Duel in the desert! UNLV and Nevada engage in wild brawl on the field during heated college football clash (VIDEO)

If you're looking for a sport where tempers flare and emotions boil over, look no further than college football in America, where we had another example of a multi-player meltdown as UNLV took on local rivals Nevada on Saturday.

The two sides battled hard in a tense matchup that was eventually decided by a Steve Jenkins touchdown catch and run in overtime as UNLV secured a 33-30 victory.

But after Jenkins darted clear of the Nevada secondary to score the game-winning touchdown, the wide receiver then headed back upfield to celebrate, and UNLV's celebrating quarterback Kenyon Obland was sucker-punched from behind by Nevada's Austin Arnold.

It sparked a multi-player melee as the two teams brawled on the field at the end of the game. And as the players skirmished behind the end zone, one Nevada fan even managed to rip a helmet off the head of an UNLV player.

The clash led to both schools releasing a joint statement from the two athletic directors, revealing that they were cooperating with the local police to analyze the footage of the clashes, both on the field and in the stands.

"The events that occurred following today’s football game have no place in college athletics and we are deeply disappointed by this incident which detracts from what was a hard-fought and emotional football game between our state’s only two NCAA programs," the statement read.

"We are examining all available video from the incident and are working with the Mountain West office in a full review. Additionally, we are working with the University of Nevada, Reno Police Department to review the actions on the field and in the stands after the game.

"Rivalry games are at the heart of what should be great about intercollegiate athletics. We will continue to prioritize sportsmanship at all of our events, especially those between our two great institutions."