Penalty tracker: Embarrassing performance Texas despite win against Tennessee

· Yahoo Sports

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 26: Head Coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns looks on prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 26, 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Things have quickly turned downhill on the penalty front for the No.1 Texas Longhorns. After six penalties for 47 yards in the first two games, the Longhorns have been flagged 19 times for 203 yards in the last two games, including a maddening 11-penalty, 115-yard meltdown in the 20-17 win over the Tennessee Volunteers this past Saturday.

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“We’ve got to find ways to clean up the penalties,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday. “Now it’s 19 penalties in the last two weeks and we can control a lot of them. Some of them we can’t. We can control a lot of them. So again, we’ve got to get back to the emphasis as a coaching staff.”

The frequency, impact, and foolishness of the 11 penalties were head scratching. Time and time again, the Longhorns found new and creative ways to shoot themselves in the foot. For a team with legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations, games like this cannot keep happening.

Tennessee’s only successful offensive drive in the first 56 minutes of game resulted in a field goal thanks to 30 free yards from the Texas defense. Defensive end Lance Jackson, who played exceptionally well for a majority of the game, was called for roughing the passer on the first play of the series, which promptly moved the Volunteer offense from their own 25-yard line to the Texas 49-yard line.

Two plays later, cornerback Bo Mascoe was flagged for pass interference, granting Tennessee 15 more yards. The drive resulted in a field goal, a win for the defense considering that 30 of the 60 yards were self-inflicted penalty yards.

Mascoe was ultimately flagged twice on the day for pass interference, upping the secondary’s total tally to four on the year as fellow defensive back Kade Phillips has been called for pass interference twice himself.

“I thought one I could understand PI, the other one I thought he played it pretty well,” Sarkisian said.

Quarterback Arch Manning also had a tough day with the zebras. Twice, and for the third team in the last two games, Manning threw a forward pass while beyond the line of scrimmage. It’s a rather bizarre penalty and hurt the Longhorns both times given that it is a loss of down.

“The first one, I think he thought he was getting it off before the line to gain,” Sarkisian said. “I actually think on the second one we were in, I believe a 3rd and 12, and I think he was operating off the 1st and 10 marker, not the stripe that was actually where we were. So, I guess it can happen that way.”

The order of the plays was reversed, but the impact remained.

Running back Raleek Brown was open early on the first illegal forward pass and would have had an easy first down to convert 3rd and 12. Instead, Texas punted, and an illegal formation penalty on the punt allowed Tennessee to take over at its own 42-yard line.

The second illegal forward pass was a 2nd and 15 on which Manning didn’t have any room to scramble and should have thrown the ball away earlier.

Manning was also called for a delay of game in the third quarter that turned a 3rd and 2 into a 3rd and 7 that led to a field goal as Texas missed a chance to convert a short-yardage play in a potential four-down situation.

The most documented penalty was an unsportsmanlike call on edge Colin Simmons. The post-sack celebration caught the attention of the entire country and cost the Longhorns, but ultimately didn’t impact the final score. His choice to celebrate in that manner is totally avoidable and the type of penalty that demonstrates an undisciplined team.

Special teams was penalized multiple times for the second week in a row, including the illegal formation and, more consequentially, Ryan Niblett had a return to midfield negated thanks to a block in the back that turned a 14-yard return into a four-yard return. Texas went three and out on the drive when Manning was forced to recover a bad snap that resulted in a 12-yard loss on first down.

Though not a penalty, another sizable punt return was also called back, neutralizing the ability for the Longhorns to start the drive in opposing territory instead of at their own 32-yard line. Texas went three and out.

The final penalty on the sloppy day was a huge face mask with 26 seconds left in the game as Simmons recorded a sack on 3rd and 19 that turned into a first down on the penalty against defensive end Zina Umeozulu.

It’s difficult to point fingers when a player is simply trying to make things happen, especially in the trenches, but the penalty extended the game and could have resulted in disaster.

As a whole, Texas finished with penalties of all varieties. Offense, defense, and special teams contributed. There were calls before the snap, during the play, and after the whistle. Mental miscues and repeat offenders all played a role.

So, while the the Horns ultimately escaped with a win, the trend regarding penalties is growing increasingly alarming. Last week’s disappointing reversal is tough to dismiss as a fluke after Saturday. If the Longhorns hope to remain unbeaten, getting back to disciplined play is required — last two weeks are not sustainable moving forward.

Texas is now down to 90th nationally in penalty yards per game at 62.5. And although the Longhorns rank much higher in penalties per game, that only indicates how much damage the penalties they’ve committed produced in terms of total yardage.

With a bye this week, Texas has a chance to regroup before facing Oklahoma in Dallas on October 10th at 2:30 p.m. Central.

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