Nick Saban hammers Alabama players throwing 'Horns Down' after Texas win: 'Don't do that s—'

Zac Al-Khateeb

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Nick Saban hammers Alabama players throwing 'Horns Down' after Texas win: 'Don't do that s—' image

Top-ranked Alabama survived Texas on the road on Saturday, sneaking out of Darrell K Royal Stadium with a 20-19 victory over the unranked Longhorns.

There was little to celebrate in the victory, however: Alabama committed 15 penalties for 100 yards, the most in a single game since Saban took the program over in 2007; defending Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young completed 27 of 39 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown; and Texas nearly pulled the upset off without starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers, who was gone for three quarters after he suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

The game ended with Texas backup QB Hudson Card throwing a downfield pass that bounced harmlessly off the turf. With the game finally in hand, several Alabama players were seen throwing the "Horns Down" gesture following the victory.

Saban naturally did not care to see it, especially after the way his team played. Fox cameras caught him yelling at players, "Don't do that s—!":

MORE: 'Horns Down' penalty, explained: Gesture makes fun of Texas' 'Hook 'em Horns' sign

It's clear Saban was angry at his team's poor play, particularly as it relates to the penalties. For what it's worth, Saban ahead of the game was made aware that "Horns Down" would likely be a penalty and said it was worth knowing about.

The issue never arose in the game, but Saban was not going to allow his players to celebrate the victory in that manner. It's also possible he didn't want an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty — unlikely as it was to be called — to extend the game for one final untimed down.

Of course, Saban was not on hand to stop several plays from throwing the sign at Texas fans as they exited the field:

Either way, Alabama earned the victory — and has several teachable moments to work on for next week's game.

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.