Alabama Crimson Tide Wins Ugly
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - It wasn't pretty, but it was a win. The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0, 3-0 SEC) saw its 24-3 lead dwindle to only eight points by game's end as UA managed to pull out a 27-19 win over Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) in front of 101,058 screaming fans at Kyle Field in College Station on Saturday night in a Southeastern Conference Western Division contest.
The Crimson Tide didn't lead in first downs, third or fourth down conversions, passing or time of possession on Saturday night. But the boys from Bama did get the number that counted most: the higher score.
Texas A&M offensively owned the ball over five more minutes than the Tide last night as Bama was unable to shut down the Aggies to control the contest. Only a few minutes into the second half, A&M began putting together an offensive game plan that the Crimson Tide aided with penalties, out-of-position players and sometimes just plain ol good play by the Aggies that was good enough to go on a 16-3 scoring tear to come to within eight points of Bama as time expired.
The Tide offense rolled up 355 total yards, 232 of which came via the run as opposed to 308 overall for the Aggies, with just 71 on the ground but picking up 237 through the air. Both teams earned 16 first downs apiece. Alabama was 2-for-4 in fourth-down conversions while Texas A&M was 1-for-1. Third down conversions saw the Aggies leading with 4-of-14 while the Tide was 3-of-14.
Alabama junior running back Damien Harris led the Tide rushing attack with a game-high 124 yards, including a career-long 75-yard touchdown dash in the first quarter. This was the second time this season that Harris has rushed for 100+ yards, and the fifth time overall in in his career. Bama's sensational sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts carried the ball 14 times, rushing for 56 yards and one touchdown on the ground, while going 13-of-22 for 123 yards and another TD through the air.
Defensively it was junior lineman Isaiah Buggs leading the team with a career-high 10 tackles, while junior defensive back Ronnie Harrison and sophomore defensive lineman Raekwon Davis both finished with eight tackles apiece. Junior Minkah Fitzpatrick finished the contest with five tackles to accompany one interception as well as a forced fumble.
Alabama will return home to host the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, October 14th for the Crimson Tide's Homecoming game. Game time is still to be announced.
| Game Stats | UA | TAMU |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 355 | 308 |
| Pass Yards | 123 | 237 |
| Rushing Yards | 232 | 71 |
| Penalty Yards | 6-50 | 6-45 |
| 1st Downs | 16 | 16 |
| 3rd Downs | 4-14 | 3-14 |
| 4th Downs | 1-1 | 2-4 |
| TOP | 27:32 | 32:28 |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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Understatement: Saban Not Pleased With Bama Performance
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| Alabama head coach Nick Saban during Tide-Aggie contest Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - In what can only be termed an understatement, University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban was not pleased with the performance of the Crimson Tide on Saturday night in the 27-19 win over Texas A&M in College Station. Or the media.
Saban railed against the media following Saturday night's closer-than-expected contest, saying the media was feeding his team "rat poison." While he reminded everyone that 66-3 final scores in college football weren't the norm, he also pointed out that pumping so much praise into the heads of his team that the terms dominating, unstoppable and other such terms make it hard to get through to the young men that every game demands concentration and proper preparation.
Some call it, "believing their own press clippings" while others call them "trap games." Regardless of the number of players out with injuries and some playing that weren't exactly 100 percent, the Crimson Tide didn't perform to the level of which it is capable. Credit fire-in-the-gut of the Aggies and a desire to prove they could hang with the nation's number one team as catalysts for the play of A&M on Saturday.
One of the things that irks Saban is when his team can't seem to put the game away. That happened last night. With a 24-3 lead with most of the second half remaining, Bama not only didn't lock the door, but UA didn't even seem to try to close the door. Regardless, the Aggies kicked that door and surprised the Tide with a determination to defend their own house, reeling off a 16-3 run to make it a close contest.
As a perfectionist, Saban was quick to point out the deficiencies in the Tide performance and little, comparatively, on the win itself. He was displeased with Bama's first turnover of the season, a blocked punt resulting in a safety, a boat-load of penalties extending Aggie drives and botched coverages in both the running and passing defense.
Monday practice will be brutal. It will also be the chance for Alabama football to recommit itself to realizing it is a team made up of mere mortals. Outstanding athletes, yes, but mortal. Mortals are subject to mistakes. Mortals can also learn from those mistakes.
Injury-wise, Saban reported that Tony Brown suffered a sprained knee but it wasn't thought to be serious. Calvin Ridley is also not as bad as initially feared having suffered a thigh bruise. Both will quickly recover.
Alabama will host the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, October 14th at Bryant-Denny Stadium in another SEC matchup for Homecoming.
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Southeastern Conference Football Scores 10/7
There were a couple of surprises in the Southeastern Conference football world on Saturday, one of which was the problems that the Texas A&M Aggies caused the Alabama Crimson Tide in week six of the 2017 college football season. Despite winning, Bama proved itself mortal in the 27-19 victory over A&M.
Georgia manhandled Vandy, Auburn easily dispatched Ole Miss and Kentucky downed Missouri. Besides the Alabama game, the other two SEC contests that didn't go quite as expected was the loss Florida suffered to LSU considering the way the Tigers had been playing this season, as well as the way the South Carolina Gamecocks manhandled the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Here's a look at week six Southeastern Conference football scores:
Georgia manhandled Vandy, Auburn easily dispatched Ole Miss and Kentucky downed Missouri. Besides the Alabama game, the other two SEC contests that didn't go quite as expected was the loss Florida suffered to LSU considering the way the Tigers had been playing this season, as well as the way the South Carolina Gamecocks manhandled the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Here's a look at week six Southeastern Conference football scores:
1 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE 27 Texas A&M 19
5 Georgia 45 Vanderbilt 14
12 Auburn 44 Ole Miss 23
21 Florida 16 LSU 17
South Carolina 48 Arkansas 22
Kentucky 40 Missouri 34
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