On Saturday, college football was rife with dramatic moments, marked not by penalty flags from officials, but by the flags planted by victorious players in the opposing teams’ stadiums.
This display of rivalry included teams like Michigan, North Carolina State, and Florida, all of whom celebrated their hard-fought road victories by boldly planting their flags on the logos at the center of their rivals’ fields. Arizona State added its own flair by attempting to plant a striking trident.
The anticipated confrontations came to pass. In a heated moment, the Michigan Wolverines clashed with Ohio State as they attempted to plant their flag in the middle of Ohio Stadium, celebrating a narrow 13-10 victory. This led to an intense scuffle between players that required intervention by law enforcement, who used pepper spray to help disperse the crowd. Unfortunately, one officer sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital amidst the chaos.
Similar altercations occurred elsewhere. After N.C. State’s 35-30 win over North Carolina, tensions flared as Wolfpack players attempted to plant a flag on the Tar Heels’ field, resulting in a skirmish. In Florida, Gators’ edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. faced off with Florida State players as he proudly planted his flag after a convincing 31-11 victory, prompting another brawl.
Florida’s coach Billy Napier expressed regret over his team’s actions, stating, “What happened at the game’s end is not representative of who we want to be as a program. It’s embarrassing and detracts from the solid performance we showed on the field. I want to issue an apology on behalf of our entire organization and assure our supporters that such behavior will not happen again, with consequences for those involved.”
In a noteworthy moment in Arizona, defensive lineman Jacob Rich Kongaika attempted to plant a trident on Arizona’s logo following a decisive 49-7 win against the Wildcats. A physical tussle ensued as Arizona wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig tried to reclaim the trident, with players from both teams rushing to join the fray.
After Missouri’s thrilling 28-21 win against Arkansas, another minor scuffle broke out, although it appeared to be more of a verbal spat than one involving physical props.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day defended his players, acknowledging their group’s pride and determination not to let the Wolverines’ post-game celebration go unchallenged. Meanwhile, Michigan running back Kalel Mullings criticized the Buckeyes for their involvement, describing it as “classless.”
___
Stay updated with weekly alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. For more on AP college football, visit https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football.
