Texas A&M experienced losing for the first time this season. Going to Tuscaloosa and winning football games are two things that rarely go hand-in-hand and Saturday was no exception. The Crimson Tide scored twice in the final six minutes of the third quarter to overcome a 14-13 deficit and swing the momentum in their favor.

Here is an analysis of Texas A&M’s 33-14 loss at top-ranked Alabama:

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • Alabama is in a league of its own: The Aggies didn’t exactly give Alabama its best shot Saturday, but it was pretty close to it. You don’t expect to be perfect, but even if they were, the Aggies probably still wouldn’t have won the game. But we’ll never know because Alabama forced mistakes, it’s what the great teams do. Despite giving a strong effort, the Aggies still came away with a 19-point loss.
  • Offense sputtered: It all depends on how you look at it. The Aggies were held to season-lows in points (14), total yards (278) and first downs (17). They totaled 114 rushing yards and 164 passing yards, the first time this season to not reach 200 yards in each. They were the only FBS team to reach 200 yards in both categories in every game this season. The flip side of that is the Aggies nearly doubled the number of rushing yards Alabama had allowed coming into the game. The Tide had yielded a nation-low 63.8 rushing yards per game.
  • Senior LB Shaan Washington continues to play big: Washington has taken it upon himself to improve the play of Texas A&M linebackers, an area of great concern coming into the season. Washington was the Aggies’ leading tackler for the third time this season. He record a total of 11 tackles, including seven solos.
  • There’s no backfield DE Myles Garrett can’t penetrate: The junior finished with a game-high 3.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry. He turned in a season-high 7.0 tackles. In his 31-game career at Texas A&M, Garrett has a total of 43.0 tackles for loss.
  • Christian Kirk remains the top receiver in the SEC: The sophomore came into the game already leading the SEC with 40 pass receptions. He added a game-high nine catches to that total, good for 58 yards and a touchdown early in the third quarter that put the Aggies in front, 14-13. It was Kirk’s 12th touchdown catch of his short but lustrous career.

REPORT CARD

Offense: D – As already pointed out, it was the lowest point total of the season as well as the fewest total yards and first downs of any game so far. But that’s not too surprising when facing one of the nation’s top defenses. Keith Ford ran tough, leading the Aggies with 62 yards on 15 carries. And Trevor Knight made some nice passes in leading the Aggies to a 14-13 third-quarter lead. But not enough of those kinds of plays were made.

Defense: C- – At times the Aggies looked very good defensively. But when you give up a total of 451 yards, including 287 rushing, it isn’t good. Losing DB Donovan Wilson in the second quarter for targeting certainly didn’t help matters.

Special teams: C – There really wasn’t anything that stood out good or bad where special teams are concerned. The good news is that the Aggies did not allow the Tide to return a kickoff or punt for a touchdown, though Alabama did average 10.5 yards on two punt returns.

Coaching: C – A couple of third-down calls early were not very imaginative and resulted in punts. Overall, however for the most part the coaches remained aggressive in their approach.

Overall: C- – Losing never garners a very positive grade. Texas A&M looked very good at times, especially for the first two-plus quarters. But blunders opened the door for the nation’s top team to take advantage.

GAME PLAN

Noel Mazzone’s offense has been balanced all season. Saturday was no different. The Aggies carried out 38 rushing plays and 36 passing plays with five of those ending in sacks. Defensively the Aggies remained aggressive, recording three sacks and 12 tackles for loss — second-most this season.

GAME BALLS

  • WR Christian Kirk: With a game-high nine receptions, one for a touchdown, Kirk was nearly a one-man show in the Aggies’ passing attack.
  • LB Shaan Washington: The team leader in tackles (11) Washington tied for the team lead with seven solos. He was credited with a quarterback hurry and 0.5 tackles for loss.
  • RB Keith Ford: A strong game for this tough runner, Ford led the Aggies in carries (15) and yards (62).