AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas was fined $250,000 by the SEC on Sunday for a crowd-induced interruption of Saturday’s 30-15 loss to Georgia. With 4:22 remaining in the third quarter, a frustrated Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium student section started pelting the playing surface with debris in response to the officiating crew nullifying a potential game-changing play made by the Longhorn defense.
Saturday’s game isn’t likely to be remembered for the record crowd of 105,215, or the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 the home team carried into the game, but rather for the controversial portion of the second half.
Nearly five minutes elapsed between the officiating crew throwing a flag on Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron for defensive pass interference, which wiped out a 36-yard interception return to the Bulldogs’ 9-yard line, to the crew waiving off the penalty. While referee Mike Loeffler and his crew were discussing the call, the Longhorn student section hurled debris onto the field, prompting Georgia coach Kirby Smart to move his team away from their bench and onto the field…