Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below.
Three players were ejected as a brawl broke out between Florida and Missouri at the end of the first half of the Gators’ 41-17 win in Gainesville on Saturday night.
Florida apparently took exception to a hit quarterback Kyle Trask sustained from Missouri’s Trajan Jeffcoat on the final play of the half, touching off a wild scuffle that saw multiple punches thrown by players.
[lawrence-related id=27220]
Zachary Carter and Antwaun Powell were tossed from the game for Florida, while Missouri saw Tre Williams ejected from the contest. Every player on both teams was also assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, per the broadcast.
Even the coaches got into it, with Florida’s Dan Mullen and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz appearing to exchange words before engaging in a slightly calmer conversation involving the referees.
Three players were ejected from the Florida-Missouri game following a brawl that unfolded at the end of the first half. pic.twitter.com/GTavCznk6B
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 1, 2020
Walking off the field with his team up 20-7 after the madness subsided, Mullen briefly came back out to pump up the crowd.
SEC Network says Dan Mullen told them he was trying to get his team off the field. He went after a ref on the field, according to the tape. And then he did this after the field was cleared. pic.twitter.com/PPw1t8kJZy
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) November 1, 2020
In an almost more-ridiculous scene postgame, Mullen showed up to his press conference dressed as villainous Star Wars character Darth Vader (though he said the Halloween costume just happened to be the only one lying around Florida’s facility).
Dan Mullen is here. I'm serious pic.twitter.com/KRtBRRjiW8
— Nick de la Torre (@NickdelaTorreGC) November 1, 2020
“Everyone’s running to the locker room and it keeps spilling down that way,” the Vader-suited Mullen said of how the confrontation between his team and the Tigers escalated. “Really unfortunate situation. It’s not something we condone, obviously. It’s not something that you really want to see in the game at all.”
Dan Mullen dressed as Darth Vader discussing the fight between #Mizzou and the #Gators just before halftime
I know it is Halloween. But 2020 is getting really weird yall. pic.twitter.com/MiC8jea4vQ
— Daren Stoltzfus (@DarenStoltzfus) November 1, 2020
“I don’t know why they were running over to our hash,” Missouri’s Drinkwitz said. “I have no idea what they were yelling about. We’ll take a look at the film and I’m sure we’ll find out more tomorrow when we watch the tape. Film doesn’t lie.”
Supplemental discipline is almost surely coming from the SEC after this brawl.
Florida, playing its first game since Oct. 10 following a COVID-19 outbreak within the team that included Mullen contracting the virus, plays rival Georgia next week. Missouri is off, but plays the No. 5 Bulldogs in two weeks.
“It’s an ugly scene,” Drinkwitz said of the brawl. “It’s an ugly scene for football, an ugly scene for college football. I’m not proud of it. I don’t know who started it. We’ve got to figure it out and we’ve got to get it fixed. It’s disappointing.”
Contributing: Associated Press
[lawrence-related id=27178,27185,27141,27132]
[vertical-gallery id=27231]