Bama Central

Live updates: No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies at No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide

No 2. Alabama unveils renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium as the Crimson Tide holds its home opener against SEC West rival Texas A&M
Christopher Walsh|
Live updates: No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies at No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide
Live updates: No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies at No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide

Things are a little different at Bryant-Denny Stadium today. 

Ok, they're a lot different. But football is football ...

Texas A&M at Alabama, Fourth Quarter

• First-team players sin the game, but Brian Robinson Jr. gets first handoff.

•  Alabama's drive runs out of steam in the red zone. Will Reichard drills the 27-yard field goal. Scoring Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:32; Alabama 45, Texas A&M 17.

• I'm guessing that's going to be it for Mac Jones: 19-26 372 yards, three TDs and one pick, 223.5 passer rating.

• Smith for 43 yards on botched coverage over the middle. Mond is closing in on 300 passing yards 

• Kellen Mond to Ainias Smith for the 14-yard score. Texas A&M was determined to throw on an Alabama linebacker. Scoring Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:49; Alabama 45, Texas A&M 24

• Mac Jones back on the field. They just showed Eli Gold on the broadcast (in the sun). Great to see Chris Stewart next to him on one side. 

• Metchie again, 63-yard touchdown. Lousy coverage. Metchie has 181 yards on the day, Mac Jones with 435. Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:52; Alabama 52, Texas A&M 24.

• Texas A&M drives in the end zone only to see Malachi Moore make the interception in the zone. Went at the freshman too much. 

• Bryce Young comes in to mop up. 

Texas A&M at Alabama, Third Quarter

• Note from Alabama: Redshirt junior Mac Jones totaled 273 yards passing in the first half of today’s matchup with Texas A&M. The 273 yards are the most in the first half of a game during his career and the 250 yards passing are the most by an Alabama quarterback since Tua Tagovailoa had 301 at Ole Miss on Sept. 28 of last season.

• Jaylen Waddle hobbled off during the first possession. He's being looked at on the sideline. Jones just missed Metchie for a big gain. Alabama punted. 

• Texas A&M drives, gets into the red zone, but again is stopped. John Wydermyer couldn't hold on to a pass that might have had Jimbo Fisher thinking about going for it on 4-and-1, but instead the Aggies have to settle for a 29-yard field goal. Scoring Drive: 12 plays, 40 yards, 4:59; Alabama 35, Texas A&M 17

• Waddle was deep on the kickoff, so apparently he's fine. 

• Waddle, 87-yard touchdown. It was second-and-22 following a penalty. Did his impression of the Road Runner. Scoring Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:39. Alabama 42, Texas A&M 17

• Mac Jones  18-for-24, 363 yards, three touchdowns. Passer rating 235. Waddle has five catches for 142 yards. Metche four catches for 118 yards. 

• The ref just got in the way as A&M used him as a screen for a completion over the middle. Dylan Moses held up or he really could have hurt him.

• Christian Harris shook up on next play while making sideline tackle. Looks like the guy landed on him, doubt it's anything much. Moody in for him. 

• Wes Anderson Jr. blows up a first-down play. Yeah, he's pretty good. 

• Texas A&M goes for it on fourth-and-8 at the Alabama 24. Tide blitzed and with no help from his receiver Mond has nowhere to go for the incompletion. Alabama ball. 

Texas A&M at Alabama, Second quarter 

• Alabama looking at third-and-10 at the Texas A&M 32 to start the quarter, up 14-7.

• Possible game-changing play to start the second quarter. Texas A&M should have been called for a false start. Instead a blitz turns into a batted ball, grabbed for a pick by DeMarvin Leal. Najee Harris saves the touchdown.

• Nicely-designed touchdown play by Texas A&M, Ryan Renick lines up at a tight end and was wide open. Scoring Drive: 1 plays, 17 yards, 0:06, Alabama 14, Texas A&M 14

• Big-time momentum change here as Alabama went three-and-out. 

• Defense steps up and the Aggies match the three-and-out. 

• Nice answer by Alabama, which takes control again with a 66-yard touchdown drive. Waddle started it with a 17-yard catch, followed by a 20-yard reception by Smith. Najee Harris finished it with a 2-yard run. Scoring Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 2:34, Alabama 21, Texas A&M 14

• Wright makes up for the missed tackle on the touchdown with a pick-six, 48 yards on the return. Think Mond was looking for Jalen Preston and didn't have enough on the throw. Alabama 28, Texas A&M 14

• Big hit by Jordan Battle not only prevents a first down, but knocks the energy out of Texas A&M drive. It ended three plays later on 4th-and-2 on the Alabama 35 when Ainias Smith dropped the pass on a crossing route.

• Alabama drives and runs the clock, plus will get the ball first in the second half. Pass-interference penalty drawn by Smith leads to his 2-yard touchdown catch with 22 seconds to go. He barely gets a foot down in-bounds. Scoring Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 0:59. Alabama 35, Texas A&M 14

• Mac Jones so far 16-for-20, 273 yards 2, TDs, 1 interception, 217.7 rating.

Texas A&M at Alabama, First Quarter

• Game captains: Miller Forristall, Alex Leatherwood and LaBryan Ray. Alabama won the toss and deferred. Will kick off. 

• Kellen Mond is 0-7 against teams ranked in the top five. 

• Same starters on the defensive line: Ray, DJ Dale and Justin Eboigbe. Christian Barmore doesn't start. 

