COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tempers flared after Michigan’s victory at No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday as players from both teams clashed at midfield when the Wolverines attempted to plant their flag on the Buckeyes’ home turf. A skirmish ensued as both teams pushed and shoved before being separated.
Ohio State spokesman Dan Hedman said police officers from multiple agencies broke up the scuffle. “During this scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray,” he said in a statement.
Hedman said the OSU Police Department is the lead agency investigating the matter.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day addressed the clash at a postgame press conference, saying that he didn’t “know all the details” about what unfolded but added, “I know that these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren’t going to let that happen.”
“This is our field and certainly we’re embarrassed with the fact that we lost the game but there’s some prideful guys on this team that weren’t just gonna let that happen,” Day said. He said he spoke with the team following the incident.
Day said he thinks everybody involved in the brawl is OK, noting a “couple things kinda crazy that went on down there.”
When asked at a postgame press conference if there was fault on either side, Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said, “It was emotions on both sides.”
“Rivalry games can get heated, especially this one,” he said. “It’s the biggest one in the country, so we got to handle that better.”
Moore said he addressed the incident in the locker room with his team and plans to do so again. He added that the team is excited it won the game, and that he’s “proud of our guys.”
Michigan running back Kalel Mullings commented on the brawl during a postgame interview from the field.
“For such a great game you hate to see stuff like that after the game,” he said. “At the end of the day … they gotta learn how to lose, man.”
The Wolverines stunned the Buckeyes 13-10 on Dominic Zvada’s 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left, likely ending the Buckeyes ’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game next week.
Late in the game, Kalel Mullings broke away for a 27-yard run, setting up the Wolverines (7-5, 5-4) at Ohio State’s 17-yard line with two minutes remaining. The drive stalled at the 3, and Zvada came on for the chip shot.
Ohio State (10-2, 7-2) got the ball back but couldn’t move it, with Will Howard throwing incomplete on fourth down to seal the Wolverines’ fourth straight win over their bitter rival.
This loss might have been the toughest of those four for Ohio State because the Wolverines were unranked and were wrapping up a disappointing season. The Buckeyes were supposed to win, but records rarely mean much when these two teams meet.
The Buckeyes were off all afternoon. Howard was 19 for 33 for 175 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and Jayden Fielding missed two field-goal attempts. The run game was hardly there.
Mullings was Michigan’s primary weapon. He rushed for 116 yards and the Wolverines only touchdown of the game in the first half as neither team could get much going offensively on the frigid afternoon.
Howard was clunky all day. In the first half he threw an interception from deep in his own territory that led to Michigan’s touchdown.
