NCAA issues loom over Georgia-South Carolina game

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia and South Carolina begin preparations for a pivotal early-season SEC game with both teams awaiting word from the NCAA on the eligibility of key players.

South Carolina has at least three players in question -- tight end Weslye Saunders, cornerback Chris Culliver and offensive tackle Jarriel King -- while Georgia has one: wide receiver A.J. Green.

All four players were held out of games last week pending rulings on their status from the NCAA, which has been looking into players' dealings with sports agents and possible other impermissible benefits received by players at a number of schools.

Georgia and South Carolina, both coming off one-sided victories in non-conference season openers, will meet at noon Saturday in Columbia.  The winner of the game, which will be televised on ESPN2, can stake claim to the early role of prime challenger to Florida in the SEC East.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was asked Sunday how the Gamecocks' defensive preparations will be affected by not knowing whether Green, Georgia's top playmaker, will be on the field.

"I don't think it'll affect it all that much," Spurrier said, "but as we've learned, we probably won't know if he's playing or not until Saturday morning. Or maybe Georgia won't know until then. Sometimes they [the NCAA] wait 'til the last day to tell you. We may not know on our guys until then, either."

Less than two hours before last Thursday's game against Southern Mississippi, South Carolina was unsure of the eligibility of about a dozen of its players. The NCAA cleared all but Saunders, Culliver and King before kickoff. Saunders also is suspended for what Spurrier has called a violation of team rules unrelated to the NCAA probe.

In addition to the players with NCAA issues, Spurrier said another key South Carolina player is expected to miss the Georgia game. Starting linebacker Shaq Wilson, the Gamecocks' leading tackler last season, remains sidelined with a  pulled hamstring suffered in the preseason, Spurrier said.

Georgia appeared to come out of its opening victory over Louisiana-Lafayette without injury, coach Mark Richt said Sunday. The only Bulldog likely to miss the South Carolina game with injury is backup linebacker Richard Samuel, who has been bothered by a knee injury for several weeks.

The larger question looming over the game is about what action will come from the NCAA, and when.

Georgia has not divulged any specifics of what the NCAA is examining in the Green case. Asked Saturday if the case is similar to agent-related investigations at a number of schools, UGA President Michael Adams said: "If you just limited it to that or excluded that, you'd be making a mistake either way." Adams said he "can't, shouldn't and won't" reveal facts of the case before it is resolved.

As for when that will be, Adams said he doesn't know a timeline but he expects "soon."

Richt has repeatedly declined comment on the subject and did so again Sunday.

"I guess I'm like the Georgia coach. We're not supposed to talk about it too much," Spurrier said. "We'll do whatever the NCAA tells us to do on these players."