Officials revoke controversial Texas pass interference call during delay for fans throwing objects onto the field

Pass interference or no pass interference? That’s the question on everyone’s mind at the end of the third quarter of No. 1 Texas’ loss to No. 5 Georgia on Saturday.

Texas defensive lineman Jahdae Barron intercepted Carson Beck and returned the ball inside the Georgia 10-yard line. But a flag was thrown and after a brief discussion, the officials decided Barron should be flagged for pass interference by Arian Smith.

It was a very, very, very controversial conversation since Smith was the one who made the contact with Barron.

The Texas fans were dissatisfied and threw objects onto the field. The game was seemingly postponed because of the debris on the field, and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian even went to the student section to calm fans.

Then the piece became even more controversial.

About four minutes into the game, the officials announced that there was no pass interference and that Texas would not keep the ball, but that Georgia would keep the ball. As you can imagine, this completely infuriated Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. It’s almost impossible to think of another time where it took nearly five minutes to figure out a pass interference call. Even if you believe the punishment should never have been imposed.

It was a decision that had huge implications at the moment. Two plays after reversing the decision, Texas scored a touchdown, cutting Georgia’s lead to 23-15 after trailing 23-0 in the second half.

Ultimately, however, the Bulldogs would maintain their lead and come away with a 30-15 victory.

Smart was still angry about the call in a postgame interview with ESPN after his team’s win.

“I’m so proud of these guys because nobody believed us, nobody gave us a chance,” Smart said in his postgame interview on ABC/ESPN. “Your entire network doubted us. Nobody believed us. And then they tried to rob us here with calls, and these people are so resilient.”