No. 1 Texas just pulled off a tough 20-17 win against No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday, staying unbeaten at 4-0, but head coach Steve Sarkisian was far from thrilled with one of his star players, defensive end Colin Simmons. Turns out, Simmons’ sack celebration involved miming urinating, and Sark was NOT having it.
That 15-Yard “Bad Football Play” Almost Blew It
Simmons hit Volunteers quarterback Faizon Brandon with a sack in the second quarter, and then pulled out the controversial celebration. The refs threw the flag immediately, handing Texas a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. And trust me, that penalty was a massive deal. It was third down, right? So, the Longhorns should’ve forced a punt, but that penalty kept Tennessee’s drive alive instead. The Volunteers actually pushed into Texas territory on that same possession before eventually turning the ball over on downs. When this all went down, Texas was up 10-3, so it wasn’t like they had a huge cushion.
Sarkisian didn’t hold back after the game, telling reporters straight up, “It can’t happen. That’s a bad football play.” He made it clear the team had “harped and talked about this game, about not getting emotional with the crowd.” He called Simmons’ move “an emotional play” and revealed they had a “real talk about it at halftime. About how we needed to play in the second half, we needed to celebrate with one another.” That’s a direct call-out from the coach, telling you everything you need to know about the stakes here.
Simmons’ Monster Day (Despite the Brain Fart)
Now, here’s the wild part: despite that boneheaded penalty, Simmons had an absolutely dominant performance. The dude racked up **five sacks** in the game, tying the program’s all-time single-game record! He even got back-to-back sacks in the third quarter. What’s crazy is that he didn’t even celebrate after those two. Texas eventually moved back in front with a field goal after Tennessee tied the game in the third, clinging to that 20-17 win.
Simmons is no slouch, either. He was a key piece of Texas’ defense last year with 12 sacks in 2025. Heading into Saturday, he already had four tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks across three games. And Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department lists him as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2027 NFL draft class. Clearly, the talent is undeniable, but he’s gotta clean up the discipline.
The No. 1 Longhorns are 4-0 and still unbeaten, but you gotta wonder if this early season “emotional play” will be a wake-up call for Simmons. Texas needs his incredible talent, but they definitely don’t need the costly penalties moving forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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