Sheldon Dawson disciplined internally for eye poke of Dee Milliner

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt disciplined freshman cornerback Sheldon Dawson for gouging the eyes of Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback Dee Milliner during the SEC Championship Game, according to Macon.com's Seth Emerson.

After practice on Friday, Richt told Emerson that the video of the incident "looked very bad," which led to the coach's decision to discipline Dawson. Richt went on to say that Dawson "realizes it was a bad thing, and a bad image for him and for Georgia."

Dawson insists that he wasn't trying to poke Milliner in the eye, and even apologized to the Alabama defensive back later in the game. Dawson is regretful of the incident, saying that "none of it should've happened."

Dawson and the Bulldogs (11-2) are preparing for their Capital One Bowl meeting with the Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) on New Year's Day in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on ABC.