X

Video: Steve Sarkisian Rips Refs in Viral Interview at Halftime of Texas vs. Georgia

Julia StumbaughDecember 7, 2024

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 07: Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns looks on prior to the 2024 SEC Championship against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
Butch Dill/Getty Images

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was not impressed with the refereeing in the first half of Saturday's SEC championship game against Georgia.

"Hopefully, they call them for holding one of these times too," Sarkisian said after the Longhorns committed eight penalties through two quarters.

SportsCenter @SportsCenter

Steve Sarkisian didn't mince his words 😳 <a href="https://t.co/6Z9GjOhr80">pic.twitter.com/6Z9GjOhr80</a>

The 80 penalty yards forced Texas to settle for two field goals and no touchdowns in the first half. The Longhorns entered the break with a three-point advantage.

Three of the Longhorns' calls were for holding penalties, while Georgia was assessed two total penalties over the two quarters.

The calls led directly to multiple missed scoring opportunities for the Longhorns, who out-gained the Bulldogs 260-54 but were only able to muster six points in the first half.

Texas kicker Bert Auburn missed a 42-yard field goal in the final minutes of the second quarter after the Longhorns were moved back by a false start penalty.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was then picked off on two straight passes during the Bulldogs' final possession of the first half.

Both plays were called back for penalties, one on pass interference and another for a jump offsides. The Bulldogs proceeded to start the third quarter by marching down the field and orchestrating a touchdown drive.

This isn't the first time a Texas-Georgia game has been highlighted by controversial penalties this season. The SEC fined Texas $250,000 after fans threw trash on the field in response to a pass interference penalty that was ultimately rescinded called against the Longhorns during an Oct. 19 loss to Georgia.

Both Georgia, sitting at 10-2 this season, and Texas, which enters the game with an 11-1 record, are likely to qualify for the College Football Playoff regardless of Saturday's result.

A win would still provide a boost to either team's national championship hopes by granting them a first-round bye and an automatic trip to the quarterfinals of the inaugural 12-team CFP.