The FIU–Miami football brawl was a bench-clearing brawl that occurred on October 14, 2006, during a college football game between the University of Miami Hurricanes and the Florida International University Golden Panthers (now Panthers) at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, United States.
Background
The main campuses of Florida International University (FIU) and the University of Miami (Miami) are only nine miles (15 km) apart. FIU is a public university located in western Miami, playing at FIU Stadium. Miami is a private university in the suburb of Coral Gables, which at the time played its home games at the Miami Orange Bowl. The game in which the brawl took place was intended to be the first in the "City Line Series," an annual series between the two Miami-area schools. Miami was heavily favored over FIU, which was in its fifth season of football and in its second year in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
The brawl
Throughout the game, players from both teams engaged in trash talk and were increasingly physical. By the third quarter, officials had called seven penalties (six for FIU and one for Miami).
With nine minutes left in the third quarter, Miami H-back James Bryant caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Wright, making the score 13–0 Miami. After scoring, Bryant bowed towards Miami's west end zone, and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.
During the ensuing PAT attempt, FIU safety Chris Smith wrestled Miami holder Matt Perelli to the ground after the kick and appeared to punch him in the chin. FIU cornerback Marshall McDuffie, Jr. kicked Perelli in the head. Miami players, including Calais Campbell, came to Perelli's defense, separating Miami and FIU players. FIU's Lionell Singleton punched Campbell in the back of the helmet, which was quickly followed by retaliation from both teams, escalating the fight to a bench-clearing brawl. Miami's Anthony Reddick swung his helmet at an FIU player and Miami's Brandon Meriweather kicked and stomped on several FIU players. FIU's A'Mod Ned, who was previously injured, came onto the field and swung at Miami players with his crutches. The fight lasted less than two minutes with Florida Highway Patrol officers and FIU campus police coming onto the field to restore order.
Officials needed several minutes to sort out the penalties. Ultimately, thirteen players were assessed 15-yard penalties for fighting and ejected from the game (eight from FIU and five from Miami). Although the unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for fighting offset each other, Miami was forced to kick off from its own 10-yard line due to the original penalty against Bryant (penalized at half the distance to the goal).
After the brawl, while waiting for the game to resume, the Miami team was seen huddled in a circle in the sidelines hopping up and down in what appeared to be a celebratory gesture. There were also several fights in the stands between Miami and FIU fans which were stopped by local police. Former Miami wide receiver Lamar Thomas, who was providing color commentary for the game on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS), made several observations during the fight, enthusiastically proclaiming that the FIU players were being humbled by his former team, in a manner which was not neutral: “Now, that’s what I’m talking about. You come into our house, you should get your behind kicked. You don’t come into the OB [Orange Bowl] playing that stuff. You’re across the ocean over there. You’re across the city. You can’t come over to our place talking noise like that. You’ll get your butt beat. I was about to go down the elevator to get in that thing...I say, why don't we meet outside in the tunnel after the ball game and get it on some more? You don't come into the OB, baby. We've had a down couple of years but you don't come in here talking smack. Not in our house.”
Aftermath
The incident was instantly condemned by all sides. FIU head coach Don Strock said he was "embarrassed" for what happened and said that he would impose sanctions even more severe than any imposed by the Sun Belt Conference, in which FIU played at the time. Miami head coach Larry Coker said he was "shocked and angered" by the brawl but made no promises of further sanctions.
The next day, 31 players from both schools — eighteen from FIU, thirteen from Miami — were handed one-game suspensions by their schools and conferences.