Florida suspended three players during the first half of the game against Charlotte, including offensive lineman Damieon George Jr. and Micah Mazzccua, as well as tight end. Dante Zanders is suspended
Florida offensive linemen Damieon George Jr. and Micah Mazzccua, as well as tight end Dante Zanders, will be suspended for the first half against the Charlotte 49ers due to a late-game fight with the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
In the dying seconds of the Gators’ 29-16 victory, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel called a timeout with seven seconds remaining and no chance to tie the game.
On the subsequent Florida fourth down, Volunteers lineman Omari Thomas collided with UF quarterback Graham Mertz as he attempted a delayed quarterback kneel. The hit sparked a melee on the Gators’ bench, including a now-viral moment in which Mazzccua and UT’s Kamal Hadden almost got into a fistfight in the end zone.
In a Monday press conference, Florida head coach Billy Napier provided a brief update on the situation.
“It isn’t only Micah. We have staff people that may need to be disciplined as well,” Napier added. “I believe that’s a teachable opportunity. It’s an opportunity for us to discuss calm, poise, ego, and temper.”
Devin Moore, a sophomore cornerback, also emphasized the necessity of poise for the Gators moving ahead.
“Just keep your composure is definitely very important because there’s been, like, other teams in the past losing key guys in moments of high emotions and things like that,” Moore went on to say.
Tennessee guard Omar Norman-Lott will also serve a one-half suspension in the Vols’ game against the UTSA Roadrunners.
The Gators will face the 49ers this Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m., and ESPNU will broadcast the game.
