THE Texas Longhorns have released a statement condemning the actions of their own fans after they were hit with a $250,000 fine following their 15-30 defeat to Georgia at the weekend.
Texas fans began trowing trash on the field after they were left incensed by a pass interference penalty.
Texas Longhorns have been fined $250,000[/caption]
The end zone was littered with trash thrown in by the student section[/caption]
The Longhorns faithful were reacting after Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron intercepted Georgia QB Carson Beck’s pass and returned the ball to the Bulldog 9-yard line, only to see the play momentarily overturned by a pass interference call.
Their frustration at losing a huge momentum shift saw heaps of trash and bottles of water thrown onto the field.
And the chaos didn’t even come to an end until Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian pleaded with the student section to stop what they were doing and allow the game to continue safely.
After a lengthy delay the SEC officials overturned the penalty and awarded the Longhorns the ball on the 9-yard line – with Texas scoring just two plays later.
Despite the decision ultimately going in Texas’ favour, the aftermath has stung UT badly.
The SEC had reportedly slapped the school with a $250,000 dollar fine after releasing a statement slamming the actions of their fans in the stands.
The statement by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey read: “The throwing of debris and resulting interruption of play that took place Saturday night cannot be part of any SEC event.
“The SEC is assigned responsibility by its membership to enforce its sportsmanship and game management policies and these actions are consistent with that oversight responsibility, including the financial penalty and mandated reviews.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian had to plead with fans to stop their protests[/caption]
“While the original evaluation and assessment of the penalty was not properly executed, it is unacceptable to have debris thrown on the field at any time.”
The University of Texas at Austin also ensured they released a statement of their own, bashing their own students and supporters for the unsportsmanlike conduct during the game.
The statement, penned by Texas board chairman Kevin Eltife, president Jay Hartzell and AD Chris Del Conte, read: “While we deeply appreciate the passion and loyalty of our fan base at The University of Texas at Austin,
“We do not condone the unsportsmanlike conduct that was exhibited by some individuals throwing objects onto the field during last night’s game.
“And sincerely apologize to the University of Georgia players, coaches, and fans, as well as the Southeastern Conference and officiating crew. This type of behavior will not be tolerated.
“Respect, sportsmanship, and fairness are the values that drive our program, and we expect all of our fans to uphold these standards.
“We are committed to fostering a positive environment for all participants, teams, officials, and fans, and we will take steps to ensure that this type of behavior does not happen again.
“We appreciate the support of Longhorn Nation and are confident that, moving forward, we will continue to represent our university with pride and respect.
“Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”
The 15-30 game saw Texas bench quarter-back Quinn Ewers with 4:43 left in the second quarter and replace him with Arch Manning.
The switch came as the Longhorns trailed 20-0 and and needed a spark.
But Manning was only used for the remainder of the second quarter with Ewers returning to the field for the third quarter.
Heach coach Sarkisian told ESPN before half-time: “I was just trying to settle Quinn down a little bit, try to give us a little bit of a spark.
“But we’ve got to get out of our own way. We’re not playing good as a unit right now — our defense is putting out some fires for us.”
Georgia wound up 15-30 winners[/caption]
Arch Manning made a brief cameo for Texas in the second quarter[/caption]
