Sarkisian: Texas will discipline players after Tennessee celebration penalties

# What happened Texas junior edge rusher Colin Simmons drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a sack celebration during the Longhorns' road win at Tennessee. Fifth-year running back Raleek Brown also celebrated a touchdown in a way that did not draw a flag but could have, according to head coach Steve Sarkisian.

# Coach response and internal steps Sarkisian addressed the incidents publicly after the game and again during the team's Monday morning "Good, Bad, and Ugly" session. He also held individual meetings with Simmons and Brown. Sarkisian declined to detail what internal discipline, if any, the players will face.

On the field during the game, senior linebacker Justin Cryer quickly reacted to Simmons' celebration to try to stop it, and other teammates acted later to prevent additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalties by Simmons on subsequent sacks.

# What Sarkisian said Sarkisian framed the issue in terms of emphasis and discipline: coaches set the tone, and players adopt what coaches highlight. He acknowledged Simmons' penalty and said there probably could have been other penalties. He told reporters he was not going to give Simmons "the death penalty" for a single unsportsmanlike conduct call, but added the behavior is unacceptable and not representative of the character the staff expects.

# Leadership and reinforcement Sarkisian emphasized recurring reinforcement rather than a one-time message. He said upperclassmen must help reinforce standards for younger players and that the coaching staff will revisit discipline throughout the season. The coach pointed to upcoming high-pressure environments — neutral-site rivalry games and several road trips — as future tests of the team's ability to control emotions.

# Administration reaction Texas athletics director Chris Del Conte issued a statement calling the celebrations "inappropriate" and said they were embarrassing to the university. Del Conte's message framed the incidents as issues the athletics department would address alongside celebrating the team's on-field accomplishments.

# Why this matters Celebration rules in college football have relaxed in some ways, but the risk of penalties and the program-level expectation of conduct remain. For a top-ranked team navigating high-profile games, recurrent penalties for celebrations can alter field position and change perceptions of team discipline and leadership.

# Bottom line Sarkisian is treating the Tennessee celebration incidents as teachable moments: internal meetings have occurred, teammates intervened in-game, and the coaching staff plans ongoing reinforcement. Specific punishments were not disclosed, and program leadership publicly called the behavior inappropriate.