Florida-FSU players suspended for fighting

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida State guard Cornelius Lewis and Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey will miss the first half of their next games after being ejected for fighting in the fourth quarter Saturday.

Lewis, a 6-foot-4, 328-pound freshman from Jacksonville, will sit out the first half of Saturday night's Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against No. 5 Virginia Tech.

Harvey, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound redshirt freshman from Maryland, will miss the first two quarters of No. 17 Florida's bowl game.

Under NCAA rules, any player ejected for fighting during halftime or in the second half is automatically suspended for the first half of the following game.

Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said Monday that ACC officials told him Lewis would be eligible to play against the Hokies because he had been ejected for a personal foul.

But Tommy Hunt, head of officiating for the ACC, corrected the error Tuesday after receiving information from the Southeastern Conference.

Gators coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday that Harvey retaliated after Lewis took the first swing, but he agreed with the call.

"Absolutely, he (retaliated)," Meyer said. "Does that make it right? No. He's as bad as the guy that threw the first one. Officials are absolutely right. That's going to hurt us. We were counting on Derrick Harvey and getting him ready. He was going to play more in that (bowl) game."

Harvey played in eight games this season and had five tackles and one sack.

Lewis spent much of the year as a third-teamer. He moved into the starting lineup after Matt Meinrod broke his leg and backup John Frady injured his shoulder. Both of them are out for the season.