Bench Clearing Brawl at Miami-FIU Game

[SFCRamFan]

Bench-clearing brawl interrupts Miami-FIU game

Associated Press





MIAMI -- A sideline-clearing brawl interrupted the third quarter of the Florida International-Miami game Saturday night, prompting the ejection of 13 players in the first meeting between the South Florida rivals.

FIU had eight players ejected, Miami had five. It was the first on-field fight in FIU's five-year football history, school officials said.

Florida International's ejected players were wide receiver Chandler Williams, defensive backs Lionell Singleton, Chris Smith and Marshall McDuffie Jr., fullback John Ellis, linebacker Mannie Wellington, tight end Samuel Smith and defensive end Jarvis Penerton.

The ejected Miami players were offensive linemen Derrick Morse and Chris Barney, running back Charlie Jones, and cornerbacks Carlos Armour and Bruce Johnson.

All 13 players are expected to be suspended for one game.

The fight started shortly after Jon Peattie's extra point with 9:00 left in the third quarter gave Miami a 14-0 lead. Both sidelines quickly emptied, with several fights breaking out during the melee before order was restored.

The brawl lasted about five minutes, and it took officials several more minutes to sort out the penalties. Players from both sides appeared to be swinging helmets, and one injured FIU player came onto the field swinging a crutch at Miami players.

More than two dozen uniformed police officers came onto the field, trying to end the fights.

Several minutes after order was restored on the field, one fight broke out among fans in the northwest corner of the end zone, with more than 12 police officers running into the stands to break up that melee. More officers, including some wearing helmets, continued to surround the perimeter of the field.

Tensions ran high throughout the evening, with several instances of players exchanging heated words at the end of plays.

But emotions quickly boiled over after Miami's second touchdown.

James Bryant caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Wright, then drew a 15-yard flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. After that catch, he appeared to point at the FIU bench, then took a theatrical bow.

Moments later, Peattie kicked the extra point and the brawl started.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press


This thing was brutal...If you get a chance check it out. It looked more like a gang fight than a football game. Jeez...

[Nick]

Brandon Meriweather pretty much just cost himself a first round selection, from what I hear. Guess he pulled a Marcus Vick on some guy multiple times.

[Nick]

Here's the video.

[SFCRamFan]

Miami, FIU have 31 players suspended for role in brawlBy TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
October 15, 2006
AP - Oct 15, 12:59 pm EDT

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- After reviewing a sideline-clearing brawl between players from Miami and Florida international, officials from both schools and their conferences on Sunday announced the suspension of 31 players -- 13 from the Hurricanes, and 18 from FIU.
Each suspended player must sit out his team's next game for taking part in the ugly melee that marred the team's Saturday matchup. Miami plays at Duke Oct. 21, FIU plays at Alabama Oct. 28.
More sanctions are still possible, officials from both schools said Sunday night.
"These suspensions send a clear and definitive message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated," said Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford.
The ACC and Miami suspended Carlos Armour, Chris Barney, James Bryant, Tyrone Byrd, DajLeon Farr, Ryan Hill, Bruce Johnson, Charlie Jones, Brandon Meriweather, Brian Monroe, Derrick Morse, Randy Phillips and Anthony Reddick.

"I don't have many bad days," Miami coach Larry Coker said Sunday morning, long before the suspensions were announced shortly after 10 p.m. "This is a bad day. And last night was a bad night."

Meanwhile, officials from the Sun Belt Conference and FIU suspended Michael Alls, Scott Bryant, Roland Clark, Michael Dominquez, John Ellis, Cory Fleming, Reginald Jones, Marshall McDuffie Jr., Robert Mitchell, Quintin Newman, Luis Pena, Jarvis Penerton, Julian Reams, Lionell Singleton, Chris Smith, Samuel Smith, Mannie Wellington and Chandler Williams.
"There is no place in higher education for the type of conduct exhibited," Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Wright Waters said.
There were many instances of heated words being exchanged during -- and even before -- the game.
But shortly after halftime, unsportsmanlike turned into unruly.
Bryant pointed at the FIU bench and bowed to the crowd after catching a touchdown pass with 9 minutes left in the third quarter. Moments later, FIU's Chris Smith wrestled Miami holder Matt Perrelli to the ground and punched him.
McDuffie kicked Perrelli in the helmet. Morse jumped onto the Smith-Perrelli pile, Singleton followed and tried to punch the Hurricanes' Calais Campbell -- and benches began to empty.
"You've got to back up each other," said Miami quarterback Kyle Wright. "You're not just going to sit out there and let guys get beat up."
Several players from both sides appeared to throw punches. Meriweather was seen attempting to stomp on FIU players, while an injured Golden Panther swung a crutch menacingly at several Miami players.
Meanwhile, Reddick charged across the field, helmet raised over his head, and slammed it into Mitchell.
"Disgraceful," Coker said.

Updated on Sunday, Oct 15, 2006 10:35 pm EDT

[Fat Pang]

That looks pretty disgraceful, but I've seen first hand how these things can get out of hand on more than one occasion.

Once I was in a college game when our FS got flagged for taunting after a big special teams stop. A brawl broke out which ended up in our team getting flagged for 45 yards worth of penalties. We were the visitng team which may explain the disaparity in punishment, but the thing that struck me was just how quickly these things can blow up.

I was also stumped about the fact that they totted up a late hit, taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty into a total of 45 yards. I'd always thought that these weren't cumulative and that only the worst penalty would count.

Football doesn't need it.

[thoey]

To me, there should be several "boys" on these two teams that should never play college ball again.

[HUbison]

Originally Posted by Sarge

It looked more like a gang fight than a football game.

gang fight....south florida college football. Is there a difference?

[AvengerRam]

As an alum of UM (law), I'm embarrassed. Coker must go.

Here's my dream scenario: Mike Martz as UM's head coach (I think he'd make a great college coach).

[SFCRamFan]

Originally Posted by HUbison

gang fight....south florida college football. Is there a difference?

It sure seems that way doesn't it?? I would be a bit upset if I was an alumni of either school. I guess that footbal games in Florida morph into hockey games or scrums...