Texas holds off Tennessee as Simmons ties sack record

Texas defeated Tennessee 20-17 on September 26 in Knoxville, holding off a late rally as Colin Simmons tied the program record with five sacks. Raleek Brown’s 4-yard touchdown run with 5:41 remaining supplied the winning margin in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Simmons’ record-tying performance anchored a Texas defense that recorded 10 sacks. He also forced a fumble, while the Longhorns limited Tennessee to 221 total yards. The five sacks matched the Texas single-game mark set by Shane Dronett in 1990. One of Simmons’ sacks brought an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after a celebration that officials described as simulating restroom use. The flag gave Tennessee additional yardage and a first down. Simmons apologized for the celebration during a postgame press conference, saying he had been caught up in the moment. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the staff removed Simmons, addressed the penalty and returned him to the game. Sarkisian said the team needed to improve its emotional control and focus celebrations on teammates.