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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State players roughed up Michigan defensive back Ja’Den McBurrows in the Michigan Stadium tunnel following their game Saturday night.
After the fourth-ranked Wolverines beat the Spartans 29-7, social media posts showed at least three Michigan State players pushing, punching and kicking McBurrows in and near a hallway that does not lead to either locker room.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said a second player, who he did not identify, was also attacked.
“Two of our players were assaulted," Harbaugh said. “I saw on the one video. Ten on one. It was pretty bad."
Michigan athletic director Warde Maneul said the police and Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren are looking into the fracas.
“What happened after the game was completely unacceptable," Manuel said. “I talked to the commissioner. He's looking into it. The police is looking into it because they've seen the video. This is not how we should interact after the game.
“This is not what the rivalry should be about. It should not be how it is remembered."
It is the second straight game at Michigan that included an altercation in the long, narrow tunnel that goes from the locker rooms to the field.
Earlier this month, Penn State coach James Franklin said a policy change was needed to keep the process of teams using the tunnel more orderly.
A lot of heated words were exchanged and Michigan players said Penn State players threw peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at them as the teams headed to the locker room at halftime of a close game that the Wolverines won in a 41-17 rout on Oct. 15.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Franklin acted as a “ringleader” and claimed the Nittany Lions stopped in the tunnel to prevent his team from accessing its locker room.
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