TUSCALOOSA, ALA. -- With the exception of 2012, Bryant-Denny Stadium has been a house of horrors for Texas A&M -- largely of their own design. In 2016 and 2018, the Aggies were very much in the game, before self-inflicted wounds put the game out of reach. So it was Saturday, as the No. 13 Aggies helped No. 2 Alabama considerably in the Crimson Tide's 52-24 win.
Nothing summed up the day better than a 4th and 2 play from Alabama's 35-yard-line with just under two minutes to go in the first half and A&M down 28-14. Quarterback Kellen Mond (25-44, 318 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) found the team's top weapon for the day, RB Ainias Smith (5 carries, 29 yards; 6 catches, 123 yards, 2 TD) wide open on a shallow cross over the middle. Smith would have had the first down and more -- much more. The Aggies (1-1, 1-1 SEC) seemed like they were going to be back in the game.
Smith dropped the pass.
And, as they have each time the past three trips to Tuscaloosa, the Tide (2-0, 2-0 SEC) pounced on an A&M mistake. Quarterback Mac Jones, in the midst of a splendid day (20-27, 435 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT), moved Alabama swiftly down the field and threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to wideout DeVonta Smith with 22 seconds left in the half. A possible 14-point swing, and a competitive game, was suddenly a 35-14 battering.
:You get that there, and it’s a one-score game or at least 11. And then they go down and make it a three-score game," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "We’ve just got to take advantage of opportunities."
Alabama had no such problem. After the Aggies took the opening kickoff and drove 55 yards in a 11 plays before stalling out at the Alabama 20. Kicker Seth Small promptly shanked a 37-yard field goal attempt, the first major mistake of the day. Three plays later, Jones hit wideout John Metchie (5 catches, 181 yards, 2 TD) for a 76-yard touchdown pass where A&M's safeties failed to provide help, leaving freshman corner Jaylon Jones all alone.
After an A&M punt, Alabama struck again. Running back Najee Harris (12 carries, 43 yards, 2 TD) had his longest run of the game, a 6-yard burst to cap a 7-play, 66 yard drive. It was 14-0 and it looked like the rout was on.
Then the Aggies fought back.
Mond moved A&M to the Alabama 47 in five plays, then hit Smith on a wheel route out of the backfield. The sophomore avoided the effort of safety Daniel Wright to push him out of bounds and tight-roped down the sideline to the end zone.
The Aggies forced a big turnover, with defensive end Tyree Johnson tipping a pass from Jones into the air and the hands of DeMarvin Leal, who sprinted 43-yards to the Alabama 17. One play later, Mond found a wide open Ryan Renick, and the walk-on tight end from Iola had the first touchdown of his career and the game was tied.
Instead of feeling confident, however, most Aggies were apparently surprised to be in the game.
"I think guys were shocked we were right there, and there’s no reason to think like that," senior linebacker Buddy Johnson (team-high 8 tackles).
Alabama would strike back two drives later, with Harris ending a 66-yard drive with a 2-yard plunge. On A&M's next possession, Mond made his biggest mistake of the day. On a 3rd and 13 from the A&M 35, He threw an out route as he was hit to wideout Jalen Preston, but Wright jumped in front of the Aggie receiver and took it back 35 yards to put Alabama up 28-14.
"That was a big play. It was big on my part," Mond said afterward.
Fisher said that play, Smith's drop and other critical mistakes, pushed momentum to Alabama.
"We had the opportunity to match scores. We had the big opportunity … (then) we had the corner route," he said.
The Aggies forced a three and out from Alabama to start the second half, then marched 12 plays to set up a 29-yard field goal from Small. But when A&M got 3, Alabama got 7. It looked like momentum had shifted back to the Aggies with Alabama pinned back at their 13 and facing a 3rd and 22, but Jones struck deep again. Wideout Jaylen Waddle (5 catches, 142 yards, 1 TD) shot between safety Demani Richardson and nickel Devin Morris and was hit by Jones in stride for an 87-yard score to break A&M's back.
The Aggies would come back and score again, with Mond hitting Smith for a 14-yard touchdown, but Jones wasn't done. He hit Metchie for a 63-yard score, where corner Myles Jones played the coverage like he expected safety help that never came.
"They did a great job of hitting big plays," Fisher said. "We had some opportunities. I’m disappointed that we didn’t [take advantage]."
