The No. 1 Texas Longhorns left Neyland Stadium with a 20-17 win over Tennessee on Saturday, and Colin Simmons left with one of the best defensive performances in program history.
He also left having to apologize for the celebration that briefly overshadowed it.
Simmons drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second quarter after sacking Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon and making a gesture officials described as “simulating using the restroom.” The moment quickly spread across social media before Simmons addressed it after the game.
Colin Simmons Apologizes for Viral Tennessee Celebration
Simmons’ penalty came with 5:08 remaining in the second quarter after he brought Brandon down at the Tennessee 12-yard line.
After the sack, Simmons stood over the play and mimicked urinating on the field. Referee Rod Tucker announced the unsportsmanlike conduct call as being for “simulating using the restroom.”
The sack would have created fourth-and-29, but the 15-yard penalty kept Tennessee’s possession alive. The Volunteers eventually turned the ball over on downs, and Texas took a 10-3 lead into halftime.
The celebration itself had already become one of the most-discussed moments of the game online by the time Simmons spoke afterward.
“I do want to say I apologize for the celebration,” Simmons said, via Fox Sports. “I was definitely in the mode feeling myself. But it happens, charge it to the game.”
(via @EvanVieth)
When asked whether Texas coaches spoke to him about it on the sideline, Simmons made it clear they did.
“Of course, of course. But next play mentality. We don’t harp on that.”
Simmons did exactly that after halftime.
He finished with five sacks, tying the Texas single-game record set by Shane Dronett against Texas Tech in 1990. The performance pushed Simmons to seven sacks through four games this season after he entered Saturday with two.
Steve Sarkisian Addresses Colin Simmons Penalty
Steve Sarkisian wasn’t amused by the celebration, even if he also wasn’t interested in allowing one mistake to define Simmons’ afternoon.
“Can’t happen. That’s a bad football play,” Sarkisian said, per SI’s Zach Dimmitt
Sarkisian said Texas had spent the week emphasizing the need to avoid getting caught up emotionally in the environment at Neyland Stadium. He said Simmons’ celebration was exactly the type of emotional mistake the coaching staff wanted to avoid.
Texas briefly removed Simmons from the game, addressed what happened with him on the sideline and then sent him back onto the field.
Sarkisian said he wasn’t going to impose an extreme punishment for one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but added, “That can’t continue.”
The coach said the issue would be addressed again Monday, with the larger lesson being that players should celebrate with teammates rather than turn attention toward themselves.
Simmons’ response on the field couldn’t have been much stronger.
Texas finished with 10 sacks and held Tennessee to 221 total yards. Simmons accounted for half of those sacks by himself, matching a school record while helping the Longhorns survive Tennessee’s late comeback attempt.
The celebration may have been the play that took over social media.
By the end of the afternoon, Simmons had given Texas five much better reasons to remember his trip to Knoxville.
Texas’ Colin Simmons Addresses Viral Penalty vs. Tennessee: ‘Charge It to the Game’