Alabama streaks past Texas A&M
Cecil Hurt | Sports Editor
Alabama defensive back Marlon Humphrey, left, celebrates with Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison (15) and other teammates after an interception against Texas A&M during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
The road to the SEC championship, and perhaps the national championship as well, still runs through Tuscaloosa. Getting around that barricade in the road still requires a bigger bulldozer than anyone has brought in so far.
No. 1 Alabama won its 20th consecutive game, scoring the final 20 points of the game to take a 33-14 win over No. 6-ranked and previously undefeated Texas A&M at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The win -- Alabama's third straight over a ranked SEC opponent -- lifted UA to 8-0 on the season.
It also revealed a glimpse of character as the Crimson Tide fell behind early in the third quarter, but responded to dominate the final 25 minutes.
"We left some money on the table in the first half," Alabama coach Nick Saban said following the win. "We controlled the momentum for most of the half until they scored at the end, but we didn't score touchdowns. We kicked two field goals, missed another one and took ourselves out of field goal range with a penalty right at the end (of the half.)
"But I was proud of our players after we went down 14-13 (with 12:54 remaining in the half.) We scored on offense, scored on defense and didn't let them score again."
Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC) moved the ball steadily in the first quarter but settled for two short Griffith field goals to go up 6-0. A 5-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to O.J. Howard pushed the lead to 13-0 and the Crimson Tide seemed on its way to naming the score. Instead, the Aggies rallied, scoring on a Trevor Knight touchdown pass late in the second quarter and another on the opening drive of the second half to take a one-point lead.
"This has been a tough stretch for us," Saban said. "I'm really proud of the way the players have responded. We always tell the offense, and I said in the huddle today, that the best time to score is right after the other team scores. We did that, and then I was proud of the way the defense controlled them after that."
The Alabama touchdown to retake the lead - on a drive that was kept alive by a roughing the passer call against the Aggies - was a 4-yard pass from Hurts to Calvin Ridley. Then came Alabama's speciality - a non-offensive touchdown that put UA firmly in control. Ryan Anderson knocked the ball away from Texas A&M's Keith Ford and Jonathan Allen grabbed it for a scoop-and-score and the 10th non-offensive touchdown of the year for UA.
Hurts capped the scoring with a dazzling 37-yard run with 12:27 to play.
There was also bad news for UA despite the Crimson Tide victory. Safety Eddie Jackson, a star in the secondary and as a punt returner, suffered a fractured leg on a fourth-quarter punt return and will miss the rest of the season.
Alabama is off next Saturday and returns to action Nov. 5 at LSU.
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