front of the jersey, not only to avoid pointless penalties, but to make sure everyone is safe on the field," the coach said. "This is a teachable moment for Chris and our entire team. He'll face the consequences for his actions and learn from it."

"It was a silly mistake, and one that I should not have made," Hughes said. "Now I have to pay the price for my actions. Our coaches teach us and warn us about those types of plays, and I just need to learn from this and make sure it doesn't happen in the future."