Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore opened Monday's press conference with an apology and a promise.

In the aftermath of the Wolverines' 24-17 victory over rival Michigan State, U-M tight end Colston Loveland and MSU edge Anthony Jones got into a skirmish as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Video shows Jones play though the whistle on a kneel-down snap, which led to Loveland head-butting the defender, who then took a swipe back at the tight end.

It turned to a mini-melee at midfield, as dozens of Wolverines poured onto the field as time was running out. For Moore, it put a damper on a feel-good win, but he assured media Monday it won't happen again on his watch.

"The postgame skirmish, just unacceptable, not how we carry ourselves but we will address that internally," he said. "That's not how we represent the University of Michigan, the Block M or the winged helmet. We will take care of that so it will never happen again."

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From some angles, further video from Big Ten Network cameras appear to catch Michigan star running back Kalel Mullings swing his leg at what looks like someone from MSU son the ground. Moore was asked specifically about if he'd seen that to which he said, "no, but we'll handle it."

Of course, some are looking at this postgame kerfuffle through the lens of 2022, which again saw an incident after a U-M win. On that day, U-M players skipped up the tunnel after the game while the MSU players were heading to the locker room and things quickly turned violent as kicks and punches were thrown − even a helmet was swung − in an ugly incident.

In the aftermath, then-Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh called for criminal charges against MSU players: in the end charges were brought against seven of the eight MSU players involved which included six misdemeanors and one felony.

Up in East Lansing, reporters asked head coach Jonathan Smith about the more recent situation who said it has been brought to the league's office. Still, MSU athletic director Alan Haller sounded ready to de-escalate the situation as it evolves.

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“I don’t plan on doing that," Haller told reporters when asked if he will seek criminal charges. "I don't think that situation (the 2022 tunnel incident) should have been a criminal incident and I don’t think this should be as well.

"This is a sportsmanship policy situation, and the conference will look at it. It’s my wish that the same standard that everyone’s held to, that they be held to the same standard. But I do not believe that incident nor this incident is a criminal situation.”

Moore, who definitively said Michigan (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) would not be involved in a situation again like this under his watch was asked how he would ensure that.

"I mean, addressed it in the locker room, and we'll address it again today," he said. "Make sure it never happens." Or else? The reporter responded. "Yeah, basically," Moore said.

This is now at least the third year in a row a non-football story has overtaken the rivalry contest. In 2022, it was the tunnel incident. Last season, Michigan's alleged sign-stealing scandal broke the week it played MSU when the Big Ten informed the Spartans they had reason to believe their signs had been compromised.

Now, it's a fight at the end of a one-score game (the rivalry's first since 2021) which marred U-M's best moment of the season. While it's unfortunate, leaders on the team say they won't let it derail any momentum.

"I don't think much had to be said," sixth-year safety Quinten Johnson said. "We kind of know what's acceptable and what's not acceptable. Some things happened, he addressed it and we work past it."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's Sherrone Moore: Postgame fight will 'never happen again'