Another Texas A&M blowout loss in Alabama was enlightening in its gloom.
The Aggies 52-24 defeat was at most disappointing. But at least it was educational. Here’s a look at what we learned, loved and loathed in Tuscaloosa:
A&M still isn’t close to being championship caliber: That fact was made painfully clear by halftime. A&M continues to allow big plays. The Aggies continue to make big mistakes. They continue to squander opportunities. Few, if anyone, would have expected A&M to beat Alabama, especially in Tuscaloosa. But a true championship contender should’ve been more competitive.
The pass defense is vulnerable: Alabama quarterback Mac Jones averaged a whopping 16.1-yards per completion. By comparison, A&M’s Kellen Mond averaged 7.2 yards. Jones threw for 435 yards. That included touchdowns that covered 78, 87, 63 and 2 yards. The secondary struggled but didn’t get much help from the pass rush. A&M managed just one sack. Jones typically was unhurried in the pocket.
Ainias Smith should be playing receiver: Although he did have a big drop just before the half, Smith caught six passes for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. Smith has done a good job as a running back carrying the football and catching out of the backfield. But it seems A&M would be better served with Smith and running back Isaiah Spiller on the field all the time.
Ainias Smith’s balance: Smith’s first touchdown was a 47-yard thing of beauty. He caught the football about the Alabama 44 and sped down the sideline. Alabama safety Daniel Wright tried to push him out of bounds at the 23-yard line, but Smith somehow was able to tight-rope the sideline for the score.
The run defense: The Aggies defensive front held up against perhaps the country’s best offensive line and running back Najee Harris. Alabama managed just 109 rushing yards and most of those came in the fourth quarter when the outcome was decided. A&M didn’t allow a run longer than six yards until the final quarter.
Haynes King: Yes, A&M’s freshman quarterback was facing an Alabama defense that was playing soft in the fourth quarter. Still, King ran effectively when he replaced Mond. He led A&M with 43 rushing yards. His debut ended with an interception in the end zone that was a 50-50 ball.
Passes to the pylon: Twice against Vanderbilt, A&M tried to score via lob passes to Ainias Smith at the left pylon. Both failed. The Aggies reached the Alabama 20-yard line on its first series. The drive stalled there. A&M failed to convert similar passes to Chase Lane and Jalen Preston on second and third downs. Which leads to …
Missed opportunities: Not only did A&M miss a chance for a touchdown, but its opening drive ended with Seth Small missing a 37-yard field goal. A&M also missed a scoring opportunity when Ainias Smith dropped a pass fourth-and-2 late in the first half. Early in the third quarter, Jalen Wydermyer could not hold on to a third-down pass inside the Alabama 5-yard line. A&M had to settle for a field goal.
The inability to stretch the defense: As mentioned earlier, Mond averaged 7.2 yards per completion. His longest completion was 47 yards to Ainias Smith, but the throw itself was only three yards. Smith did the rest after the catch. Mond’s longest throw was 18 yards.
