Colin Simmons set a Texas record with 5.5 sacks against Tennessee, but his flagged celebration drew a blistering reaction from Urban Meyer.
Colin Simmons delivered one of the greatest pass-rushing performances in Texas football history against Tennessee.
And somehow, one celebration nearly became the biggest story of the night.
Texas officially credited Simmons with 5.5 sacks in the Longhorns’ 20-17 road win over Tennessee, giving the junior edge rusher sole possession of the program’s single-game sack record.
He also finished with nine tackles and forced a fumble during a dominant performance at Neyland Stadium.
But Simmons also drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after one sack when officials ruled that he had “simulated using the restroom.”
The penalty came on third down and gave Tennessee an automatic first down instead of forcing a punt.
Former Ohio State and Florida coach Urban Meyer wasn’t interested in giving Simmons much benefit of the doubt.
“If I’m the head coach and I see that kid do that, he’s out,” Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast. “I’m suspending him.”
That’s considerably harsher than the punishment Simmons received from Steve Sarkisian during the game.
Sarkisian briefly removed Simmons before eventually putting him back on the field.
“Can’t happen,” Sarkisian said afterward. “That’s a bad football play.”
Simmons also took responsibility for the moment.
“I apologize for the celebration,” Simmons said. “I was definitely in that mode, feeling myself.”
The controversy shouldn’t completely overshadow what Simmons accomplished.
His 5.5 sacks totaled 55 yards in losses and helped Texas’ defense pile up 10 sacks against Tennessee.
The performance also earned Simmons national player of the week honors from the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy and Walter Camp Award.
Through four games, Simmons now has 7.5 sacks and has emerged as one of the most disruptive defensive players in college football.
That’s the frustrating part for Texas.
Simmons doesn’t need gimmicks to get attention. His play is doing plenty of that already.
Sarkisian’s message moving forward is simple: dominate the opponent, celebrate with teammates and don’t hand the other team free yards.
Because the next time, 15 yards could matter a lot more.
