Southern Cal players fought in the locker room after their loss to Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl, ESPN is reporting.
Quoting anonymous sources, ESPN said the fight, described as a “flat-out brawl,” began after one of the younger players criticized quarterback Matt Barkley for not playing in the game due to a shoulder injury and questioned the senior leadership on the team.
Barkley, speaking to ESPN’s Colin Cowherd, confirmed there was an altercation, but denied punches were thrown:
“I would say tempers flared, yeah, but that’s football,” Barkley said. “It’s an emotional game and when you end your season on a negative note like that, emotions are going to be high. Guys were expressing their opinions, for better or worse, but we had it under control; it was nothing to be alarmed about.
“If you ask some of the guys who were there what happened they’ll negate those claims about people throwing punches and all that stuff or whatever was said,” Barkley said.
The 21-7 loss to Tech, which entered the game with a losing record and had to receive an NCAA waiver just to play in the Dec. 31 bowl, was the final blow in a dismal season for USC and coach Lane Kiffin, who’s in his third season.
The Trojans began the season No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, but stumbled badly, losing five of their last six games, including a 38-28 loss to rival UCLA. They finished 7-6 on the season.
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