Michigan State football: Who is truly at fault for post-Michigan game scuffle?

Another ugly chapter was added to the Michigan vs. Michigan State football rivalry on Saturday night as a shoving match between Colston Loveland and Anthony Jones turned into what looked to be a stomping motion by Kalel Mullings with a Spartan staffer on the ground.

But who is truly at fault for all of this?

I’m going to give a hot take here: it was both sides’ fault.

That’s right, when there is a scuffle between rivals or a post-game shoving match or a potential stomping of a downed staffer or player, it usually means that both sides were in the wrong.

OK, if the Kalel Mullings stomping/kicking is proven to be as bad as it looked, his role in the post-game scuffle is his fault and that can be separate from the Jones-Loveland incident. Actually, it kind of already is. It looked like there was a shouting match in a big post-game meeting between the two sides and it ended up with Mullings looking to kick or stomp on someone and then being restrained by teammates. That one needs more context, but it doesn’t look good for Mullings and he should be punished like the seven non-helmet-wielding tunnel players two years ago.

As for the Loveland-Jones incident, who is at fault for stoking the flames?

Honestly, both players.

Loveland starts the scuffle with a headbutt, but the media will tell you that Michigan State did pic.twitter.com/FUgeDRtK2U

— Justin Miller (@justinmmiller27) October 27, 2024

On the final play, everyone knew it was a kneel-down and it’s widely accepted that you don’t go all-out on that play. Jones went a little harder than Loveland was expecting and he took exception to it, shoving the Spartan defender back. Jones returned a shove and Loveland stepped forward and got facemask to facemask with the Spartan lineman and was promptly put in a headlock. That’s on both players. Clear-headed and no in the heated moment, both would tell you that they should’ve just walked away. But this was a tense rivalry game and tempers flared as expected. It could’ve ended there.

But then Mullings was seen stomping or kicking at someone on the ground and that’s where this becomes a Michigan issue.

Two years ago MSU players were demanded to be put in jail and covered wall-to-wall for what happened in the tunnel

After Mullings clear-as-day stomps on MSU personnel, no stories remotely near the top or even on Freep, Detroit News or MLive’s pages. pic.twitter.com/agHE2whu2X

— Fireball sommelier (@Sheehan_Sports) October 27, 2024

Jonathan Smith and Alan Haller have already spoken with the Big Ten about what to do next and the conference is looking into the Mullings incident. They said that a Michigan State player and staffer were in a pile where Mullings was seen doing his stomping motion. So they confirmed that it was basically a dirty unsportsmanlike move by the Michigan running back but they aren’t going to be calling for criminal charges.

It can be acknowledged that both sides were in the wrong for the final play scuffle and both players should take accountability because neither backed down and both were aware of what was happening.

It’s time for both sides to take accountability and for one side to stop playing eternal victim.