The fight on the field between players from N.C. State and ECU took place with 33 seconds remaining, after a late interception sealed a comeback win in the Military Bowl for the Pirates.

During the altercation, an ECU player shoved an NC State player from behind, and the NC State player's helmet hit the ref in the face.

In the final minute of East Carolina’s 26-21 win over North Carolina State, the two teams got into a fight that sparked eight ejections, as The Athletic ‘s Chris Vannini noted. During the brouhaha, one of the officials took a helmet to the face and walked away with a bloody injury under one of his eyes.