Hoover Ala. - Georgia fans will recall last season's postgame confrontation between defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.
Florida fans probably can still see the image of coach Will Muschamp berating officials during games. Well, the SEC plans to "closely monitor" coaches' behavior on the sidelines this season and will be prepared to penalize teams for unsportsmanlike behavior if necessary.
That was the word from Steve Shaw, SEC coordinator of officials, who addressed rules changes for 2012 as the league's Football Media Days continued Wednesday.
"We have great coaches in this league, and we don't think there will be anything here for us [to enforce]," Shaw said. "But I think nationally we've all agreed that anytime the coaches' behavior on the sideline is demeaning to the game, we have to deal with it. And we will."
Shaw had much to cover with regard to rules changes. First and foremost is the change on kickoffs. For safety reasons, the placement of the ball has been moved from the 30-yard line to the 35. Shaw said the change is intended to induce "more touchbacks, less collisions."
However, touchbacks have been moved for the offensive team from the 20- to the 25-yard line. So defensive-minded coaches might not readily give up those five yards.
Muschamp, for example, said Florida's staff is discussing alternatives.
"We have talked about some sky kick situations," Muschamp said. "We're looking at directional kicking the ball with height and see if we can pin them back a little further."
Other changes designed for player safety include:
- A rule has been instituted to protect the receiver when a team attempts an onside kick with a high one-hopper. In the past, the kicking team could strike the receiver before he touched the ball. Now that receiver is protected from being hit until he has a chance to field the ball.
- Kick-catch interference, also known as the "halo rule," has been reintroduced as what Shaw called a "modified halo." No player can get within one yard and "shoulder width" of the punt receiver until he has an opportunity to field the ball, Shaw said. It's now a 15-yard penalty if a defender attempts to leap over the line during a punt or over backfield punt protectors.
- Helmets popping off will not be tolerated. If not caused by a foul, the player will have to sit out the next play. So players "better buckle that thing up," Shaw said.
And officials will crack down on illegal blocks below the waist.
Georgia's turn in the spotlight
Media Days concludes today with four teams, including Georgia, on stage.
Georgia, like all teams, will be represented by three players. Quarterback Aaron Murray will not be among them.
UGA associate athletic director Claude Felton said Murray, who represented the Bulldogs at Media Days last year, was excused because of his attendance at back-to-back quarterback camps. He was an instructor at the Manning Passing Academy last weekend in Louisiana and went from there to the Elite 11 camp in southern California.
Georgia will be represented by linebacker Jarvis Jones, defensive end Abry Jones and wide receiver Tavarres King. Also on today's schedule: Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi.
Dooley never complained' about Jacksonville
Muschamp, Florida coach and former Georgia player, got the obligatory question about whether the Georgia-Florida game should remain in Jacksonville.
Yes, he said unequivocally, citing the tradition and the special setting. Then he added: "Coach [Vince] Dooley never complained about it being there."
Georgia was 17-7-1 against the Gators in Jacksonville during Dooley's 25 years as coach. Since Dooley's final season as coach in 1988, the Bulldogs are 5-18 vs. the Gators, including 5-16 in Jacksonville (2-3 in the past five years).
They said it
Kentucky coach Joker Phillips, asked about the dreaded hot-seat question: "I'm not sitting down right now, so there's nothing hot up here."
Arkansas running back Knile Davis, who missed last season with a knee injury: "It's been a long process to get back to 100 percent, but I'm back."
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, asked about billboards in the state that proclaim his program's superiority over Ole Miss: "I think the neatest one was the 'Three in a Row.' It was [a picture of] our three Miss Mississippis in a row. It had all three of those young ladies with their crowns on. I think that was a pretty cool one."
LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on quarterback Zach Mettenberger: "You can just see it in his eyes. He's ready. He's going to lead us to a lot of victories."
Auburn welcomes VanGorder
Auburn is excited about its new defensive coordinator: Brian VanGorder, who formerly held the same position with Georgia and, more recently, the Falcons.
"It's been a great transition with Brian," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. "Philosophically, we're on the exact same page with what we believe in defensively."
VanGorder is one of two former UGA defensive coordinators on the Auburn staff. Willie Martinez is the Tigers' secondary coach after working at Oklahoma the past two seasons.
Florida tight end will leave
Florida sophomore tight end A.C. Leonard will transfer to another school. Muschamp called the departure a mutual decision. Leonard pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic battery stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend and was sentenced to six months' probation.
