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
rm
October 17th, 2011
12:45 am
golly, I didn’t know that all you Squidbillies knew so many words
Jeff
October 17th, 2011
12:57 am
Guys, quit wasting your breath on this blog… it’s VANDERBILT. They are pathetic, smarmy, arrogant, cut-blocking, cheap-shot little pukes who don’t deserve to even be in the SEC. They took cheap shots all night, held and cut blocked, and took a few late hits that weren’t called. Rambo was also hurt after the game, possibly from a hit from a Vandy player, and Grantham was just sticking up for his guys after an emotional game. Vandy should have just kept its collective mouth closed and trudged to the locker room after ANOTHER loss.
How does it feel, Commies, to know you will NEVER win the SEC? And the only way you can compete with athletes like Georgia had is to cut block, clip, and hit after the whistle? This Franklin guy seems to want to build a “new culture” up there, but it’s the same Vandy club that will be 4-8 every year, maybe 6-6 if they are lucky sometimes, and more often than not, get beat like a drum.
Again, let’s close this blog, guys… save your breath. That pathetic bunch from Nashville isn’t worth the space or the effort. Let’s rest, relax, recharge, and get ready for Florida… GO DAWGS!
Fire the bum......
October 17th, 2011
1:04 am
His defense sucks anyway
ken alongi
October 17th, 2011
1:28 am
Georgia is a classless program with the same type pond scum coaches and fans. Do not ever call Vandy out . This is a program that is a dirty as it gets . called for 3-4 pf penalties and there should have been more. Georgia will never win an SEC title with this group of bozos. Alabama and LSU will make them their #$@%$#$ form many years to come.
Franklin = liar
October 17th, 2011
5:18 am
Franklin is a liar. That’s not what happened at all. He acted like a maniac and then got mad when someone challenged him.
Una
October 17th, 2011
5:40 am
have a good night
Mac Hines
October 17th, 2011
6:01 am
Easiest SEC schedule imaginable, AND the team that beat us just lost their best player for the season. If we can’t win the SEC East this year, we never will.
just sayin'
October 17th, 2011
6:14 am
grantham was walking across the field calmly until franklin started pointing and gesturing towards a GA player…that’s when grantham got into franklins face..he may have overreacted but he’s protecting his players..i applaud him for that…then as he’s walking away another vandy coach got into it with him..u can see the vandy coach motioning him to ‘come on’ as grantham’s trying to walk away…vandy coaching staff started it all…
just sayin'
October 17th, 2011
6:25 am
franklin appears to be a smug, attention grabbing liar…has anyone EVER seen a head coach seemingly go after another team’s PLAYER?…he wasn’t searching for richt…he was going towards the GA players…looking at the replay, richt is on the right side of the picture and franklin is walking straight across the field..no looking for richt….liar that got caught and grantham would not let him get to the GA players…
Ga Owns EAST!!
October 17th, 2011
6:29 am
Ga will win the SEC east !!! this florida team is one of the worst and Ga can finally beat them easy!! Auburn? forget it—they aren’t that good and Ga will beat them by 17 in athens. Ga can upset lsu, which is overrated—bet the house!
BuzzBrain
October 17th, 2011
6:33 am
Ga will somehow choke again against florida, but will still somehow win the sec east and get blown out by alabama and nick saban. grantham can do some choke signs in the alabama game—pure class!!! Mark this down: ga tech beats ga in a huge upset!!!!!
Big Dog 98
October 17th, 2011
6:53 am
Vandy is class.
Richt is class.
Grantham is totally without class.
Nick Saban
October 17th, 2011
6:57 am
Do any of you UGA fans actually think that UGA can compete with The University of Alabama, LSU or Arkansas?
