Postgame Brawl Turns Cajuns’ Triumph Into a Black Mark on the Sun Belt

BY: FISHBOWL SPORTS As the game was winding down with the Cajuns in victory formation, they were poised to celebrate keeping their bowl chances alive with the win over Texas State, but the embers of a brawl that would ensue was started during the kneel down in a Texas State player threw a punch at a Cajun player while the game was still going on. After the game, the Cajuns & Bobcats shook hands, then a brawl broke out at midfield, and on video, a Cajun player was caught swinging his helmet, hitting some Texas State players and staff. Punches were thrown, and shoving between the two sides took place as both staff tried to break up the fight. We here at Fishbowl Sports compiled a timeline of what exactly happened up until this point. 4th quarter, final plays — final seconds (before 0:00)

• Final series / victory formation: Louisiana takes a knee to run out the clock and ice the game. This is the traditional “victory formation” sequence.

• Spark during the kneel: While the Cajuns were kneeling, a Texas State player (reported as DE Tymere Jackson) threw a punch at a Louisiana player. This punch is widely reported as the initial escalation that set the tone for what followed.

0:00 — Final whistle

• Officials blow the whistle; the scoreboard reads Louisiana 42, Texas State 39. Players from both teams begin the routine of meeting near midfield, exchanging handshakes and brief words.

Handshake line / first postgame contacts (first 15 seconds after the whistle)

• The handshake/meet-and-greet begins. Tension from the late on-field punch carries into this moment. Players are clustered near the Ragin’ Cajuns logo at midfield. Several heated words are exchanged; video shows pushing beginning to develop.

Escalation at midfield

• The pushing turns into shoving and then into punches. Multiple players from both teams throw hands. At least one Louisiana player is clearly seen swinging a helmet during the melee — the helmet contact appears to land on Texas State players/staff in some videos. Dozens of players and some staff converge to break up the fighting.

Melee continues; moves toward tunnel/exit

• The scuffle follows some players toward the tunnel/exit area. Video clips posted online show fragments of fighting continuing in the tunnel area, with staff trying to pull people apart. Reports indicate at least one Louisiana player was struck in the tunnel as the confrontation moved off the field.

Security / staff separation

• Stadium staff, security and coaches work to physically separate the teams. Players who didn’t engage help usher teammates away. Coaches begin gathering their rosters and assessing who is safe and who was involved.

Within hours — Initial reactions & coach statements

• Both head coaches comment to media: G.J. Kinne (Texas State) says he was proud of how some players handled getting away but acknowledged mixed responses and said such behavior won’t be tolerated; Michael Desormeaux (Louisiana) calls the incident “classless” and “embarrassing.” Athletic directors and school officials promise cooperation with any review.

Next 24–72 hours — Conference review & discipline

• The Sun Belt Conference reviews video and issues suspensions: a total of 13 players suspended (6 Texas State, 7 Louisiana). Notable suspensions reported publicly: Tymere Jackson (Texas State) — two games for initiating the altercation; Tyree Skipper (Louisiana) — suspended for the remainder of the season for . The conference statement condemns the conduct and imposes the penalties. Why it matters? According to NCAA rules Any players or coaches who participate in a fight will be ejected. If the fight takes place in the second half, they'll also be ejected for the first half of their next game.

  All flagrant fouls will be punished by an ejection or disqualification, whether they occur "before the game, during the game [or] between periods." The rulebook states: "When a player is ejected from the game due to a flagrant personal foul, that team's conference shall automatically initiate a video review for possible additional sanctions before the next scheduled game." By the letter of the rule, Sun Belt officials could have ejected Texas State defensive end Tymere Jackson when the personal foul occurred with 1:20 remaining — an unnecessary roughness call on the kneel-down play:

(1:20) – Kneel down by #2 L. Winfield at TXST31 for a loss of 2 yards. PENALTY TXST UNR: Unnecessary Roughness (#0 T. Jackson), 15 yards from TXST31 to TXST16, 1ST DOWN.

Had the officials followed the ejection rule, that may have prevented the sequence of events that spiraled after the final whistle.

Final Thoughts

What should have been a moment of triumph for Louisiana and a learning experience for Texas State instead became a blemish on both programs — and the Sun Belt Conference. The league acted swiftly with suspensions, but questions remain about game management, officiating enforcement, and how emotions boiled over so quickly in a conference game that’s usually defined by competition, not chaos.