With a point spread of less than a field goal and a game in a stadium where Alabama lost the last time they were there (and that was with Bryce Young), I don’t think there was a single Alabama fan who felt comfortable headed into Saturday afternoon’s matchup against Texas A&M.
And why would you be comfortable? The season thus far has been anything but that.
This lack of comfort reared its ugly head for the offense throughout the first half, with an astounding five pre-snap penalties in the first-30 alone (nine throughout the game). Whether it was the crowd, a lack of communication, or a combination of both, the offense was out of synch for the majority of the day.
The biggest red flag early on that it was going to be a tough game for Alabama was the Tide’s complete lack of ability to run the ball. We knew going in that the Aggies were good against the run, but they were lights out today. Astoundingly, Alabama rushed for 23 yards total as a team throughout the game.
But for all the issues the Tide had, there were some incredibly bright spots. First things first, let’s talk about the defense. The question as to how elite this unit is was answered today, holding the Aggies to just three points in the second half and sacking Max Johnson five times.
The front seven should be renamed the boogiemen after their performance today. Everyone stepped up, from Dallas Turner, to Justin Eboigbe. For the first time in a very long time, an aura of confidence and swagger looked to hang over the defense, even in a high pressure situation defending a lead at the end of the game.
Nothing was stopping Justin Eboigbe. 😤😤
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) October 7, 2023
Jalen Milroe deserves a ton of credit today as well. While he did throw a bad interception and some of the same issues on short and intermediate accuracy persisted, he stood tall on a day where the rushing attack was completely neutralized and made some of the biggest throws of his career.
3rd and 14?
Not a problem for Jalen Milroe and Jermaine Burton on this one. pic.twitter.com/vBBPAR0thx
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 7, 2023
Jermaine Burton finally looked like the receiver Alabama thought it was getting when he transferred from Georgia last season in the biggest game of his Alabama career thus far. Burton finished with 9 catches for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Milroe finished 21/33 for 321 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception.
It was the Burton and Isaiah Bond show in the wide receiver group today, with the sophomore adding 7 receptions for 96 yards and a score.
Overall, it was an unbelievable team win for Alabama on a day where they needed contributions from everyone to win a massive game on the road. The Crimson Tide are now squarely in the driver’s seat in the SEC West.
