Flag Carrying Pitt Player Hilariously Falls in Run Out of Sun Bowl Tunnel

One Pittsburgh Panthers player was a little too fired up for this year’s Sun Bowl game.

Backup quarterback Nate Yarnell was presumably so pumped and super-excited to get the game started that he tripped and fell as he led the team onto the field before the contest.

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Teams coming out of the locker room and storming the field together like a stampeding herd of buffalo accompanied by smoke or explosions for emphasis is a pregame ritual for most football teams at every level.

Oftentimes, they are led by teammates carrying the school flag and Old Glory. It’s a sight that inspires fans who whoop and holler as the team sprints to their side of the field.

The crowd response was a bit different for the overly enthusiastic Yarnell.

The signal-caller, who was leading his fellow Panthers out of the tunnel while carrying the Texas flag, lost his footing making the turn, and took what appeared to be a face-first spill onto the turf as the crowd watching let out an audible “ooh”.

His teammates simply gave him a cursory glance and kept motoring toward the bench. Gotta love those wonderful and wacky sports moments.

Yarnell emerged unscathed from the very public fall -- albeit a bit embarrassed, but recovered enough to enter the game just before halftime and complete a 16-yard pass when the starting quarterback hurt his shoulder and exited for a play.

Pitt outscored No. 18 UCLA 16-7 in the fourth quarter and rallied from a late deficit to win the 89th Annual Sun Bowl game on a last second field goal, 37-35.