BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin and Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen were reprimanded Monday by the Southeastern Conference for criticizing officials, raising the number of coaches to be scolded by the league for knocking game officiating to three in the last week.
For Kiffin, it was the second time this year he has been reprimanded by the league. SEC commissioner Mike Slive said Kiffin could be suspended if he violates conference rules again.
Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson also weighed in on the officiating Monday after he had some questions about calls made in his game against South Carolina last weekend. Johnson said he’d like to speak with SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding.
“I think I’d have to get in line,” Johnson said.
All this came a week after one SEC crew was suspended after it called penalties that the league said were not support by video evidence in the LSU-Georgia game on Oct. 3 and the Arkansas-Florida game on Oct. 17.
announced by the SEC, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was reprimanded last week for making critical statements about officiating in the Razorbacks’ 23-20 loss at Florida.
Kiffin and Mullen were set off by the officiating in their games on Saturday.
On Sunday, Kiffin questioned why officials failed to penalize Alabama’s Terrence Cody for unsportsmanlike conduct when the defensive lineman removed and threw his helmet after blocking a field goal on the last play of Alabama’s 12-10 victory in Tuscaloosa.
He also said he decided to let the clock run down instead of trying to run another play before the kick because he was concerned about the officiating.
“You run another play and you throw an interception or they throw another flag on us – I wasn’t going to let the refs lose the game for us there and some magical flag appear,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin expected to be hearing from the SEC about his comments.
“I’m sure we’ll get one of those letters that really means nothing as Bobby got last week, but Florida and Alabama live on,” he said Sunday.
This reprimand came with a warning from Slive to Kiffin, who was penalized by the league earlier this season after he accused Florida coach Urban Meyer of violating NCAA recruiting rules.
of SEC policies will subject him to additional penalties including suspension.”
Tennessee spokesman Bud Ford said Kiffin would not comment on the reprimand.
Mullen said Sunday the replay official who worked Mississippi State’s 29-19 victory against Florida in Starkville, Miss., should be disciplined for not overturning an interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter by Gators linebacker Dustin Doe, who might have fumbled before reaching the goal line.
“I don’t even know why we have replay right now in the Southeastern Conference if they’re not going to utilize it,” Mullen said.
The replay official listed for the game in Starkville on Saturday night was Dan Dembinski.
“I hope he’s severely punished if he ever works another SEC game again, because I think it’s completely unacceptable.”
SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom said Doe’s touchdown had not been reviewed by the conference.
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