Louisville Football: Lamar Jackson instigates first half brawl

Louisville football and quarterback Lamar Jackson have had a disappointing season. Jackson took out his frustrations against Kentucky with his fists.

Louisville football 7-4 (4-4 ACC) is not having a bad season. However, the expectations for this year were higher with the reigning Heisman trophy winner still commanding the offense. Lamar Jackson has been just as phenomenal as he was last year, but it hasn’t translated to success for his team on the field.

Jackson has made a concerted effort to prove he’s an NFL-caliber passer this year. He’s stood tall in the pocket and worked his progressions rather than taking off and running at the first sign of trouble. His chances of repeating as the Heisman trophy winner are slim, but his on-field production has been good enough to earn him an invitation to New York as a finalist.

While he’s grown as a passer, he might still have some maturation to do when it comes to the mental aspect of the game. Tensions got hot early in the battle for the Governor’s Cup. Jackson took of for the pylon in the first half of the annual contest between Louisville and rival Kentucky. He was pushed out just short of the endzone and that’s when the fisticuffs started flying.

A shoving matchup between star Kentucky linebacker Jordan Jones and Jackson escalated into a brawl with both teams getting involved.

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Flags went flying, but neither player was ejected. That seems a big generous given the intensity of the conflict. Right or wrong, it’s hard to imagine ejecting the reigning Heisman trophy winner so early in a rivalry game. Both players will have to be on their best behavior for the rest of the game.