AUSTIN, Texas — Both Kirby Smart, head coach of the Georgia football team, and Steve Sarkisian, coach of Texas, were extremely upset.

Sarkisian was incensed about a pass interference penalty called against Jahdae Barron while he was covering Georgia receiver Arian Smith late in the third quarter. Smart was angry that this call was overturned after debris, including bottles, was thrown onto the field.

This interruption in the game allowed Texas to apply additional pressure on Georgia, but ultimately, the No. 4-ranked Bulldogs secured a 30-15 victory over the top-ranked Longhorns.

Smart recounted his inquiry to referee Matt Loeffler about the call, saying, “He admitted the mistake was not identifying the right player. It took him quite a while to come to this conclusion. I’m not sure what’s appropriate to say, so I’ll refrain from comments out of respect for the SEC office.”

However, he couldn’t help but elaborate further.

“It appears that we have now created a situation where if fans throw objects onto the field and put players at risk, there’s a chance for a call to be changed,” Smart stated. “This is concerning because it poses a safety risk. I’m not blaming the officials for this, but it is what it is.”

He also mentioned that “you would think there would be some kind of consequence for the team whose actions caused the delay.”

The SEC provided clarification on Sunday morning regarding the rationale behind the decision to reverse the call.

“With 3:12 remaining in the third quarter of the Georgia vs. Texas game, Texas intercepted a pass on their own 46-yard line and advanced it to the 9-yard line. Initially, Texas was penalized for defensive pass interference, allowing Georgia to retain possession with a first down.

Game officials huddled to discuss the incident, which is allowed to ensure the correct penalty is enforced. It was during this time that the officiating crew determined that an error had occurred and that no foul for defensive pass interference should have been called. As a result, Texas regained possession at their own 9-yard line.

While it was acknowledged that the original review of the penalty was not handled correctly, throwing debris on the field is strictly unacceptable.

The Conference office will assess the situation concerning the incident in relation to SEC sportsmanship standards and regulations.”

Texas coach Sarkisian expressed that he did not receive an explanation regarding the overturned call.

“I was merely inquiring what the official observed to judge it as DPI (defensive pass interference),” Sarkisian explained. “At that moment, trash began raining down on the field. I understand the frustrations; we all feel it strongly, but I believe that we can do better as a collective fan base.”

Later that Sunday, the university released an apology from President Jay Hartzell, Athletic Director Chris Del Conte, and Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife regarding the conduct of Longhorns fans:

“We genuinely value the enthusiasm and commitment of our supporters at The University of Texas at Austin, but we cannot support the inappropriate behavior displayed by certain individuals who threw items onto the field during last night’s game. We sincerely apologize to the players, coaches, and fans of the University of Georgia, as well as to the Southeastern Conference and the officiating crew. Such behavior will not be accepted.”