Tennessee LB Elijah Herring punches Alabama RB Roydell Williams during tackle

During the third quarter of Saturday’s game between Alabama and Tennessee, Roydell Williams took a handoff just short of a first down. At the end of the play, though Elijah Herring — apparently trying to punch the ball out — hit Williams in the head.

The officials didn’t blow the whistle, much to the chagrin of the Alabama faithful, and play went on.

Replays showed Elijah Herring throwing a punch in what Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson considered an initial attempt to knock the ball out of Williams’ hands. Herring stayed in the game, and Alabama wound up getting a field goal from Will Reichard to cut the deficit to 20-17.

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Tennessee initially took a 13-0 lead in the first half, and after Alabama scored, the Vols made it a 20-7 advantage into the locker room. Then, to start the second half, the Crimson Tide got on the board right away on a pass from Jalen Milroe to Isaiah Bond to make it a one-score game. Reichard’s field goal put Alabama that much closer, making it a three-point game.

Then, after Tennessee was stopped on fourth down, Alabama marched down the field to take its first lead of the game on a four-yard touchdown run from Jase McClellan. That put the Crimson Tide ahead 24-20 as the momentum shifted in a big way.

Nick Saban said third down defense would be critical for Alabama vs. Tennessee after early deficit

Tennessee started the game 4 for 7 on third down, but Alabama tightened up as the Volunteers converted two of their next six attempts. That was part of Nick Saban’s message after the first quarter when Tennessee took its 13-0 lead. Facing an offense like the Vols’ — which averages 443.8 total yards per game — he knows the importance of getting those third down stops. That was his message to his team following the first quarter.

“Really, what we’ve got to do is get off the field on third down on defense,” Saban told Dell. “We’ve had opportunities to get off the field, but they made three or four third downs that extend drives. When you play a team like this, you’ve got to get off the field.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Milroe has kicked in into gear, as well. As of the McClellan touchdown, Milroe completed 14 of 19 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Crimson Tide offense and get them out in front.