Before the Armed Forces Bowl even kicked off, Mississippi State and Tulsa players got into it. A tense pregame staredown turned into a full-on flex contest. Players chest-bumped, taunted, and nearly came to blows. Things calmed down long enough for the teams to play the game, which Mississippi State won. But the fireworks weren’t over.
After the final whistle, a postgame brawl exploded. It started with shouting during handshakes, escalated to full smacks and punches. Players grabbed helmets, whipped towels, threw kicks. Number 7 from Tulsa got caught in the middle, tackled, kicked, then got up looking for more. Number 4 from Mississippi State delivered a quick towel whip and shoulder kick before running off. Number 9 ripped off a helmet and tried swinging but slipped and fell. Tensions peaked when number 11 from Tulsa launched himself onto number 19, sparking another pileup.
Some players stayed out, others jumped in. Coaches and staff tried building walls to separate the teams, but chaos took over. The fight wound down with players slowly breaking apart, still jawing, backing up while pretending to leave. Mississippi State got the win. But few will remember the score. They’ll remember the fights before and after the game.