ATHENS, Ga. — South Carolina has officially apologized for tearing off pieces of Sanford Stadium's treasured hedges to celebrate Saturday's upset over the Bulldogs.
Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity said that South Carolina athletics director Ray Tanner contacted him on Sunday afternoon.
"Ray just apologized for those actions," McGarity said.
What did McGarity, who has taken a strong stance against "property destruction" to the hedges in past years, think about what happened after Saturday's game?
"I don't like it at all.
"We sure don't do that when we win at an opponents' venue under [coach Kirby Smart's] leadership."
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The historic privet hedges that surround Vince Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium, coincidentally, celebrated 90 years Saturday, having made their debut on Oct. 12, 1929, against Yale.
Happy 90th birthday to the most famous shrubs in sports. The Georgia hedges made their debut on this day in 1929 for UGA vs Yale. Today’s hedges are the grandchildren of the originals, grown from clippings saved from the plants that were removed for the 1996 Olympics. #Dawgs pic.twitter.com/OKra5mrzUb
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) October 12, 2019
On Saturday, unranked South Carolina upset then-No. 3 UGA in college football's biggest upset of the season. To celebrate the historic win, the celebrating Gamecock players ripped off pieces of the hallowed hedges as souvenirs.
Georgia's stadium security tried to block the South Carolina players from the hedges but were eventually overwhelmed.
WATCH: When you knock off the No. 3 team in the nation in their home, you do a little post-game gardening. Some Gamecocks taking a little souvenir from the hedges at Sanford Stadium after beating the Bulldogs today pic.twitter.com/XrtWur0fsL
— Cam Gaskins (@CamGaskinsTV) October 12, 2019
South Carolina coach Will Muschamp — a former player at Georgia from 1991 to '94 — and several of the team's assistants also were seen carrying souvenir pieces of the hedges.
Will you accept these hedges? pic.twitter.com/HYqnbNh7U9
— Ryan Bethea (@RyanBethea_) October 12, 2019