SEC not punishing Florida, Vanderbilt over Dan Mullen, Derek Mason confrontation

Adam Sparks | The Tennessean

The SEC will not punish Florida or Vanderbilt for Saturday’s incident, when head coaches Dan Mullen and Derek Mason exchanged heated words, two Florida players were ejected and a bench-clearing brawl nearly ensued.

Instead, "any discussion about decorum among the coaches will be handled privately between the conference office and the participating institutions," an SEC spokesman told The Tennessean.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was in attendance at the game, a 37-27 win by No. 12 Florida over the Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium.

"Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were appropriately administered on the field by the officials," SEC spokesman Herb Vincent said in a statement. "Any discussion about decorum among the coaches will be handled privately between the conference office and the participating institutions. Both coaches appeared to put this issue behind them in their post-game midfield meeting and post-game comments."

What happened between Dan Mullen, Derek Mason?

The confrontation occurred near the Florida sideline around injured Vanderbilt defensive lineman Dare Odeyingbo, who lay on the turf after an illegal peel-back block knocked off his helmet and drew a targeting penalty on Florida linebacker James Houston.

After a targeting call, things got chippy in the Florida/Vanderbilt game 👀 pic.twitter.com/UJBna9MKSh — ESPN (@espn) October 13, 2018

As Mason and defensive line coach C.J. Ah You stood over Odeyingbo, they got into a shouting match with Mullen and Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Mullen had to be restrained by an official and an assistant coach.

Mason turned to walk away when his team ran onto the field, led by defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo, the younger brother of the injured player. Florida players then spilled onto the field as Dare Odeyingbo was still on the turf. Both teams were kept apart by coaches and officials, and a brawl was avoided.

Houston and Florida linebacker Vosean Joseph were ejected, and both teams were issued unsportsmanlike penalties. Joseph was disqualified because it was his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of the game.

“That was just a matter of a (Vanderbilt) player is down and their player from the sideline said something directed at me and I say something back and Dan gets mad," Mason said. "That’s how it started.”

How Dan Mullen and Derek Mason hugged it out

Derek Mason on fiery exchange with Dan Mullen, Florida coaches Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason and Florida coaches got into a shouting match after a Gators' targeting penalty that nearly started a brawl.

According to the Associated Press, Mullen told a reporter at halftime going into the locker room that Sankey and SEC head of officiating Steve Shaw would handle the situation.

But Mason and Mullen hugged and talked at the end of the game, and cooler heads prevailed.

“Derek’s a great, really close friend of mine," Mullen said in his post-game press conference. "And I think, our sideline, we’ve got to make sure we’re cleaner in that situation, and he probably thinks the same thing."

Mason, after the game, said, “You are just talking about coaches who are extremely competitive. But I’ve got a lot of respect for Dan.”

LOOK AHEAD: Vanderbilt in frustratingly familiar spot, following up a near-upset

RECAP: 5 things we learned as Vanderbilt blows 18-point lead to Florida

UP NEXT: Vanderbilt football faces Kentucky, third straight ranked opponent

COLUMN: A dirty Florida hit, a near fight, another Vanderbilt collapse in Nashville

Reach Adam Sparks at asparks@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.