College football was a battle sport during Saturday’s rivalry.
The rivalry week matches are always heated and tensions and resentments rise. But four annual clashes ended with fighting between opponents as the winning road team attempted to plant a flag on their opponent’s home field to punctuate a victory.
Each scuffle was notable for different reasons. But they were all provoked by similar feelings. The victors wanted to make a statement, while the defeated wanted to protect their homeland and prevent further humiliation.
Pepper spray used in the conflict between Michigan and the state of Ohio
The fight that received the most attention came at the end of Michigan’s 13-10 win over Ohio State in Columbus. Wolverines players brought a corn flag with the block “M” to center field and stuck it in the Ohio Stadium turf. The Buckeyes objected to the gesture and confronted their opponents, causing several players to push and shove each other, throwing punches.
Unfortunately, what made the Michigan-Ohio battle so high-profile was that coaches, security personnel and police got involved to end the conflict. Law enforcement officers used pepper spray to subdue players, also hitting several bystanders.
Ohio State University Police issued a statement on social media say the matter is under investigation.
“After the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an altercation on the field,” the statement said. “During the scuffle, multiple officers from Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games and will continue to investigate.”
NC state flag almost thrown into the stands by UNC
A similar scuffle broke out after North Carolina State’s 35-30 win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill. After the win, which made it Wolfpack Bowl eligible, NC State players brought a red school flag to the center of the field with the intention of planting it in the turf.
However, the Tar Heels players confronted their opponents to prevent them from spearing the flag into the field at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Pushing and pulling quickly paid off and North Carolina’s Tylee Craft finally grabbed the flag and tried to throw it into the stands. Wolfpack players DK Kaufman and Jacarrius Peak pushed Craft before the coaches intervened.
UNC coach Mack Brown, who coached his final regular season game with the Tar Heels after being fired earlier this week, shared his thoughts on the altercation.
“I don’t know what ultimately happened,” Brown said, via The Fayetteville Observer. “Someone said they were trying to plant their flag on our field. I already said two years ago that that was disrespectful.”
The Florida-Florida State battle earns the coaches
Coaches were more directly involved in the skirmish after Florida defeated Florida State 31-11. Gators defenseman George Gumbs Jr. planted a black Florida flag in the grass at FSU’s Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State players led by Jeremiah Byers and Julian Armella ran to midfield to pull down the flag, leading to an argument between the two teams.
Seminoles coach Mike Norvell grabbed the flag and tossed it aside. He then confronted Florida coach Billy Napier and informed his counterpart that he didn’t like what was happening.
“I told him what I thought. They won the game – they have the right to celebrate, just like we have done in previous years,” Norvell said afterwards, via Tomahawk Nation. “If you want to come and do that, that’s your decision you can have within the team, but I told him what I thought.”
Napier disagreed with the flag planting and apologized for the incident.
“What happened there at the end of the game is clearly not who we want to be as a program,” Napier said, via the Associated Press. “I find it embarrassing and it distracts from a really well-played football match. I would like to apologize on behalf of the entire organization just for the way we represented the university there. We shouldn’t have done that. do that in the future and there will be consequences for everyone involved.”
Many fellow Napier coaches might express similar sentiments to their players after what happened this weekend.
Forks, not flags involved with the state of Arizona
Flags weren’t the only item the victorious road team placed in a rivalry game Saturday. Following No. 16 Arizona State’s 49-7 win over Arizona, Sun Devils defensive lineman Jacob Rich Kongaika – who played his previous two seasons with the Wildcats – took their mascot’s signature pitchfork and stuck it into the center field logo Arizona Stadium.
Arizona receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig ran over to pull the pitchfork out of the grass and away from Kongaika. That prompted several other Arizona State players to help their teammate and protect the pitchfork.
Afterwards I spoke to reportersWildcats running back Quali Conley said Kongaika’s actions were “disrespectful.”
‘That is our area of expertise. Just doing that was disrespectful,” Conley said. “I just feel like that wasn’t necessary.”
Asked about the fight from PHNX SportsArizona State star Cam Skattebo said, “I didn’t know that happened, but that’s awesome.”
