Georgia, Vanderbilt coaches discuss postgame skirmish
NASHVILLE – Forget Georgia-Florida, Georgia-Auburn or Georgia-Georgia Tech. The new white-hot rivalry for the Bulldogs may be with Vanderbilt.
Players and coaches had to be separated following the Bulldogs’ hard-fought, emotional 33-28 win. The game wasn’t decided until Vanderbilt tight end Branden Barden of Lincolnton, Ga., was corralled at the Georgia 16-yard line as time expired.
Immediately afterward, a skirmish ensued between the teams that appeared to be mostly yelling and gesturing and little actual physical confrontation. Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was a central figure in the fray.
Grantham pretty much refused to comment directly what went on with Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin at the end of the game. All he would say and kept repeating was, “I love our players. I’m going to stick up for my players. Everybody’s competitive.”
Franklin was a little more telling with his comment: “We just had a tough, emotional game and some things were said that I didn’t think were appropriate. I went to find Coach Richt and didn’t find him, so I found one of his assistant coaches and it didn’t go well. We’re not going to sit back and take it from anyone.”
Franklin said he eventually found Richt.
“I explained to him what happened,” Franklin said. “That’s for me and Coach Richt to deal with. Hopefully we’ll learn from that experience. Those things happen.”
Replays after the game show Grantham screaming at Franklin in the middle of the field as the players from both teams stood across opposing lines separated by coaches in the middle.
Grantham was reprimanded by Richt last year when he made the choke sign toward Florida kicker Chaz Henry as he prepared to make a game-tying field goal attempt to send the game into overtime. Henry made the kick and the Gators went on to win.
Georgia was called for three personal foul penalties in Saturday’s game and Richt clearly wasn’t happy with the way his players or his coaches acted at the end of the emotional contest.
“I don’t know exactly what happened. Maybe TV picked it up and we’ll get a better view of what was going on. But we are grown men and we need to act that way. But we’re also competitors and we all have emotions and xometimes when you get a little fired up it’s hard to keep from getting in some kind of jawing contest.
“I’ll say this: There were times when I was ashamed of some of the choice things that came out of my mouth during the game. So I’ve got to be disciplined, too.”
On the fracas between the two teams at the end of the game, Richt said:
“I don’t know for sure what heppened. I’ve heard a couple of different sides of the story. It’s hard to know which one is 100 percent the truth. But the bottom line is when the game is over the game’s over. You shake hands and you be thankful for the victory. Just like at the end of a play. When a play’s over, it’s over. Go to the sideline. We didn’t do a very good job of that at times.
“It was heated. It IS battle. It’s not war with real bullets but it’s a war in a sense and it’s very physical. Tempers do get flared up. I don’t mind our blood getting hot but we have to be able to get excited or maybe even angry but not foul.”
Georgia was penalized 11 times for 89 yards in the game and generally played sloppy and without poise. When the Bulldogs were trying to salt the game away in the fourth quarter, they threw an interception, lost seven yards and had to punt on one possession, and finally had a punt blocked on its last possession.
Georgia senior punter Drew Butler should probably go down as the hero of the game. After the punt was blocked by another Georgia native — wide receiver Udom Umoh of Fort Valley — Butler managed to gather his wits quick enough to haul down Umoh at the 20 after Umoh had scooped up the ball.
After an illegal substitution penalty, the Commodores got off two plays before the game ended. The first was a pass in the end zone that bounced off the hands of receiver Chris Boyd, another Georgia native, from Roswell.
Said Grantham, whose unit gave up 349 yards to Vandy: “The bottom line is we stopped them three times in the fourth quarter when they had a chance to win the game.”
Said Richt: “I think Vanderbilt did a fantastic job. They were inches from winning the ballgame.”
Tailback Isaiah Crowell did not play the entire first quarter. Richt said it was “just a situation where it was a coach’s decision not to play him.”
Crowell. finished with 35 yards on 10 carries. He did not play late in the game because of the wrist injury that has plagued him the last three weeks, according to Richt.
Here’s some video of Coach Franklin’s postgame news conference:
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
667 comments Add your comment
Glenn
October 16th, 2011
5:44 pm
The OC Bobo needs to change or there is three more losses this year. Why cant CMR see that.
