Arizona and Arizona State are playing on Friday for the Territorial Cup, thought to be college football’s oldest rivalry trophy. Tommy Lynn Calhoun, the 2017 Miss Arizona, is attending the game and standing on the sideline.
Turns out that’s a risky decision sometimes.
In the second quarter, UA quarterback Brandon Dawkins ran toward the sideline, and ASU safety Armand Perry forced him out of bounds. The two had quite a bit of force bottled up, and they happened to run directly into Calhoun.
Calhoun appeared to have her Miss Arizona tiara knocked off her head, but she was a good sport about this. ESPN’s cameras caught her laughing about it and collecting good-natured ribbing about it on the sideline afterward.
Thank goodness, because it would’ve been a pretty big damper on the festivities if Miss Arizona – someone who’s supposed to be amenable to both sides of this rivalry, in theory – found herself getting hurt at the Territorial Cup.
“I’m so good,” Calhoun told ESPN a few minutes later. She’s got physical therapy experience, and Dawkins was good enough to walk over and apologize on air.
Dawkins just apologized to Miss Arizona on television .. U of A having a good time on the sideline #12Sports pic.twitter.com/TgtlQPkW3j
— Robby Baker (@RobbyBaker12) November 26, 2016
PUT ME ON THE FIELD COACH!#JustGotTackledOnNationalTelevision#LostMyShoes#MadeTheTackle#BEARDOWN
— Miss Arizona USA (@missAZusa) November 26, 2016
Crisis averted.