What the SEC, Kirby Smart said about 'bang-bang' Jalon Walker roughing the passer call
The third-down pressure from Georgia football linebacker Jalon Walker on Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff deep in Wildcats territory on Saturday looked like it helped seal the end of a second-quarter possession.
Instead Walker was flagged for roughing the passer on the incomplete pass for “driving the quarterback into the ground,” referee Kyle Olson announced on the field.
Coach Kirby Smart sought an explanation from the SEC after the 13-12 Georgia win, just like he typically does on about 8 calls per game. SEC Coordinator of officials John McDaid responded this week.
“McDaid confirmed and felt strongly that was a penalty,” Smart said Wednesday. “It was more about the finish and the driving to the ground. They’re trying to make a concerted effort, obviously, to protect the quarterback.”
Walker has a team-leading 13 quarterback pressures and is tied with Raylen Wilson for the team lead with 1 ½ sacks.
He said during the game he was frustrated by the call that came after he took down Vandagriff, who transferred from Georgia and was a five-star prospect at Prince Avenue Christian in Bogart.
“I realize it’s football and it’s just a game, that we’re protecting our quarterback more and more,” Wilson said Tuesday after practice. “They said the way I was driving against the ground, I landed on top of him which caused the personal foul. I know now. It was a bang-bang play. I felt it was a judgment call, but we move on to fight to the next day.”
Smart said he thinks calls like that will continue with an eye towards protecting quarterbacks.
“I’ve gotta feeling it’s going to be that way,” Smart said. “It’s going to be that way for a lot of people because they’re trying to protect that position. It’s tough. They’re basically asking him to roll over and take the brunt of that on himself and instead of him falling on top of Brock, it should be Brock falling on top of him. He’s got to somehow torque his body to twist and land on himself. It’s tough.”
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: What the SEC, Kirby Smart said about roughing passer call vs. Kentucky