Pitbull
October 16th, 2011
5:52 pm
Didn’t see how many penalties were called on Vandy for how many yards in your column Chip.
Please tell the whole story instead of trying to paint a picture that you want to sell.
Glad the Dawgs and the coaches were willing to fight on the field for the win and after the game rather than take sheet off of a bunch of Vandy losers.
suwanee dawg
October 16th, 2011
5:59 pm
GTforever, Do you really thinkg CPJ is a classy guy. Good football coach, yes, but classy? Please be honest.
Coaching staff
October 16th, 2011
6:07 pm
When vandy spent 4 qrts chop blocking, somebody had to make a statement, thank you coach grantham!!!
Rob
October 16th, 2011
6:18 pm
@SLim
There must be a lot of teams at the bottom then sir. Because GA just beat 4 other SEC teams dumb a..
:LogicalUS
October 16th, 2011
6:23 pm
“personal fouls on Georgia and the punch thrown by Geathers.”
Shhh, but you see those were all result of unseen penalties and dirty play by VANDY. Of course the only people to see those “dirty” plays were the delusional UGA fans who were looking for a reason why VANDY was dragging the idiot DC’s defense up and down the field. This was a Vandy team which had 36 yds rushing against Bama and less than a 100 yds total as SC.
Well for small miracles that at least the Special teams coach taught at least the punter how to make one tackle or UGA would be witnessing one of the worst meltdowns of a fanbase in history.
Perhaps the DC should take less time embarrassing the University, causing on field riots and taunting other teams placekickers, and MORE TIME coaching his defense how to tackle and cover.
Cut Blocking
October 16th, 2011
6:25 pm
Hey Coaching staff, I guess you need to learn the difference between legal CUT blocking and illegal CHOP blocking.
Call me Snake
October 16th, 2011
6:32 pm
oh yeah, Vandy has to win some games to be considered a “rival”
JB
October 16th, 2011
6:34 pm
want rich………..Go back and read the Tech blogs after they got to 4-0. Nobody was going to beat us they said………..They are on here, check them out, especially that loud mouth super size guy, who is in mourning I guess…………….A loss to the Cavaliers………..Really?
JB
October 16th, 2011
6:38 pm
Is Florida mailing it in this year? Meyer did leave that roster full of 4 and 5 stars guys, but No Pro type QB’s or RB’s or TE’s or FB’s or a wr who has ever run anything but a jail break pattern. Will CBS have
Dawgs/Gators in Prime time at 3:30? Will anyone other than the respective fans watch?
JR
October 16th, 2011
6:39 pm
I am a Georgia fan. But I must admit that I find the behavior and the product on the field of this team in about the same manner as Red Sox fans are joking about Colonel Sanders being the team’s strength and conditioning coach. While Alabama under Saban beats Vandy 34-0 last week and it seemed like a humanitarian act, Georgia gets lots of penalties and wins a really close game that went down to the last play. The same with LSU and their team looking so disciplined and ready to play a road game against Tennessee. They look like pros, unaffected by the crowd and had their “eyes on the prize.” Georgia looks like the inmates running the asylum. There are so many coaches that deserve a chance to coach this team. I hear that the New Yorkers are not satisfied with Brian Schottenheimer. Time to open the wallet and hire a top flight coach.
Paddy
October 16th, 2011
6:40 pm
Joe……you are right. There were cut blocks made by Vandy all game long. ALL LEGAL!!! You can’t, I repeat, can’t make a chop block by yourself. Buy a rule book or find another sport that is easy to understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bobby
October 16th, 2011
6:46 pm
james franklin is right man for the vanderbilt football program. i’ve seen them have a coach like him before he’s different from the rest of them. i will say this he will win at vandy.
ARdawg
October 16th, 2011
6:52 pm
Did anyone catch the score on the GT/Virginia game?
It was only Friday the Nerds were here talking about a NCCG. Bradley is right. It’s your comeuppence. Take it like a man. You can’t honestly believe you were really that good did you? Reality can be a beeotch
James
October 16th, 2011
6:52 pm
@ John UGA 1978
And Kiby Smart has done what as a head coach?
