SEC discipline likely forthcoming for Georgia, Vandy players, coaches
ATHENS – Georgia expects to hear back from the Southeastern Conference sometime this week regarding possible disciplinary action against coaches and players in the wake of last Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt.
UGA and Vanderbilt were each asked to submit reports about the post-game skirmish that took place following the Bulldogs’ 33-28 win over the Commodores. After the game concluded, Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham ended up in a shouting match at midfield. Both coaches could be subject to fines, suspensions and/or reprimands from SEC Commissioner Mike Slive for showing a lack of sportsmanship with their finger-pointing, obscenity-laced exchange.
Meanwhile, there is a very good chance discipline could be forthcoming for players based on their actions during the game. Georgia noseguard Kwame Geathers was flagged for a personal foul for punching Vanderbilt center Logan Stewart at the end of of the Commodores’ second offensive play of the fourth quarter. Geathers’ punch was retaliation for a late-hit by Stewart in which he intentionally clips the back of Geathers’ left knee, an extremely dangerous angle that could have resulted in serious injury. Stewart was flagged for clipping on the play and could be disciplined for the hit.
Georgia senior center Ben Jones was flagged for a similar penalty in the 2010 Mississippi State game and was suspended for the first half of the Bulldogs’ next game against Colorado. Georgia’s next game this year is against Florida in Jacksonville on Oct. 29.
“We’re not sure what’s going to happen,” Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity said Tuesday. “We’re at the mercy of the SEC. We don’t know if anything is imminent or not. Our only experience is with Ben Jones last year.”
Jones’ discipline was not announced last season until right around kickoff of the Colorado game. At the time it was stated that both Georgia coach Mark Richt and Slive had reviewed tape of the Mississippi State game and agreed that a one-half suspension was warranted.
Here’s the release UGA sent out that day:
University of Georgia center Ben Jones will sit out the first half of the Saturday game against Colorado as a result of a late clipping penalty he incurred in the closing minutes of last week’s game at Mississippi State.
UGA head coach Mark Richt and SEC Commissioner Mike Slive both reviewed game tapes and conferred during this past week. Both agreed the half game suspension was in order.
“It was poor judgment on Ben’s part,” said Richt. “He feels very badly about the incident and has sent a note of apology to the Mississippi State player. I have talked with (Mississippi State Coach) Dan Mullen and he appreciated the concern and Ben’s apology.”
Meanwhile, McGarity does not believe Georgia is an undisciplined team. He pointed out that the Bulldogs entered last Saturday’s game as the SEC’s fourth-least penalized teams. Georgia has been flagged for five personal fouls in seven games this season and all have come in the last two games, two against Tennessee and three against Vanderbilt.
“That’s not a reflection of our team this year,” McGarity said. “The Vanderbilt game hopefully was an aberration. We had a bad second half against Tennessee and lost our composure against Vanderbilt.”
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532 comments Add your comment
Thomas Brown
October 18th, 2011
10:35 pm
Greg McGarity : “at the end of the day that’s not the way you want to end an athletic competition. … I think if you asked Todd if he had to do it over again, he would definitely do some things differently. I think that’s not the way you want to represent your institution on either side at the end of the day.”
Mark Richt : “All I know is that I hate the fact that at the end of the game we can’t just shake hands like gentlemen and walk off the field like men of integrity. It’s like at the end of a play: when the play is over it’s over, you go to the sideline. And we didn’t do a very good job of that at times. And we’ve got to mind our blood getting hot… Maybe TV will pick it up and we’ll get a better sense of what happened, but we are grown men and we all need to act that way. But we’re also competitors and we all have emotions and sometimes when you get a little bit fired up it’s hard not to keep from getting in a jawing contest.”
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 18th, 2011
10:36 pm
Haha Dawgs fans are still bringing up hits from last years Auburn game, I actually want UGA to be good again so some of their fans will stop being mewling babies
Toccoa Dawg
October 18th, 2011
10:36 pm
Chris if you don’t like the rednecks the solution is simple, MOVE to another state, we won’t miss you I promise.
monroedawg
October 18th, 2011
10:37 pm
When is muschamp getting disciplned… he shouts profanities at his own players every game..
RamboDog
October 18th, 2011
10:41 pm
King Gator, glad to see you back on here. Last 3 weeks while you were getting that a@@ beat, you were “missing in action”, big mouth. See you in less than 2 weeks, don’t burn down the trailer before the game…get those rabbit ears ready so you can see it this year…expect a real beat down, 1st of MANY. The worm has turned.
