Players were thrown to the ground and a wild touchdown was disallowed as an American football game descended from high tension to outright farce, with fans warning that the riotous ending was “asking for someone to get hurt.”
Footage of the chaotic climax to the clash between Western Michigan and Ball State racked up more than two million views in less than 24 hours as people tried to make sense of the stampede that spilled across the turf in the final seconds.
After Ball State decided they had secured a fumble recovery, sealing victory by a score of 30-27, their excited fans raced onto the field to celebrate the team’s place in the conference title game.
At least one of their players was dramatically dumped to the ground in the ensuing calamity, featuring Western Michigan players weaving in and out of the crowd as they desperately tried to reach the end zone.
Stunned commentators watched their indefatigable efforts to score the points that would have given them an unlikely win, with many suggesting that they had haphazardly hurled the ball around like a hot potato as they ultimately scored a bizarre touchdown.
Viewers who were desperate for a dramatic ending were drowned out by cynics as the clip circulated, sardonically pointing out that the shot at glory had featured at least one illegal forward pass.
While many picked out their favorite incident around the field as the bewildering action unfolded, purists were notably less enthralled.
"The game should have been ended the second the referee threw a flag for an illegal forward pass," one person said. "Letting the play go after that is just asking for someone to get hurt."
Accompanying their response with a series of clown emojis, another seethed: "May every player who ran onto the field before the whistle be forever shamed when this play inevitably airs for decades.
"You aren’t the marching band - zero excuse, learn some discipline."
Despite their disgrace among some, the misplaced melee continued to provide compelling viewing for others.
"So a team can just run out onto the field while the ball is still in play and not be penalized for it?" one observer asked, while another pointed out that a player had been "absolutely decked" without anyone "saying jack s**t."
"May as well do that on every single down, then. What a joke. Kudos to Michigan for an absolutely entertaining highlight reel play for the ages."
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