Point guard Luka Drca has been suspended for two games by coach Jim Boylen for intentionally tripping Oklahoma's Blake Griffin from behind in Utah's 70-52 loss to the Sooners on Saturday.

Drca will not play when the Utes play Weber State at home on Saturday, or at Utah State on Monday. It's the second time in less than a year that the junior has been suspended for violent conduct.

"Luka is remorseful for his actions, but I feel that suspending him is the only thing to do," Boylen said in a statement. "His behavior was unacceptable and does not represent what our program is about."

The suspension was not mandated by the Mountain West Conference, the Utes said, though a spokesman said the league was investigating the incident, which occurred early in the second half of the game at the Noble Center in Norman, Okla.

The players were running up the floor when Drca clearly stretched out his leg to trip Griffin from behind. Oklahoma's Willie Warren picked up a technical foul for confronting Drca in defense of the fallen Griffin, and Drca was assessed an intentional foul. Fans reacted angrily, booing Drca every time he touched the ball for the rest of the game.

"I just made a mistake," Drca said after the game. "I tripped a guy. I didn't mean to, but like, I just wanted to win the game."

Drca similarly was suspended one game last season by the league for throwing an elbow into the chest of TCU's Brent Hackett in retaliation for getting hit in the face, though he was not called for a foul on the play. The league described the action as "physical abuse."

"I feel bad," Drca said at the time. "It's a bad time, but I messed up. ... It was an emotional thing, I guess."

Drca had just returned to the lineup against the Sooners after missing most of the previous two games with a sprained ankle. Without him, the Utes probably will continue to start freshman Jace Tavita at point guard. Tavita has started the past two games.