The inaugural Miami Beach Bowl on Monday was memorable. What happened afterward was, too, just not in a good way.
A brawl broke out, complete with sucker punches and swinging helmets, after Memphis beat BYU, 55-48, in two overtimes.
ESPN cameras captured BYU starting safety Kai Nucua throwing a sucker punch at Memphis tight end Alan Cross, who wasn't wearing a helmet. Nucua, a sophomore, already was bloodied as fights between players had broken out all over the field.
Memphis offensive lineman Chase Johnson, a freshman, was captured swinging his helmet at a BYU player.
As for what happened during the game, the win gave Memphis a 10-3 mark; the Tigers had won 10 games in the previous four seasons combined, and this was their first 10-win season since 1938. BYU finished 8-5.
The bowl was played at Marlins Park in Miami. The baseball stadium was built on the site of the old Orange Bowl, and that stadium featured one of the biggest brawls in college football history during a game between Miami and Florida International in 2006. A total of 31 players -- 18 from FIU and 13 from Miami -- were suspended for their roles in the brawl.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
