Referee bleeds as tempers fly at Military Bowl with players shoving and pushing in middle of field

A thrilling Military Bowl matchup between East Carolina and North Carolina State took an ugly turn in its final moments, as tensions boiled over into a chaotic brawl. East Carolina secured a dramatic 26-21 victory thanks to Rahjai Harris’ stunning 86-yard touchdown run, but the post-play skirmish left a lasting mark, literally.

The fight erupted after ECU receiver Yannick Smith appeared to swipe a towel from NC State’s Tamarcus Cooley, sparking a heated confrontation.

Amid the chaos, umpire Rod Tucker was struck in the face by a helmet, leaving him bloodied under his eye, per ESPN. Eight players were ejected (three from ECU and five from NC State) as Referee Jonathan Noli read out the names from an index card, bringing a sobering end to an otherwise exciting game.

This marks the second consecutive game for NC State marred by a major altercation, following a postgame scuffle in their regular-season finale against UNC. While ECU celebrated a comeback win, the brawl overshadowed what could have been a memorable finish to a competitive game.

East Carolina Pirates edge past the NC State Wolfpack in the Military Bowl

The East Carolina Pirates edged out the NC State Wolfpack 26-21 in a nail-biting Military Bowl showdown on Saturday night. However, the excitement on the field turned chaotic in the final minute when both teams broke into a heated brawl. These rivals won’t have to wait long to settle the score as they’re set to face off again in next season’s opener.

“I’m embarrassed as a coach,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said after the game [via The Chicago Tribune]. “I know our players are too. That is not how people of this program, the players of this program, staff of this program, want anything to do with something like that.

“To me, it was a terrible response to something that happened to one of our players, and there’s no excuses for it. So I apologize to ECU and their team for the way we responded.”

The drama didn’t stop there. Late in the fourth quarter, ECU appeared to score a game-changing touchdown after Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled the ball, but officials ruled Bailey down. The Wolfpack punted, giving the Pirates another shot and they capitalized.

Three plays later, Rahjai Harris broke loose for an 86-yard touchdown run, sealing the win with just 1:33 left on the clock. Harris delivered a historic performance, rushing for 214 yards to set a new Military Bowl record.

ECU controlled much of the game, leading 13-7 at halftime and extending their advantage to 20-7 entering the fourth quarter. Despite NC State’s late rally, the Pirates’ resilience and Harris’s heroics carried them to victory in the Military Bowl.