The NCAA denied Georgia’s appeal to the additional two-game suspension the organization levied against superstar running back Todd Gurley, it announced Thursday night.

Georgia held Gurley out for two games before applying for reinstatement. The NCAA responded by assessing a four-game suspension, essentially giving Gurley credit for time served, and will require that he contribute 40 hours of community service. The organization asserted that Gurley accepted at least $3,000 for autographs.

The NCAA rarely switches course due to an appeal, though Penn State did earn back scholarships and bowl eligibility earlier this season after lobbying the NCAA for several years. And president Mark Emmert recently praised Georgia for its handling of the case. So much for cooperation?

“From the facts that we know today, publicly, Georgia’s behavior has been commendable,” Emmert said in an interview with the Associated Press. “They, apparently, saw something that concerned them, and they dealt with it directly and their athletic department seems to have handled that very, very appropriately based on what we know today.”

The announcement makes official what we already expected: Gurley will be eligible to return Nov. 15 against Auburn. Georgia (6-1, 4-1) must face Florida in Jacksonville and Kentucky in Lexington without the former Heisman contender, but the Bulldogs already have claimed two dominant wins against SEC East teams with Nick Chubb manning the backfield.

Chubb produced 384 yards of total offense in wins against Missouri and Arkansas.