Fight breaks out at Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State
A brawl erupted at the Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Four players were ejected and coaches reportedly exchanged words after the game.
Chaos broke loose at Thursday night’s Egg Bowl between state rivals the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State after a fight erupted on the field at the end of the third quarter that eventually led to player ejections.
Ole Miss appeared to score a touchdown on the final play of the quarter when wide receiver A.J. Brown crossed the goal line. Brown and Mississippi State player Johnathan Abram were both holding tightly to the ball as Ole Miss celebrated their seemingly big play.
A few moments later, players started shoving each other after the play. The fight spilled over across the end zone with several punches thrown. Two players were seen grabbing each other’s facemasks. Both benches emptied onto the field before order was restored. Coaches from both sides attempted to rally their players to their respected sidelines.
Brown’s touchdown was eventually called back because time had expired in the third quarter.
The referees made a novel ruling and said every player on both teams all received an unsportsmanlike penalty. However, four players were ejected -- Mississippi State cornerback Cameron Dantzler, linebacker Willie Gay, Jr. and cornerback Jamal Peters, and Ole Miss defensive back C.J. Moore. Gay was ejected because he already committed another unsportsmanlike penalty earlier in the game.
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The tense situation spilled over to the football staff, too.
Mississippi Today reported the teams’ athletic directors – Ross Bjork of Ole Miss and John Cohen of Mississippi State – exchanged words following the game. The verbal fight reportedly started after Mississippi State attempted to plant their school flag on the 50-yard line after defeating Ole Miss 35 to 3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.