Twelve Memphis Tiger Football players will face penalties for their part in the fight that broke out between them and BYU at the Miami Bowl Game.
After further review, the University of Memphis released a statement Tuesday afternoon. The penalized players will be suspended from all team activities including practices, scrimmages and up to one-half to two games.
The penalties also include mandatory anger-management counseling, community service hours and team-regulated punishments.
It was just after sophomore defensive back DaShaughn Terry slid to the ground after pulling down an interception to defeat BYU in double overtime that Memphis players swarmed the field to celebrate the school’s first bowl victory since 2005.
The celebration lasted all but three minutes before turning into a violent brawl between the two teams.
Coach Justin Fuente explained how he was disappointed in the way his team acted and hopes it doesn’t tarnish what they’ve accomplished.
“It’s not who we are,” Head coach Justin Fuente said in the post game press conference. “It’s not what we want to represent. I hope it doesn’t take away from an incredible football game on both sides. You can work hard and try to do the right things time and time again, but five seconds of lapsed judgment can stick with you for a long time.”
The fight appeared to be initiated by BYU offensive lineman Tejan Koroma, who shoved Memphis senior defensive end Martin Ifedi as he celebrated the victory. Ifedi retaliated and soon after the majority of teams stormed at one another, whether it was to fight back or to help separate the two squads.
After about five minutes of chaos the teams were finally separated, leaving a few players with injuries — the worst of which was a bloodied gash below BYU defensive back Kai Nacua’s left eye.
The postgame fight was unacceptable, according to Memphis Athletic Director Tom Bowen. Memphis will use the penalties as an example of accountability for their student-athletes, Bowen said.
"We hold our student-athletes to the highest standards of sportsmanship and personal conduct at the University of Memphis," Bowen said in a press release. "The actions of a few members of our football program in Miami were completely unacceptable. I can assure our community, fans and stakeholders that we have and will continue to hold our young men and women accountable and will use this unfortunate incident as a teaching tool for all our student-athletes moving forward."
Both teams will also have player-representatives conduct a conference call to formally apologize.
American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco echoed Bowen’s sentiment on accountability and explained how the conference’s athletes are held to high standards.
“The American Athletic Conference and our member schools expect the highest standard of conduct from our student-athletes and those who fail to meet these expectations will be held accountable," Aresco said in a press release. “I want to commend the University of Memphis and BYU for arranging the conference call with the Memphis and BYU captains and head coaches, which provides an opportunity to apologize for this incident and to promote the spirit of sportsmanship. The actions can also be a learning experience for the student-athletes involved.”
The 12 players to be suspended will be announced at the beginning of the 2015 season.
