Georgia entered last weekend's matchup against then-No. 1 Georgia. 1 Texas as an underdog. However, the Bulldogs proved they were still the favorites by defeating the Longhorns 30-15 in Austin.
The referees threw a penalty flag, temporarily negating the interception, which was run back for a Texas touchdown late in the third quarter. Darrell K. Royal, Texas A rain of boos quickly poured down from the Texas Memorial Stadium crowd, with some fans throwing water bottles and other trash onto the north end of the field.
The game was temporarily postponed to give stadium staff time to clean up.
Earlier this week, A-list actor and Texas State alum Matthew McConaughey released a statement about fan reaction to the callout, describing the littering as a “bogey move.”
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Actor Matthew McConaughey during the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Texas Longhorns game at Texas Memorial Stadium, Darrell K. Royal in Austin, Texas, October 19, 2024. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
“First of all, you were emotional Saturday night when you hosted Georgia. Bravo. Let's keep bringing it. Even if our Horns don't get the W. You also created a measurable home field advantage,” McConaughey wrote.
“But let's be real about the bottle bombing field glitch we had. Not cool. Bogey move. Yeah, that call was BS, but we're better than that. That's great. The Longhorn Nation knows how to show up and show up like no other. So from now on, we should just brush it off and shake hands about it. No.”
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Before the game resumed, officials decided to pick up the flag and announced that there was no foul for pass interference against Texas.
The university condemned the fans' actions.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated,” Board Chairman Kevin Eltif, President Jay Herzl and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said in a joint statement. “We are committed to fostering a positive environment for all participants, teams, officials and fans, and will take steps to ensure this type of behavior never occurs again.”
The Southeastern Conference agreed with the referee's decision to overturn the original call.
A statement from the conference said: “Match officials met to discuss the plays that were allowed to ensure the appropriate penalty was enforced, but in doing so the referee who made the call acknowledged that he had made a mistake. “There should have been no foul called for defensive pass interference.” .
A fan throws trash onto the field during the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Texas Longhorns game at Texas Memorial Stadium by Darrell K. Royal in Austin, Texas, Oct. 19, 2024. (Jeffrey Best/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The SEC later announced it had fined Texas $250,000 for suspending the game because it violated its sportsmanship, game management and alcohol policies.
“Although the original penalty evaluation and assessment was not done properly, it is unacceptable for debris to be thrown onto the field of play at any time,” the conference said.
Texas must also work to identify and suspend the fans responsible for throwing debris onto the field. The university's alcohol policy will also be reviewed.
Texas fans cheer just before the start of the first quarter of the Longhorns vs. Georgia Bulldogs game at Darrell K. Royal at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on Oct. 19, 2024. (Sarah Diggins/American Statesman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“Saturday night's dumping of debris and the resulting stoppage of play cannot be part of any SEC event,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “The SEC has been assigned the responsibility of enforcing sportsmanship and game management policies by its membership, and these actions are consistent with its oversight responsibilities, including fines and mandatory reviews.”
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With the win over Texas, Georgia's record improved to 6-1. The Bulldogs moved up to No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25, while Texas fell to No. 5. The Longhorns are scheduled to play Vanderbilt on Oct. 26 in Nashville.
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