Georgia coach Kirby Smart was criticized following the Bulldogs’ 41-31 win over Mississippi State after he appeared to shove opposing quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. in the fourth quarter. Smart was not penalized for the sequence despite an official being in the immediate vicinity and reacting to separate them.
After the game, Smart claimed the contact was an accident and occurred while he was trying to get defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann’s attention.
“I think I was going after Schumann,” Smart said. “I was trying to get Schumann’s attention. We were trying to change personnel. I think it’s the play they came over to our sideline and I’m trying to get Schumann’s attention. But no, I don’t really remember it.”
Van Buren came to the Georgia sideline after a 6-yard run out of bounds during the fourth quarter. Smart came storming into the frame and appeared to shove Van Buren. He was moving towards both an official and Georgia defensive coordinator Michael Van Buren. Smart did not appear to make eye contact with Van Buren and the true freshman ran back onto the field without reacting.
The fourth quarter play occurred while 1-5 Mississippi State made a late charge to get back into the game against Georgia. Van Buren threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns and hit Kelly Akharaiyi for a 35-yard pass late in the fourth quarter to bring the game within 10 points. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw for a career high 459 yards in the win.
In January, the SEC reprimanded Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats for making contact with a player after he pushed Missouri’s Aidan Shaw away from the bench during a timeout. Similarly, Oats was not punished during the game for making contact with the player. He apologized after the game for the incident.
