'Call it the same for everybody': Saban comments on controversial penalties

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There are only so many aspects of a football game a team can control, and Nick Saban would be the first person to tell you that officiating isn't one of them.

During Saturday's 52-49 loss to Tennessee, Alabama's fans, coaches and players had a reason to gripe over two instances, one was the non-targeting call on Bryce Young and the other was the pass interference that negated a Kool-Aid McKinstry interception.

On Monday, Saban spoke about both calls, beginning with the hit on Young which had college football fans asking for more clarity on what is considered targeting. Saban could not shine much light on an already murky subject as said he didn't get an explanation on why the hit on Young was not a 15-yard penalty and an ejection.

"We turned the plays in. I’m sure the league office will look at it and make a determination. There’s two things that are an issue here: targeting but you’re also not supposed to hit the quarterback in the head. Last year against Texas A&M, Malachi (Moore) got thrown out of the game. The guy was out of the pocket, jumped up to block the ball and ended up, almost accidentally, hitting him in the head and got ejected from the game. So there’s really two things that should be looked at.”

The hit was followed up by Young taking another blow to the head this time from Byron Young. After the ball was thrown, the Volunteer defensive lineman seemed to elbow the Alabama quarterback in the back of the head which drew no flag and no review by the officials.

Regardless of the hits, Young was able to stay in the game and kept the Crimson Tide within a score. The junior completed 35 of 52 passes for 455 yards and two touchdowns, leading crucial drive after crucial drive.

Young's heroics gave the Alabama defense a chance to seal the game late in the fourth quarter. With Alabama holding a seven-point lead, Kool-Aid McKinstry intercepted a Hendon Hooker pass in the end zone and returned it 82 yards to the Tennessee 18-yard line.

Jubilation and relief were dashed in seconds when the Alabama players noticed a yellow marker in the end zone. McKinstry's pick was waived off as the officials called pass interference on Moore. The call drew the ire of Saban who alluded that he didn't get a great explanation for that call either.

"Look my big thing is consistency, call it the same for everybody," Saban said. "It's hard to define exactly what you can and can't do, so I would rather see that happen. In the NFL, they defined exactly what you could and couldn't do. It's a really, really difficult judgment call, but you knew exactly what you could and couldn't do. I think that would be beneficial."

Saban has harped on pass interference penalties in the past stating that it's a judgment call but also puts the defender in a difficult spot to make a play on the ball.

So far, Alabama hasn't received a bevy of P.I. calls and against the Volunteers, the Crimson Tide was penalized twice. Despite the low number and the pass interference's effect on the outcome, Alabama was penalized 17 times which ties for the most penalties in the Nick Saban era.

"We've been harping on pass interference and keeping our hands off of people," Saban said. "I do think in some cases we do a good job of guarding them. We just have to do a better job of timing up the swat. ... There are penalties sort of an omission and then there are penalties that guys are just playing hard and trying to do the best they can and every now and then something bad happens. Easier to live with those than others.