SEC looks into tiff with Vandy coach, Ga. aide

Vanderbilt coach James Franklin has talked with Georgia coach Mark Richt about a postgame confrontation with Bulldogs defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and is leaving the rest to the Southeastern Conference.

The SEC told the Associated Press yesterday that the league is looking into what happened.

Franklin and Grantham had a heated exchange after Georgia pulled out a 33-28 win Saturday night when the Vanderbilt coach went looking to shake hands with Richt. The Vandy coach said yesterday he talked with Richt on Sunday morning.

"Some things got a little bit out of hand," Franklin said.

At the end of the physical and emotional contest, both Vanderbilt and Georgia players spilled out onto the field, and video shows an officer with Franklin pushing Grantham away from the Vandy coach and Commodores tight end Austin Monahan stepping between the coaches.

North Carolina dismissed starting linebacker Ebele Okakpu from the team for "conduct detrimental to the team."

* Iowa State running back Shontrelle Johnson could be gone for the rest of the season because of a neck injury, suffered Oct. 1.

* Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham said the Panthers (3-4) will stick with junior Tino Sunseri heading into next week's game against Connecticut. Pitt had used Sunseri and freshman Trey Anderson in recent weeks, with little success.

* Chadron State athletic director Brad Smith will be football coach for the rest of the season. Bill O'Boyle was relieved of the position to prepare for an investigation into possible rules violations into the Division II school's football fundraising.