ARdawg
October 16th, 2011
6:55 pm
I actually though it would be a mediocre to decent team that beat down you Nerds but, c’mon, Virginia? heh hehe
tripwire
October 16th, 2011
7:12 pm
Winning is nice but UGA could show a little class. I realize thats hard to do when your arrogance is obvious .Get over your self you’r not a dream team. The last thing you want to do is see LSU or Bama in a championship game .
UGA OWNS gtu
October 16th, 2011
7:14 pm
The beating that gtu took yesterday at the hands of Virginia was fantastic. I’m ready for November 26th to get here so us DAWGS can give gtu their annual a$$-whooping.
UGA OWNS gtu
Always have, always will.
collegeballfan
October 16th, 2011
7:16 pm
Yes a win is a win.
And Grantham’s no class is no class.
With Grantham’s example how does Richt expect the team to act both on and off the field?
Coaches should be adults and set the example. Obviously Grantham is not an adult. And a man who cannot control his emotions is a poor excuse for a man.
Georgia deserves better
Forever Dawg
October 16th, 2011
7:17 pm
We won, it was ugly…always is the week before Florida, struggled in the 70’s and 80’s againt Richmond and Memphis the game before Florida…we’re 5-2 and tied for first in the east, everyone needs to quit bitching about Richt and the coaching staff, McGarity doesn’t care what you think, he’ll figure it out when the season is over without your help, so SHUT UP! You’re only hurting recruiting! As for CTG, I’m proud he stood up for his players, great passion, we need that. Erk would have been proud! We’re GEORGIA and shouldn’t take crap from Vandy. Out of here…if you don’t like the program get off the bandwagon, I hear tech is 6-1 and looking for fans to help fill their seats. You’ll probably get a hotdog and coke if you buy a ticket.
mdr
October 16th, 2011
7:22 pm
I don’t know exactly what happened any more than anyone else on this blog. But I will say this, Vandy has been cut blocking for YEARS. We are far from the only people to notice it.
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
7:38 pm
@ collegeballfan
IF Coach Franklin was beratting a Georgia defensive player and Coach Grantham heard him doing so, I would expect our DC to do exactly what he did. A HC should never do that!
Go play in your fantasy world and hold your vitriol until you have definitive knowledge that is was anything other than that.
Right now, I’d call it practical, and I expect his defensive players will play just a little harder for him for doing that.
Classless; hardly!
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
7:40 pm
(sp) berating, but you get the point.
gt4ever
October 16th, 2011
7:52 pm
JAWJeRDAWG,
So delusional, and classless….. Your Head coach should fire Grantham immediately… Period… There is NO room for this kind of crap from the coaches of a major university… Only in Georgia will this coaches actions be considered ok…. PITIFUL is all I can say… That’s why your program is in the toilet….
Old Dawg Fan
October 16th, 2011
8:04 pm
I like the emotion from Grantham!!!!! Nice to see compared to CMR who has no emotion!
I have a new found respect for Grantham-looks like he has some fire to him.
UGA DAWG 97
October 16th, 2011
8:05 pm
I remember when we were a well respected program and our players and coaches showed class! This team is an embarassment. I hope beating all these bottom dwellers doesn’t give us another year of this coaching staff.
Planet Claire
October 16th, 2011
8:07 pm
gt4ever
October 16th, 2011
7:52 pm
Yet CPJ tells GT students to UGA fans in the face. Go back to your tear driven UVA blogs, punk.
B-town Buzz 61
October 16th, 2011
8:07 pm
The SEC really showed its clASS in that incident.
Planet Claire
October 16th, 2011
8:08 pm
correction..to punch UGA fans in the face.
Planet Claire
October 16th, 2011
8:11 pm
B-town Buzz 61
October 16th, 2011
8:07 pm
Whatever, you old fat fart. Trying to make yourself feel better and more significant by putting others down just because you SUCK? Definition of a L O S E R.
UGA OWNS gtu
October 16th, 2011
8:17 pm
Hey gtu fans, which hurts worse, the ACTUAL ANNUAL BEAT-DOWN that we give you or just KNOWING that you’re gonna get the BEAT-DOWN?
