Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics
After Math: Alabama
Oct 19, 2015 | Football
Each Monday, 12th Man Productions' Will Johnson goes inside the numbers of the last game with "After Math".
Aggie legend Dat Nguyen stepped into 12th Man Studios in the South end zone of Kyle Field Saturday morning to tape a pregame segment.
He was asked for one of his keys to A&M's Top-10 matchup with Alabama that was a few hours from starting.
He immediately mentioned the team who could find different ways to score would take a step towards victory. Could they make it happen on special teams or defense, and not just march downfield offensively?
After his playing days, Nguyen coached with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas A&M. He knows a thing or two. He certainly did on this day.
The Aggies did get creative with one score. Christian Kirk took a punt back 68 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
However, Alabama found ways to score without their offense as well.
Three times.
That's the short story of Saturday. The Crimson Tide intercepted three Kyle Allen passes, taking all of them back for touchdowns. Bama, for the game, had 4 interceptions and an unheard-of 207 return yards from them.
When looking for the keys to the Tide win, one doesn't need any more than that. When you get three pick-sixes in a game, you're going to win. When you issue them, it's not going to be your day.
"With one pick-six your odds of winning go down to 10-15 percent," lamented Head Coach Kevin Sumlin. "Three…to call it an outlier is something else."
He was pleased with this team's effort and physicality, but ended with, "turnovers killed us".
While the opportunistic Alabama defense provided the short version of it all, much more transpired. There were multiple chapters to this game.
Last year, the Crimson Tide jumped out to an early lead on A&M, then with little resistance rolled to 59-0 win. Midway through the second quarter this time, the Aggies trailed 28-6. They brought the fight to the Tide for the remainder.
The Aggies got back into the game, with a forceful intensity that looked very SEC-like.
Tide running back Derrick Henry had no trouble in the first quarter, notching 17 yards per carry. The rest of the contest he averaged 3.6.
And, in a rarity, he started to take blows, not dish them out.
The Aggie defensive front got stronger as the game went on. Myles Garrett put up another stellar defensive stat line and these defenders started to swarm to the ball.
But two in particular stood out. Safeties Armani Watts and Justin Evans both had 10 tackles, leading all defenders that played. They didn't just tackle, they punished ball carriers, including Henry on several rushes.
"You walk off the field and see players shaking hands. There was a mutual respect," stated Sumlin. "I saw Derrick Henry come up to Justin Evans and said 'Man, wherever I was, you were there'."
On this day, however, a streak ended. Texas A&M had won 19 consecutive games when registering five or more tackles for lost yardage. The Aggies got 15 Saturday, but fell. Alabama was allowing 6.5 TFLs per game. Kevin Sumlin is now 24-3 at A&M when the Ags get a least five TFLs.
What does it all add up to?
Numbers don't really do this game justice. Nor does the final score.
When one team throws three pick-sixes, it's not hard to figure out the other team won.
But in quarters two through four, the Aggies may have been more 'SEC' than at any other time as a conference member.
The defense battered Alabama, and even on a day in which it struggled, the offense found room, and yards.
Alabama is as good as an opponent gets. For somewhere in the range of 40 minutes, the Aggies were every bit as good.
In some aspects, A&M took on a 'Bama team that's hardest to beat. Since 2012, when these two became SEC West mates, the Crimson Tide do not lose with their backs against the wall. If they have a loss in the regular season, you don't want to play them.
Since '12, after a loss, Alabama is now a combined 13-0 for the remainder of the regular season.
The Aggies were doomed by the Tide's INT returns on Saturday. The rest of the story, the longer version, can propel A&M the rest of way.
It never feels right to say a team gained something in a loss. But the Aggies did get some quality answers in regards to where they stand in the SEC West after Saturday. Some positive answers.
As for where they sit in the standings: comfortably in second place. LSU is in first without a loss. A&M, Alabama and Ole Miss are right behind them with one defeat each. The Aggies are at Ole Miss this weekend, and go to LSU to close the regular season.
Opportunities are in abundance.
A&M played brilliant, spirited football for 40 minutes on Saturday, and gave college football's top program serious problems in that span.
For the rest of the season, 40 minutes won't quite cut it.
They'll need 20 more each time out to claim a championship.
Players Mentioned
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