Alabama wasted little time seizing control Saturday afternoon, and Dijon Lee set the tone with a defensive score that put the Crimson Tide ahead of Texas A&M 7-0.
Lee read Marcel Reed perfectly, stepped in front of the throw, and raced it back roughly 40 yards for the touchdown. It was a clean jump on the route and an even cleaner finish once he had daylight.
The pick-six was more than just an early swing in momentum. It was Alabama’s fifth interception return for a touchdown in seven games, a striking number for a defense that keeps finding ways to put points on the board.
For Lee, it marked his second pick-six of the season after he also returned an interception for a score against Mississippi State on Oct. 3.
The Crimson Tide came into the game trying to snap a two-game losing streak, and the defense gave them an immediate jolt.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, arrived in Tuscaloosa needing a statement win after a rough stretch of its own. The Aggies were 1-3 in SEC play entering Week 8, and Reed’s afternoon only got tougher.
On Texas A&M’s very next drive, he threw another interception, giving him eight picks on the year. At this point, it remains unclear whether head coach Mike Elko would consider making a quarterback change in the middle of the season.
The Aggies also carried an ugly road history into the matchup. Texas A&M had not won in Tuscaloosa since Johnny Manziel helped lead an upset in 2012.
In Other News...
Alabama Faces A Brutal Late Twist Before Texas A&M Showdown
Alabamas availability list for the matchup with Texas A&M is getting a lot of attention, and for good reason. Center Racin Delgatty, cornerback Zabien Brown and running back EJ Crowell all landed on the doubtful list, while wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams has already been ruled out. Defensive lineman Terrance Green is also unavailable, adding more uncertainty to a game that already carries plenty of weight for both sides.
Texas A&M has some encouraging news of its own heading into the trip, with wide receiver Mario Craver and defensive tackle DJ Hicks both upgraded to probable. The Aggies will be watching those late injury updates closely, because availability on both fronts could shape how the game is played at the line of scrimmage and in the passing game, especially with Alabama trying to sort through a thinning depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Gets An Opening Alabama Suddenly May Not Close
Texas A&Ms injury picture is looking a lot cleaner heading into its matchup with Alabama, with most of the players who had been listed as questionable now trending to probable. The lone exception on the Aggies report is Anto Saka, who remains questionable, but the overall direction is encouraging for a team trying to stay as close to full strength as possible in a game that figures to demand it.
Alabamas report tells a different story, with three players moving from questionable to doubtful, including running back EJ Crowell, center Racin Delgatty and cornerback Zabien Brown. Those shifts matter because availability in a game like this can swing everything from protection up front to depth in the secondary, and it gives Texas A&M a little more reason to believe the opening is real. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Sent A Message Before Its Alabama Test
Texas A&M took care of business in emphatic fashion, blanking The Citadel 41-0 for its second shutout of the season. The Aggies didnt just leave with a lopsided win, either, as the performance offered another reminder that this team has the kind of defensive backbone that can travel into a bigger stage.
Now comes the real test in Tuscaloosa against No. 13 Alabama, and the focus inside the program is on sharpening the running game and tightening the defensive approach before that trip. Mike Elko has also shifted defensive play-calling duties to first-year coordinator Lyle Hemphill, a move that gives the head coach more room to oversee the bigger picture as Texas A&M prepares for one of its most important games of the season. [Read more 🡒]