UGA needs to be in a different conference with Vandy, Air Force, Navy, GT and Slippery Rock.
just sayin'
October 17th, 2011
6:57 am
vandy class?…get real..franklin just trying to get attention and use vandy as a stepping stone..he’ll be there 2/3 yrs at best..win or lose…maybe he’ll get to La Tech…i hope not…have family in La…
Paddy
October 17th, 2011
6:58 am
Jeff…..you are right…..Vandy cut block on every running play. And every cut block they used was LEGAL. Remember our beloved Erk Russell? He taught the cut block fundemental at Georgia Southern. Why are my fellow Dawg fans so obsessed with trashing this legal manuver? We love football but some of us don’t know the rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kirby Smart
October 17th, 2011
6:59 am
You tell them coach.
Alabama Rules and UGA drools.
JackDennis
October 17th, 2011
7:00 am
Typical classless dawgs. Grantham is at the right place.
Bama Man
October 17th, 2011
7:00 am
The only other win for UGA this year will be GT.
Coach Vince "Coke Head" Dooley
October 17th, 2011
7:04 am
Where am I?
Strange Murphy
October 17th, 2011
7:05 am
GATA GRANTHAM!!!! Grantham needs to kick the arses of all the fake BullDawgs posting here.
Game Time
October 17th, 2011
7:07 am
Coach Grantham is such a classy guy – fits right in at UGA. Last year it was swearing at an opposing player and giving him the choke sign – not once but multiple times. And this year he shows his rear end with this classy act. And Coach Richt just “poo-poos” it both times. Great role models.
gtfanfrom1951
October 17th, 2011
7:07 am
NO Class School= UGA
mambo
October 17th, 2011
7:09 am
Vandy out coached us and their players almost beat us. If we had played one more minute, they would have beaten us. Grantham needs to act like a leader of young men and act like a grown man rather than a punk a$$ kid. Richt, this is your last season to show what you have. You better beat the gators, war eagles and the jackets. Or …
Paddy
October 17th, 2011
7:17 am
Jeff………I may have been to harsh on you? You may be referring to the illegal chop block. Those rule violations are very rare. They are also very easy to see by the umpire and linesmen. A single offensive lineman can’t committ a chop block violation. It takes 2 or more offensive players to commit this foul .Seeing a ” previous engaged defensive player” is so obvious that it is rarely missed by game officials.
Niceville Dawg
October 17th, 2011
7:29 am
Paddy,give it up.You’ll never be able to explain the difference to someone who doesn’t understand the game.The rest of us understand.
H-Town Dawg
October 17th, 2011
7:30 am
There wouldn’t have been any “skirmishes” after the game if Vandy didn’t play dirty and if their classless head coach hadn’t gone after one of UGA’s players. Franklin started it, period. This is what happens when an inferior teams mostly gets a pass from the referees. The refs should have dealt with Vandy’s dirty play by flagging them consistently. Vanderbilt and Tech…like two nerds in a pod.
Paddy
October 17th, 2011
7:35 am
Niceville Dawg…..you are right. Thanks for bringing me back to the real world. I give up!!!
what of it?
October 17th, 2011
8:26 am
how shocking that a mark richt team has no discipline
GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER
October 17th, 2011
8:29 am
Always funny to listen to GA fans. You guys rode AU for being dirty last year and now you accuse Vandy of doing it. However, the saintly GA Bulldogs never do anything wrong. I used to view GA as a nice rival, but you guys have really turned into a bunch of whiners. You kicked out butt like 4 years in a row and I still thought GA was a classy team. But after we won last year all I heard was how dirty we were. Just a hint: you have to be classy when you win and lose. Quit the crying and whining….your program is bigger than that!
DawginLex
October 17th, 2011
8:32 am
Franklin said something about Shawn Williams and Grantham went to his defense.
Franklin needed to find Richt and shake his hand and run off the field.
Grantham did what any coahc would do and that is defend his player.
33-28 is all Coach Franklin needs to know
Tom
October 17th, 2011
8:32 am
We already knew from past incidents that Grantham’s an as sclown…..why act surprised now?
BILLY JACK
October 17th, 2011
8:39 am
THIS IS REALLY FUNNY AND HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS-TECH FANS POSING AS OTHER SCHOOLS TO GET A JAB AT UGA WHO THEY HAVE NO CHANCE OF EVER BEATING-JUST SAD AND PATHETIC.
