SEC Office Reviewing Final Minutes of UGA vs. UT Game

Knoxville, TN Oct. 12, 2005
Compiled from SEC wire reports

Final score: University of Georgia 27, University of Tennessee 22 Further appeals anticipated.

A press release this morning from the SEC offices in Birmingham disclosed that following a closed door meeting, the SEC Football Officiating Association has revised the final score (pending possible additional appeals) of last Saturday's game between the University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee after reviewing an appeal and additional game films submitted by Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer.

The Tennessee films clearly reflect an additional late score by Tennessee reserve extra-point holder Jimmy-Joe Hatfield, who was shown holding a football as he crossed the goal line and into the end zone on his way to the Tennessee locker room. Although the game clock appeared to have expired before Hatfield scored, the touchdown (and two-point conversion) was allowed, since, as noted by SEC Supervisor of Officials, Bobby Gaston, "It appeared that Hatfield could have started his run before time had expired."

At a later news conference, Gaston added, "Mentally, many other Tennessee players appeared to already be in the locker room with well over eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter."

Upon hearing of Gaston's remarks, Coach Fulmer indicated that his staff would continue diligently to further analyze the game films to determine if an additional appeal would be filed to disallow Georgia's final touchdown due to the resulting significant disadvantage to Tennessee in personnel numbers resulting from his players early departure. Disallowance of Georgia's final touchdown, apparently would result in a late victory for Tennessee.

Gaston remarked that his office would be open to Coach Fulmer's appeal, noting that "The rules are clear in their intent that neither team be at a disadvantage in available personnel. That's the main reason that football scholarships are now limited in number by the NCAA."

"Georgia clearly had more players mentally available in the late stages of the game than did Tennessee. This could be interpreted to be a deliberate violation of the intent of NCAA rules by the University of Georgia. These games should be fair for everyone. Especially to Coach Fulmer", Gaston remarked as he departed the news conference.

Former Georgia Tech coach Bill Curry, currently a college football game analyst for ESPN offered his support to Fulmer, noting, "My Georgia Tech teams experienced this same unfair disadvantage when playing the University of Georgia on many occasions. I wish I had thought of turning them in for this flagrant, repeat violation myself."


Sent to me by a friend. Working to find out if he wrote it or someone else did.

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