Bleeding ref (Photo via ESPN)
The Go Bowling Military Bowl between East Carolina and NC State got so out of hand that eight players were ejected in an all-out brawl that led to one of the referees getting a cut that caused bleeding.

East Carolina sealed the Go Bowling Military Bowl when Dontavius Nash picked off CJ Bailey’s pass attempt with less than a minute remaining. That play put the final stamp on a 26-21 victory for Blake Harrell’s group.

The brawl led to eight player ejections, with one of the referees suffering a cut that led to noticeable cut and blood on his face.

As you can see in the videos below, it appears that the brawl commenced after East Carolina’s Yannick Smith grabbed the towel of Tamarcus Cooley on NC State:

Five Wolfpack players were ejected from the game, while three East Carolina players were tossed for their involvement in the brouhaha.

East Carolina Wins Their First Military Bowl

Saturday’s 26-21 victory marked the first Military Bowl victory for the Pirates’ football program. The school was supposed to play Boston College in the 2021 game, but it was canceled due to COVID-19.

At long last, the Pirates have the Military Bowl added to their football team’s trophy room.