‘Way Out of Line,’ ‘Love Seeing This Fire’ — Fans Split After Kalen DeBoer Confronts Dijon Lee Jr. Over Late Flag in Alabama’s 20-17 Loss to Georgia

Alabama needed one more stop against Georgia on Saturday night, and when a personal foul on cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. took that chance away, coach Kalen DeBoer lit into Lee on the sideline.

The flag gave the Bulldogs a first down with Alabama out of timeouts, and No. 2 Georgia ran out the clock on a 20-17 win over No. 6 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, handing Alabama its first loss of the season.

Kalen DeBoer Reacts Angrily to Dijon Lee Jr. on Sideline

“Kalen DeBoer livid at Dijon Lee on the sideline, from our vantage point,” wrote Mike Rodak, an Alabama staff writer for 247Sports.

One post sharing video of the exchange had DeBoer telling Lee he had cost Alabama the game.

“Kalen DeBoer isn’t happy with Dijon Lee Jr.,” one fan wrote while sharing the clip.

DeBoer had been furious himself one possession earlier. With Alabama trailing 20-17, quarterback Keelon Russell threw to receiver Rico Scott in the end zone on second down, and Scott was knocked down with no pass interference called.

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Russell was sacked for a 9-yard loss on the next play, knocking Alabama out of field goal range, and the Tide punted the ball back to Georgia.

Another fan saw a double standard. “The way that Kalen DeBoer treated his player was way out of line. Kalen was acting like a toddler then berates his player for doing the same.”

Fans Divided by DeBoer’s Sideline Actions

Lee’s late flag was not his first of the night. In the third quarter, with Georgia facing third-and-21, pass interference on Lee gave the Bulldogs a first down at the 35. Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring missed a 39-yard field goal to end that drive early in the fourth.

Alex Byington, a veteran editor and writer for On3’s National News Desk, shared the clip with the words he attributed to DeBoer and landed on both sides. “This isn’t what a coach should tell one of his players in public, but I have a feeling Alabama fans are gonna love seeing this fire from him.”

Lee, a sophomore from Carson, Calif., had started all five of Alabama’s games before Saturday. On3 named him a True Freshman All-American in 2025, when SEC coaches also put him on their Freshman All-SEC team. This season, he returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown at Mississippi State.

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“I don’t feel bad for Dijon Lee at all,” another fan wrote. “These guys are making millions of dollars to play college football. The least we can expect is some decorum.”

Looking Ahead in Week 7 to Tennessee

Alabama, now 5-1, visits Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Oct. 17 in Week 7, and Lee’s place in that game was already part of the argument.

Johnny Lanson, a musician and producer, wanted Lee to sit for a game and blamed discipline rather than the officials. “Alabama has to have more discipline and bench him a game… No matter what the refs missed we could’ve still won.”

Alabama led 14-10 at halftime, but its only points after the break came on kicker Conor Talty’s 39-yard field goal, which tied it 17-17 in the third quarter.

Pro Football Network’s College Football Playoff Meter, as of Oct. 10, 2026, gave Alabama a 71.4% chance to win at Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.