Texas football issued a statement on Sunday morning denouncing the actions of certain Longhorn fans who threw trash onto the field during a contentious moment in Saturday’s loss to Georgia.
The incidents occurred after officials called a pass interference penalty that seemed to nullify an interception made by Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron in the third quarter. This led to bottles and other debris being hurled onto the field in the vicinity of Royal-Memorial Stadium’s north end zone. Following a delay caused by the disturbances, game officials retracted the penalty, allowing Barron’s interception to count, which sparked further debate.
The statement, credited to UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife, UT President Jay Hartzell, and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte, included apologies directed towards Georgia’s players and coaches, among others.
In the statement, they expressed: “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 exhibited by some individuals throwing objects onto the field during last night’s game. We 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.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian also criticized the unruly behavior during his postgame press conference.
“I understand frustration,” Sarkisian stated. “We all know we’re frustrated in the moment, but we can be better than that as a part of Longhorn Nation.”