In a weird moment early in the first quarter, Connor Halliday rolled towards the Colorado State sideline before finding River Cracraft in the back of the end zone to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. The touchdown itself wasn't that out of the ordinary -- a simple pitch and catch on the run by Halliday. But what happened after the score was very odd.
Halliday's momentum sent him onto the Colorado State sideline and as he walked back onto the field, one of the Colorado State assistants had words for him. It's unclear who the assistant is, or what prompted his response, but here it is:
Edit: The coach appears to be Greg Lupfer. Thanks to Kyle Bonagura for the link to his bio.
Halliday may have said something to prompt the reaction. The coach definitely said something back, and though I'm no lip-reader it sure looks like something vulgar and perhaps a homosexual slur ("f'n f----t" has been the widely speculated phrase by people that have seen it). Halliday was pushed away and everyone went on with their lives, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see the coach disciplined.
While Halliday may not have been in the right to start with, a coach screaming at an opposing player is out of line. But hey, it's nice to see some intensity from both sides in a bowl game. Hopefully this doesn't overshadow what's been a great game so far.
