The incident started with Alabama football’s DeVonta Smith and Auburn’s KeAndre Lambert-Smith wrestling into the Tiger sideline following an incompletion. The two went to the ground in the third quarter of Saturday’s Crimson Tide win, and kept shoving once there.
More Alabama and Auburn players joined in the ruckus around them, and the moment ended with Smith and fellow UA defensive back Malachi Moore getting flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. After the penalty call, Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer appeared livid, having words with the officials.
“I saw the first part of it, and I thought — I understand there was a piece where we didn’t handle it probably as well as we needed to,” DeBoer said after the game. “And so, I don’t want to get into too much other than that. I know, I felt like there was something that prompted it, but that’s about all I know. And you know, it was on the other sideline, so you can’t see a lot.
“But certainly, one of those things that got them a little bit of momentum with those yards after that. But, you know, it’s an emotional game. You put it all year, and it builds up to this, and the game itself back and forth and a lot of momentum swings. It’s not okay, but understand where the emotions were on both sides. So, a lot of people over there, so it’s hard for me to tell what’s going on.”
Auburn continued down the field and scored on the drive. However, it wasn’t enough to spark a full comeback, and Alabama won 24-14.
Afterward, UA defensive back Bray Hubbard described his attitude during the fracas.
“Protect our guys, protect our team,” Hubbard said. “We don’t want any personal fouls. I don’t want anything that’s gonna hurt the team. So my first thought was, go get my guys, get us out of there on their sideline, just get our guys back and cool everybody down.”
Hubbard said he succeeded in pulling at least one Alabama player away from the fight.
“I went and pulled one guy out,” he said. “But I didn’t get near everything, I was just like, first guy, this first guy I see that’s trying to go get somebody, grab them, so we don’t all do anything worse.”
He also supported his teammate.
“I love DeVonta,” Hubbard said. “Hard worker, man. He gets after it every day, I love that guy.”
