Alabama’s 24-hour rule has expired, and it’s time for Crimson Tide players to move on from last weekend’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M. Still, Nick Saban is hoping his team doesn’t completely forget the disappointment felt from seeing Aggie fans storm Kyle Field following Seth Small’s game-winning kick at the end of regulation.
“I think that everybody needs to remember how they feel and not forget it because when I talk about having respect for winning, that’s what I mean,” Saban said following the game. “You wanna avoid the feeling that you have when you lose. So a lot of lessons to be learned out there tonight.”
Alabama’s upset loss to Texas A&M wasn’t brought on by one fatal flaw. Instead, the Tide suffered a death by a thousand cuts as series of dropped passes and missed assignments ultimately resulted in its first loss since 2019.
Here’s a look at seven key mistakes that ultimately doomed Alabama over the weekend.
Young’s third-and-goal INT
The play: Facing a third-and-goal from the Texas A&M 1-yard line, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young took a snap out of the shotgun before attempting to connect with tight end Jahleel Billingsley on a crossing route in the end zone. The quarterback’s pass was intercepted by Texas A&M defensive back Demani Richardson, who cut underneath the tight end on the route, positioning himself nicely to make the play.
The consequence: The interception was the only one of Alabama’s six trips to the end zone that didn’t result in points. However, it foreshadowed a frustrating night for a Tide offense that failed to finish near the end zone. Alabama came away with just six points on three trips inside Texas A&M’s 10-yard line during the game.
“I’ve just gotta do a better job, make better decisions, better reads, getting us into better plays,” Young said of his interception following the game. “That’s something that we talk about a lot. It’s inexcusable. Whenever we are in the red zone, run or pass, we can’t turn it over. That’s something I have to improve on. We wanna score touchdowns. We didn’t do that enough today, and at the end of the day, that’s my fault. That falls on me. There’s a lot of stuff I could have done differently.”
Achane’s 96-yard touchdown return
The play: After Alabama recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown to cut Texas A&M’s lead to 24-17 with 8:18 left in the third quarter, the Aggies wasted no time responding. Texas A&M’s Devon Achane fielded the ensuing kickoff at the Texas A&M 4-yard line, breaking through an opening at the 15-yard line before cutting to his left where he sprinted untouched down the sideline for a touchdown.
The consequence: Momentum seemed to be shifting in Alabama’s favor as freshman wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks blocked a punt that was recovered by junior linebacker King Mwikuta in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. However, Achane’s touchdown swung things in the other direction, extending the Aggies lead back to two possessions.
Texas A&M gained just 125 yards in the second half as Alabama’s defense recovered from a poor showing to start the game. Had it not been for the touchdown return, the Tide might have stopped the Aggies on the possession, further shifting momentum in Alabama’s favor.
Latu's dropped touchdown
The play: Down 31-27 with roughly 10 minutes remaining in the game, Alabama faced a second-and-7 from the Texas A&M 17-yard line. Taking a snap out of the shotgun, Young appeared to connect with tight end Cameron Latu for a touchdown. However, the tight end could not control the ball after being hit by Aggies defensive back Leon O’Neal Jr. at the goal line.
The consequence: Latu came so close to pulling in the ball that the CBS telecast actually called the touchdown before realizing the incompletion. While Alabama ultimately picked up a first down on the next play, the Tide ended up settling for a field goal on the drive. The four points lost from the would-be touchdown ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.
A costly collision
The play: Facing a second-and-goal from the Texas A&M 4-yard line, Young failed to connect with Billingsley as his pass hit off the tight end’s outstretched hand for an incompletion.
Billingsley was slightly thrown off his route as he briefly collided with receiver John Metchie III. The slight contact might have thrown off Billingsley’s vision just enough to result in the incompletion.
The consequence: Following the play, Young failed to find Slade Bolden on a third-down pass, setting up a field goal from Will Reichard. Similar to Latu’s drop earlier in the drive, had Billingsley been able to haul in a touchdown, it could have been the difference in the game.
Smith’s game-tying touchdown
The play: Trailing Alabama 38-31 with roughly three minutes to play, Texas A&M faced a first-and-10 from the Tide’s 25-yard line. Taking a snap out of the shotgun, Aggies quarterback Zach Calzada waited in the pocket before firing a strike to a wide-open Ainias Smith for a touchdown.
Smith faced one-on-one coverage from Alabama safety Brian Branch. The speedy receiver was able to put a move on the defender at the 15-yard line to gain the separation he needed for the score. Alabama rushed six defenders on the play but wasn’t able to reach Calzada in time to affect the throw.
The consequence: The touchdown allowed Texas A&M to tie the game with 3:00 remaining. The Aggies then stopped Alabama on its ensuing possession to set up their game-winning field goal drive.
Calzada was rolled up on by Alabama defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis and had to be tended to by trainers after the play. However, the resilient quarterback gutted through the pain, completing 2 of 3 passes for 29 yards while adding an 11-yard rush on Texas A&M’s game-winning drive.
Billingsley’s big drop
The play: With the game tied at 38 and roughly two and a half minutes remaining, Alabama faced a second-and-nine from its own 26-yard line. Young found a wide-open Billingsley over the middle at the Alabama 39-yard line, but the tight end was unable to haul in the pass.
While the throw was a bit low, Billingsley let the ball bounce off his hands and chest before it hit the ground. The drop was part of a forgettable night for the tight end who didn’t record a reception on five targets.
The consequence: Following the incompletion, Young’s third-down pass to Metchie was tipped, forcing Alabama to punt. Texas A&M then put together its game-winning drive on the following possession.
Had Billingsley caught the pass, Alabama could have gone on to produce a game-winning drive of its own. At the very least, the Tide would have likely taken enough time off the clock to prevent the Aggies from scoring while sending the game to overtime.
Another costly collision
The play: After Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner tackled Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller for a 5-yard loss, the Aggies faced a second-and-15 from their own 30-yard line with the game tied at 38 and roughly two minutes remaining.
Taking a snap out of the shotgun, Calzada dumped off a pass to Spiller for a gain of 17 yards to pick up the first down. The running back was able to get up on the play as linebacker Christian Harris ran into cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis.
The consequence: The completion allowed Texas A&M to get out of a jam and pick up a much-needed first down on its game-winning drive. Prior to the pass, Alabama defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis beat his man on the line and was charging at Calzada. Without the collision between Harris and Armour-Davis, Spiller would have likely been covered which would have allowed Mathis to record the sack or force an incompletion setting up a third-and-long.
