Retour
Coming off back-to-back losses the last two weeks, the Alabama Crimson Tide badly needed to get back in the win column Saturday afternoon at home against a struggling Texas A&M team.
The Aggies came to Tuscaloosa sitting at 4-3 overall (1-3 SEC) for the season, and had yet to score in double digits in either of their two SEC road games previously. Texas A&M snapped that skid Saturday afternoon though in the first half alone, entering the locker room tied with Alabama at 17-17 after the Crimson Tide struggled in a number of areas prior to halftime, even despite starting the game with two picks defensively.
Some of those same struggles carried over into the second half, but Alabama went on to turn the tide starting late in the third quarter. Alabama then owned the fourth quarter on both sides of the ball with a 14-0 edge in the game's final 15 minutes, eventually picking up a 31-20 win.
Here are some instant reactions to Alabama's win against Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon.
Still without Ryan Coleman-Williams due to injury, Alabama needed someone to step up Saturday against the Aggies at wide receiver, and Rico Scott delivered in a big way, as did Fatutoa Henry along the Tide's defensive front. Scott had a monster game by hauling in six receptions for 156 yards, while Henry also had a huge performance, finishing with four tackles and two sacks.
After a rough showing a week ago against Tennessee on third down, Alabama's offense saw some of those similar struggles Saturday against the Aggies. Alabama, whose second third down conversion did not come until the final play of the third quarter, finished the game going 5-of-12 on third downs.
While it was not pretty at times, it was overall a solid showing from the Crimson Tide defense. Alabama limited the Aggies to only 278 yards of total offense, while also limiting to Texas A&M to a combined 4-of-12 on third-and-fourth down. The Tide also forced three Aggie turnovers.
Following the win against Texas A&M, Alabama's bye week now arrives at the perfect time with the Tide dealing with a number of injuries on both sides of the ball. Alabama's next game will come in Week 10 on the road at LSU.