Texas A&M had Alabama on the ropes heading into the fourth quarter in Tuscaloosa, but a key sequence late in the third quarter helped turn the entire game on its head. The Aggies were already dealing with a long third-down conversion on that drive, and then came the fourth-and-one fumble with 1:38 left in the third that set Alabama up for the score that changed everything. From there, the Tide took control and pulled away for an eleven-point win.
After the game, Mike Elko made it clear that the fourth-down play never was supposed to happen in the first place. In his postgame comments, he said there wasn’t even a call in for it.
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko on 4th down: "There was no play, the center snapped the ball."
- TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 24, 2026
That leaves plenty of room for questions about how the miscue happened, whether Mark Nabou simply got caught up in the moment or believed something had been called. Either way, it became the kind of mistake that can snowball fast, especially in a game that was already hanging in the balance.
Some fans pushed back on the decision to line up there at all, but in that spot, trying to draw the defense offsides usually makes sense. With one yard to go, it’s the sort of gamble teams take all the time. This one just went about as wrong as it possibly could have.
And that’s the part that stings for Texas A&M. You can’t know for certain how the rest of the game plays out if that snap never happens, but it’s hard to ignore how much that moment swung the momentum and opened the door for Alabama’s fourth-quarter surge.
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 🡒]