George Schroeder, USA TODAY Published 12: 45 pm ET Oct. 12, 2019Updated (***********************************************************************: 58 PM ET Oct. 12, 2019
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The Red River rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas is a bitter one, so a pregame skirmish at midfield – really, more like a heated conversation – wasn’t unexpected. It would have been a surprise if there wasn’t any tempers flaring before the game.
So no big deal, right? It seemed the kind of situation that could have been let go. But referee Mike Defee’s decision to issue every player on both teams an unsportsmanlike conduct foul seemed a bit much.
Defee put every player on the knife’s edge a half-hour before the game even started, since a second unsportsmanlike foul results in ejection.
At the coin toss , Defee told the team captains that “unfortunately” the unsportsmanlike fouls had been issued, and said:
“This is the greatest rivalry in college football. I expect the game to be hard-fought and well-played. We’re going to play this game with sportsmanship – is that clear? ”
Here’s what happened at midfield just over a half-hour before kickoff that earned a flag. Will someone get tossed for the Horns Down?pic.twitter.com/IulOonjOBx
– Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS)October 12, 2019
During that pregame melee, several Oklahoma players were seen flashing the “horns down” symbol, which has generated controversy in the Big 12 over whether it would Texas opponents would be flagged for showing it.
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