Alabama’s secondary was already juggling pieces before the game settled into its usual rhythm, and by the end of Saturday’s win over Texas A&M, the Tide had even less room for error.
Fifth-year safety Keon Sabb did not play a defensive snap during the final four defensive series. He finished with 35 defensive snaps overall and, on his last snap with 9:21 left in the fourth quarter, there were no obvious signs of injury.
The same was true on Texas A&M’s field-goal attempt on the next play. After the game, Sabb was still on the field and posed for a photo with former Alabama and current Texas A&M defensive back Dezz Ricks.
Sophomore safety Ivan Taylor logged 30 defensive snaps, with 21 coming in the second half. Freshman safety Jireh Edwards was on the field for nine defensive snaps, including seven after Sabb’s final snap. Edwards also took over Sabb’s spot on the punt return unit after handling that role on Texas A&M’s only punt of the first half.
Through much of the season, Bray Hubbard, Sabb, Taylor and Edwards have formed Alabama’s top four safeties. Taylor has also been the one most often rotating into the group on the field. Junior Zavier Mincey still has not played a defensive snap since Week 2 against Kentucky.
The back end was only part of the shuffle. Alabama entered Saturday without starting cornerback Zabien Brown, who was out with a lower-body injury, and without backup Husky defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., who was suspended before the game. Then Red Morgan was ejected for targeting in the first half.
Here are Alabama’s full defensive snap counts from its Week 8 win over Texas A&M as provided to CBS Sports:
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: London Simmons (33), Kedrick Bingley-Jones (32), Isaia Faga (24), Edric Hill (20) (did not play: Steve Bolo Mboumoua, Mhari Johnson, Leslie Black) (not in uniform: Terrance Green, Jeremiah Beaman, Corey Howard, Malique Franklin)
In Other News...
Alabama Heads Into The Bye With One Big Roster Concern
Alabama walked out of College Station with a 31-20 win over Texas A&M, a result that stopped the skid and gave Kalen DeBoer a much-needed reset heading into the bye week. The victory came after two straight losses, so the mood around the program shifted quickly from frustration to a chance to regroup, evaluate where things stand and get healthier before the next stretch.
DeBoer used his postgame news conference to address all of it, from how the Tide played to how he views the roster heading into the break. The bigger point for Alabama is what comes next, with the staff hoping the bye helps bring some key players back and settles at least one lingering roster concern before the season resumes. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Had The Perfect Birthday Surprise Waiting For Kalen DeBoer
Kalen DeBoers birthday ended the same way Alabamas win over Texas A&M did, with a celebration in the locker room and a little bit of harmless chaos. After the Crimson Tide took care of business against the Aggies, safety Bray Hubbard and left tackle Jackson Lloyd got the party started with an ice bucket shower for their head coach, turning a postgame moment into a birthday surprise.
DeBoer had already given his players a simple condition for the day: celebrate however they wanted, just make sure they left with a victory. Alabama handled the first part on the field and the second part in the locker room, where the coach got his fitting reward for a birthday that doubled as another sign of how much buy-in he has from his team. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Have Sparked A Bigger Texas A&M QB Problem
Texas A&M had Alabama right where it wanted it entering the fourth quarter, but the finish turned into another reminder of how fragile the Aggies quarterback situation can be. Marcell Reed completed 14 of 21 passes for 163 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the 31-20 loss, and Alabamas late push turned a one-score game into a tougher result for a Texas A&M team that had led 20-17 heading into the final period.
Mike Elkos postgame comments only added to the pressure around the position. The coach said he did consider benching Reed during the game, but stuck with him because he still views Reed as the Aggies best option under center. For Alabama, the takeaway is simpler: when the game tightened, the Tide forced Texas A&M into the exact kind of quarterback conversation teams usually want to avoid in October. [Read more 🡒]