The Florida Gators have been assaulting their opponents as of late, outscoring them 201-43 over the last four games. Unfortunately, one of the Gator players decided that it was a good idea to then go out and assault his girlfriend.

Major props to Urban Meyer for not taking the “we’re going to make him sit out the first quarter this week” approach and just dismissing cornerback Jacques Rickerson from the team immediately. Rickerson reportedly hit, choked, and shoved a pillow in the face of his girlfriend early yesterday morning. Meyer reacted swiftly, and definitively…

According to the ORLANDO JOURNAL-SENTINEL, Meyer had booted Rickerson from the team by noon and spent little time discussing the situation:

“Jacques Rickerson is no longer part of our team — that is not what our program is about,” Meyer said in an e-mail statement. “My focus and our team’s focus is with the players who are part of the program and preparing for the Vanderbilt game.”

All too often, we hear of college athletes getting the benefit of the doubt. For better or worse, Meyer has deemed this situation bad enough to take immediate decisive action. These are felony charges the guy is facing, but perhaps Rickerson’s status as a backup made the choice easier.

The Gators are also dealing with the saga of offensive lineman Ron Wilson, who missed the 2007 season after being arrested for firing an AK-47 into the air outside a nightclub. He was allegedly involved in a fight last month and faces misdemeanor battery charges. He’s not currently practicing with the team because he’s “not meeting team expectations,” according to Meyer. But as of now, Wilson is not definitively off the team.