Aggies Receive Harsh Reality Check Of Program Status In Loss To Alabama
COLLEGE STATION -- A harsh reality set in for Texas A&M fans as Alabama broke the huddle with six seconds remaining on a brisk early Saturday evening.
The Aggies are not Alabama.
They have talent like Alabama.
They have state-of-the-art athletic complexes like Alabama.
Heck, with renovations to Kyle Field, A&M has a case to be dubbed the loudest stadium in the conference at full capacity — even when Bryant-Denny Stadium is filled to the brim on a Tuscaloosa Saturday night.
But Alabama finds ways to avoid self-implosion. Even with questions at quarterback, unimaginative play-calling and countless miscues that kept things close in a 26-20 road win in front of the third-largest crowd ever to grace Aggieland.
A&M, a program looking to become the next "it" team that can hoist up conference titles and postseason pushes, only ran into a wall of mental mistakes, self-inflicted drive killers, and a myriad of terrible play concepts headlined by those with the power.
"It's a hurt locker room," said A&M coach Jimbo Fisher. "They felt very good how they were playing in the game. There is still a really good football team in there, so we have to regroup. We got six games left."
Maybe that's why this loss stings more compared to others against the fighting Nick Sabans in years past. Perhaps that's why sullen looks cascaded over students' faces as they marched out of the stadium and to the nearest drinking establishment in single-file fashion.
The Aggies (4-2, 2-1 SEC) are a good team. Not a great one. In a year where cannibalization among programs with forthright flaws, perhaps A&M could claim the bronze title of the best of the average.
But championship rosters take risks. They make corrections for the second half, never feel content with their progression or direction and refuse to settle for the norm.
No. 11 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC) walked into halftime down by seven and won six. Players didn't change. Play-calling and execution did.
The same can't said for A&M, though that part isn't new as of late.
"They just wanted it more," said receiver Ainias Smith. "They came out with a win. It's tough to point an exact difference...when they were down at halftime, they never backed down."
It would be one thing to be on the side of a blowout defeat. At least everyone could see a clear separation between the two schools, but that rarely seems to be the case in one of the SEC's more slept-on rivalries.
For three years now, the matchup made for early October has come down to a handful of calls and snaps. A&M took Round 1 with a 41-38 upset victory at home. Alabama returned to the favor the following year with a 24-20 win at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Ten points have separated A&M from knocking off the seven-time national champion for three straight years. And the difference falls with choices made off the field, not on them.
Both Jalen Milroe and Max Johnson coughed up an interception, but one finished with three touchdowns instead of two field goals. Both offenses were credited with 16 first downs, and a 25 percent conversion rate on third.
Alabama did more. A&M didn't. The Crimson Tide pushed their way into the red zone and walked away with six points instead of settling for three.
More than anything, Alabama made adjustments that provided opportunities for promising results. And A&M chose to play it safe more than once.
Take for instance the punt on fourth-and-1 at Alabama's 45-yard line with the score tied up at 17 apiece. Fisher said the distance was a tad out of field goal, but why not a fourth down conversion?
"If it wasn't a full yard, inside a yard, it probably would have went," said Fisher. "We didn't get it."
Texas A&M Aggies defensive linemen Fadil Diggs (No. 10) and McKinnley Jackson (No. 3) celebrate a sack against Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Well, how about down by a score and a fourth-and-6 on display? Is this the time to take the risk?
Nope, trust the defense to come up big. And it only added insult to injury when Bond missed a 45-yard kick after the defense did come in to play hero against Aggie killer Jermaine Burton.
Down by nine and driving, A&M could have pushed within two and made Saban sweat again. Smith nearly scored a touchdown but was pushed out at the two. A false start negated another score and Fisher became frustrated.
A timeout to rest could be the perfect remedy for a play design to the end zone, right? Nope. Instead kick a chipshot, burn 30 seconds and hope for a chance to get the ball back, right?
"I wanted to get it back to a one-score game," said Fisher of the call. "I didn't want to take a chance losing the game right there on fourth down."
Those who desire something must often take it. Perfect moments rarely arise, so one must find their own way to create opportunities.
Alabama did, throwing out one game plan to implement a better one. A&M never steered away from what wasn't working and continued to run what was already.
And therein lies the difference between the 18-time national champion program at A&M. It's not talent, nor has it been for years.
The Aggies hope for results while the Tide unapologetically creates them. The Aggies are the bully until universal SEC big brother Alabama shows up to put them back in their place amongst the others in their realm.
Smith said not all hope was lost for A&M in winning the West and he's not entirely wrong. Should the Aggies win out and finish 10-2, plus a bit of luck by Alabama's demise at home, there's still an outside chance to make it to Atlanta.
Of course, players have said these white lies before and they'll repeat them. In a year where Saban looked vulnerable, the Aggies missed their chance to strike.
They had it until they didn't.
How many times have A&M fans heard that phrase before?
