Texas A&M’s defense spent most of the night doing enough to make Alabama uncomfortable. It shut down the Tide’s running game for long stretches, kept them out of the end zone after a second early interception, and looked like it had a chance to hold things together after the Aggies’ offense stumbled on a fourth down. Then Alabama changed the picture.
Once the Tide started leaning on different offensive looks, the game tilted. Their shift in passing-game tactics started stressing Texas A&M’s man coverages, and Alabama closed strong with two fourth-quarter scores to finish off a 31-20 win.
The key sequence came after that botched fourth-down snap. Even then, Texas A&M had Alabama in third-and-long, but the Tide spread the field with five wide and got a slot receiver behind a nickel to move the chains.
On the goal line, Alabama used multiple tight ends against a three-linebacker look and sprung one wide open in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. With injuries piling up along the offensive line, the Tide kept throwing on the next possession too, mixing in play action and moving quarterback Keelon Russell around.
That gave him time, let his receivers work into mismatches and helped draw penalties.
Alabama still found a way to get to 24 points without wideout Ryan Coleman-Williams and without much help from the ground game. The Tide finished with 85 yards on 29 carries, which makes the final result even harder to square with how the first three quarters looked.
Up front, Texas A&M’s defensive line did its part. The group did a good job taking advantage of Alabama’s issues in the trenches, escaping blocks to make tackles for loss, especially when the Tide ran gap schemes and the Aggies could chase plays from behind.
In terms of keeping blockers off the linebackers, it was Texas A&M’s best showing of the season. The backers finished with 17 stops.
But the pass rush never really arrived. Russell was pressured more than rushed, and the Aggies rarely did more than nudge the pocket.
The edge play told a similar story. Marco Jones was active in the backfield, and Sam M’Pemba held his ground and shed blocks several times.
Still, Texas A&M managed only one coverage sack. Russell was moved around often, but not nearly enough to keep him from making the throws that decided the game late.
A lot of Alabama’s answers came from personnel and formation adjustments. With the Tide using 12 personnel, Texas A&M spent plenty of snaps with three linebackers on the field and generally handled the run fits well.
Ray Coney looked like the Mike linebacker against the run that the Aggies expected, while Noah Mikhail carried more of the burden on the edge as a Sam. But once the action turned to coverage, the issues showed up.
The Aggies had trouble staying with H backs in zone drops, and they also missed on the right receiver when Alabama stacked more targets to one side than Texas A&M seemed prepared for.
The secondary was strong from the hash to the boundary, especially when Texas A&M could roll a safety into the box. But when Russell was moved, or when Alabama’s formations muddied the coverage picture, the Tide hit explosive plays.
And they did it without Coleman-Williams and without a clean pocket for much of the night. Like LSU earlier this season, the game changed when Alabama decided it did not need the run game anymore, even while it was ahead.
Russell’s line reflected that late surge. Dezz Ricks intercepted him for a play that led to a field goal, but the defense also committed four penalties that handed Alabama first downs. Russell was perfect on his last seven throws, those going for 106 yards and two touchdowns, and he finished 19 of 30 with three scores.
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 🡒]