A defensive pass interference call on Texas senior Jahdae Barron after he picked off a pass thrown by Georgia quarterback Carson Beck caused quite the commotion at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium during the Longhorns' 30–15 loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Texas fans were not happy with the DPI call and began throwing debris, like cans and bottles, onto the field. The game was paused to clean up the mess, which gave the officials time to review the penalty and reverse it.
The SEC eventually fined Texas $250,000 for throwing debris on the field. The fine also includes requirements laid out by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey—the school must find and suspend students who partook in throwing debris. Texas also must review the alcohol policies and then report findings to the SEC.
After this fine came out, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian urged fans to use "better discretion" in the future. He understood their passion in that specific moment, but he doesn't want the moment to paint a certain picture of Texas fans.
"I know that we've got a passionate fan base, and I think that showed Saturday night," Sarkisian said. "I think we all were a little upset in that moment. I just think that we've all got to use a little better discretion in moments like that. We don't want that to be the narrative that that's what DKR is all about. It was too good of a football game for that to be the focal point of it all. I think in the end they got it [the penalty reversal] right."
The Longhorns' next home game will be on Saturday, Nov. 9 when Texas hosts the Florida Gators. There will likely be a different atmosphere in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium after the incident this past weekend.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steve Sarkisian Sends Clear Message to Fans After Texas Receives Hefty Fine.
