MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A line judge who left South Alabama’s Camellia Bowl game against Bowling Green in the second half was not struck by an object thrown from the stands, according to a statement from the Montgomery Police Department.
The department released the statement late Saturday evening, after Bowling Green’s 33-28 victory over the Jaguars in the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl at the Cramton Bowl.
What Happened
According to police, the line judge suffered a calf injury and was unable to continue working the game.
Play was stopped during the second half while the official was attended to. During the stoppage, the referee used the stadium public-address system to ask fans not to throw objects onto the field.
That announcement led to reports that the official had been hit by something thrown from the crowd. The police statement said that was not the case.
The Game
The Camellia Bowl was the first bowl appearance in South Alabama football history. South Alabama took its first lead with about 1:20 remaining, but Bowling Green answered with a 78-yard touchdown pass on the next play and held on to win.
A crowd of 20,256 attended the game, with most of the crowd supporting South Alabama, which is located about 170 miles away in Mobile.
South Alabama, coached by Joey Jones, competes in the Sun Belt Conference. Bowling Green represented the Mid-American Conference.
