Alabama vs. Texas A&M score: Jermaine Burton explodes for No. 11 Tide as Nick Saban edges Jimbo Fisher

The Alabama wide receiver turned in a career day as the Crimson Tide picked up a pivotal SEC West win on the road

No. 11 Alabama took control of the SEC West by rallying for a 26-20 win over Texas A&M with a dominant second-half performance on the road in front of 108,101 fans at Kyle Field. Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe surpassed 300 yards passing for the first time in his career, repeatedly finding wide receivers Jermaine Burton and Isaiah Bond for chunk gains against an Aggies defense that relapsed into some of the issues which plagued it in a Week 2 loss at Miami.

After shining defensively in SEC wins over Auburn and Arkansas the past two weeks, the Aggies racked up six sacks against Alabama and subdued the Crimson Tide's running game. However, they had no answer for Bond and Burton, both of whom set career highs for yards receiving. Burton led the way with nine grabs for 197 yards and two touchdowns, including a pair of third-quarter scores that flipped Alabama's 17-10 halftime deficit into a 24-17 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Aggies looked ready to extend their halftime edge early in the third quarter when Bryce Anderson intercepted Milroe, but Alabama freshman safety Caleb Downs came down with an interception of his own two plays later to flip the momentum in the Tide's favor. With the help of a blocked field goal early in the fourth quarter, Alabama maintained the momentum until the Aggies scored their first points of the second half on a field goal with 2:11 remaining.

From there, Alabama recovered an onside kick and ran the clock out to hold on and improve to 5-1 (3-0 SEC). The loss dropped Texas A&M to 4-2 (2-1 SEC), leaving the Aggies in a chase pack behind the Crimson Tide that also includes LSU and Ole Miss.

Jalen Milroe's moment

The much-maligned Milroe finally got a long-awaited moment of glory after a tumultuous beginning to his redshirt sophomore season. While he'd been effective in wins over Ole Miss and Mississippi State the past two weeks, he'd certainly not been heroic after briefly losing the starting job in Week 3 against South Florida.

His performance against Texas A&M qualified as heroic, especially considering the hostile environment and adversity encountered along the way. The Aggies racked up six sacks on Milroe, while Alabama totaled just 54 yards on 18 attempts in the traditional running game with backs Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams. With the offensive line offering little help, Milroe put the game on his right arm, finding Burton for two gains over 40 yards and touchdowns of 15 and 19 yards. He also hit Bond for a 52-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

The performance marked a major step forward for the Crimson Tide's passing game against a quality opponent, but Alabama's run game and short/intermediate passing game remain works-in-progress. But Milroe's newfound chemistry with Burton and Bond should continue to pay dividends as the Alabama offense finds its way.

Alabama's pass rush fuels the win

Alabama has had one of the SEC's most ferocious pass rushes all year. The Crimson Tide entered Saturday with 17 sacks on the season, which ranked third in the conference. Even so, they took it to new heights against Texas A&M. Alabama finished with five sacks and six tackles for loss.

The pass rush all but secured the game for Saban's squad. Texas A&M got the ball down seven with 6:41 left to play, starting its drive on its own 16-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, defensive linemen Jaheim Oatis and Tim Keenan III combined to sack Aggies quarterback Max Johnson for a loss of 9 yards.

Johnson took the next snap from the shotgun, dropped back into the Aggies' end zone and immediately came under pressure. As Justin Eboigbe dragged him to the turf, Johnson tried to get rid of the ball and was called for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety. That gave Alabama a two-score, 26-17 lead with less than six minutes to play -- a lead Texas A&M was unable to overcome.

Red zone woes

After the safety left Texas A&M two possessions behind with under six minutes to go, the Aggies forced a quick three-and-out and promptly moved the football into Alabama territory. Max Johnson hit Ainias Smith for a 37-yard gain that was initially ruled a touchdown with 3:16 remaining. It appeared as though the Aggies would be trailing 26-24 with plenty of time and all three timeouts remaining, but a review showed that Smith stepped out of bounds at the 2-yard line. The Aggies then burned more than a minute of precious clock and a key timeout before settling for a field goal to make it 26-20.

