Fans have managed to track down the college football fan who went viral during Georgia’s 30-15 victory over Texas this past weekend. The blonde spectator, who was repeatedly highlighted by cameramen during the third quarter of the game, quickly became the subject of online frenzy.
As the camera operators kept focusing on her in the crowd, viewers at home were captivated and took to social media to uncover her identity. After some online detective work, the fan was identified as Kiera Mayer, a University of Arkansas student and Texas native.
Despite supporting Texas, Kiera’s appearance at the game gained her widespread attention on social media, especially after Barstool Sports posted a snapshot of her from the game. The caption read, “We’re all rooting for Texas tonight,” and the post quickly went viral, amassing 13.8 million views and over 50,000 interactions on X, formerly known as Twitter.
While Kiera enjoyed her unexpected viral fame, it was not a great night for her Longhorns, as they suffered their first loss of the season to the Bulldogs. Adding to the drama, the game was marred by a controversial incident that left Texas fans frustrated and led to penalties off the field.
RELATED: Texas Student Stretchered Off the Field During Game Against Georgia
Texas fans were particularly enraged after a pass interference call nullified an interception by Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. Barron had intercepted a pass from Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and returned it to the Bulldog 9-yard line.
However, the play was initially overturned due to the pass interference penalty, sparking outrage from the crowd. Fans began throwing trash and water bottles onto the field in protest, causing a significant delay in the game. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was forced to plead with the student section to stop their disruptive behavior so that the game could continue.
After the lengthy delay, SEC officials reviewed the call and ultimately reversed the penalty, awarding Texas the ball at the 9-yard line. The Longhorns capitalized on the reversal, scoring just two plays later.
However, despite the resolution on the field, the damage had been done in terms of sportsmanship.
The University of Texas was hit with a $250,000 fine for the unruly behavior of its fans, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) issued a stern reprimand. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey released a sharply worded statement condemning the behavior: “The throwing of debris and resulting interruption of play that took place Saturday night cannot be part of any SEC event. The SEC is assigned responsibility by its membership to enforce its sportsmanship and game management policies, and these actions are consistent with that oversight responsibility, including the financial penalty and mandated reviews.”
The University of Texas at Austin also issued its own statement, condemning the “unsportsmanlike conduct” of its fans and pledging to address the issue moving forward.
Adding his voice to the controversy, famous Longhorns fan and Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey took to social media to call out the behavior of his fellow fans.
In a post, McConaughey expressed his disappointment in the actions of the crowd, writing: “Let’s continue to bring it.
Even though our Horns didn’t get the W, you created a measurable home field advantage. But let’s get real about the bottle bombing the field glitch we had. Not cool. Bogey move.”
McConaughey went on to acknowledge the fans’ frustrations but emphasized that Longhorn Nation should hold itself to a higher standard: “Yeah, that call was BS, but we’re better than that. Longhorn Nation knows how to show up, show out like no other, and still keep our class. So, going forward, let’s clean that kind of BS up and leave that behind us for good.”
Despite the loss and the controversy, Kiera Mayer’s viral moment added a lighthearted touch to what was otherwise a chaotic game.
The Longhorns may have faltered on the field, but off the field, Kiera became an internet sensation, gaining thousands of new followers and plenty of attention in the process.
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