Alabama and Texas A&M went into halftime locked at 17-17, and the Crimson Tide have a short list of fixes if they want to close this one out in the second half.
The biggest issue has been the middle of the field. Texas A&M has been finding room there all night, and Alabama’s defense has left too much space for the Aggies to work with.
Kane Wommack will need to make changes after the break, because the RPO action Texas A&M is using is giving Alabama problems. The Crimson Tide have also been criticized for playing too soft in zone coverage, with defenders lining up five or more yards off the ball, and that approach has shown up again in this game.
Alabama has also made this much tougher on itself than it needed to be. A missed 36-yard field goal by Conor Talty stalled momentum after the Crimson Tide picked off Marcel Reed twice. On top of that, Alabama has had trouble getting Texas A&M off the field defensively, while the offense has bogged down at times in Aggies territory.
The penalties have only added to the mess. Red Morgan was ejected for targeting, while Dijon Lee Jr. has already been flagged for unnecessary roughness and pass interference. Then there was Keelon Russell’s ugly interception in Alabama territory, another costly mistake the Crimson Tide cannot afford to repeat if they want to pull this out.
If Alabama is looking for a bright spot, Rico Scott has been it. The wide receiver has been on fire with four catches for 109 yards, repeatedly beating the Texas A&M defense and giving Russell a reliable downfield target. Those explosive plays have helped the young quarterback settle in and find a rhythm.
The secondary is also being tested heavily because of who is unavailable. Zabien Brown is out with an injury, Red Morgan is gone after the targeting ejection, and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. is suspended by Alabama for violating team rules. That leaves more responsibility on Dijon Lee Jr., Carmelo O’Neal, Chuck McDonald III, Ivan Taylor and others to make plays for the Crimson Tide in the back end.
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Alabama Fans Have A Real Reason To Watch Keon Sabb Closely
Keon Sabbs role bears watching after Alabamas win over Texas A&M, when the safety did not take a defensive snap during the final four series despite showing no obvious signs of injury. With the Crimson Tide already juggling a secondary hit by injuries, a suspension and an ejection, the late-game rotation got even more interesting as sophomore Ivan Taylor and freshman Jireh Edwards both stepped in.
Edwards also replaced Sabb on the punt return unit in the second half, another small but notable wrinkle in a game where Alabama kept adjusting on the fly. The absence came at a point when the Tide were already managing their back end carefully, so whether this was simply a situational decision or something more is now part of the conversation heading into the next week. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]