Saturday against Texas A&M Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson delivered a hit while on kick coverage that may have been the hardest hit yet on the season for the Tide. Wilson destroyed A&M kick returner Speedy Noil in a hit so hard it made everyone gasp. There was controversy surrounding the play however as replays showed the hit to look like it might have been targeting, or at least helmet-to-helmet, no flag was thrown on the play.
Monday Tide coach Nick Saban stepped up to defend the hit, which he felt was a legal play telling AL.com,
"It was a great hit," Saban said. "I know some people made something about the fact that it was targeting. But it was not an unprotected player. The guy is running with the ball."
"We always tell our players that we want you to lower your target and see what you hit," Saban said, "even when you tackle so we don't get into those situations but that wasn't a foul because it wasn't an unprotected player."
Saban is right that Noil wasn't a defenseless player, but helmet-to helmet could have easily been called on the play. It wasn't however and the play will stand has the hardest hit at the halfway point of the Tide season.
