STARKVILLE, Miss. — A guilty plea appears to settle a criminal case involving one man's assault on another with a cowbell after the Ole Miss-Mississippi State football game in 2009.

But a civil lawsuit involving the attack continues, and the defendants include the Southeastern Conference.

On Monday, Brent Vowell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor simple assault in the 2009 incident. He received a 45-day sentence to be served on weekends, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

Victim William Matthew Brasher says in the civil suit that he suffered a 4-inch laceration in the altercation. His suit seeks unspecified damages from the SEC and others. It claims the league knowingly refused to enforce its own rule against “artificial noisemakers,” including the cowbells long favored by Mississippi State fans.

Yes, I know Holly.  I should have put this in a Fanshot but no one looks at fan shots and you get more comments from the Fanposts.  Sorry.