Georgia entered this past Saturday’s clash with then-No. 1 ranked Texas as the underdogs. But, the Bulldogs proved they are still contenders as they defeated the Longhorns 30-15 in Austin.
Referees threw a penalty flag which temporarily negated an interception that was run back for a Texas touchdown late in the third quarter. Boos quickly rained down from spectators inside Texas’ Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, and some fans threw water bottles and other debris on the north end of the football field. The game was briefly delayed to give stadium personnel time to clean up the trash.
Earlier this week, A-list actor and Texas alum Matthew McConaughey released a statement about the fan’s reaction to the call, describing the littering as a “bogey move.”
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Actor Matthew McConaughey looks on during a game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
“First off, you were electric Saturday night when we hosted Georgia. Bravo. Let’s continue to bring it. Even though our Horns didn’t get the W, you created a measurable home-field advantage,” McConaughey wrote.
“But let’s get real about the bottle bombing the field glitch we had. Not cool. Bogey move. Yeah, that call was BS, but we’re better than that. Longhorn Nation knows how to show up, show out like no other, and still keep our class. So, going forward, let’s clean that kind of BS up and leave that behind us for good. We have to shake hands on that.”
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Before play resumed, officials decided to pick up the flag and announced there was no foul for pass interference against Texas.
The university denounced the fan’s actions. “This type of behavior will not be tolerated,” a joint statement from Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife, President Jay Hartzell and athletic director Chris Del Conte read. “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.”
The Southeastern Conference agreed with the referee’s decision to overturn their initial call. “The game officials gathered to discuss the play, which is permitted to ensure the proper penalty is enforced, at which time the calling official reported that he erred, and a foul should not have been called for defensive pass interference,” the statement read.
Fans throw trash onto the field during the college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns on October 19, 2024, at Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The SEC later announced that Texas was fined $250,000, saying the game interruption violated its sportsmanship, game management and alcohol availability policies.
“While the original evaluation and assessment of the penalty was not properly executed, it is unacceptable to have debris thrown on the field at any time,” the conference said.
Texas will also have to work to identify and suspend fans who were responsible for tossing debris on the field. The university’s alcohol availability policies will also be reviewed.
Texas fans cheer moments before the start of the first quarter of the Longhorns’ game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Oct. 19, 2024. (Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“The throwing of debris and resulting interruption of play that took place Saturday night cannot be part of any SEC event,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. “The SEC is assigned responsibility by its membership to enforce its sportsmanship and game management policies and these actions are consistent with that oversight responsibility, including the financial penalty and mandated reviews.”
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The win over Texas improved Georgia’s record to 6-1. The Bulldogs jumped to the No. 2 spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings, while Texas dropped to the fifth overall spot. The Longhorns are scheduled to play Vanderbilt in Nashville on Oct. 26.
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