UGA OWNS gtu
Always have, always will.
flatrock
October 16th, 2011
8:20 pm
Grantham is auditioning for the HC job, playing to Bulldog fans’ desire for more fire from Mark Richt. James (Kiffin) Franklin inherited a pretty good defense but made a huge mistake by not giving the Rodgers kid the QB job sooner. Wonder when the real story about James (Kiffin) Franklin’s departure from Maryland is going to surface?
NOBODYYOUKNOW
October 16th, 2011
8:25 pm
CMON people, “show some fire”. All that does is give the players reason to “cheap shot” another team. If any other team had done what that UGA coach had done you fans would be calling him a big hothead fool. What is it with this Grantham guy anyway? First he gives a rival player a “choke” sign and then he gets in a war of words with the Vandy coach. And no I wasn’t there and don’t know what happened. But Grantham would have been more of a man if he would have just took his players and walked away. Have you seen ANY of the other successful rival coaches act like that?
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
8:27 pm
@ gt4ever
Read :
October 16th, 2011
7:38 pm
@ collegeballfan
Read it; the same applies to you too, old skull of thick serotonin / norepinephrin depleted neuronal transmitters.
Hurry night-night now, the Short Bus will be by real early in the morning.
NOBODYYOUKNOW
October 16th, 2011
8:27 pm
UGA owns gtu? Who the hell is gtu?
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
8:36 pm
NOBODYYOUKNOW
Just so’s you’ll definitively know, it’s the UGA achronyn for ‘The Georgia Institute of Technology.
Have read some of their own posters on the Jacket Blog refer it as so and The GIT.
Dawg48
October 16th, 2011
8:37 pm
What’s up jawjerdawg ?
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
8:39 pm
Just some late evening ’schooling lessens’, I guess Dawg48.
Dawg48
October 16th, 2011
8:40 pm
I’m just catching up on tech fans crying cause the mighty jackets lost to virginia, man that acc is so brutal!
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
8:48 pm
Wanna read so hilarious posts, Dawg48?
Try this one for your late night reading pleasure:
Tech coaches break down offense
10:07 am October 12, 2011, by Ken Sugiura
http: http://www.georgia-tech-sports/2011/10/12/tech-coaches-break-down-offense
Dawg48
October 16th, 2011
8:52 pm
So what all have you heard about the granthem deal?
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
8:53 pm
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2011/10/12/tech-coaches-break-down-offense/
This one before the beatdown by UVA!
1980 was so long ago
October 16th, 2011
8:54 pm
Now Vandy is the big rival, punched the dawgs in the nose last night.
dawgs showed their lack of class all night long and the skirmish at the end involving their players and coaches reinforced it.
Dawg48
October 16th, 2011
8:56 pm
@1980 what was classless about it? Would love to here your brilliant opinion.
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
8:58 pm
Dawg48
I’ll stick with earlier original statement:
October 16th, 2011
7:38 pm
Buford T. Pusser
October 16th, 2011
8:59 pm
Coaches are supposed to set the example and not act like classles rednecks. Wait a minute, this is UGA, OK Coach Grantham you are excused. You are held to no higher standard than the rest of the UGA fans.
My Bad.
The Sheriff has spoken.
1980 was so long ago
October 16th, 2011
9:00 pm
My goodness, 4 wins in the SEC against teams with a 1-13 conference record.
I guess it is really tough sledding in the mighty SEC, of course it sure was tough at Vandy
Dawg48
October 16th, 2011
9:02 pm
@1980 that’s not a answer
JAWJeRDAWG
October 16th, 2011
9:03 pm
Gotta get to bed soon; pharmacy work begins at 6:30 am tomorrow.
Will be interesting to see the ‘official pronouncement’ by UGA about the post-game interactions, if ever any come out.
But expect as CMR stated, it’s being investigated and handled internally.
Good night, all, and Go Dawgs!
1980 was so long ago
October 16th, 2011
9:12 pm
Of course UK looms on the horizon and the QB-less 2-3 gators. We can beat our chests after those victories….then the war cries of bring on Idaho State…this schedule is easier than the 1980 line up.