Will Anderson addresses the momentum swing of Alabama interception that was taken off the board
Alabama thought they had won 16 in a row against Tennessee. Kool-Aid McKinstry was flying down the sideline after intercepting Hendon Hooker before a pass interference call took the play off the board. One play later, Hooker connected with Jalin Hyatt for the fifth time for the game-tying touchdown.
In what was a huge momentum shift in the game, Tennessee went on to pull off the upset and shock Alabama with a game-winning field goal. Crimson Tide defender Will Anderson spoke on the momentum swing on Monday, saying everyone thought the game was locked up.
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“It was really big,” Anderson said. “We thought we had sealed it, we thought we were good. But they always say ‘it’s not how you get on the field, it’s about how you get off the field.’ We just have to do a better job of getting off the field and everybody just has to do a better job of being locked in, paying attention, and being able to communicate.”
Had the ball stayed with Alabama, under four minutes would have remained on the clock and Bryce Young would have had the ball deep in the red zone. At the very least, the lead could have been extended to double digits, possibly putting the game on ice.
Instead, Tennessee come through when it mattered the most and was able to win the game. A huge momentum shift for sure but Alabama’s defense was still not able to cover what head coach Josh Heupel was scheming up.
Nick Saban comments on interception taken away from Alabama
Alabama committed the most penalties in program history — for the second time this season — leading to the loss on Saturday. One, in particular, will stand out on the Crimson Tide’s end as a pass interference wiped out what could have been a game-winning interception. Nick Saban spoke on the call after the game, saying he “can’t comment on it.”
“I can’t really comment on it,” Saban said. “It’s hard to see when it’s down in the corner. I thought the guy made a good squat on the ball and we intercepted a tip ball. And then we had another one on third and six, had good coverage on the guy.”