Tennessee wide receiver Jauan Jennings was suspended for the first half of the Vols’ bowl game last season.
Jennings’ suspension stemmed from an altercation with an opposing player. He committed a flagrant personal foul that was determined by video review by the Southeastern Conference office.
Following Tennessee’s regular-season finale with Vanderbilt last season, the SEC realized the following determination in why Jennings would be suspended during UT’s bowl game.
“If subsequent review of a game by a conference reveals plays involving flagrant personal fouls that game officials did not call, the conference may impose sanctions prior to the next scheduled game,” the SEC announced.
Former Vol defensive lineman Daniel Hood suffered a chop block against him during his playing career.
“I had one against me, and to this day, my patella tendon is still partially torn,” Hood told Vols Wire.
Georgia’s chop block against Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/dHIz6eJqXj
— Dan Harralson (@danharralson) October 11, 2020
On 2nd and 10 for Georgia on Tennessee’s 15-yard line, with 13 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Bulldogs’ center Trey Hill and right guard Ben Cleveland blocked low, while rolling, against Simmons. Georgia was penalized for a chop block personal foul, however video shows all players involved were not penalized and the SEC could review tape and take further action.
“I do not think chop blocks are bad when they are straight on,” Hood said. “I think they are criminal when they come in at an angle like they did in Georgia’s case against Tennessee. If they roll after the chop, again, what happened at Georgia, they should be banned.
“The coach should be fined for teaching it that way, as a lot of coaches teach to roll, as well.”
Former Vol linebacker and College Football Hall of Famer Steve Kiner also went in depth about Georgia’s chop block against Tennessee.
Kiner discussed if chop blocks should be called equally, and with the same punishment, for offensive players as targeting is against the defense.
“They just turn a blind eye, and recognize the fact that the calls on the defensive side of the ball are a lot stricter than on the offensive side,” Kiner told Vols Wire. “Flagrant fouls are really easy to call.”
In relation to the SEC reviewing Jennings’ flagrant personal foul, and suspending him for the bowl game, Kiner discussed if the conference should do the same for more uncalled offensive penalties such as chop blocks.
“They don’t seem to mind the chop block,” Kiner said. “I can tell you why they do not eject offensive linemen like defensive players do for targeting, because they want to put on an offensive exhibition. That’s what they want.
“They let the offensive linemen use their head and hands a whole lot more than defenders. If you loose your wheels, you’re done. You’re finished. It’s real obvious to me that they allow the offense to do that. They allow the offensive linemen to step off the ball, and the first thing they do, they grab a hold of the defender and hold on to him.”