TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – There is a slight difference of opinion as to what took place in Alabama’s locker during halftime of the Crimson Tide’s 37-6 victory Saturday night over Tennessee.
It was 6-6 after the first 30 minutes, and Alabama coach Nick Saban insisted there were no paint-peeling rants.
“The players were emotional about the situation and responded on their own based on who they were,” Saban said. “I just said, ‘Look, you guys, you have a decision to make. You’ve got 30 minutes to play a game, so you have to decide what you want, and everybody has got to make a commitment to who you are and what kind of competitor you are.'”
Tide senior receiver Darius Hanks provided another take, blurting out, “All I can say is that he jumped our butts about it.”
Saturday’s halftime deadlock marked the first time Alabama had been even through two quarters since the 2009 Iron Bowl at Auburn, when the Crimson Tide rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to force a 14-14 tie at intermission in a game they eventually won 26-21.
There was no debating when Saturday’s game turned.
With 9:01 remaining in the third quarter and with Alabama already having forged ahead 13-6, Josh Chapman and Dont’a Hightower stopped Volunteers quarterback Matt Simms on a fourth-and-1 sneak from the Tennessee 39-yard line. On the next play, AJ McCarron lofted a 39-yard scoring strike to Kenny Bell for the knockout punch.
Alabama called time out before the Simms sneak to get out of nickel package.
“They have a history of running the quarterback sneak, so we got the right guys in the game,” Saban said. “Our guys did a good job of penetrating the gaps and knocking them back, and when you have a change of events like that, it’s not unusual to take a shot. It was a play we wanted to run at some point of the second half.
“Kenny Bell did a great job, and AJ threw a great ball.”
For Bell, the touchdown was the first of his career.
“I ran a great route, and AJ put it up there for me, and I made a play,” Bell said. “It was just a regular post route. Tennessee stacked the box tonight because Trent [Richardson] had been running the ball so well, so they put it on the receivers, and we beat them on that one.”