After several weeks of turmoil, Alabama found its footing and once again came alive in the fourth quarter to win a key game.
By: Dave in Tuscaloosa
After two straight losses, and facing a possible disastrous third in a row, the Crimson Tide rallied with a monster 4th quarter to overcome a 20-17 deficit by scoring 14 straight points in the last stanza to top a feisty Texas A&M squad 31-20. The win propelled Bama back into the top 10 and kept its SEC title game and College Football Playoff hopes alive. Keelon Russell showed flashes late to lead the Tide with 311 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Russell came up big, hitting key 4th-quarter touchdown passes to tight ends Marshall Pritchett and Kaleb Edwards. With Ryan-Coleman Williams missing his second straight game, receiver Rico Scott stepped up big time, hauling in 6 passes for 156 yards. It was a much needed win that not only put the season back on track, but it also calmed a fanbase that was on the verge of, once again, turning on head coach Kalen DeBoer and coordinators Kane Wommack and Ryan Grubb. He was on the receiving end of the play of the game for Bama. On the last play of the third quarter, with the Tide facing a 3rd and 8 on the A&M 43, Russell hit Scott for 38 yards to the Aggie 5-yard line for a fresh set of downs. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Russell hit Pritchett for a touchdown in the back of the end zone to give the Tide the lead for good, 24-20. Russell would later hit Edwards for another short TD from 8 yards out to give Bama the final 31-20 margin.
The game provided Tide fans with a roller coaster of emotions on Saturday. The Bama defense got off to a torrid start, picking off two of Aggie quarterback Marcell Reed’s first three passes, including a nice pick-six from talented but inconsistent sophomore corner Dijon Lee that gave the Tide an early 7-0 lead. But the offense stalled for much of the first three quarters, and as the Aggies slowly built momentum, the shocked Bryant-Denny faithful braced itself for a possible third straight loss, one that very well could have eliminated the Tide from playoff consideration. However, even though it was a mixed bag for the Tide offense, they would do enough to stay in the game and eventually take it over in the 4th. The offense would end the day with 379 total yards, yet the running game, minus freshman back EJ Crowell, center Racin Delgatty, and losing left guard William Sanders during the second quarter, struggled for a third straight game and gained a mere 68 yards on the ground. Despite throwing a bad second quarter interception, Russell played well and essentially carried the offense, especially late. Meanwhile, Texas A&M’s much maligned quarterback Marcell Reed and the Aggie offense looked sharp early, taking advantage of some timely Bama penalties to control the game throughout the first three quarters. However, the Tide defense did just enough to keep the game within three points throughout and allowed time for the Tide offense to eventually get in stride.
Rumor had it that after the Tide’s 26-10 dud against Tennessee, the team entered Saturday’s tussle angry and focused, and the first few minutes showed this to be true on the defensive side of the football. Bama got the opening kickoff and, after picking up one first down, punted to the Aggies. On A&M’s fourth play from scrimmage, Lee stepped in front of a Reed pass and brought it to the house from 39 yards out to start the scoring. On TAM’s next play, backup corner Chuck McDonald III picked off a tipped Reed pass, and Bama was on the verge of breaking the game open early. The Aggie defense stepped up and forced the Tide into a 36-yard field goal attempt. Bama kicker Connor Talty entered the contest hitting all 10 of his previous attempts, yet the senior struggled on Saturday as he missed his first attempt on the day. The Aggies responded with an impressive 10-play, 80-yard drive, and when Reed found wideout Mario Carver from 9 yards out in the endzone, the Aggies had weathered the early storm to even the score at 7 at the 3:36 mark of the opening quarter. Bama struggled with penalties all afternoon (7 for 67 yards), and on the Aggie scoring drive, the Tide defense had the Aggies stopped, but Lee, who has struggled with holding calls all season long, bailed out the A&M offense when he was flagged for grabbing too much jersey on a 3rd and 10 early in the drive.
Bama responded with a nice drive of their own but stalled on the A&M 29. Talty hit from 47 yards out to give the Tide a 10-7 lead as the first quarter ended. Reed and the Aggie offense answered with another impressive drive, as this one covered 75 yards in 11 plays. Reed scored on a keeper around left end to give the Aggies a 14-10 lead with 10:14 left in the half. The Bama offense eased the growing tension in the stadium by answering with a scoring drive of their own. Russell hit Scott on a 48-yard completion to highlight an 8-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a nifty pass to tailback Daniel Hill in the endzone from 3 yards out as Alabama regained the lead, 17-14. The Bama defense finally forced a three-and-out on A&M’s next possession, and when Bama took over at their own 17 with 3:35 remaining in the half, a scoring drive would have added to the tenuous momentum shift that was occurring. Instead, Russell escaped a sure sack but threw an ill-advised pass that was picked off by Former Tide corner Dez Ricks at the Bama 29. The Tide defense stiffened again and forced the Aggies to kick a 32-yard field goal that tied the score at halftime. On the first play of the drive, corner Red Morgan went on a corner blitz and was called for targeting, thinning out an already thin secondary.
The second half started well for the Aggies as they finished off a 13-play, 68- yard drive that resulted in A&M kicker David Olano’s second field goal of the day, this time from 32 yards out to give the Aggies a 20-17 at the 8:38 mark of the third quarter. The drive was aided by yet another Bama penalty on third down (lining up in the neutral zone) that gave Reed and the Aggies new life. On the ensuing possession, Alabama drove the ball to the A&M 24 before stalling. Talty would miss his second field goal of the day, this time from 42 yards out. Texas A&M had the chance to gain further momentum and open a larger lead, yet on a fourth and one from their own 44, Aggie skipper Mike Elko rolled the dice and went for a first down. The play was disastrous for A&M, as Reed never secured the snap under center and fumbled the opportunity for a first down away. Bama took over, and Russell and Scott made the play of the game that may have saved the Tide’s season. On the last play of the third quarter, with the Tide facing a 3rd and 9 on the A&M 43, Russell hit Scott for 38 yards to the Aggie 5-yard line for a fresh set of downs. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Russell hit Pritchett for a touchdown in the back of the endzone to give the Tide the lead for good, 24-20. The Tide defense shut out the Aggies in the fourth quarter, and Russell would later hit Edwards for another short TD from 8 yards out to give Bama the final 31-20 margin and a gutsy win over a good Aggies squad that will cause problems for SEC teams down the line.
Alabama enters the off week at the perfect time, and DeBoer has stated that the extra week will allow for the injured to hopefully heal enough to play when the Tide returns to action on November 7th in Death Valley against 13th-ranked LSU. After a mid-season bump that saw the Tigers lose two games they should have won, Lane Kiffin has his team playing solid ball, especially at home where they are unbeaten and have outscored opponents by 165 points so far this season. The game will essentially be the season for both squads, as they both sit 6-2 overall. Alabama is 4-2 in the conference while LSU is 3-2. An evening kickoff is anticipated.
