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.”
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
532 comments Add your comment
Dawg48
October 18th, 2011
9:16 pm
Snoop is you break over at the waffle house yet? Get back to work your burning my hash browns!
Fed up with Idiot dawgs
October 18th, 2011
9:16 pm
yes 53 dawg and Snoop teh man has won over 100 games in a little over 10 seasons, stole that money. Idiots like you would’ve fired Dooley before he made it 10 years a s well as Bear Bryant.Crawl back in your loser holes and go pretend to be a fan of another team.
Dawg48
October 18th, 2011
9:19 pm
I’m with you fed up! Wait snoop said that we are in a trance.
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 18th, 2011
9:21 pm
Who is the idiot(apologies to all the idiots out there) posting under my name?
Sorry slimeball but I;m not gay and you don’t want my number I assure you.. If you have doubts about this just send yourmother, wife or daughter over, Thay can give you a firsthand explanation
ddawg
October 18th, 2011
9:23 pm
So…Franklin coaches dirty football… his team plays as they are coached…and the AJC takes his side. You guys are like the parent who hates their kids and always takes the side of anybody who talks bad about them. Vandy has sold their soul to to win with this gut and you are taking is side.
Dawg48
October 18th, 2011
9:24 pm
It’s a single wide snoop!
Charlie Brown
October 18th, 2011
9:26 pm
Why does everybody only play dirty against us?
LetThemPlay
October 18th, 2011
9:26 pm
The SEC should punish the horrible officials for not stopping Vandy’s dirty play in the 1st Quarter.
Dr. Morpheus
October 18th, 2011
9:27 pm
Is the news cycle over, yet? Just posting to support Chip Towers blog; but, I’m glad to see that most of the legitimate UGA posts recognize that this is a minor incident that is now merely a distraction. Like them, I welcome immediate punishment as the SEC sees fit and let’s focus on the real story: Can UGA break out of the doldrums that set in whenever we go the Jacksonville? Bring on the Gators!
Dawg48
October 18th, 2011
9:29 pm
Snoop I’m glad you took the dawg of your handle! How about inserting gator or techie or tiger or war eagle or wait I got it fot you how about snoop Thomas browns roommate!
Dr. Morpheus
October 18th, 2011
9:29 pm
And I would appreciate Snoop cutting out the racist comments.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
October 18th, 2011
9:31 pm
Franklin, “I went looking for Richt and couldn’t find him….”
Hey Franklin, After UGA rolls over Vandy in Athens next year Richt is the guy wearing a red shirt with a G on the front. He’ll be at midfield with his hand extended.
You have a whole year to work that out.
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 18th, 2011
9:34 pm
WE are taking away? How many of y’all perverts does it take to take anything away from anybody. You too “Snoopy Baby,” can send over your mother, wife and daughter so they can bring you back a glowing report. Of course you probably won’t understand most of it so make them talk slowly……oh and have them draw pictures you closet homo putting up a false front thinking none of us really know. It is easy to tell just from the way you want to appear heterasexual(get somebody to explain what that word means) but you and I know differently don’t we Snoopy Baby?
Snoop Dawg
October 18th, 2011
9:34 pm
Enter your comments here
Dawg48
October 18th, 2011
9:37 pm
This just in all dawg fans check with snoop (Thomas browns roommate) to see if you qualify to be in the bulldog nation! His office is the 3rd stall on the second floor at the Tate center located behind the food court! If you can not make it to Athens his number is located on moth wal mart bathroom stalls! Thanks and have a GREAT day! ( I stole that from les miles)
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 18th, 2011
9:40 pm
Dawg48: You said it best. You da man. Watch out for Snoopy Baby. He be following his mama, wife and daughter trying to get in on the action
Weak Bark
October 18th, 2011
9:41 pm
Was UF 3-0 before UA and Brantley went down? JB comes back and it will make a difference. UGA will not see the same UF team AL,LSU and AU saw,.
Markie Richt
October 18th, 2011
9:42 pm
Markie has lost control over everyone. Fire him now.
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 18th, 2011
9:43 pm
Snoopy Baby: You don’t speak for dawgnation or any part of it except what pleases your boyfriend so you might as well come on out of that closet Snoopy Baby
bamaguy
October 18th, 2011
9:43 pm
Alabama beat Florida by 28 points (38-10). I am sure the dawgs and their mighty Grantham defense are going to do much better than that. I am looking forward to seeing it.
RamboDog
October 18th, 2011
9:44 pm
Gator Meat…there isn’t a player on Florida’s team that hits hard enough to hurt anyone….and neither can you.
Dawg48
October 18th, 2011
9:46 pm
You can tell that the media has nothing better to do than talk about this stupid issue with granthem and Franklin! As you can see by the comments on here tonight no one is talking football! Come on ajc get to work!
Thomas Branan
October 18th, 2011
9:47 pm
A lot of fake “fans” posting on this and most ajc stories on UGA. Georgia football is all that matters.
Dawg48
October 18th, 2011
9:48 pm
@Brainiac
I think snoop may have been kicked off, he was posting some racist stuff like he has in the past
RamboDog
October 18th, 2011
9:48 pm
Roll Tide, sorry…Bama won’t be at the Dome this year. LSU will kick ya’lls butt. Maybe you can work the concession stand and see some of the UGA / LSU SEC Championship match. See you next year…for a beat down. 3 of last 4 over the TIDE red neck inbred trailer trash…hahahahahahah
athdog
October 18th, 2011
9:48 pm
Enter your comments here
Blind Homer's Odyssey
October 18th, 2011
9:52 pm
I didn’t see Williams provoke Franklin and run away like a guilty schoolboy.
I didn’t see defensive players celebrate their brilliant tackles 15 yards downfield.
I didn’t see Geathers punch a guy in the back in front of a ref and the cameras.
I didn’t see an eye popping red-faced tantrum thrown by Grantham.
I didn’t see members of a Georgia team that again didn’t know how to win graciously in Nashville. (Even if that win was blessed by fortunate winds of fate).
Sometimes it’s nice to be a Blind Homer.
DawgSTILE
October 18th, 2011
9:52 pm
Tough call for the dog nation. It’s like the old saying, if your dating, you want a slu_, if your taken em to mom want a church girl. DogS, what do you want – fire or ice? Bland or bad ass? DawginLex told me he wants fire he wants the dags to bring it. You go DawginLex.
athdog
October 18th, 2011
9:52 pm
It’s college football!! It’s the SEC !!! I’m a man! I’m 40!!!
Good grief. Get past it. Franklin could’ve walked away, he knew he wasn’t talking to Richt. Grantham could’ve walked away, and would have, I believe, if Franklin had not been putting his finger in the UGA players’ face. I’d feel worse if Grantham had stood by and watched an opposing coach do that to his player without reacting towards it at all.
Don’t think for a second Van Gorder would not have done the same thing….
Erk??? He might have decked Franklin on the spot.
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 18th, 2011
9:54 pm
Thanks Bamaguy: I hope I haven’t insulted you or Bama in all the BS I put out today. Guess you heard the news Ole Snoop Dawg is finally coming out of the closet but is also suffering from diarhia of the mouth like most of us on here. Dawgnation welcomes all comers regardless of race, creed, national origin OR SEXUAL PREFERENCE. See Snoopy Baby. I told you it would be okay.
bamaguy
October 18th, 2011
9:57 pm
It doesn’t matter if Alabama or LSU shows up at the dome. Whoever it is, it will be an epic beat down of UGA. And I would not be quit so quick to assume that UGA will be there. Let’s see how you do against Florida. History is not on your side.
Blind Homer's Odyssey
October 18th, 2011
9:58 pm
LetThemPlay
October 18th, 2011
9:26 pm
The SEC should punish the horrible officials for not stopping Vandy’s dirty play in the 1st Quarter.
Irony anyone?
Blind Homer's Odyssey
October 18th, 2011
10:01 pm
bamaguy
October 18th, 2011
9:57 pm
It doesn’t matter if Alabama or LSU shows up at the dome. Whoever it is, it will be an epic beat down of UGA. And I would not be quit so quick to assume that UGA will be there. Let’s see how you do against Florida. History is not on your side.
Absolute best scenario for UGA is that they win out…. and so does South Carolina.
bamaguy
October 18th, 2011
10:02 pm
The words “dirty play” and “Vanderbilt” just don’t belong in the same sentence.
