Players from Michigan and Ohio State brawl after the Wolverines beat the No. 2 Buckeyes. Police use pepper spray | World News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan beat No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday as players from the Wolverines tried to place their flag on the OSU logo and from the Buckeyes were confronted.

Police used pepper spray to disperse players who threw punches and shoves in the melee that marred the rivalry game. One officer suffered unspecified injuries and was taken to a hospital, a police union official said.

After the Ohio State players confronted their rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the tip of the Wolverines’ flag and ripped it from the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench. Officers eventually rushed over to try to break up the argument.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understands his players’ actions.

“There are some proud people on our team who weren’t going to stand by and watch this happen,” Day said.

The two Ohio State players who were available after the game brushed off questions about it.

Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, said he didn’t like how the Buckeyes players joined in the Wolverines’ postgame celebration, calling it “classless.”

“When you have a great game like that, you hate to see something like that after the game,” he told Fox Sports in an on-field interview. “It’s just bad for sports, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, you know, some people had to learn how to lose, man… We had 60 minutes, we had four quarters to fight all these battles.”

Ohio State Police said in a statement that “multiple officers from Ohio and Michigan used pepper spray.” University police said they would continue to investigate the fight.

Brian Steel, president of the police union that represents officers in Franklin County, posted on social media that an officer was injured.

“Officers are authorized to use pepper spray to stop attacks and protect themselves and others,” Steel added.

Michigan players were seen rubbing their eyes after being exposed to the chemical irritant.

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said both teams could have handled the situation differently.

“So many emotions on both sides,” he said. “Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest in the country, so we have to do a better job of dealing with it.”

___

Get AP Top 25 poll alerts and updates throughout the season. Sign up here. AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.