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Georgia football coach Kirby Smart made headlines during the Bulldogs’ 41-31 win over Mississippi State on Saturday. Late in the action, he was seen shoving the opposing quarterback while reacting to a play.
The push would not result in a flag, though SEC commissioner Greg Sankey believes the exchange warranted one.
Michael Van Buren scampered towards the sidelines on a scramble play with his team trailing 41-24 in the fourth quarter of action. After being forced out of bounds, he attempted to make his way back to the huddle.
On his way to the field, however, he was unexpectedly met by an infuriated Kirby Smart. The head coach pushed the passer while screaming in the direction of one his assistants.
— Dayne Young (@dayneyoung) October 12, 2024
Smart insisted that the shove wasn’t done on purpose. He was simply caught up in a moment.
That didn’t stop viewers from blasting the Georgia football coach online.
Many couldn’t believe that a flag wasn’t thrown. According to Greg Sankey, one should’ve been!
Kirby Smart should’ve been penalized for his push, says the SEC commissioner.
Sankey released a statement on the incident Monday morning.
“Coaches cannot make contact with an opposing player,” Sankey said via email with the Athens Banner-Herald.
“This play should have resulted in enforcement of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. As Kirby discussed in his press conference today, he has appropriately reached out to Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby and quarterback Michael Van Buren. I am confident the contact was not intentional, and the clear expectation is this conduct will not happen again.”
The commissioner says that Kirby Smart has apologized to both Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby and quarterback Michael Van Buren for his shove.
Though he skirted the unsportsmanlike penalty call, it doesn’t seem Smart will receive further punishment from the league as many had suggested. Should it happen again, that may not be the case.