Five people were arrested for public drunkenness and many more were escorted out of Scott Stadium during and after Saturday's upset of the South Carolina Gamecocks, according to University Police Sgt. Melissa Fielding.
The University Police Department was forced to escort many students out of the game for being combative and for general disorderly behavior.
"There were a lot more disorderly type incidents than there has been in the past," Fielding said. "From a statistical standpoint, it was much rowdier this time than the last game [based on] the number of arrests and the number of incidents responded to in the stadium."
Of the five individuals arrested, only one, third-year College student Abhinav Nath, attends the University. Nath would not comment on the specifics of his arrest. All five men were detained and will appear in court individually at later dates.
Fielding attributed much of the rowdiness to the fact that it was a night game, which provided fans "a long time to tailgate and attend pre-game festivities," which generally allows "more people the opportunity to consume alcohol."
After the victory, many University students rushed the field despite announcements over the loudspeaker prohibiting such behavior.
During the stampede that followed, USC quarterback Corey Jenkins allegedly punched several University students, according to several photographs found on a Clemson student's Web site which depict Jenkins pulling back to punch one student and gripping another by his tie.
According to USC Sports Information Director Kerry Tharp, Jenkins said "several students jumped on his back" and he was simply attempting to get them off. Tharp said Jenkins is not being disciplined.
After the game he apologized and "said he was sorry that it got out of hand," but he stated that he "did not punch anyone," and was simply trying to escape the "unruly scene" that occurred after the evening's game.
Officials expected the especially high level of chaos for the game, according to University Athletic Director Craig Littlepage.
Littlepage said because there was a "high number of South Carolina fans expected to be at the game, it would be somewhat rowdier" than most of the football games hosted at Scott Stadium.
"There is a certain level of misbehavior that goes along with this, because of the consumption of alcohol," Littlepage added.
Although the Athletic Department anticipated a particularly unruly crowd, no extra security was on hand Saturday evening, according to Abby Boustead, a facilities and event coordinator for the University.
The usual number of police officers patrolled the stadium, coming from a combination of various police departments, including the UPD, the Albemarle County Police Department, the Charlottesville Police Department and state and local departments, among others, Boustead said.
In addition, the University typically enlists the help of RMC Events, Inc., the company that provides the yellow-shirted ticket-takers and officials. The University hired 75 RMC workers Saturday -- the typical number for football games.
The University hires RMC workers to enforce policies prohibiting restricted items, as well as monitoring the stadium's student section.
All security officers were adequately prepared for the event, Littlepage said. Jason Bauman, another facilities and event coordinator, addressed workers 24 hours before the game, as is usual procedure.
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