How the postgame fight between Michigan and MSU started and Sherrone Moore’s reaction

Here is how the fight began, if you didn’t know. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For the first time in a few years, there didn’t seem to be many shenanigans in the Michigan-MSU football game, and both teams seemed rather well-behaved.

Michigan State had one targeting penalty and that player was ejected, but there weren’t the usual multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, and the game was mostly clean.

That was similar to the last time the rivals played at Michigan Stadium. However, in the aftermath of that game came the altercation in the Lloyd Carr tunnel that became the talk of college football in the immediate aftermath.

This game stayed clean — until time was nearly expired. Michigan, having just produced a first down that enabled it to go into victory formation, took a knee on the next snap. Then all hell (briefly) broke loose. Tight end Colston Loveland was headbutted and the rival teams suddenly found themselves in a bit of a brawl.

It wasn’t long-lasting, and the teams were removed from the field. Michigan players waved bye to the MSU contingent heading toward the tunnel.

It turns out, Loveland was doing some jawing, and that led to defensive lineman Anthony Jones’ reaction.

“You know how it is, just the rivalry, just a lot of talking, shoving,” Loveland said. “Like I said, we respect them, just kind of heat of the moment type stuff. Super glad got the win — onto the next week.”

Head coach Sherrone Moore wasn’t happy any of it happened: the jawing or the reaction to the reaction. As he said in his postgame press conference, that’s not what Michigan stands for, and he’ll handle the issue internally.

“I told the team it’s unacceptable, regardless of what happened and how it started,” Moore said. “There’s guys chirping at us and us responding. And the guy headbutted Colston at the end, and our job is to represent these universities, not to respond to that, is to let the refs handle that. So something that we’ll handle internally and make sure we take care of. But that’s not Michigan football. That’s not who we are.”

Michigan has won three straight over rival MSU, and the Spartans will have a chip on their shoulders after the way this game ended, at the very least.