AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) — University of Texas and Southeastern Conference officials both condemned fans who threw bottles and other trash onto the field at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday night, following a controversial call that initially went against the Longhorns, before officials reversed their own call.
“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,” UT officials said in a statement. “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,” the statement continued. “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.”
The incident began in the final minutes of the third quarter of Saturday’s game, when officials initially called Texas for defensive pass interference, wiping out a 36-yard interception return by cornerback Jahdae Barron.
Coach Steve Sarkisian headed toward the far corner of the field, signaling to the student section to settle down and quit throwing things. Meanwhile, the officials were discussing the play, and decided to reverse their own call.
Southeastern Conference officials weighed in on the officials’ decision-making process in a statement early Sunday morning. “The game officials gathered to discuss the play, which is permitted to ensure the proper penalty is enforced, at which time the calling official reported that he erred, and a foul should not have been called for defensive pass interference. Consequently, Texas was awarded the ball at the Texas 9 yard line.”
“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 SEC statement continued. “The disruption of the game due to debris being thrown onto the field will be reviewed by the Conference office related to SEC sportsmanship policies and procedures.”
