Fighting through ineffective attack and a poorly performing special team unit, Alabama No. 1 narrowly topped Texas A&M Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to keep its perfect season alive and avenge last year’s road loss to the Aggies. Alabama led 24-20 late in the fourth quarter, defending at the goal line in the final seconds of the game as Texas A&M Heinz King’s pass fell from the incomplete 2-yard line as the clock ticked off.
King, who replaced injured QB Max Johnson, led the match to the final whistle by leading Texas A&M on a furious 10-game run over 69 yards. However, Alabama’s defense held out in the last play as the tides survived their biggest fear of the season so far.
Bama running back Jammer Gibbs was the star of the show collecting 167 yards in aggregate for the team that struggled offensively behind QB Jalen Millroe. Millro completed 12 of 19 passes for 111 yards with two interceptions and fumbles; Both fumbles led directly to the landing of Texas A&M. However, Milroe also ran for 83 main yards in 17 carry-on and threw three touchdowns to help catalyze Bama’s attack at the crucial moments.
King ran for his life so much of the game as the Seven Tide Front was relentless. He was sacked three times, and raced 14 times with Alabama quarterback Will Anderson Jr., CBS Sports MVP of the Season, being under eight of those pressures. King eventually completed only 25 of 46 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and a pick.
This kind of defensive performance off the tide was essential given how sloppy they are with football. In addition to Milroe’s errors, RB Jase McClellan also lost confusion. In total, the ball hit the ground three times resulted in 17 points for the team. Combined with an uneven performance from Bama kicker Will Richard—who scored a 50-yard field goal just before halftime but wasted from 47 yards late in the third quarter and 35 yards midway through the fourth—the tide kept the Team Aggies in the game until the bitter end.
CBS Sports will update this breaking news story soon.
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