And once people start posting comments under other folks’ names, it is time to pour that last glass of wine, sit in front of the fireplace, then go to bed.
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 18th, 2011
10:07 pm
Trip wire: Where we gone find one GOOD Gator?
BullDawg Rick
October 18th, 2011
10:08 pm
The ajc writers are the media.. We all know how the media blew OBummer outta porprotion.. Now the media has egg & $ h i t all over their faces…
Same ole same ole..
Herman Cain!!!
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.
dobearsbare
October 18th, 2011
10:10 pm
Sorry if someone else beat me to it, but McGarity’s full of it. Not a reflection of the team this year? If Georgia can’t keep its composure against Tennessee and Vanderbilt, what expectation can we reasonably have that they’ll keep it against Florida? Answer: None whatsoever. I’d bet money there will be an incident in the Florida game, and despite the five-game winning streak, this looks more and more like a program coming unglued, both with its performance and its behavior.
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 18th, 2011
10:12 pm
Chip I put a lot of “STUFF” on here but I can’t stand a racist or a gay-basher. Please just write me a warning ticket if I get over the edge. I’m btting Snoop Dawg was one of those “Witch Burners” in the older days.
dobearsbare
October 18th, 2011
10:13 pm
Oh, and Blind Homer’s right. Georgia isn’t going to beat a good team. The SEC Championship is going to be a woodshed beating. The Dawgs are better off letting South Carolina absorb that while they’re preparing for the Outback Bowl or whatever.
TeBow
October 18th, 2011
10:14 pm
Gata’
Percie Harvie
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 18th, 2011
10:15 pm
Dobearsbare: It likely will be a part of Florida’s game plan to initiate more activities of this nature.
Top 10 rationalizations for CTG on the blog...
October 18th, 2011
10:21 pm
10. Franklin pointed at one of our players
9. Brandon Spikes tried to gouge one of our players 2 years ago
8. We can’t tell the difference between a legal cut block and illegal chop block
7. We really need a good D against UF
6. Trooper Taylor acts crazy on the sideline
5. Vandy danced on our emblem in 2005
4. Paul Johnson grabs his players facemasks
3. Will Muschamp swears on the sidelines
2. Cam Newton was paid
1. Nick Fairley is a dirty player
Yep – it’s all the fault of UF, AU, GT, Vandy, Franklin, Slive, the refs, the SEC office, Mark Richt (who is a spineless DB for not backing CTG unconditionally) – and the list goes on. The entire nation has seen a video of an out of control DC going backwards and forwards trying to get his face in front of an opponent’s HC while he yells and swears and 95% of the UGA fans on the blog think not only is there nothing wrong with that but it should be praised.
dobearsbare
October 18th, 2011
10:21 pm
Florida won’t have to.
Toccoa Dawg
October 18th, 2011
10:25 pm
Thank you Coach Grantham for taking up for OUR players. We need a head coach who will do the same.
hotdawg
October 18th, 2011
10:25 pm
Amen road dawg 80
The ole Ball Coach
October 18th, 2011
10:28 pm
The AJC is biased against UGA….period. They say Muschamp is the dude he is fiery…. and Nick Fairley is just agressive let him play…..and Saban is Saban….. well……Grantham is the dude he is fiery he is just agressive heck Granmtham is just Grantham….
Hire AJC me I can write 2…..and I am not biased…..
Buckhead Bulldog
October 18th, 2011
10:28 pm
Much ado about nothing! These next two weeks are all about UF. Phuck Phlorida! Sic”em Dogs…..
Dr. Phil
October 18th, 2011
10:33 pm
If Russ the temporary bulldog behaved like Grantham, he would be euthanized.
Chris
October 18th, 2011
10:33 pm
How can these players and coaches go out of state and completely embarrass us, the citizens of Georgia, in this fashion. This is deplorable. I saw the news video and it looked like something out of a combination of Jerry Springer, trash, wrestling event. And for this to take place at Vanderbilt. It looks like the hicks got to go to town for a Saturday night. How embarrassing as I have friends that live in other states that are Vanderbilt grads and they know that I don’t have a favorite team, but live in the state of Georgia. There needs to be some sort of anger management training or classes for this type of redneck, trash behavior.