Alabama Suspends DeVonta Smith for First Half of Tennessee Game

Nick Saban announces that wide receiver will sit after throwing punch at Texas A&M

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Unhappy with his team's discipline near the end of the 47-28 victory at Texas A&M, Nick Saban decided to send a message. 

Monday morning, the coach announced that starting wide receiver DeVonta Smith will be suspended for the first half of Saturday's game against Tennessee.

Saban made it clear that it was Alabama's decision. 

"The fact that Smitty got kicked out of the last game for retaliation is something that really can’t be tolerated and I think is a lesson that all players need to learn from in terms of you can’t make emotional decisions on the field," Saban said. "You can’t do what you feel like doing. 

"You have to have enough discipline to walk away even if you’re provoked into something you don’t like. He will be disciplined in the next game."

Saban later clarified that the discipline would be a suspension for the first half against the Volunteers. 

Although it's the same punishment he gave players for missing a team function for the season opener against Duke, including Smith (the others were running backs Najee Harris and Brian Robinson jr., and linebacker Terrell Lewis), Saban called this a more serious incident. 

Smith was ejected for throwing a punch after Texas A&M safety Leon O'Neal both threw him to the ground and threw a subsequent punch after the two got back up. 

Smith retaliated. 

Both players were flagged, but only Smith was ejected.

Smith led all receivers with seven receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. In the process, he became Alabama's leading receiver this season with 38 receptions for 636 yards. 

“Basically, he got hit, punched, and he retaliated,” Saban during his postgame press conference. “We’ll have to wait for the conference office to see what his status is. It was offsetting fouls. 

"Obviously their player shouldn’t have punched him but [Smith] should have had the discipline not to hit him back because that’s a foul. We would have got a 15-yard penalty and that would have basically ended the game.”

Alabama had 11 penalties in the game, including the personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct when trying to kill the clock. Players from both sides had to be separated when heading to the locker room.