Adam
October 18th, 2011
10:42 pm
LOL…..the limp-wristed comments on here are hilarious. If Franklin was being honest, he would admit he was not looking for Richt to begin with. He was at the 50 yd line where ALL coaches meet after the game for the obligatory handshake.
Beyond that, you guys are sooooo easily played like fiddles by the AJC writers. They consistently take anti-UGA positions because they know the Dawg Nation will vehemently support their team. It’s easy pickin’s for them. Say something less than complimentary about the Dawgs and they are guarnteed to have a tremendous response to their article by virtue of the enormous amount of postings by UGA fans defending their coach or players.
Why do they rarely speak badly of GT, because they know that Tech fans will just stop reading their articles. UGA fans on the other hand react predictably (myself included) and raise cain about the unbalanced reporting. It’s pure genius on their part. Their editors love them for increased exposure and they don’t have to worry about journalistic integrity. Seems like they’d be well-suited for CNN or MSNBC.
MHS
October 18th, 2011
10:49 pm
A lot of the comments from Ga. supporters acted like this type of behavior was o.k. We have a lot of young people following these colleges games and more especially certain teams. Coaches and players have an obligation to behave with proper sportsmanship to influence this kids in a proper way. The men and women that play college and pro. sports have a big impact on kids lives POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE.
Columbus
October 18th, 2011
10:54 pm
Nothing is going to happen to Grantham except maybe a small fine. The players are a different story. They got physical. Everybody needs to get off of the Grantham thing. Media-hype does more damage to a minor situation than the gravity of situation itself justifies. Just like firing Richt, firing Richt, all off season. They stress people out with undue and unwarranted pressure hyping stuff up that is not reality, or most probable reality. They just arent telling it like it is! They showed their ignorance and true colors then and are doing it at AJC again with this non-story that should be a side note. Schultz and Bradley are blowing it up into something major when it isnt. Perspective and intent are everything and after the off-season hype, we have seen the true colors of those two jokers. They are like used car salesmen and attorneys. Read Bradley’s column then on the side look at his recent posts and look at how many are negative, how many take a positive and look for the negative within it, state it and focus on it. It must suck to live life that way. Then share it with the world? What a legacy! Chip you are the best at AJC. You and Ledbetter. Dont know enough about the others, but you are head and shoulders above Bradley(Girlie-Man) and Schultz, Carvell and King. Schultz has a good one every once in awhile. Bradley? Few and way too far between…..
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:02 pm
not sure who the bigger rednecks are, the UGA fans or the UGA coaches.
What a classless and irrelevant program. I pray UGA wins the SEC East. It would result in a complete bit!@#$slap in the SEC championship game with either LSU or Bama who will take no prisoners since they will be playing for a spot in the BCS NC game, and it will insure a couple more years of CMR and is imcompetent coaching staff. You think everything is falling into place for UGA, no, everything is falling into place for GT fans!
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:04 pm
Go dawgs! We love CMR on the flats!
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:06 pm
You go RamboDog. We at GT agree with you – go dawgs. We can’t wait to see you guys in Atlanta in the SEC Championship game!! It’s gonna make great entertainment. And be sure to give CMR a 5 year extension if he wins the division – yeah baby!
Casual Observation
October 18th, 2011
11:06 pm
A GT fan calling UGA irrelevant? Now I’ve heard it all
Blind Homer's Odyssey
October 18th, 2011
11:06 pm
SE GA Fan
October 18th, 2011
10:10 pm
This is unbelievable that this story is turning from the AJC’s version of bad dawg UGA being ugly to holier-than-thou Vanderbilt. I saw the original game replay of Gaethers, and it looked like he barely tapped the helmet of Stewart. No reaction on Stewart’s part, and you know if he really hit him all hell would have broken out. Vandy was ugly all night.
He didn’t tap his helmet. He kidney punched him with a right hook. Even a blind man could see his helmet move a foot in reaction to the kidney punch.
The Ghost of Wally Butts
October 18th, 2011
11:07 pm
THIS JUST IN….. CMR has announced a severe penalty for both CTG and the UGA player throwing punches…
…they are hereby suspended for the 1st quarter of the New Mexico State game…well, now, this new toughness certainly sends a much needed message.
