Michigan win over Michigan State ends with punches thrown

Michigan win over Michigan State ends with punches thrown

Michigan win over Michigan State ends with punches thrown

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Tensions flared during Saturday night's game as Michigan tight end Colston Loveland and Michigan State defensive end Anthony Jones engaged in a physical altercation, pushing, shoving, and butting helmets as the clock wound down. The confrontation escalated into a skirmish, with players from both teams throwing punches.


"It was just heat-of-the-moment stuff," Loveland said during a postgame news conference following Michigan's 24-17 victory.


Loveland seemed to maintain his composure while addressing the media. On the field, he remarked to BTN, "Lil bro stay doing little bro things. MSU is the little bro; they can do whatever they want. We knew it was going to get chippy. We handle everything within the game, but if they want to get busy after, we’ll get busy."


As quarterback Davis Warren took a knee to let the clock run out, Loveland and Jones became entangled, prompting players from both sidelines to rush in to join the fray.


"I told the team that behavior was unacceptable," said Michigan coach Sherrone Moore.


Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith also expressed disappointment, stating, "You don’t love finishing kind of that way."


This altercation recalls the last encounter between the teams at Michigan's home stadium two years ago, which ended in a violent melee in the tunnel, resulting in Spartans hitting, kicking, and even using a helmet against Michigan players. Seven Michigan State players faced criminal charges, and the Big Ten subsequently fined the school $100,000. Michigan was also reprimanded for not ensuring adequate safety for both teams’ personnel during entrance and exit from the venue.