Colin Simmons absolutely shredded Tennessee’s offense on Saturday, racking up five sacks in No. 1 Texas’s nail-biting 20-17 win over No. 13 Tennessee. But it wasn’t just his all-time performance that grabbed headlines; a bizarre unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for “simulating using the restroom” had everyone scratching their heads and yelling at their TVs.
Simmons Went Off and the Vols Had No Answer
Seriously, the dude was an absolute problem. Simmons, who’s arguably the best pass-rusher in college football and a projected first-round pick, had a field day against the Volunteers. He finished the game with a monstrous eight total tackles, including six solo, five sacks, and a forced fumble. Add in his 10 total pressures and two quarterback hits, and you see why Tennessee’s true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon had zero room to breathe.
Those five sacks? They’re tied for the most by a Longhorns player ever. And get this: according to ESPN, that’s the most by an SEC player since at least 2000! This former five-star recruit now boasts 28 career sacks in just three seasons. He was a huge reason No. 1 Texas managed to avoid an upset in that hostile Rocky Top environment. Coach Steve Sarkisian himself said, “I’ve never seen anything like it” regarding Simmons’ game.
The Flag That Changed the Game’s Narrative
Even with that insane stat line, the talk of the game was that controversial moment in the second quarter. After one of his beastly sacks, Simmons got flagged for “simulating using the restroom.” An automatic first down for the Vols, just like that. You know Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was furious. He quickly pulled Simmons from the game.
“We took him out, we addressed it and put him back in,” Sarkisian said after the game. He wasn’t about to give the guy “the death penalty over an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,” but he made it clear: “We have to fix it. That can’t continue as we move forward.” Simmons apologized for the celebration too, saying, “I was definitely in that mode, feeling myself. But it happens. Charge it to the game.” Sarkisian acknowledged those “emotional” mistakes need cleaning up, even as he raved about the historic performance.
What a wild game. Simmons proved he’s a game-wrecker, plain and simple. Texas scraped by Tennessee, 20-17, and with Simmons playing at this level, they are going to be tough to beat. But he has to clean up those flags. We’ll be watching to see if this projected first-rounder can keep dominating without giving away free first downs!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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