Texas football star Colin Simmons delivered one of the best defensive performances of his career Saturday — but one bizarre celebration threatened to overshadow all of it.
The Longhorns edge rusher was slapped with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during No. 1 Texas’ showdown with No. 14 Tennessee after officials said he was “simulating using the restroom” following a sack.
The unusual moment unfolded during the second quarter at a packed Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, where President Donald Trump was among the spectators for one of the biggest college football games of the weekend.
After Simmons helped bring Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon down, the Texas defender appeared to mime unzipping his pants and urinating on the field.
Officials immediately threw a flag.
Referee Rod Tucker announced that Simmons had been penalized for “simulating using the restroom,” resulting in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
The celebration quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the game.
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit criticized Simmons during the broadcast, calling the decision to celebrate that way “an absolutely idiotic move.”
The penalty was particularly frustrating for Texas because Simmons had just made another major defensive play. The sack had pushed Tennessee backward and put the Volunteers in an extremely difficult situation before the flag gave them new life on the possession. Tennessee ultimately failed to score on the drive, however.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian wasted little time addressing the incident.
Sarkisian temporarily pulled Simmons from the game before allowing his star defender to return.
“We took him out, we addressed it and put him back in,” Sarkisian said after the game, according to the Associated Press.
Sarkisian made it clear that the celebration could not become a recurring problem, while also saying he was not going to bench Simmons for the remainder of the contest over a single unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Simmons later apologized for the celebration.
“I apologize for the celebration,” he told reporters after the game, explaining that he had gotten caught up in the moment while playing at an extremely high level.
And Simmons certainly had reason to be fired up.
Despite the embarrassing penalty, he turned in a monster performance as Texas survived Tennessee 20–17.
Simmons finished with five sacks, tying the Texas single-game record and helping a dominant Longhorns defense rack up 10 sacks overall.
His performance proved critical on an afternoon when the Texas offense struggled to consistently pull away.
Running back Raleek Brown rushed for 67 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a four-yard run with 5:41 remaining that ultimately supplied Texas with the winning margin.
Quarterback Arch Manning threw for 201 yards but was sacked six times and intercepted once as Tennessee’s defense kept the game close.
The Volunteers made one final push when Brandon connected with Mike Matthews for a 30-yard touchdown with 1:22 remaining.
Tennessee then recovered an onside kick, giving the Volunteers one last chance to pull off the upset.
Texas defensive back Jelani McDonald finally ended the threat by knocking away Brandon’s Hail Mary attempt in the end zone on the final play.
The victory moved Texas to 4–0 while Tennessee fell to 3–1.
The game was already drawing enormous attention before Simmons’ celebration.
Trump attended the matchup at Neyland Stadium, arriving shortly before kickoff after Air Force One performed a low-altitude flyover as Texas and Tennessee warmed up.
The president was shown on the stadium video boards while seated with Tennessee Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. Enhanced security measures were put in place around the stadium because of his visit.
The matchup also marked Texas’ first trip to Neyland Stadium and the first meeting between the Longhorns and Volunteers since the 1969 Cotton Bowl.
For Simmons, the five-sack explosion added another remarkable achievement to what has already been an impressive college career.
The Dallas native was named the 2024 Shawn Alexander National Freshman of the Year and later earned first-team All-SEC honors after leading the conference with 12 sacks during the 2025 season.
He entered his junior year with 21 sacks over his first two seasons — the most ever by a Texas player through his first two years with the program.
He was also placed on several major preseason award watch lists ahead of the 2026 season.
His five sacks against Tennessee only strengthened his reputation as one of the most disruptive defensive players in college football.
But Saturday also showed how quickly one decision can become the defining image of an otherwise spectacular afternoon.
Texas finished the game with 11 penalties for 115 yards, including seven flags during the first half alone — something Sarkisian and his staff will have plenty to address before the Longhorns’ next major test.
Texas now gets a week off before facing Oklahoma in Dallas on October 10.
Simmons, meanwhile, leaves Knoxville with a school record tied, a road victory secured — and one celebration he has already admitted he wishes he could take back.
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