I haven’t seen such toughness since Urban Crier suspended the eye-goucher for the 1st half of the uh….Vandy..game.
Wow.
Casual Observation
October 18th, 2011
11:07 pm
thwg,
who do know that cmr is 9-1 against gt, right???
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:08 pm
Hey Casual – we’re 20th in the BCS, what’s UGA’s ranking?? Yep, irrelevant.
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:09 pm
Casual, and soon to be 9-2, and 2-2 in the last 4. See ya in Atlanta after thanksgiving.
The Ghost of Wally Butts
October 18th, 2011
11:10 pm
Seriously though….the exchange between CTG and Franklin is related to the exchange between the Detriot Coach and the San Fran Coach….and in turn,
…related to the “Occupy” stuff going on in NYC and in Atl and other places….and in turn, related to the lyrics of “rap”, etc….
…we are a society coming apart at the seams…civility and common sense seems to be dying, and its just a shame to see it all unfolding before our eyes.
Casual Observation
October 18th, 2011
11:11 pm
so, by your logic…teams ranked 19 and lower can call GT irrelevant?
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:13 pm
What are you UGA fans gonna do if you loose the SEC east this year?? Can you imagine?? Duke could finish mid pack in the pathetic division. TN, FL and SC ALL take huge injury hits and they all play 2 or 3 of the big three in AL, LSU, and AR and UGA plans not a one of them. I tell ya, if you can’t win it this year you’ll never win it again in your lifetime – particularly after A&M and Missouri come in. Celebrating on the ‘V’ after beating Vandy – are you serious? I don’t think I can recall Bama, LSU, FL, hell even KY celebrating a Vandy victory. You would have thought you guys had beaten FL. Solid!
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:14 pm
Casual, pretty much. I doubt Bama, LSU, or even the ducks are loosing any sleep over GT. Hell, we can’t even kick UVA’s ass. Which is my point, you are behind an average GT team. How must that feel?
Casual Observation
October 18th, 2011
11:15 pm
thwg,
i’ll bet you also predicted that gt was going to win each of the last 10 years. so, what’s really different about this year?
9 of those 10 years uga was ranked higher and won 8 of them
only 1 of those 10 years uga was ranked lower…..and guess what…they won.
no matter what, uga will win again.
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:17 pm
Casual, just to keep it real, I suspect we only win 2 more at most. But 8-4 ain’t gonna win the coastal, but it would be close in the SEC East.
Thomas Brown
October 18th, 2011
11:18 pm
savdawg October 18th, 2011 4:03 pm
“The key word here is “retaliate”. Coach Franklin jumped on Shawn Williams after the game. Grantham retaliated. Notice, VANDY started all this”
So, you think you can totally ignore what Shawn Williams # 36 did in the game ? Or what Isaiah Crowell does after every run against CUPCAKES, except for this game where he was pouting about being SUSPENDED for the 1st Quarter ? What about what Shawn Williams did after the game taunting, as well ? Think you can ignore that ? Can you also ignore what Greg McGarity said ? Can you even begin to attempt to ignore what Mark Richt said about Todd Grantham ? Can you even begin to attempt to ignore what Mark Richt said about the players during the game not either going to the sidelines or back to the huddle instead Mark Richt said his players were jawing.
No, I don’t think you can paint that picture. This is yet, again, more bad press for a football team who in 11 years has beat only 3 teams who have finished in the AP Poll Top 10 – and 10 such LOSSES – while in the 3 years they actually beat such a team, we LOST 4 games, 3 games and 4 games ending up all 3 of those years in the AP Poll the # 5 team in The SEC, the # 3 team in The SEC and the # 5 team in The SEC. We are mediocre and without discipline on and off the field including after the games too. I was told we had Good Riddance run-off the bad apples to which I replied, what no one else to force out of this program ever too to, forcing never again a transfer out of this program ? Just saying, you said Good Riddance; so, you are saying Poor Choices by the coaching staff on those recruits heralded when they signed here; but, this staff will never make such Poor Choices, ever again ? Yeah, right. And, then, of course, of the 11 years to-date, we have those 17 Losses to teams who would not have ended up in the AP Poll Top 25 had they NOT beat us – and of those 17 Losses, 10 of those still did not end up in the AP Poll Top 25 even AFTER they BEAT US.
