No. 7 LSU and No. 22 Texas A&M staged the longest and highest-scoring game in college football history on Saturday night, but the battle between Tigers and Aggies did not end when the final horn sounded.
Cameras captured a fight between LSU and A&M staffers on the field during the mix-and-mingle portion of the post-game festivities.
[Video above & featured photo used are from video taken by Zach Taylor at Newstalk 1620 WTAW.] This photo by The Advocate's Hilary Scheinuk showed a credentialed A&M staffer in an altercation with LSU director of player personnel Kevin Faulk.
According to The Advocate the source of the scuffle was the unnamed A&M staffer throwing a punch at LSU special teams analyst Steve Kragthorpe, who suffers from Parkinson's disease.
Gordy Rush, sideline reporter for LSU radio, said on WDGL-FM 98.1 that after the game was over, Texas A&M wide receiver coach Dameyune Craig ran to the LSU sideline and talked trash. He also said the man wearing the red shirt was the one who punched Kragthorpe.
Kragthorpe was evaluated after the game and is okay, according to the paper.
This video by Ben Baby of the Dallas Morning News appears to show the A&M staffer telling his side of the story to Jimbo Fisher.
Officials from both sides are looking into the matter. Texas A&M won the game, 74-72.
Sunday afternoon update> Glenn Guilbeau who covers the Tigers for the Daily Advertiser spoke with Steve Kragthorpe this afternoon about what happened after the game. This is a bad look for Dameyune Craig and the A&M staffer who hit Kragthorpe. Sources tell us that staffer is Jimbo Fisher's nephew Cole. From Guilbeau's piece: Kragthorpe said Dameyune Craig (who previously coached at LSU and was let go after the 2016 season) came over to the LSU staff "just trash talking and yelling and screaming a bunch of crap. I went up to him and said, 'Hey Dameyune get out of here. You won. You don't need to be doing that. Move along.' and that's when I got hit. I mean, I got nailed. He was a young guy. I'm 53. I'm not going to fight him. I have Parkinson's..." Kragthorpe added, "I didn't go down, but I clutched over. I was like, 'Damn, he got me right in my pacemaker.' Then it started fluttering like he jostled it." Speaking Sunday Kragthorpe added, "I feel OK; but not as good as I was. I felt like he tore something in there. I will be seeing my neurologist in Baton Rouge on Monday." Guilbeau has plenty more details. Hard to imagine the SEC or Texas A&M not taking action on this. We'll keep you updated as more comes to light.
Monday update: The SEC has fined Texas A&M $50,000 per standard conference policy for rushing the field. The conference also says it "remains in contact" with both schools regarding the fight.
Also, video of the post-game has surfaced that shows our man in the red shirt attempting to restrain Craig from the LSU sideline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTayzLEhmSo&feature=youtu.be
And now another angle....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-dFgAKvDtI
Monday evening update: Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle has unearthed new video showing Cole Fisher shoving, but not punching, Steve Kragthorpe. This causes LSU safety John Battle and Tigers staffer Kevin Faulk to start throwing punches.
Jimbo has now issued the following statement:
And now SI's Ross Dellenger brings us video of the beginning of the matter. From Dellenger:
"In the video, Dameyune Craig, a former LSU assistant who now coaches receivers for the Aggies, runs across the field toward Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron, swinging a balled fist in celebration of his team’s win over his former school and the coach who fired him in February 2017. Craig is seen shouting at Orgeron and moving within three feet of the coach before being physically restrained by Fisher, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher’s nephew who is a student manager for the team. The video then shows Craig stalking the LSU sideline confronting other members of the LSU football team, including a close encounter with starting quarterback Joe Burrow, all the while with Fisher attempting to restrain the coach. Toward the end of the clip, Craig bumps into what appears to be a member of the team’s strength staff, prompting several staff members to surround the coach and Fisher seconds before the altercation transpires."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN8Mnd5vaCE
That appears to be LSU strength & conditioning assistant Vic Viloria who slows Craig at the very end. Many a strength coach we know would have been more aggressive in such a situation; but credit Viloria for keeping calm. Prior to joining LSU's staff earlier this year, Viloria spent the past eight seasons working at Florida State with....Jimbo Fisher.