Sideline brawl breaks out in final moments of Louisville-Toledo bowl game over late hit

The final moments of Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl descended into chaos Tuesday night.

Leading Toledo 27-22 with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Louisville opted to run it on a first-and-10 at the Rockets’ 33, with running back Issac Brown getting the rock.

Brown rushed for six yards on the play and was taken out of bounds by a Toledo defender, only for another member of the Rockets to come in late for a hit.

Tensions boiled over from there, with Brown’s teammates coming to his defense on the sideline as more Toledo players made their way to the scene, and pushing and shoving ensued.

“Absolutely the last thing you want to see in what has been a hard-fought, well-played bowl game is a scrum on the Louisville sideline,” an announcer said on the ESPN broadcast.

“… Louisville clearly taking issue with the late hit.”

The referees, who attempted to break up the fracas, then gathered on the field as the dust settled and handed out unsportsmanlike conduct penalties to both teams.

Brown, a sophomore, rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

“Really happy for this group of guys that we were able to finish the season off the way that we did,” Louisville quarterback Miller Moss said after his final collegiate game. “On to the next journey, but I’m really grateful for this chapter in my life.”

The Cardinals finished the season at 9-4 in their third year under coach Jeff Brohm.

It remains to be seen what’s next for the 54-year-old Brohm, who has been linked to the Michigan vacancy following Sherrone Moore’s firing over an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer and subsequent arrest.

Brohm was asked about the Wolverines rumors following Tuesday’s game.

“Well, I don’t speak on other jobs,” Brohm said, according to Sports Illustrated. “I’m happy with this one and happy we got the victory, and we’re gonna enjoy that.”