B.Beaver
October 17th, 2011
8:40 am
Someone needs to smack his fat mouth. That will shut him up for good. A typical blow hard coaching boys.
BILLY JACK
October 17th, 2011
8:41 am
DAWG IN LEX-You are exactley right.
Nashville Cat
October 17th, 2011
8:51 am
Billy Jack(ass), how can you post so much working at Waffle House? Clean those restrooms boy!!
BILLY JACK
October 17th, 2011
8:54 am
Paddy I was a high school coach in Georgia and Texas for 23 years and a cut block is legal but vandy was also cut blocking UGA def lineman when they were already engaged-especially Geathers and Jenkins on more than a few times.This was clearly coached and taught and intended to ruin the career of these 2 great young men.While I dont agree with Coach Granthem I do understand it.It is taboo to call out a player on another team as the vandy coach did to Shawn Williams 36.This is a coach who fights for his players and players love to play for these type of coache,If I was Coach Richt I would send the film to SEC offices for review.This was a intentional act to hurt these def lineman who they could not block otherwise.
G-Dawg
October 17th, 2011
8:58 am
All those hating on CTG…i’d like to see how you’d respond if someone was getting your grill…or yelling at your kids?? NO WAY you’d walk away without fighting back!! So you can all just kiss it!! I like Granthams fire…at least someone on that damn coaching staff gets it!! Cause it sure aint Richt, love some Richt…but he doesnt have any emotions or fire in his words or actions. Which is showing up in our players on the field.
our special teams SUCK!! if we dont fix it…we will lose to Auburn, UF, and GT.
Bobo is regressing once again!! I blame that last blocked punt on him…cause his pathetic playcalling couldnt run out the clock!! championship teams know how to finish games…not give them up!!
Players better build off the fire generated by this pathetic win!!
ANother great game by the defense, and our standout freshmen players!!
DawginLex
October 17th, 2011
8:58 am
Y’all can call him whatever you want to call him.
The a$$ clown in that incident was Franklin
He said something DIRECTLY to one of our players
You don’t do that at any level, in any sport.
Grantham came to his defense and that is exactly what he should have done
Go ahead and call me names now too
Dap01
October 17th, 2011
9:00 am
Vandy: You need to learn to lose with class.
Grantham: I wish the other coaches has your fire.
Bobo: You have no clue how to coordinate a game.
CMR: Pay some attention to play calling and to special teams.
CMR: Samuel is NOT a running back, anybody else is better. He can’t run the ball.
Crowell: Grow up. A wrist injury would never keep a great running back out.
CMR: Help Bobo out with offensive game plan. He is going to ruin your career.
UGA: GATA: Beat Florida.
Dap01
October 17th, 2011
9:06 am
CTG is the best coach on the UGA staff. That includes ALL other coaches.
Thanks, Coach Grantham.
Hit A Single
October 17th, 2011
9:09 am
I agree Williams needs to calm it down, but that is something Franklin should have addressed with Coach Richt. And maybe wait until today to do it. Franklin’s inexperienced showed. He needs to watch the game tape and watch his #60. You want to talk about dirty!
Winder
October 17th, 2011
9:10 am
I get embarrassed by our fans sometimes, and our DC and some of the players didn’t represent themselves well at times either. Coach Richt: you are in charge! Act like it.
Some of our fans need to learn the difference between an illegal chop block and a legal cut block (which all teams do). I’m glad we are winning, but that almost turned into a coffin nail for Richt, but I’m glad it didn’t!
English Teacher
October 17th, 2011
9:12 am
@jtriverdog06
“Their was multiple clips I seen from Vandy,…” I SEEN, REALLY!!!
“There (not their) WERE multiple… & I SAW.
Go back to the 5th grade.
Daphne
October 17th, 2011
9:19 am
“Sportsmanship is for losers and communists.”
This kind of attitude is why UGA is known around the world as The Cesspool of the South.
Christopher
October 17th, 2011
9:23 am
The athletic history of UGA is full of so many sordid, sleazy incidents – dating back to Vince Dooley and continuing through Mark Richt – that it’s impossible to overlook. The school has come to stand for drunkenness and lawlessness, coddling of illiterate athletes who should never have been admitted to college, and rampant cheating by coaches. And now even the coaches are t-h-u-g-s.
