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Boca Raton Bowl: Fight breaks out between Louisville, Toledo in final minutes

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz12/23/25NickSchultz_7

Tensions ran high in the final minutes of Tuesday’s Boca Raton Bowl. A fight broke out on the sideline between Louisville and Toledo just after the two-minute timeout.

With 1:53 to go in the matchup, Keyjuan Brown ran out of bounds after a 14-yard gain. However, a scrum ensued from there as players from both teams got into it.

The officials threw multiple flags on the play, but they resulted in offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. No players were ejected.

None of the penalties were called on the tackle, though. The ESPN broadcast raised questions about that decision, but rules analyst Jerry McGinn said there were other factors in play.

“It could have,” McGinn said. “But what they’re looking at is, that defender was in the process of tackling the player and he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t immediately stop and he just went to the ground. It’s not a fun situation for the officials.”

However, McGinn added there could have been the case for a penalty on the defender. He said there was perhaps some additional contact, but the officials didn’t call it.

“It’s tough for him to stop,” McGinn said. “I think you realize he can’t just immediately stop. Quite honestly, yes, they could’ve had a flag on him. But they didn’t go with it. … He may have gotten away with a little extra.”

Louisville went up early on Toledo in Tuesday’s bowl game, taking a 7-3 lead into halftime. The Cardinals then added to their advantage, going up 21-3 at one point in the fourth quarter. Toledo then scored a touchdown with just over 10 minutes to play and added a field goal to get back within a score.

Then, things got interesting. UL scored a touchdown, but Toledo blocked the PAT and ran it back for a two-point conversion, giving the Rockets the ball with 5:03 to play, down 27-16. They capitalized as Chip Trayanum punched in a touchdown with 2:24 to go, but could not get two-point conversion. That kept it at a 27-22 Louisville lead.

As a result, Louisville got to partake in a one-of-a-kind tradition after the victory. The Cardinals got to eat Bush’s beans out of the Boca Raton Bowl trophy with comedian Keegan-Michael Key leading the postgame festivities. After all, the bowl’s full name is the Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans.