Suspension possible for Bama player for hit on Georgia QB Aaron Murray
ATHENS — Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity confirmed Monday the Bulldogs have asked the SEC to review the legality of a hit on Aaron Murray that required him to be helped off the field shortly before halftime in the SEC Championship game. But they need not have bothered; the league office is already looking into it.
Alabama defensive lineman Quinton Dial hit Murray with a above-the-shoulder, helmet-to-helmet strike after Murray threw an interception at the 1:15 mark of the second quarter. Crimson Tide defensive back Ha-Sean Clinton-Dix was in the midst of a 35-yard return when the 304-pound Dial left his feet and made contact with the side of Murray’s helmet toward the end of the play. Murray was out of the play and not in position to make the tackle.
McGarity said he was “stunned” when he saw the replay of the Dial’s hit — he missed it during live-game-action — and immediately moved to make sure the play was going to be reviewed.
“I actually didn’t see the hit until I saw it on YouTube (Sunday),” McGarity said of SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “It is definitely a play we will submit for review, but I’m sure that’s already being done. “I’m anxious to see what (SEC Commissioner Mike Slive) says about it.”
Steve Shaw, the SEC’s coordinator of officials, has already reviewed the play and determined that Saturday’s referees “missed the call.”
“By rule, you can’t hit a defenseless player above the shoulders,” Shaw told The Birmingham News. “What the determination needs to be is was this a defenseless player and was contact initiated above the shoulders? When we go through video review of it, that’s what we’ll have to determine. And then you as you break it down, did he lead with the head or lead with the shoulder? From game action, it was a personal foul regardless of how we break it down frame by frame.”
That would not have changed the ultimate outcome of the play. Alabama would have retained possession as the personal foul would have occurred well after the interception. But it would have backed it up 15 yards from the point of contact, which was near midfield.
Above-the-shoulders hits and “targeting” defenseless players have been a point of emphasis for the SEC this season and for all of football as the dangers of concussions have become better known. Slive suspended two players — Ole Miss defensive back Trae Elston and South Carolina safety D.J. Swearinger – for one game each for such hits earlier this season. Dial will face the same fate, and the Crimson Tide’s next game is the BCS national championship.
NCAA rules mandate that conference offices review any flagrant personal foul or targeting for possible future punishment, whether a penalty was called on the field or not.
“We do want to stand up for our players when they are in serious danger of being injured,” McGarity said. “This is a case where it could have had serious implications on Aaron, not only in that game but in future games.”
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1,117 comments Add your comment
Down atone?
December 4th, 2012
12:13 am
No one has said Murray was defenseless player. He was headed to make the play and he got sloberknocked for losing his focus . Learn to live with your shortcomings, lack of coaching and lack of tallen!
Georgia
December 4th, 2012
12:16 am
Could you see a National Championship game that had Mark Richt and Georgia on it’s sidelines instead of Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide ? What a joke that would be. Notre Dame would be asking ‘Who the hell is this’ ?
Georgia
December 4th, 2012
12:18 am
Did Georgia really think they could win ? Did they not see their game against South Carolina ?
meandog
December 4th, 2012
12:19 am
The shot on Murray was the worst kind of cheap shot; and, judging from the comments here, proves that Bama fans are the epitome of slack jawed, rednecked peckerwoods that go to family reunions to inbreed…Harvey Updyke and Brian Dowling are the prime examples.
Bama4ever
December 4th, 2012
12:21 am
Hey Georgia …. you needed to have worn your black jerseys and had another attempt at your blackout. Then Murray’s black eyes would have matched his black jersey. Why don’t you dawg fans just cry a big river – FULL Match your ole nasty slobbering bulldog. Whether BAMA’S wins against Notre Dame or not … guess what, YA’LL LOST!!!!!!! BAMA HAD MORE 1ST DOWNS, MORE RUSHING YARDS, MORE POSSESSION OF TIME WITH THE BALL. READ YOUR STAT’S A__ WHIPPIN!!!!!!
MaroonMoron
December 4th, 2012
12:33 am
Did ya hear, Quinton Dial is gonna miss the big game. Bwah Ha Ha Ha!
Georgia
December 4th, 2012
12:38 am
@meandog – What do you know about slack jawed, rednecked peckerwoods that go to family reunions to inbreed ? Are you from Gilmer County ?
Georgia
December 4th, 2012
12:42 am
Didn’t hear that Quinton Dial was going to miss the big game, but heard half of Georgia players would not make the trip to Orlando. Apparently they got their feelings hurt and are on the disabled list ! Those mean officials !
Crimson Tide
December 4th, 2012
12:46 am
Stats from the game – http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=323360061
Dawgs fans have suffered too much helmet to helmet contact. And you really thought you could win ?
joe
December 4th, 2012
12:51 am
gotta love all the fans on here, especially the Bama fans talking trash. Every live in:Alabama-I have-no one from the state should be allowed to talk trash about anyone. I take that back, the football team is all the state has that is worthy. Go with that Bama fans and talk trash about it. Try try and try. .
BigDawgEatsAlot
December 4th, 2012
12:57 am
Anyone who thinks the Murray hit was not illegal needs to play the game within the past 15 years or so. Targeting, helmet to helmet, launching yourself at a defenseless player are all ILLEGAL acts, penalized by Unsportsmanlike Conduct and 15 yards.
In comparison, Ogletree’s “roughing” on McCarron was questionable. 1, contact was within 1-2 steps of him throwing the ball, not “completing the throw” – but throwing. 2, initial contact from his helmet was at AJ’s chest.
Now-where I give the Referee the benefit of the doubt, is Ogletree’s helmet did come up eventually into his facemask. Questionable call, but a judgement call.
There is nothing about a “judgement” in Quinton Dial. It was targeting, it was helmet to helmet, it was launching yourself at a defenseless player. If this were the NFL, Quinton would be looking at a 30-50k fine, AND potential suspension.
I don’t care to see a player suspended going into the BCS, but seeing how obnoxious a lot of Bama fans are-I hope they do.
captguitarman
December 4th, 2012
1:01 am
Take off your Puppie and Elephant hats for a second and look at that play as a reasonably and objective college football fan — assuming that is even possible for many of the cool aid drinkers on these pages. It doesn’t matter what happened in games before. Each play stands on its own. It was an obvious, illegal, intentional, dirty, late, and possibly game changing hit. If Murray had gone down and gone out, Bama would have waltzed to the championship. Is that really what the Tide would have wanted instead of winning one of the best SEC championship games in history? Forever to have this win questioned and chalked up to a late and dirty and illegal hit that would have taken out the Puppie’s quarterback with more than a half left to play??? Which is exactly what would have happened. Really. Are any Bama fans capbable of looking at that play and saying it was wrong and it could have put a damper on the win? I would like to think so.
You should all be calling for Dial to sit out he championship because, presumably, you are better than that. And also, whoever that deaf, dumb, blind, and stupid ref about 10 yards away should never darken the field in an SEC game again. These kinds of hits are very damaging, injurious, and lethal over a period of time. They need to be relentlessly penalized and fined out of existence. And players who commit them and refs who ignore them heavily punished.
margaret
December 4th, 2012
1:05 am
I don’t think the hit was on purpose to hurt Aaron.There were calls missed on both sides. The refs. can only see so much , they are not going to see it all.Otherwise Olgetree would have the same fate coming to him for slamming a player.Maybe the commissioner would like to go back on EVERY FOUL THAT WAS MISSED. Poking a player in the eye could cause him to lose his eyesight. Just saying Sometimes it’s just FOOTBALL !
margaret
December 4th, 2012
1:12 am
The ” HIT ‘ did not have anything to do with the outcome of the game !
Pokeman
December 4th, 2012
1:18 am
I see that UGA fans are avoiding talking about the # 2 player from Georgia playing “POKER”!
Oh how convienent. McGarity and his sore loser Dwaggie fans are so worried about the hit on their sweet little quarterback that they reallly want to avoid the intentional act of one of their tordish players who lives up to the Thug Dug Dog mentality that Richt has allowed to permiate that program.
Pokeman
December 4th, 2012
1:20 am
captguitarman
December 4th, 2012
1:01 am
Take off your Puppie and Elephant hats for a second and look at that play as a reasonably and objective college football fan — assuming that is even possible for many of the cool aid drinkers on these pages. It doesn’t matter what happened in games before. Each play stands on its own. It was an obvious, illegal, intentional, dirty, late, and possibly game changing hit. If Murray had gone down and gone out, Bama would have waltzed to the championship. Is that really what the Tide would have wanted instead of winning one of the best SEC championship games in history? Forever to have this win questioned and chalked up to a late and dirty and illegal hit that would have taken out the Puppie’s quarterback with more than a half left to play??? Which is exactly what would have happened. Really. Are any Bama fans capbable of looking at that play and saying it was wrong and it could have put a damper on the win? I would like to think so.
You should all be calling for Dial to sit out he championship because, presumably, you are better than that. And also, whoever that deaf, dumb, blind, and stupid ref about 10 yards away should never darken the field in an SEC game again. These kinds of hits are very damaging, injurious, and lethal over a period of time. They need to be relentlessly penalized and fined out of existence. And players who commit them and refs who ignore them heavily punished.
——————————————————————–
STOP YOUR WHINING, Your butt hurts after the loss and this makes you feel better.
WildRhymer
December 4th, 2012
1:34 am
IF the refs had called ANYTHING against Bama I believe the Bulldogs would have won this game. There were ZERO, NONE, penalties called against Alabama during game action…should have been at least a couple of offensive holdings and a couple of blocks in the back…but NONE were called.
P.S. I’m a fan of neither team ….but get highly suspicious when a team plays that many plays and has NO calls against them…..
kw2012
December 4th, 2012
3:03 am
The Ref didn’t “miss” the call. He was right there looking at it. You can see him in the video at the end of the hit. The Ref IGNORED the hit, he didn’t MISS it.
Back to the dog house.
December 4th, 2012
3:34 am
I hate to see the QB take a shot like this no doubt. However, this new sissified version of football we are playing in recent years appalls me. No helmet to helmet, ok, no chop blocks ok, no hitting a defenseless receiver ok, no hitting a defenseless player because he is stupid running around on a football field and not paying attention….seriously. What is next? The new NFL rule that you can’t block below the waist period? Might as well make it flag football and it will just be fast skinny dudes running around without pads.
It has to stop somewhere, and even thought it was a “late” hit, murray was running in the direction of the play and while the defender probably did want to take a shot on the QB, he doesn’t also need to stare at the guy with the ball to see if the play is completely dead and then decide to make the block.
Let these guys play, and if you can’t take a shot on the field QB or whatever position, I hear there is some nice synchronized swimming sports you can play instead.
legionaire
December 4th, 2012
5:08 am
Bama gets the homer calls- just ask LSU. LSU were tagged for over 100 yards in penalties and Bama a whopping 15. Refs can control the flow of a game and show favoritism, Say they call a questionable motion penaly to make it 3rd and 7 instead of 3rd and 2, they have just helped out the D and cannot be called on it. They can call a hold on every play. SEC referees and officials should be held accountable. Their job is to control cheap shot artists like Dial. Dial tried to knock Murray out of the game, so he took a cheap shot in front of the officials and got away with it. That was more than “missing a call”. It was blatant and has no place on the field
UGA Excuses
December 4th, 2012
5:14 am
Excuses made by UGA
Feel Free to add your own”:
The officials
Saban cheated
SEC wanted Alabama to win
UGA did not get treated as well as Alabama
Murray too a hard hit
Griffin Dog
December 4th, 2012
5:53 am
I wish the blog would require pics and bio of those who comment on what is written. It is my sneaky suspicion most of the critics never saw a football field, save perhaps a football manager position or a water boy job. What kills me is I know the Murray family very well and a host of other dogs and it is most difficult on our team to read stupidity and ignorance from men who never played the game, and who absolutely could not read a defense, call a game or have a darn clue beyond key stroke harassment. WOW! Revenge of the Nerds! I expect it from the elephant arses to the west who marry their sisters in the hills around Burpingham, but it sickens me across the board.
mgdawg
December 4th, 2012
6:03 am
The sad thing about this play was that the ref was about 10 feet behind it and from what the commentators said later was a point of emphasis this year. For those of you complaining about the AJ hit, it was a split second after he threw the ball. Murray was jogging off the field. If you can’t tell a difference between the two you have on blinders.
Cal22
December 4th, 2012
6:09 am
Make Dial sit if it makes you feel better. At least he won’t be sitting in Orlando.
Cal22
December 4th, 2012
6:10 am
No one marries their sisters in Griffin GA. Just their brothers.
Elizabeth
December 4th, 2012
6:26 am
It was a diry hit by the Alabama player even Alabama fans admit that and the Alabama player should be suspended. Can not believe all these ridiculous comments especially about Coach Richt Christianity – what low class comment.
Hypocritedawgs
December 4th, 2012
6:31 am
Hey Ouch
That sure is a good name you chose, it really does “Hurt” doesn’t it?
Knowing Ga is a mediocre team, you’ll never win the big one, your Administration is full of crybabies and tattle tells.
Now your defense is losing it’s wannabe stars and next year your team is really gonna suck.
Man it’s sad to be a bulldog.
One more thing…………….Did ya’ll Finish The Drill????????????????????????????
William G. Little
December 4th, 2012
6:33 am
All that I will say is that there is a distinct difference between hitting a QB after he has released a pass and blocking a QB after he has thrown an interception. Anyone who can’t understand that distinction is too damned stupid to engage in conversation anyway.
CNS
December 4th, 2012
6:34 am
Dial should to be suspended without question. There was nothing sporting about that hit. Cheap, dirty shot. Saban’s looks to be running his own bounty program at Alabama. His players are at the very least, poorly disciplined.
Where was the penalty flag? In Saban’s back pocket, along with the refs the entire season. No surprise, Alabama hasn’t had a holding call in years.
William G. Little
December 4th, 2012
6:44 am
Alabama doesn’t get penalized very much. Is that because they have bought out every officiating crew in the country, or because they have more disciplined players than do most of the teams that they have faced?
It was very impressive of Georgia to have played this game without committing any penalties whatsoever. Too bad those mean zebras are so hell-bent on cheating you guys out of the Championship that you know in your hearts you so richly deserve.
BTW: You might like a little Camembert with that whine.
Arby
December 4th, 2012
6:46 am
Alabama rarely has penalties called against them ! I think that needs to change. Saban is a disciple of Bill Belicheck ! A known cheater in the NFL. Pass interference rules were modified because of him. Alabam was hitting our recievers early before the ball got to them, and got away with no calls. They targeted our Quarterback to take him out of the game. Norte Dame is the NBC darling, they will probably get more calls!!
William G. Little
December 4th, 2012
6:49 am
Right… And 9/11 was an inside job.
Keith
December 4th, 2012
6:52 am
Bama’s players are just like Auburns players……the SEC officials missed the call????? REALLY>?????? are you fricken kidding me????? They missed plenty as usual. Hopefully this a…h……gets suspended for the National Championship game ……thugs and morons like him have no place in this game…………..GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IRISH!
Davis
December 4th, 2012
6:53 am
Waaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaa
It was a cheap shot and should have been a penalty. However, it would have backed Bama up 15 yards – they ended up with a short field goal that would have been a medium field goal.
Bama still would have scored 3 points on the possession.
IT DIDN’T AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME – quit your whinning (as you ALWAYS do).
wayne
December 4th, 2012
6:54 am
Bama4Ever….hey moron maybe you need another F5 to humble you idiots…….
jawjah fan
December 4th, 2012
6:55 am
Would someone please tell BombasticBammerHammer to please proof read his/her blogs before posting… ” I winder” (maybe wonder,hmmm), the topped ball (maybe means “tipped” ball), I guess why they’re called “Bama’s”, more concerned with winning athletically than winning acedemically……….. I’m just saying
Jason
December 4th, 2012
6:55 am
AMEN DAVIS!!
UGA fans are always crying about something. They’re such poor sports, they don’t deserve to win.
Jason
December 4th, 2012
6:56 am
HAHAHAHA
jawjah fan – insulting someone’s proofing ability!!!
You put “acedemically” HAHAHAHAHAHA
Jason is an idiot......
December 4th, 2012
6:57 am
Can you spell check that dude????
Ace
December 4th, 2012
6:58 am
Who won?
Davis
December 4th, 2012
6:59 am
AMEN JASON!!
jawjah fan showed his ignorance then posted about you – your spell check is fine!
William G. Little
December 4th, 2012
6:59 am
If it hadn’t been for the cheating refs, Georgia would have won the South Carolina game as well.
I just know it!
Is the dawgs starting lineup still in the Athens jail?
December 4th, 2012
7:01 am
Now now children! Here is what we know:
1. The georgia athletic department feels entitled whether orotund they deserve it
2. Alabama is a bunch of thugs
3. Georgia is just as dirty as Alabama
4. Alabama’s hit was above the shoulder and helmet to helmet
5. Georgia rattled to the SEC to get them to review th e play
6. murray cannot win ithe big games
7. Alabama will play for the national championship and Georgia won’t
7. Mark Richt is a hypocrite
8 Nick Saban has no conscience
9. Both sets of fans are undereducated, double-wide dweling,sniveling rednecks who their respective universities should be ashamed of
trueblueeagle
December 4th, 2012
7:06 am
UGA want cheese with that whine! ROLL TIDE
sailor12
December 4th, 2012
7:10 am
He should be kick off the team
William G. Little
December 4th, 2012
7:11 am
@Is the dawgs starting lineup still in the Athens jail?
Too bad about Tech, eh? I am old enough to remember when they were still relevant — but I am very old.
brotherb
December 4th, 2012
7:15 am
Well winder no more you moron….
Is the dawgs starting lineup still in the Athens jail?
December 4th, 2012
7:20 am
Hey William
How do you justify telling your grandchildren your team is a bunch of criminals? I guess when you do it with several teeth missing, it’s hard for them to understand you anyway.
William G. Little
December 4th, 2012
7:20 am
UGA Fans: We lost and someone should be punished for that — it just shouldn’t be us!
William G. Little
December 4th, 2012
7:22 am
Tech Fans: We may suck at football, but we way more smarter than you is!