ATHENS — Two of Georgia’s better defensive players will be sidelined for the first half of the Florida game because of their actions against Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Nose guard Kwame Geathers and strong safety Shawn Williams were levied half-game suspensions by the SEC on Wednesday. Geathers was penalized for punching a Vanderbilt player early in the fourth quarter of the Bulldogs’ 33-28 win in Nashville. Williams was cited for an illegal hit to the head of a receiver in the third quarter.
Vanderbilt center Logan Stewart, whose flagrant personal foul on a clip incited Geathers’ reaction, also was assessed a half-game suspension. Stewart will sit out the first half of the Commodores’ home game against Army this weekend. Georgia plays Florida on Oct. 29.
The suspensions of the players were based on interpretations of NCAA rules by SEC commissioner Mike Slive in consultation with Georgia coach Mark Richt and Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.
“I did have the opportunity to speak to the commissioner and discuss the incident,” Richt said via a statement Wednesday. “It’s certainly not representative of the Georgia way. I have always trusted the commissioner’s judgment and understand and accept the decision. We’ll learn as well as grow from this situation and now turn our attention to preparing for Florida.”
Asked about the developments after practice Wednesday, Richt refused to elaborate. “I could, but I’m not going to. Let’s talk about football, please.”
UGA declined postpractice interview requests for Geathers and Williams.
Meanwhile, the SEC decided not to impose any external penalties on Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and Franklin, who ended up in a heated verbal confrontation at midfield immediately after the game. Slive asked each school to submit to him a detailed report on their respective sides of the exchange so he could decide how to proceed.
In the end, it was “handled internally between league office and schools,” SEC spokesman Charles Bloom said.
Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity met with Grantham face-to-face early Monday morning to discuss the incident. However, he would not say if the Bulldogs’ second-year defensive chief faced any other punitive measures from either the athletic association or the SEC.
Grantham was reprimanded last year after making choke signs toward Florida place-kicker Chas Henry before Henry made a game-winning field goal in overtime.
“It means just that; it’s being handled internally,” McGarity said. He did confirm that Grantham would be not suspended and will handle his duties as Georgia’s defensive coordinator next week and the rest of the season.
McGarity said he was getting a lot of feedback from Georgia fans who were upset that players for other teams involved in similar incidents in the past were not subjected to such retroactive penalties.
“I think we need to remain focused on our situation,” he said. “Some people want to group different instances together. Every incident is its own different and unique situation and handled as such. I completely trust the SEC office and commissioner Slive to handle each situation consistently and fairly.”
The SEC says its “constitution” gives it latitude to suspend a student-athlete “if it is determined that the student-athlete has committed a flagrant or unsportsmanlike act.”
Geathers has started three games at nose guard and alternates regularly with junior John Jenkins. He has seven tackles, a pass break-up and a quarterback pressure.
Williams has started every game this season, including one at inside linebacker. He is the Bulldogs’ third-leading tackler with 34 and has two interceptions, including one against Vanderbilt.
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