Texas A&M wasn’t looking for a moral victory in its game at Alabama, but the Aggies’ 24-20 defeat, which came down to the final play, was notably much closer than the betting line of 24 points.

SEC Network analyst Chris Doering came away impressed by the Texas A&M defense. During “SEC Football Final,” Doering took issue with Dari Nowkhah’s wording of Alabama turning the ball over 4 times in the game.

“I don’t like the way you phrased it right there. You said, ‘Alabama turned it over 4 times,’ Doering said to Nowkhah.

“Let’s flip it. Texas A&M’s defense took the ball away from Alabama 4 times. They forced those turnovers. They held Alabama’s offense to 7 points in the red zone on 3 trips. That’s the reason why they were even able to be in this football game. So let’s credit Texas A&M a little bit. The defensive side of the ball, to me, has been the most consistent portion of this team so far, and they gave them a chance all the way to the end.”

The Aggies defense, in its first season with DJ Durkin as coordinator, has been strong at keeping opponents from scoring, allowing 18.8 points per game. Even in Texas A&M’s 42-24 loss to Mississippi State, 2 of the Bulldogs’ touchdowns were scored on a pick-6 and a blocked field goal return.

The Aggies will be off in Week 7, returning to action on Oct. 22 against South Carolina.