The SEC has permanently suspended veteran official Ken Williamson after conducting a review of the Auburn-Georgia game on Oct. 11, according to a report from Yellowhammer News. That report was corroborated by ESPN’s Pete Thamel later Thursday evening.
According to the report, the SEC conducted a review of 11 complaints against Williamson and his crew from the Week 7 matchup between the Tigers and Bulldogs. Among those complaints, the SEC validated 9 of them.
Williamson was the head referee in the game.
A request for comment from the outlet was not returned by the SEC. Williamson did not work a game for the SEC in Week 8.
Auburn had a 10-0 lead in the first half of the game against Georgia. The Bulldogs scored the game’s final 20 points to win 20-10 and send the Tigers to what was at that point a third consecutive defeat.
The highest-profile officiating issue occurred late in the first half when it appeared that quarterback Jackson Arnold broke the plane of the goal line on a rushing attempt to score a touchdown. Arnold fumbled in the process.
Auburn contended that he’d already scored before losing possession of the ball. The officiating crew, led by Williamson, ruled the play a fumble on the field and upheld that ruling after a lengthy video review.
The score would have put Auburn up 17-0. Instead, Georgia gained possession and drove for a field goal that made the score 10-3 at the half.
As the teams made their way to the locker room at the half, Auburn AD John Cohen confronted the officials about the call. Coach Hugh Freeze told the ESPN broadcast team at the half that Auburn was “due a break.”
He echoed those sentiments after the game.
“It sure feels like we’re not getting many breaks,” he said. “It’s difficult to take, for sure.”
The controversial fumble was one of several calls in the game that drew a significant amount of attention. The Tigers felt Georgia very clearly benefited from most.
Auburn also had grievances with the SEC’s officiating after a controversial touchdown was allowed in its 24-17 loss to Oklahoma earlier this year. Cohen released a statement calling out the officiating in that game as well.
The Tigers are one of the most penalized teams in the country. They were flagged 11 times for a season-worst 103 yards against Georgia. Last week, Auburn was flagged a season-low 4 times for a season-best 40 yards.
Amidst a 4-game losing streak that began at Oklahoma, Freeze is fighting for his job. The Tigers play Arkansas on the road on Saturday.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
