To the consternation of many (and not just Alabama fans), Auburn's Nick Fairley won't be suspended for the Iron Bowl following a nasty hit on Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray in Week 11's Tigers-Bulldogs game. The contact in question isn't the fourth-quarter leg job that appeared to do more injury to Murray, but an earlier incident, in the third quarter, where Fairley speared a defenseless, football-less Murray in the back with his helmet and was promptly hit with a 15-yarder.
Al.com, maybe a little too defensively for a news outlet, cites the pertinent NCAA rule that clears Fairley, justly or not:
Nick Fairley Won’t Face Suspension For Hit On Aaron Murray
“No player shall target and initiate contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, elbow or shoulder.”
Fairley’s late hit didn’t strike Murray in the head or neck area. End of story.
Be that as it may, even our own Auburn blog thought Fairley’s actions were beyond unnecessary:
There were dirty hits both ways, and the refs called a stunning ten personal foul penalties in the game. Five went against Georgia, five went against Auburn, plus a bonus unsportsmanlike conduct flag. [...] Having said that, we also saw one of the dirtiest quarterback hits of the year out of our own Nick Fairley. [...] It was a brutal, dangerous, needless play. Either player could have been paralyzed.
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