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The Texas Longhorns will face off against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday in the SEC Championship Game. The ‘Horns are looking to avenge a previous loss to the ‘Dawgs after falling 30-15 in October.
That game was marred by controversy, though the highlighted acts of the home crowd wouldn’t have an effect on the outcome of the contest. Still, the behavior caused a call to be overturned on the field due to the riotous actions of the UT fanbase.
Texas fell behind early in that matchup, failing to get on the scoreboard across the first 30 minutes of play. The Longhorns did their best to overcome a 23-0 deficit after halftime but ultimately fell short.
At one point in the second half of play, the UT defense picked off Georgia QB Carson Beck and returned the ball all the way back to the Bulldogs‘ 10-yard line. It appeared that the play would be nullified, however, when flags were thrown onto the field. Defensive pass interference was called, seemingly wiping the interception out.
The Texas faithful reacted by throwing trash onto the field. It was a tactic that worked! After moments of discussion, all while skirting potential pelting from water bottles and beer cans, referees picked up the flag. The interception stood. Texas scored a few plays later to cut the lead to one touchdown.
THE REFS CHANGED THEIR MINDS! NO HOLDING! KIRBY SMART IS PISSED!!! pic.twitter.com/Po1Xu13gsv
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) October 20, 2024
We’ve seen referees gather to discuss calls before. In most cases, this is done before the actual call is made. They want to get it right! In this instance, the call was made, then retroactively negated *after* fans began littering the field with trash.
The university held an internal investigation as it attempted to find wrongdoers. It pledged to punish those that took part in throwing debris onto the field.
“Those involved will have ramifications for their actions.”
-University of Texas AD Chris Del Conte
That punishment turned up nothing, says the Associated Press! After reviewing security footage and speaking with staff members, no culprits were found.
“[The school] reviewed all available video and other sources of information… Despite our best effort, we have not been able to identify the individuals at issue. We will take action if new identifying information comes to light.”
-Del Conte
That review was sent to the SEC, who previously fined the Longhorns to the tune of $250,000. The result only incentivizes similar action in future situations!
The act of pelting referees with water bottles has already proven effective. It’s now been shown that no punishment will be given to those that take part. It’s not a great precedent to set at one of the biggest brands in the Southeastern Conference!
Of course, there’s a chance it could backfire with the Texas Longhorns take on the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend. That game will be held in Atlanta, not Austin, meaning the crowd could see a lot more red and black than orange and white. That might make officials think twice about penalizing the Bulldogs in the SEC title!