Steve Sarkisian didn’t waste much time making the message clear after Texas’ 20-17 win over Tennessee: the celebrations that followed some of the Longhorns’ biggest plays went too far, and he doesn’t want to see that again.
Sarkisian met with Colin Simmons and Raleek Brown individually after the game to address what happened on the field, according to the reporting shared Monday. The head coach also made it plain to the rest of the locker room that this kind of behavior won’t be accepted going forward.
The focus fell hardest on Simmons, who had a huge night rushing the Tennessee offense and finished with five sacks of Faizon Brandon. But that production got overshadowed by a 15-yard penalty tied to a crude celebration that drew immediate attention. Kirk Herbstreit called it an “idiotic move,” and Sarkisian made sure the point landed with his team.
Brown also drew criticism for his own touchdown celebration, which was viewed the same way: over the line and unnecessary. The source described both actions as vulgar and said the pair were caught red-handed with celebrations that crossed a line.
For Simmons, the issue goes beyond one penalty. He’s being talked about as a future first-round pick, and the concern is that scenes like this can raise questions about maturity and character. That’s why the reaction to his sack celebration was so sharp, even with his dominant play against Tennessee’s offensive line, including former 5-star signee David Sanders Jr.
The celebration after the Hail Mary hit the turf didn’t help matters either. For Tennessee fans, it only added to the frustration of the loss, and for Texas, it created a different kind of conversation than the one Sarkisian wanted after a tight win.
Now it falls on Sarkisian to clean it up quickly. The game was a big one for Texas, but the behavior after the plays is what people are still talking about, and that’s exactly what the coach wants to shut down.
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