• Will Anderson Jr. with the pressure on the first snap, but the slant is completed. Slant on second play and Jordan Battle just missed a pick. Texas A&M quickly cross midfield. Another slant, going at Moore, this time incomplete but A&M continues drive and reaches red zone. A&M is really going after the freshmen. Drive stalls at the 20. Field goal wasn't close from 37 yards, wide left. 

• That was the first field goal missed against Alabama since 2018. Opponents were 20-for-20 last season. The player down is a reserve offensive lineman for Texas A&M, Grayson Reed, but they put his leg in an air cast and get the cart. Hate to see that. 

• Another false start for Alabama. Evan Neal on the second snap.

• John Metchie III 78-yard bomb for a touchdown. Alabama went at freshman Jaylon  Jones in single coverage. Scoring Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:18. Alabama 7, Texas A&M 0

• Mond got drilled on a corner blitz by Patrick Surtain II. He's already taking a lot of hits. Safety Daniel Wright probably should have been flagged for pass interference on third down, but it was close. Drive fizzles. 

• Alabama has third-and-long. Line/running back picks up the blitz and Mac Jones hits Metchie deep again, 35 yards this time. Senior tight end Miller Forristall with a nice catch in the red zone. Tide has the ball at the 13. Sophomore defensive back Erick Young down. Looks like left arm. He heads to the locker room. 

• Najeh Harris 5-yard TD run. Alabama making it look easy so far. Scoring Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:14. Alabama 14, Texas A&M. 

• Mond is 5-for-10 for 43 yards so far. Jones is 5-for-5, 130.

• Texas A&M runs a screen pass into a blitz and Wright doesn't complete the tackle on the sideline. After tip-toeing on the sideline it's a 47-yard touchdown for Texas A&M. Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:45; Alabama 14, Texas A&M 7

• Sarkisian dials up some throws. Jones to Devonta Smith for 20, there was a wheel route that was open as well, followed by Jones to Jaylen Waddle for 23. After 7-for-7 start Jones throws one into the ground for his first incompletion. 

Pregame

Something to keep in mind today is Saban is knocking on history's door ... again: Alabama’s 35-16 win over then-No. 17 Michigan in the Vitrus Bowl on Jan. 1 was Saban’s 84th career win against AP Top 25 team, putting him two behind Joe Paterno’s 86 career wins against the AP Top 25, the most in history. Last season, Saban’s win over then-No. 24 Texas A&M moved him ahead of Florida State legend Bobby Bowden for second. Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant is fourth at 66. Saban’s winning percentage against AP ranked teams (84-42, .667) tops Bryant (.592), Bowden (.557), Steve Spurrier (.529) and Paterno (.512).

A Walk of Champions like you've never seen before:

Alabama released the following:

View from the newly-renovated press box, now located at the northeast corner of the stadium:

Alabama at Missouri Warmups

  • Defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who missed the Missouri game, will make his season debut today. Safeties coach Charles Kelly has returned to the team as well after missing the first road trip of the year.
  • Quarterbacks Mac Jones, Bryce Young, Paul Tyson and Braxton Barker have all taken to the field to warm up.
  • Joining the quarterbacks on the field are the specialists, including place kickers Will Reichard, Joseph Bulovas and punter/place kicker Ty Perine.
  • Centers and wide receivers have now joined the field. Landon Dickerson, Chris Owens, Darrian Dalcourt and Seth McLaughlin are now snapping to the quarterbacks while the wide receivers core of DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Slade Bolden, John Metchie and others are catching passes.
  • Running back Najee Harris looks excited for the game, arriving ahead of the other running backs and cracking jokes with the wide receivers.
  • Defense is now on the field and the remaining offensive linemen and running backs come out on the field.
  • Alex Leatherwood, LaBryan Ray and Miller Forristall led the team stretches.
  • Defensive back Ronald Williams Jr. is on the sidelines with the rest of the Alabama secondary sporting a sling holding up his right arm.

Game Preview

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Not only will Texas A&M at Alabama be the 2020 home opener for Alabama football, but the first game in renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama raised and spent $107 million to overhaul the facility, adding everything from a tunnel at the end of the Walk of Champions, to new video boards in each corner.

Texas A&M knows that if it wants to get to the SEC Championship Game, it has to go through the Crimson Tide.

TV: CBS (Play-by-Play: Brad Nessler, Analyst: Gary Danielson, Sideline: Jamie Erdahl)

Radio: Crimson TIde Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Eli Gold, Analyst: John Parker Wilson, Sideline: Rashad Johnson) CTSN on Sirius/XM: 105/190

Online: CBSSports.com

Weather forecast: Sunny. High of 74 degrees.

Series info: Alabama and Texas A&M will meet for the 13th time. The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 10-2, and won last year’s meeting, 47-28, on Oct. 12, in College Station. Alabama has won the last seven contests between the two schools.

All Thing Bama Podcast: Breaking Down Texas A&M with Aggies Reporter Travis Brown

Nick Saban vs. Texas A&M: He's 7-1 in his career against the Aggies, with all of the matchups occurring during his tenure at Alabama. Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher is 0-3 all-time against the Crimson Tide. Saban has yet to lose to a former assistant coach. He's 19-0 against them.

This story will be continually updated during the Texas A&M at Alabama game

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Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and is also the publisher of the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt sites. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004 and is the author of 26 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

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