Memphis vs. BYU Bowl Brawl Shows Passion Misplaced

The inaugural Miami Beach Bowl between BYU and Memphis had the perfect, quirky niche. 

It kicked off mid-afternoon on a Monday during Christmas week in a converted baseball park. It featured two teams from the non-power conference ranks. There were no playoff implications or bigger-picture themes. It was just another chance to catch some football for those not working this week.

The best-case scenario happened: It turned out to be a fun, weird game with momentum swings, lots of points, odd timeout choices, last-minute touchdowns and 54-yard overtime field goals. It was everything a bowl game could want to be and culminated in a 55-48 win for Memphis. 

Then, a brawl broke out and everything for which the bowl should have been remembered became a distant memory: 

Who started the brawl matters little at this point. It's a terrible look for all involved since it grew so gruesome so quickly. 

Normally, it's a wonder there aren't more fights. Football is violent and emotionally charged. As a result, fights break out—both in practice between teammates and on the field between two teams.

The other layer to fights is that teammates protect and look out for one another. These are guys who have gone through summer practices and suffered together. No one is going to leave a teammate to defend himself, as BYU wide receiver Terenn Houk alluded to on Twitter:

None of this excuses what happened, of course. This was so much more than just a fight. There was helmet swinging and cheap punches, for which there should be swift consequences. BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe tweeted that he intends to further review the matter: 

It's a shame. Forget the entertainment value of the game for a minute. The brawl undermines how hard both of these teams played. Both sides should have been proud of their effort in victory or defeat. 

There will be big-picture takeaways from the brawl, one of which is how it affects the perception of BYU as a program that tries to balance religion and big-time football. Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune has more on that: 

"

Truth is, BYU is too caught up in the presentation of standard-keeping, always needing to put forth a certain image, you see. One of the Cougars' priorities that appears to have had a heavier presence under the rule of coach Bronco Mendenhall is exposure for the Mormon faith by way of its football team, missionary work in helmets and pads brought forth to a football-crazed nation.

"

Maybe the brawl eliminates any possibility, no matter how marginal, that BYU becomes a serious candidate for a Power Five conference. Maybe it makes Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall, or his counterpart, Memphis coach Justin Fuente, less attractive for other jobs. The long-term effects of the brawl have yet to be formed. 

The immediate conclusion is that the Miami Beach Bowl will be remembered for the passion that morphed into a riot. It's a memory that won't die easy. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football.