Florida Linebacker Brandon Spikes suspended for one half

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Top-ranked Florida will be without star linebacker Brandon Spikes for the first half of Saturday's game against Vanderbilt.

Coach Urban Meyer suspended Spikes on Monday, two days after the defensive captain apparently attempted to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey in a 41-17 victory.

"I don't condone that," Meyer said. "I understand what goes on on the football [field], but there's no place for that. We're going to suspend Brandon for the first half of the Vanderbilt game. I spoke with him. That's not who he is. That's not who we are. He got caught up in emotion."

Meyer's wife mentioned Spikes' actions to him Sunday night, then defensive coordinator Charlie Strong did the same Monday morning. Meyer's said his first reaction was to move on. Then he saw a replay of the incident, which shows Spikes shoving his glove-covered right hand into Ealey's facemask and moving it back and forth.

Meyer then spoke to Spikes and determined he was retaliating after getting his helmet ripped off and eye poked earlier in the game. Meyer also talked to Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive, but Florida officials said it was Meyer's decision to suspend Spikes.

The SEC issued a statement saying it reviewed and accepted the discipline handed down by Florida.

"We understand the game of football," Meyer said. "Some of us have played it. Very emotional things happened in that game in particular that were not good for either side, but the bottom line is we're Florida and he's Brandon Spikes and we expect certain things. He understands."

The Florida-Georgia game was filled with chippy behavior, with pushing, shoving, five personal-foul penalties -- three against Georgia and two against Florida -- and plenty of smack-talking.

Officials even gathered Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Georgia linebacker Marcus Dowtin together in the second quarter and warned them things were getting out of hand.

"I don't think that we did anything in that game that they didn't do," Tebow said Monday. "If you go back and look at it and study it, you can see it in the film, too. It was an intense game, both teams were very passionate about it."

Spikes is fourth on the team with 42 tackles and has three sacks.

He considered entering the NFL draft in January, but decided to return for his senior season in hopes of helping Florida win a third national title in four years.

But he's battled injuries all season. He missed time early in the season because of an Achilles tendon injury, and sat out most of two games because of a strained groin. He played only a series against Arkansas on Oct. 17 and sat out the entire game the following week.

He returned against Georgia and finished with a team-high 10 tackles. He also intercepted a pass and returned it 5 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"He's very intense and very emotional and very passionate," Tebow said. "I think that's what makes him part of the great player that he is because he brings that fire. People look at him and the defense wants to play for him. The offense, they want to score so it makes it easier on him.

"He brings fire and he brings juice to everybody. Without that, he would not be as great of a player as he is, and he would not be even close to the leader that he is."

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Yanks said:

Have you ever played football, kdogg? Have you ever seen it done? Have you ever heard of it being done? I can tell you the answer is 'no' and that your comment that "it's done all the time" is a comment straight out of your ass (or something you got from TV that somebody else said to support UF)

Suspending Spikes for a half vs Vandy is nothing... If he did play, they'd be up 50 by the 2nd half and he'd be on the bench for a half anyway... This way he just sits out the first half instead, big woop.

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Yanks said:

Have you ever played football, kdogg? Have you ever seen it done? Have you ever heard of it being done? I can tell you the answer is 'no' and that your comment that "it's done all the time" is a comment straight out of your ass (or something you got from TV that somebody else said to support UF)

Suspending Spikes for a half vs Vandy is nothing... If he did play, they'd be up 50 by the 2nd half and he'd be on the bench for a half anyway... This way he just sits out the first half instead, big woop.

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Yanks said:

It might hurt him on draft day... If there are similar players available, why take the one who plays dirty? There are tons of cameras on every CFB game, and he's the only one who has been caught? It says a lot that he's one of the only players doing things like this...

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Ealey: Spikes shouldn't be suspened

ATHENS, Ga. -- A most unlikely person came to the defense of Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes, who was suspended for half a game for apparently trying to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey.

Ealey said Tuesday he doesn't believe Spikes should have been suspended.

In fact, Ealey seemed surprised the play from Saturday's game drew so much attention.

Florida coach Urban Meyer on Monday suspended Spikes for the first half of this week's game against Vanderbilt after the defensive captain stuck his hand in Ealey's helmet and appeared to try to stick his fingers in Ealey's eyes.

Ealey says he doesn't agree with those who have said the suspension was not stiff enough.

"That really didn't matter to me," Ealey said of the suspension. "That's their decision. He shouldn't, I think, get suspended at all. We were just out there playing football."

Ealey said he had his eyes closed when Spikes stuck his hand in his helmet and he wasn't hurt.

"He really didn't gouge my eyes," Ealey said. "He really didn't get a chance to get close to my eyes."

The freshman said he believes similar incidents happen all the time.

"I'm pretty sure it goes on back and forth," he said. "We probably do it and other teams do too. It's all football. We're just out there trying to have fun."

Top-ranked Florida beat Georgia 41-17. The Bulldogs play Tennessee Tech on Saturday.

On Monday, Spikes issued an apology.

"I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions," Spikes said. "I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washaun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my actions."

The Southeastern Conference issued a statement on Monday saying it reviewed and accepted the discipline handed down by Florida.

Meyer said he believed Spikes retaliated after getting his helmet ripped off and eye poked earlier in the game.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said Spikes' "helmet went flying off ... and there was one time he got hit with his helmet off."

"It was totally unintentional," Richt said. "They were totally just playing ball. That might have got him bent out of shape. I don't know about all of that."

Ealey carried 17 times for 70 yards against the Gators.

"It was just a lot of emotion in the game," he said. "We were out there fighting. It was a big rivalry game. Everybody was just out there talking trash back and forth. ... We were just out there playing football and having fun."

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