UGA and Mark Richt are an affront and an embarrassment to all decent people in this state.
ugab
October 17th, 2011
9:40 am
I love the fire from Grantham. We do not need any suspensions for the Fl game. I would take a loss to Vandy in trade for a win in Jacksonville. We have two weeks to get our mistakes corrected. IC has to be healthy to beat fl. Fake punts and trick plays are making ga look bad. Rambo got a lil tripped up when he got burned on the trick play. THE PLAYERS NEED TO QUIT THE TRASH TALKING AND PLAY FOOTBALL. FL IS NOT THE GAME TO BE GETTING PERSONAL FOULS. MR IS LOSING HIS TEAM AGAIN. I AM HAVING FLASHBACKS.
Forever Dawg
October 17th, 2011
9:47 am
Not UGA’s fault our opponents record in the conference is 1-13, everyone plays their schedule. What is Boise’s opponents record? Hey GT fans, you need to worry about your losing team and not our coaches, I guess you want to fuel the fire to take heat off your program that will lose to Miami and VA Tech in the coming weeks. Grantham was right for sticking up for his players, I believe Franklin started the incident, and if anyone else wants to start something I’m sure Grantham is not mgoing to back down. Time to move on…BEAT FLORIDA!
True Dawg Fan
October 17th, 2011
9:59 am
Daphne
October 17th, 2011
9:19 am
“Sportsmanship is for losers and communists.”
This kind of attitude is why UGA is known around the world as The Cesspool of the South.
hahahahahahahaha another jealous nerd. When ur getting chop blocked sportsmanship goes out the window. For trying to take our linesmans knees out, Geathers should have ripped that guys helmet off and then broke his fricken nose.
This is why no chicks should EVER comment on football. Football is a brutal sport and if you cant take it then STFU moron.
Grantham just solidified himself in the bulldog nations hearts on saturday. Even if Richt ends up getting canned (which he shouldnt) CTG will stay. But if Richt goes so does all of our recruits. You people who are calling for him to be fired do know that rigth??
In years past every got onto richt due to all the off the field issues and he corrected that by putting in extreme policies to curb it. But now that same group is angry at him again for it???? What do you want people??? Give the man a chance to find a balance between the 2. He has the team under control (Washington’s DUI not his fault, Geathers punching the lineman not his fault).
Maybe if all the armchair QB’s would just STFU about it we wouldnt be losing recruits, maybe the players and coaches could actually get comfortable for a week without all this idiotic “Hot Seat” crap. The only coahc on the “Hot Seat” is Bobo.Yes Richt should back up his players and his coaches with stuff like this, but he is also not the kind of guy who will publically sound like an idiot by saying, “Nope my players told me what happeneed and they are right its all on Vandy.” How dumb and ignorant would that have made him sound?? He did the same thing with CTG vs Florida. Publically didnt outright back him, but most likely didnt care when the cameras werent around.
Now stop spreading crap and get behind the team. However its hard for a lot of folks are here, but that is why they are the fringe fans and only care when we are doing good, and love to voice the retard opinions when we are down. All of us true dawg fans will continue to back this staff and players period.
True Dawg Fan
October 17th, 2011
10:01 am
Christopher
October 17th, 2011
9:23 am
The athletic history of UGA is full of so many sordid, sleazy incidents – dating back to Vince Dooley and continuing through Mark Richt – that it’s impossible to overlook. The school has come to stand for drunkenness and lawlessness, coddling of illiterate athletes who should never have been admitted to college, and rampant cheating by coaches. And now even the coaches are t-h-u-g-s.
UGA and Mark Richt are an affront and an embarrassment to all decent people in this state.
Wow you changed up you little statement. Way to add and coaches this time!!
Get a life nerd. Hope you enjoy being a virgin till your 40!
Tom
October 17th, 2011
10:01 am
Wait….so now we’re hearing he was also flipping off FANS? Seriously? A COACH?