We don’t beat the teams who end up Top 10, are 10 games under .500 against teams who finish in the Top 25, have 17 losses to those who would not have finished in the Top 25 – these ALL for all 11 years; and we have been in the News for Bad Press the whole entire 11 years – never more so than this moment against Vandie with our 11 penalties. Whatever lie Greg McGarity said about penalties, we are # 85 in the nation for the Most Penalties and # 75 in the nation for the Most Yards Penalized. Mediocre, without discipline, cannot beat the great teams 11 years, lose to teams who are no good and nowhere near our talent level for 11 years. And, we can posture in this skirmish with Vandie that what ? Right; got it; we are not an undisciplined, mediocre football program for 11 years.
Casual Observation
October 18th, 2011
11:19 pm
average gt team???? this was the 1st time gt managed to go 6-0 in over 50 years. now that’s irrelevant!! you play in the ACC, so not like you’ve been playing against top-notch competition. ACC teams are 2-9 in bcs bowl games. now that’s irrelevant!
thwg
October 18th, 2011
11:24 pm
yeah, but we went 6-0 against some pretty marginal teams. Not unlike your 5-0 run either which was against some pretty pathetic competition too. The fact is that USC, FL, Bama, Auburn and LSU are bleeding this state of talent. Doesn’t seem like either GT or UGA can keep ‘em here with consistency. Perhaps UGA more than GT. But let’s be honest, CMR is a lousy coach. Be interesting to see what Johnson could do with UGA’s talent.
Thomas Brown
October 18th, 2011
11:28 pm
Lakedawg October 18th, 2011 4:23 pm
“after watching 35 and 45 whiffing 3 or 4 times as the Vandy QB ran by them.”
Lakedawg
picking on Christian Robinson and Michael Gilliard
Lakedawg
Be a man Lakedawg, if you are going to pick on Christian Robinson and Michael Gilliard, then CALL THEM OUT by name, you wimp, not some veiled attempt to CALL THEM OUT by #.
UGAKev from Columbus GA
October 18th, 2011
11:35 pm
thwg,
I was more worried about the vandy game this past week then the GT game coming up in November. Vandy would beat you by atleast 10 pts. We may have beat some bad teams to get to where we are right now. But those patsies are atleast better than the ones you have played and even lost to.
Casual Observation
October 18th, 2011
11:40 pm
agree. johnson can definitely coach. i’d put him in the same category as spurrier when he was at UF in best feel at calling plays during a game. now if only he could recruit better talent.
no dice in me calling richt a “lousy coach.” i’m still in the camp that supports richt. if he goes 9-3 or possibly 10-2……will have to commend a guy that pulls the team together to either win 9/10 or 10 in a row. is the competition great….no, but you still have to play the games.
Thomas Brown
October 18th, 2011
11:45 pm
GaDawg October 18th, 2011 6:35 pm
“there was no dancing or celebration on the Vandy “Star”. To me this is much to do about nothing.”
Yes, we did dance and celebrate on their Vandy Star; it was 2007 :
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=272860238
“October 13, 2007 : The Bulldogs danced on the Vanderbilt star at midfield after Coutu’s kick sailed through the uprights. Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson said Georgia coach Mark Richt apologized after the game because some Georgia players were celebrating on the Vanderbilt star at midfield. Bobby Johnson said Richt apologized after the game because some Georgia players were celebrating on the Vanderbilt star at midfield.”
Thomas Brown
October 18th, 2011
11:52 pm
Dawg’88 October 18th, 2011 7:00 pm
“- UGA safety taunts Vandy sideline; Vany head coach reacts angrily, to which UGA
coach reacts angrily.”
_____________________________
Excuse me, that is NOT our fault ?
Thomas Brown
October 18th, 2011
11:59 pm
“It’s because of this sissy a** attitude, UGA’s program is in the pathetic state it is in. Richt and his arrogance, and his laid back, lazy a** work ethic has brought this program to it’s knees.”
http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2011/10/18/sec-discipline-likely-forthcoming-for-georgia-vandy-players/?cp=all#comment-202906
1953dawg October 18th, 2011 8:43 pm
vagabondking
October 19th, 2011
12:20 am
Old news move on, don’t try to hurt local teams, you’re supposed to support them. The readers should be their fans
William
October 19th, 2011
12:43 am
What if Granthem is suspended for a game, who will call the defense, Bobo? I can’t wait.
sports
October 19th, 2011
12:46 am
THis is nothing but a bunch of bull$hit!
