College football official left bloody in NC State-ECU brawl during Military Bowl

College football’s bowl season has delivered some memorable moments throughout the 2024 postseason. Unfortunately, one of the ugliest scenes was witnessed toward the end of the Military Bowl.

That game featured an old-school grudge match between in-state rivals NC State and East Carolina. The two programs do not like each other, and meeting in bowl season only intensifies the rivalry.

In that game, NC State rallied for a 21-20 lead late in the game but ultimately squandered the opportunity. ECU delivered a wild go-ahead touchdown run from over 80 yards out and later clinched the game with an interception in the final minute of the game.

After ECU’s first kneel down, things quickly went off the rails. Players from both sides met in an ugly on-field brawl, and the incident left one of the officials with blood streaming down his face.

Take a look:

The umpire injured was identified by the broadcast crew as Rod Tucker. Replays of the incident showed how Tucker received the massive gash on his cheek.

With Tucker trying to separate and diffuse the brawl, one player arrived and shoved the back of another players helmet directly into Tucker’s face. It was the facemask of that helmet that left Tucker’s face cut and bloody.

Here is a full video recap of the incident that led to 8 players ejected in the final minute of the game:

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.