Texas apologizes to Georgia, officials and SEC for fan behavior

Texas officials apologized Sunday for fans throwing trash onto the field following a controversial pass interference in the No. 1 Longhorns' 30-15 loss to No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night.

“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 of some individuals who threw objects onto the field during last night's game and we sincerely apologize to the University of Texas players, coaches and fans of Georgia, as well as the Southeastern Conference and the officiating team,” said a statement from Texas Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife, UT President Jay Hartzell and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte.

“This type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

Trailing 23-8 in the third quarter, Texas safety Jahdae Barron stepped in front of Georgia's Arian Smith, intercepted a pass, returned it 36 ​​yards to the Georgia 9 and breathed new life into Texas. However, the officials ruled Barron pass interference and the 15-yard penalty was eliminated.

Texas fans booed the call while watching several replays on the stadium's video board, and trash poured onto the field from near the student section, halting the game for a few minutes. While Texas coach Steve Sarkisian walked all the way to the 10-yard line to tell fans to stop, staff and security cleaned up the bottles while officials conferred again.

The call was overturned after the stoppage, raising concerns that the behavior actually helped the Longhorns.

“Now we've set a precedent: If you throw a lot of stuff on the field and endanger athletes, you have a chance of having your decision reversed,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after the game. “And that's unfortunate because it's dangerous for me. That's not what we want, and that doesn't mean criticizing officials. That’s what happened.”

In a statement early Sunday morning, the SEC said officials had “gathered to discuss allowable play to ensure the appropriate penalty is enforced.”

Early Sunday morning, Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said in a post on X that he was “disappointed and frustrated” with how the call was reversed.

“Disagreeing with a single call is natural and happens several times in every football game. I can accept that,” Brooks said in his post. “What I cannot accept is the manner in which this particular call was reversed. The officer claimed he made the call in error. My question is when did he notice the mistake?

“If it was before the delay caused by fans throwing objects onto the pitch, then what stopped him before the head official made the announcement and spotted the ball? I'm confident that as a conference we'll learn from this and get better. “We have to because in the SEC it just means more.”

In 2021, the SEC fined the Volunteers $250,000 after fans threw objects onto the field during Lane Kiffin's return against Tennessee, where he had previously coached. Fans threw bottles, cans and other projectiles onto the Ole Miss sideline, including a golf ball that hit Kiffin. Tennessee had just been stopped by the officials on fourth down after a questionable spot.

Texas officials said they would take steps to ensure the incident does not happen again.

“We appreciate the support of the Longhorn Nation and are confident that we will continue to represent our university with pride and respect,” the statement said.

ESPN's Mark Schlabach contributed to this report.