DAWGMAN
October 19th, 2011
1:04 am
No control, folks. coach ain’t got no control. See that BS out of UofA or LSU?
coach already got the Dream Team down to Three Stars. How low do they go? Only Slive know.
Ain’t it usually the player who retaliates that gets noticed by the officials? Don’t the coaching staff coach this?
No control. That must cost extra! C’mon, man!
tenn.DAWG
October 19th, 2011
6:31 am
WOW this is crazy,heaven forbid you should take up for yourself or your player on the field.What’s next is the ACLU or or some other liberal group will make up the rules committee.
sick of all this.....
October 19th, 2011
7:31 am
if it’s not poor play, it’s stupid and juvenile behavior from the players and now the coaches….when will it all stop? I’ll tell you, when you get rid of CMR…fish rots from the head down…so embarrassed to be a Dog fan…..
Jimmy Crack
October 19th, 2011
7:49 am
sick, you’re not a real Dogs fan, if at all. We are 5-2 after a horrible year last year and in contention. Things are looking up with our freshman class and our rising sophomores. Is there a bumble bee under your dog mask?
BobDawg
October 19th, 2011
7:52 am
… I think I have solution for this problem… Just finished reading where Coach Gary Patterson of TCU had scheduled the Air Force Academy (up there) for his team to go and play the Falcons (Sept 16th SI) issue. Game was well played hard and clean and he had the players line up afterward along with the Cadets to stand at attention during the playing of their Alma mater which is a Big Deal at all the Academies. I think UGA along with the rest of the BCS should schedule a Service Academy once every 3-4 years for this experience. I remember Coach K telling his Duke BBall players how tough a Cadets day is right before his Team took on Navy and David Robinson in the NCAA’s… Just some food for thought….
BobDawg
October 19th, 2011
7:57 am
…What I’m saying is the Coaches could even have one of the Cadets talk about their days in a normal week which is very grueling and the “practices” and the “games” on Saturdays are actually a break in the day/week for these guys…. Might bring some reality to these football players world… Plus, are you really going to taunt and talk trash to these guys???
Charlie Brown
October 19th, 2011
8:06 am
Here’s how it’s gonna work Dawg fans. Lucy’s gonna hold the ball, and I’m gonna kick it through the uprights for a bonus trip to the SECCG.
This is our year! Nothing can go wrong!
We beat Vandy! We’re back!
papadawg
October 19th, 2011
8:12 am
Crap now the pencil neck weenie arm geeks who never played a down of football are getting involved
Papa Smurf
October 19th, 2011
8:14 am
Anything is possible when you live in your own little fantasy world!
richie
October 19th, 2011
8:46 am
Slive has had it in for Ga,since the fla game a few yrs ago when the team went on the field after a tdown.,,,,,,,,Its time for him to go……..to many funny things going on over there……..
ncdawg
October 19th, 2011
8:47 am
This story has been slanted one way from the beginning. AJC – you need to get a clue! I think you just enjoy inciting people.
ugaDAWG
October 19th, 2011
8:50 am
“We’re at the mercy of the SEC.” Wow, what a position to be in. This is a conference with the worst officiating in the country, and one with a commissioner is doles out punishment based upon who, not what. When is Nick Saban going to be held accountable for his behavior? HOw about Muschamp. How about this guy Franklin, of whose name no one knew until this happened? Mike Slive is a joke … I’d hate to have my welfare dependent upon his decision-making. Of course, Richt will be a wimp and not take a stand for his own coaches and players. Until he does that, I will no longer support him as our head coach.
DawgSTILE
October 19th, 2011
8:51 am
Whats it going to be bulldog nation. You can’t have it both ways. Do you want well behaved coaches and players in “ties and kakis” or do you want smash mouth. It’s a tough game, surley yall know that, it is not about self control (just as DawginLex knows), you just can’t turn that motor on and off that fast.
whiskey breath
October 19th, 2011
8:54 am
Part of being a Christian is admitting fault. You will never get Richt to admit that. Who in the hell was responsible for Ga’s bad conduct? Christian Mark. Hey Ga, try getting away with that punk behavior at Florida.
Georgia Nation!
October 19th, 2011
8:56 am
Let’s be fair about this SEC!
Just because Todd Grantham went off doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t punish Nick Saban.
That would be the fair thing to do!