JessN: Texas A&M wrap-up: Aggies had to have help to beat Bama and they got plenty of it

[JessN]

Texas A&M wrap-up: Aggies had to have help to beat Bama, and they got plenty of it
by Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-in-Chief

It wasn't that Texas A&M was some semi-talented journeyman team like South Carolina in 2010 or Utah in 2008 – Texas A&M was predicted by some to the SEC West's representative in Atlanta this year.

But after an injury to the Aggies' original starting quarterback, a disappointing offensive line that had used more combinations than a vault at Fort Knox, and a wide receiver corps that had looked anything but game-changing – to say nothing of back-to-back losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State – there was almost no one who would stand behind any kind of preseason wishcasting nonsense when Alabama finally touched down in College Station this week.

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• Postgame Thread

 

[dabamafan]

Spot on as usual. Thank you Jess. It also looks as though some in the secondary have developed the Ole' tackling technique.

 

[Saban4Ever]

Thanks, Jess. Spot on. We should have won by at least 4 points. It was very disappointing and frustrating in every phase. Hopefully the players and coaches will be ready for at Miss State and at Auburn. Seems the away games are tough to overcome for this team. I still think we can win the West, but I don't think Bama will beat UGA unless there is massive improvement and a return of some players who are currently injured. I guess the loss bothers me for the reasons you posted, but also because it was to a Saban assistant and to an unranked team. RTR

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

Painfully – as in PTSD – good.

 

[CrimsonPaul]

That first TA&M touchdown blew my mind. It seemed like Alabama was in a planted zone coverage with no one within 10-15 yards of the guy that caught the pass. When have you ever seen that from Alabama before?

 

[CrimsonNagus]

This is the same defensive problems that have cropped up for a few years now. Things will not change until Golding is fired, because no one is going to hire him away.

I’m done with O’Brien as well, his play calling sucks. Run on first down then go for the home run on 2nd and 3rd. Give me a break. Why he refused to run it near the goal line on 6 different plays is unexplainable and I hope Saban has a come to Jesus meeting with him. Inside the 10, I want to see nothing but runs for the rest of the year.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

That first TA&M touchdown blew my mind. It seemed like Alabama was in a planted zone coverage with no one within 10-15 yards of the guy that caught the pass. When have you ever seen that from Alabama before?

The defense looked lost a few times........ and players running into each other....... all you can do is shake your head

 

[jenk56]

The offensive line was getting beat all night, in part to the play calling being so predictable. We also did not learn how to deal with crowd noise from the Florida game as many suggested we had. Turd of a game all the way around.

 

[CoolBreeze]

Coach called it a trap game. Dead on.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

Right on. Both lines got whipped. Crowd noise lost us the Auburn game a few years ago and we NOT learned from it. Too stubborn to change? I don't know One week our D plays like gold, then bronze, then silver & etc., etc. I just expect the bronze after this. Evidently Coach thinks crowd noise can't be fixed and Golding is doing a good job. Well I am no X & O guy but as a casual fan I disagree.

Our D look lost so many times. Coach said they had busted assignments. My question is who did Golding have them practice against or did aTm install a new offensive scheme in one week? Such waste of talent on our side Waste. Waste. Waste.

Of course coaches can't make players take the opponent seriously so maybe that was it.

 

[Krymsonman]

Great assessment Jess. As usual, exactly right. A total team failure, starting with the two coordinators. Hope we can fix it.

 

[gtgilbert]

I'd put some of the sacks and pressures on Young just as much as the OL. It was obvious that the d was overloading a side for pressure, so Young needed to either adjust the protections or change the call to a hot read so he could get it out fast.

D play calling was just aweful with all the non-productive blitzes.

 

[editder]

I didn't realize Bama had gone back at the end of the game to what wasn't working earlier on defense. But it definitely explains why aTm got back in it after being stymied for the rest of the second half.

 

[bamadwain]

Very good write up as always! As always they are 4 to 5 plays in a game that can change outcome, the missed handoff to B Rob, Int on the goal line, Not running the ball inside the 5yrd line, and the kick off return, these cost us points all the way around!!!

 

[Al A Bama]

That first TA&M touchdown blew my mind. It seemed like Alabama was in a planted zone coverage with no one within 10-15 yards of the guy that caught the pass. When have you ever seen that from Alabama before?

That DB, #2, looked like he was covering an invisible monster while the Aggie TE was 10 to 15 yards away in the ZONE catching a TD. I'd rather see him get a PI covering the TE too tightly than to give him 10 to 15 yards of FREE SPACE in Kyle Field. And that Kickoff return by #6 looked similar to the Kick six in the loveliest village on the plains a few years ago. And I don't think we have any heavyweights on Kickoff returns. The Aggie TE is good and Bama's Defensive Coordinator must not have known that from studying film. Just unbelievable.

Last night was a NIGHTMARE. I only wish it could have been just a bad dream.

 

[Yblood]

Jess, either you know football or someone that does. Even I knew before the game that we would likely be weak against the run with the front of two DT's and two OLB's. Especially since we were down to the 3'rd OLB #15. I was hoping #18 Ray would have been practicing all week to play that position. Everything else that you said is spot on. I can't believe the DC has made it this far. To his support I do know we had a couple bad recruiting cycles for DL's.

 

[sanjosecrimson]

The defense looked lost a few times........ and players running into each other....... all you can do is shake your head

that play kept them alive for the ensuing FG for the win!!

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

that play kept them alive for the ensuing FG for the win!!

Yeah, it was sickening to see......... I hope that gets fixed along with everything else

 

[DrollTide]

There have been many follow-up threads regarding coordinator failings, team failings and so-on, and that is all fair grist for the mill. But Jess's title here is all you really need to know. We spotted a team 21 points, who have been preparing for this game for a long time, to the extent they already lost 2 games they should have won.

 

[SkullDuckery]

I’ve been listening to a lot of former players on podcasts about this loss. Hopefully the current players are as fed up with mediocre play as the former are.