newshound

ATLANTA (AP) - Miami waited until after the Peach Bowl to put up a fight. Miami and LSU players exchanged punches in the tunnel as they left the field Friday night after the Tigers' 40-3 victory, the Hurricanes' most lopsided bowl loss.

Matt Flynn threw two touchdown passes in his first start for No. 10 LSU (11-2) and the Tigers attempted two late fake kicks against the No. 9 Hurricanes (9-3).

Georgia State Patrol officers intervened in the brawl, with one officer holding a Taser while trying to prevent more players from entering the tunnel.

Minutes later, Miami's Andrew Bain, appearing to be dazed, was escorted by officers out of the tunnel. Miami coach Larry Coker said Bain and teammate Khalil Jones were knocked unconscious, but no players were detained by police.


Jones was taken to a hospital for observation, Coker said Saturday morning.


``I don't know what happened and I don't condone it,'' Coker said the night before.


While players surged to the tunnel, LSU coach Les Miles was surrounded by reporters on the field.


``It really did surprise me to find out there was a problem,'' Miles said.


LSU tailback Joseph Addai, who ran for 130 yards and a touchdown and added a touchdown catch, insisted the Tigers ``try to play with class.''


``We play with our helmets and you see it on the scoreboard,'' Addai said.


LSU's Jacob Hester, who ran for 70 yards and a touchdown, said trash-talking began as normal banter and involved Tigers receiver Dwayne Bowe, a Miami native.


``We had a guy who is from Miami who was kidding around with one of his boys,'' Hester said. ``Miami thought it was something serious. They came in the tunnel and they were swinging, but it was just a joke between friends.''


After a few minutes, LSU players were back on the field celebrating the win.


Miami players weren't available for comment after the game.


In other bowl games Friday, No. 17 UCLA beat Northwestern 50-38 in the Sun Bowl, Virginia edged Minnesota 34-31 in the Music City Bowl, and Missouri beat South Carolina 38-31 in the Independence Bowl.


Led by Flynn, LSU scored on eight straight possessions starting with a field goal late in the first quarter. Flynn completed 13 of 22 passes for 196 yards with no interceptions and was selected the offensive MVP.


``I was just trying to get the ball to the athletes around me,'' Flynn said.


LSU attempted a fake field goal while leading 34-3 late in the third quarter and failed on a fake punt with a 40-3 lead. Miles said he called for the fake field goal, but that his players called for the fake punt.


``They can call whatever play they want to,'' Coker said. ``It is our job to stop it.''


LSU piled up 468 yards, the most allowed by Miami this season. The Hurricanes entered the game leading the nation in pass defense and ranked third in total defense.


The Tigers were just as impressive on defense, holding Miami to 153 yards and six first downs - none in the second half. Kyle Wright completed 10 of 21 passes for 100 yards for Miami.


LSU's dominant performance negated Miami's plan to use cornerback Devin Hester as a multiple threat on offense. On Miami's first possession, Hester lined up at tailback and receiver and took a direct snap.


LSU had its largest margin of victory in a bowl game, easily surpassing its 45-26 win over Michigan in the 1995 Independence Bowl. Miami's previous most-lopsided loss in a bowl game was a 29-0 loss to Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 1994.


Sports Illustrated


I don't know, they make it sound like LSU started it, but that wasn't the case. I was at the game and saw what happened. Miami was talking trash all in the pre-game and then after the game 3 of them charged the LSU locker room. It was complete BS.

Our players after the game were trying to shake hands with Miami players and they were turning their backs on the LSU players and refused to shake hands. It was one of the worst showing of poor sportsmanship I've ever seen in my life and I played football and had seen some bad stuff.

kitavis

Wait till you see Tulames response this fall.