Oregon senior tailback LeGarrette Blount has apologized for punching a Boise State football player after Thursday night’s game at Bronco Stadium and said he would accept any punishment.

Blount punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the jaw as the teams flooded the field to shake hands after the Broncos’ 19-8 win.

Blount also went after some Broncos fans.

His actions were caught by the ESPN cameras and replayed many times for the national audience.

“I just apologize to everyone that was watching this,” Blount said. “I just apologize to all of our fans, all of Boise’s fans. I lost my head. … A few guys wished me a good game, a few guys pushed me and I just kind of lost my temper.”

The incident began when Hout said something to Blount and tapped him on the shoulder pads. Blount drilled Hout with a right cross to the jaw as Boise State coach Chris Petersen tried to intervene. Petersen admonished Hout immediately. Hout was OK after the game.

“It’s just unfortunate,” Petersen said. “The kids played hard. It was a good, clean, hard-fought game.”

Boise State strength coach Tim Socha intercepted Blount after the punch and Blount shoved him in the chest.

Blount was restrained by teammates and directed toward the locker room. However, Blount became enraged at fans who appeared to heckle him and he had to be pulled away from that confrontation by several people, including at least one police officer.

Boise Police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower said there were no plans to arrest Blount because no criminal complaint had been filed.

“He is getting on the team bus and he is headed back to Oregon with the team,” she said. “… The chief (Mike Masterson) said these matters are handled by coaches, athletic directors and the NCAA.”

Lt. Tony Plott was one of the people who restrained Blount, Hightower said.

“Lt. Plott was simply trying to get control of a player that was emotionally charged,” Hightower said. “But he never assaulted or made any attempt to assault the officer.”

The NCAA has a policy for fighting during games, but the policy doesn’t appear to cover a postgame fight.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly said he didn’t see the incident but will review it.
“I don’t know what kind of disciplinary action coach Kelly has in store for me, but whatever it is, I’m ready to take it full force,” Blount said.

Blount, considered a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, rushed eight times for minus-5 yards in the game. He also was tackled for a safety.

His actions capped an awful start to Kelly’s head-coaching career.

“He took a cheap shot. It was a low blow,” Boise State sophomore defensive tackle Billy Winn told The New York Times. “Something like that shows you what they’re being coached. If they were coached better than that, he wouldn’t have thrown that punch.”

Said Blount: “I couldn’t have envisioned anything worse than this right here. I tell you what. That will never happen again. I will never lose my head again.”