Several Michigan State football players punched and kicked a Michigan football player as the two teams headed to their locker rooms following the Wolverines’ 29-7 fourth-place win on Saturday at Ann Tree.
UM sporting director Warde Manuel said “the police are looking into the matter, and it’s because they saw the video”. UM Deputy Police Chief Melissa Overton said an investigation is underway in partnership with MSU police and the Michigan Athletic Department and Football Program.
“We’ll leave it in their hands,” Manuel said. “But that’s not how we should interact after a game. That’s not how another team should grab a player and do what they did. It’s completely and utterly unacceptable.
After a few MSU sideline support staff yelled at the referees as they left the Michigan Stadium tunnel for a side lane, a scrum turned into a scrum behind them. At least three Spartans – Zion Young, Itayvion Brown and Angelo Grose – fought with UM’s Ja’Den McBurrows moments in the tunnel after the final horn. All three threw punches at the player and Young tried to kick him while he was on the ground.
A number of other players, including Jayden Reed, Tyrell Henry and Daniel Barker, were in the vicinity of the incident and were pushed back into a hallway where three reporters watched and filmed the escalation. Other MSU players tried to drag their teammates away from the UM player. A police officer also observed the incident in the hallway and attempted to restrain Brown as the initial scuffle began to die down.
As he did, the rest of the Michigan team began heading up the tunnel after McBurrows escaped the pile and retreated up the catwalk under the East Stand. Players from both teams continued to bark and swear at each other as coaches tried to get them out of the tunnel into their respective locker rooms.
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It was unclear if anyone else was involved in the physical altercation before the group reached the hallway.
Asked what happened in the tunnel, MSU coach Mel Tucker replied, “I don’t know.”
Talked about player fights, Tucker said. “I know it was a heated game. Things were heating up. We were trying to get our guys into the dressing room. We’ll have to figure out what happened.
Tucker said he didn’t discuss it with his team once they got there.
“I didn’t address it, because I had nothing to settle,” he said. “Because I don’t know what happened. We will have to figure it out.
Another video later emerged on social media of a fan leaning down from the bleachers and touching Tucker’s head as he walked up the tunnel. The third-year MSU coach pushed the man’s hand away, then appeared to come back at him as the 3-second video ended.
When asked how it was inside after the win and scrimmage, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh called his postgame interview with his team “weird.”
“We were taking care of that,” he said. “Like everyone else, you want to protect your players. Ten to one or whatever, that was just bad.
Harbaugh added: “I’m disappointed it happened to two of our players,” but it’s unclear who the second player he was referring to was and whether it was a separate incident. Only McBurrows featured in the videos shot by reporters, although another video as the players entered the tunnel showed UM cornerback Gemon Green also working with MSU players.
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Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren was also present at the game. The conference released a statement after the game: “The Big Ten Conference is aware of an incident tonight at Michigan Stadium between student-athletes from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. The conference is currently collecting information, will thoroughly investigate the fact, and take appropriate action.”
“We’ll let the Big Ten and law enforcement deal with it,” Manuel said. “But that’s not what a rivalry should be. And that’s not how it should be remembered.
“We won on the pitch. (Harbaugh) and his team and those players went out there and won. And for that to happen is unacceptable. And that’s all I’m going to say. I have to let Kevin and law enforcement handle this from now on.
Manuel did not confirm which UM player was involved, but did refer to the video.
Michigan State Athletic Director Alan Haller released a statement shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday about the incident: “I have been in contact with Commissioner Warren. We will cooperate with the conference office and other efforts to gather more information.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.
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