BYU football coach says players will be suspended for bowl-game brawl

It may have been lost in what is the marathon of mediocrity that is college football bowl week, but Memphis’ double-overtime triumph over Brigham Young in the Miami Beach Bowl on Dec. 22 was arguably one of the best games of the season.

And then there was a fight. An ugly, postgame brawl between the two teams marred what was otherwise a surprisingly exciting game.

Both athletic departments promised players would be disciplined for their roles in fight, and Memphis followed through by suspending 12 players on Jan. 20.

As for BYU, the university seems to be dragging its heels on dishing out punishment to players who were involved in the melee. It has been more than two months since the fight and the team has yet to suspend anyone.

According to the Deseret News, that’s about to change.

BYU Coach Bronco Mendenhall said Monday that around 10 players are facing suspension, but said the university probably wouldn’t announce the suspensions until the week of the Cougars’ season opener.

“We’ll try to maintain a competitive advantage as long as we can, and protect the kids as much as we can,” Mendenhall said. “I think everyone knows I thrive on accountability and don’t back away from it, especially at BYU. So I’m comfortable with who we’re disciplining and how. I’d like to protect our players as much as we can.”

BYU opens the season against Nebraska on Sept. 5.