Texas Apologizes to Georgia, Refs After Fans Throw Trash on Field During Loss

Texas officials issued an apology to Georgia and SEC referees after fans threw trash on the field during the Longhorns' 30-15 loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Texas Board of Regents chairman Kevin Eltife, university president Jay Hartzell and athletic director Chris Del Conte released a joint statement addressing the incident on Sunday, via ESPN's Dave Wilson.

"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," the statement said.

Longhorns fans threw bottles and other debris onto the field after an interception by safety Jahdae Barron was initially nullified due to a pass interference penalty. The call was eventually reversed.

The reversal wasn't immediate, with the trash on the field causing a delay as staff members and security cleaned it up while Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian told fans to stop. Officials gathered before play resumed to change the call, giving Texas the ball.

The Longhorns were able to score on the ensuing drive, cutting the deficit to 23-15. Texas couldn't get any closer throughout the remainder of the contest, as the Bulldogs found the end zone near the start of the fourth quarter and maintained a double-digit lead.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was visibly frustrated following the decision and addressed it after the game.

"Now we've set a precedent that if you throw a bunch of stuff on the field and endanger athletes that you've got a chance to get your call reversed," Smart said, per Wilson. "And that's unfortunate because, to me, that's dangerous. That's not what we want, and that's not criticizing officials. That's what happened."

Texas suffered its first defeat of the season with Saturday night's loss, falling to 6-1. Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers struggled and was briefly replaced by backup Arch Manning just before halftime, but he returned under center to open the third quarter.

As for the Bulldogs, they won their third consecutive game after a hard-fought loss to Alabama on Sept. 28. Smart's team now owns a record of 6-1.