Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) left Kyle Field on Saturday with a 26-20 loss to No. 11 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC). The Maroon and White also left with more questions, than answers, about this team’s weaknesses.
To be fair, it was a tale of two halves as the Aggies squandered a 17-10 lead at halftime. The Crimson Tide won the final two quarters, outscoring A&M 16-3 as they ground the Aggies offense to a halt. The battle of the trenches was surely at the forefront of this matchup, and the Maroon Goons had a long afternoon.
That reality contrasted with the encouraging play from Texas A&M’s defense, namely, the defensive line. The Aggies’ front seven generated pressure on all sides against Jalen Milroe, totaling six combined sacks on the afternoon. In reality, the Aggies couldn’t afford to not bring pressure, given how leaky their secondary was. A&M allowed 321 yards through the air, and in particular, it was a rough outing for cornerback Josh DeBerry.
The inability to play a complete game on both sides of the ball was just one of the many takeaways to come out of the loss. The learning curve of this offense line, as well as the questionable game management decisions from Jimbo Fisher, also come to mind.
Here are five takeaways from Texas A&M’s 26-20 loss to Alabama, which handed the Aggies their first loss of SEC play.