After Texas beat Texas A&M 17–7 in the rivalry game, some Longhorns players wanted to celebrate on the Aggies' logo at Kyle Field. However, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian quickly stopped this from happening.
In a video caught by CBS Austin's Bob Ballou, Sarkisian can be seen chasing down the players who were running to the logo in the middle of the field waving his arms to get them to stop.
What a job by Steve Sarkisian of preventing World War III in College Station #HookEm pic.twitter.com/9hKkQbtXgR
— Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) December 1, 2024
Chaos was averted, but it left some questioning why Sarkisian wouldn't want his players to celebrate on the logo, as many teams do when winning a major rivalry game.
Sarkisian explained his actions in his postgame interview, citing what happened earlier that day at the Ohio State–Michigan game as his main reasoning. That rivalry game ended in a huge brawl when Michigan planted its flag on Ohio State's field, and some players were pepper sprayed by police. Sarkisian didn't want this to happen on his watch.
"Rivalries are great, but there’s a way to win it with class, and I just didn’t think that’s the right thing to do. We shouldn’t be on their logo. We shouldn’t be planting any flags on their logo,” Sarkisian said. “And I’d like to, whenever that day comes, get the same respect in return.
"I just think there’s a way we try to teach our players how to go about our business. We celebrate with one another. It’s not about any other team. It’s about what we do. And I think there’s a way to win with class and I’m hopeful that we can continue to learn how to do that.”
Sark must've forgot about the Red River Rivalry after last night's win 😅
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 1, 2024
(🎥 @TexasFootball, @CJVogel_OTF) pic.twitter.com/NmHJXqoJaA
The Longhorns found other ways to celebrate the big win, including in the locker room after they left the field. Texas ended the regular season with an 11–1 record and now awaits the College Football Playoff.
More of the Latest Around College Football
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steve Sarkisian Explains Why He Stopped Texas Players Celebrating on Texas A&M Logo.
