SEC 'Permanently Suspends' Veteran Referee Ken Williamson After Auburn-Georgia Game Controversy: Report
After multiple complaints and viral moments from the Auburn-Georgia game, the SEC reportedly takes action against its veteran referee
Veteran SEC official Ken Williamson has reportedly been ‘permanently suspended’ from officiating games within the conference following a number of calls that came under fire during the Auburn vs. Georgia football game earlier this month.
According to Yellowhammer News, which cited sources familiar with the situation, the suspension comes after the officiating crew’s performance drew heavy criticism and sparked widespread debate about several questionable calls during the matchup.
The outlet reported that the SEC office received 11 formal complaints regarding the game. After review, nine of those complaints were reportedly validated by the conference following its internal assessment.
Auburn’s Tush Push Touchdown Against Georgia Wiped Out By Controversial Fumble Call
During the game in question, one of the most notable calls came when Jackson Arnold was ruled to have fumbled the ball on the Georgia goal-line, which a Bulldogs' defender punched out as Arnold looked to have had the nose of the football actually cross the line.
Officials called the play a fumble. Despite video evidence suggesting the ball may have broken the plane, the SEC officiating office upheld the ruling after review from its headquarters.
The bang-bang nature of the play made it difficult to overturn, but that didn’t stop fans in attendance, and social media, from lighting up with outrage.
Following the fumble, Georgia marched down the field to secure a field goal before halftime, which seemingly took the life out of Auburn. If you needed any type of evidence that Hugh Freeze was flustered, his interview at halftime was a perfect illustration.
Just before that interview with the Tigers head coach, as both teams were headed to their respective locker rooms, Auburn athletic director John Cohen could be seen berating the official.
So, Was Kirby Smart Calling A Timeout, Or Clapping?
Just when you thought the game between these two rivals couldn't get any crazier, Kirby Smart had the college football world wondering if he was actually clapping or signaling for a timeout.
As the play clock was nearing the :00 mark, Kirby Smart was seen on television cameras running towards a sideline official asking for a timeout.
Many watching believed Smart had requested the timeout, and the subsequent whistle seemed to confirm it. However, Smart claimed postgame that he was alerting officials that Auburn players were attempting to induce a snap infraction by clapping their hands.
You can tell from the video above that Smart was clearly signaling for a timeout. But, he ended up winning the argument with officials, who then, for some reason, reset the play clock and did not charge Georgia a timeout.
This obviously sent Hugh Freeze into another frenzy, following the second quarter ‘fumble’. A few days later, during his Tuesday press conference with local reporters, Freeze mentioned that he had a number of conversations with the SEC office about calls that he says ‘hurt our record.'
"I was on the phone quite a bit this weekend, had a conversation with Commissioner Sankey and the (SEC) director of officials, John McDaid, and explained how I felt," Freeze mentioned. "They listened. Obviously, they want their group to get it right all the time, and it’s just there were some they did not get right, in my opinion. And they can disagree with me. But it’s hurting our football team, and it’s hurt, in my opinion, our record."
OutKick reached out to the SEC on Wednesday night for comment related to the report from Yellowhammer News and has yet to hear back from the conference regarding the ‘permanent suspension.'
We will continue following this story, and update you if the SEC decides to discuss the reported suspension.