Aggies vs. Alabama Notebook: Defense, WRs Gave A&M Shot in Tough Loss vs. Tide
Headed into Saturday's matchup against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, the Texas A&M Aggies faced some eerie similarities that were present prior to last year's epic upset.
The Tide was once again ranked No. 1 in the country. A&M was once again unranked. The Aggies were also coming off a loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. And as the Aggies proved on Saturday they weren't going down without a fight, everything seemed to be building up toward a perfect storm in their favor.
But it was the most important similarity - another upset win - that the Aggies were unable to add to the stack, as the Tide stopped a potential game-winning score at the goal line to beat A&M 24-20.
Let's look at a few key takeaways from player performances in the loss.
Fadil Diggs dominates
A&M defensive lineman Fadil Diggs had zero forced fumbles in his career entering Saturday. He got two of them against the Tide, strip-sacking Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe twice for fumbles in the first half that the Aggies recovered, eventually scoring two ensuing touchdowns off the takeaways.
He also had a key pressure against Milroe that forced a poor throw on third down, giving A&M the ball back down 24-17 in the fourth.
Without his disruptive impact, it’s hard to imagine A&M having kept this game close till the end.
Haynes "Near Comeback" King
King didn't exactly lead the Aggies on a near-epic comeback, but it was his journey back to the starting role and eventual performance against the Tide that deserves tons of praise.
Despite being benched in favor of Max Johnson after the upset loss to Appalachian State, King stepped up for the injured Johnson on Saturday and, despite being visibly bothered by his own injury, fought till the end.
While it was the defense that kept the Aggies in the game, it was King who capitalized on turnovers to make the game competitive after a slow start from the A&M offense.
He led the Aggies on a potential game-winning drive, showing some guts in the process. King is hardly to blame for a heartbreaking loss. He finished 25 of 46 passing for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick.
Evan Stewart shines under the bright lights
Stewart was the play-making star for the Aggies on Saturday and it’s clear that coach Jimbo Fisher felt the same. The final play call seemed to be designed as a throw toward Stewart at the goal line, but it fell incomplete.
However, it was his near-impossible catch on A&M's final drive that gave the Aggies a chance in the first place. Draped by two defenders, Stewart somehow came down with a 23-yard catch on the sidelines, fighting through in-air contact for the grab.
Earlier in the game, Stewart had another impressive contested catch that went for 43 yards, eventually setting up an A&M touchdown.
Three of his eight catches came on the final drive, as Stewart led the team with 106 receiving yards.
Moose gets loose for another big game
A week after a career-high 119 yards and a score in the loss to Mississippi State, receiver Moose Muhammad III came up big against the Tide.
He had a five-yard touchdown to open the scoring for A&M after an Alabama fumble gave the Aggies a short field.
But his best play of the game came in the third quarter on an impressive 36-yard one-handed grab that would have resulted in six had he not lost his footing. However, this was followed by a costly third-down drop by Muhammad that would have continued the drive. Instead, A&M had to settle for a field goal after getting a takeaway.
Still, he made up for it late, coming up with a crucial 12-yard catch on third down on the final drive of the game that extended A&M's hopes.
Muhammad finished with six catches for 64 yards and his fifth-career touchdown.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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