The costly sequence exemplified Texas A&M's red zone struggles as the Aggies scored just one touchdown on four trips inside the Crimson Tide's 20-yard line. A&M reached the Alabama 19 on its opening possession before failing to convert a fourth-and-1. It reached Alabama's 5 on its next series and settled for a field goal. By game's end, the Aggies had been to Alabama territory nine times with just 20 points to show for it.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 6:58 pm ET · Will Backus]

Alabama ices the game in unique fashion

Facing third-and-7 from Texas A&M's 45-yard line, Alabama needed a first down to all but end Saturday's game. The Aggies were out of a timeouts. Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe dropped back to pass and immediately came under severe pressure. Milroe dumped the ball off while backtracking to running back Jase McClellan, who had to drop to one knee to catch the ball. McClellan tipped the ball in the air, with his knee still on the ground, and got into a squat before securing the ball. He then turned and ran eight yards to just get past the line to gain. If McClellan caught the ball without tipping it, he would have been down short. Alabama was able to run the clock out afterwards and finish a 26-20 win. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 6:50 pm ET · Will Backus]

Aggies bring it back within a score

Late 4Q: Alabama 26, Texas A&M 20

Texas A&M kicker Randy Bond just hit a 20-yard field goal to bring the Aggies within a touchdown with 2:11 left. A first down might end the game for Alabama, though. Texas A&M only has two timeouts left, as it used one to set the field goal up. Bond's field goal was set up by a fantastic 37-yard catch and run from Ainias Smith. It looked as if Smith scored  touchdown in real-time, but review overturned it and gave Texas A&M a goal-to-go situation. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 6:35 pm ET · Will Backus]

Alabama's defense comes through again

Alabama's defensive line is taking over this game. The Crimson Tide's defensive front has dominated the line of scrimmage all day, but they're really turning things up now. Texas A&M took over on its own 16-yard line down seven with 6:41 to play. On the Aggies' first play from scrimmage, quarterback Max Johnson was sacked for a loss of nine. Johnson took the next snap from the shotgun and dropped back inside A&M's end zone. Bama's pass rush got there almost immediately and wrapped Johnson up. As Johnson was going to the ground, he tried to get rid of the ball. However, it didn't make it past the line of scrimmage and he was called for intentional grounding. Since he threw it from an end zone, that meant a safety for Alabama, pushing the Crimson Tide's lead to 26-17. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 6:30 pm ET · Will Backus]

Texas A&M crowd trying to change game

Alabama took possession midway through the fourth quarter with a real chance to shut the door on a potential Texas A&M comeback. The Tide's possession started well, with quarterback Jalen Milroe hitting wide receiver Isaiah Bond for a 17-yard gain. Then the penalties started to mount. On second-and-8, Alabama was called for its first false start. Milroe's pass after that fell incomplete. The Tide then committed two-straight false starts, with Milroe showing visible frustration on the second one. Facing third-and-23 from its own 41, Alabama just handed the ball to Jase McClellan and brought Will Reichard out for the punt, giving the Aggies possession down 24-17 with 6:41 to play. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 6:21 pm ET · David Cobb]

Catastrophic sequence

Texas A&M appeared to turn the game's momentum with a fumble recovery by Demani Richardson deep in Alabama territory. But the Aggies went nowhere and then had a field goal attempt blocked. Initially, the Crimson Tide ran it in for a touchdown before that was called back by an illegal blind side block penalty. Still, Alabama dodged a bullet and has the football back with the lead.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 6:13 pm ET · David Cobb]

Tough breaks

A&M's drive stalls on the Alabama 45-yard line after a couple of bad breaks in the passing game for the Aggies. First, the umpire was in the way on a second-down passing attempt to Evan Stewart, who nearly collided with the zebra-striped official while trying to make the catch. Then, Max Johnson undershot an open Ainias Smith on third down after he'd broken free on a deep route. Terrion Arnold recovered to break up the pass after getting beat initially. Alabama will take over at its own 14 with a 24-17 lead.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 6:05 pm ET · David Cobb]

Secondary woes

It turns out the lackluster passing defense issue that Texas A&M put on display against Miami in Week 2 has not been entirely rectified. Playing Auburn and Arkansas the past two weeks helped the Aggies post some better numbers in that respect — and they have been excellent in generating a pass-rush and stuffing the run today — but the secondary very much remains a concern. Jermaine Burton and Isaiah Bond have accounted for 14 of Jalen Milroe's 18 completions. This game turned dramatically in Alabama's favor in the third quarter behind Milroe's dissection of the Aggies.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 6:01 pm ET · Will Backus]

Jermaine Burton feasting 

Late 3Q: Alabama 24, Texas A&M 17

At this point, wide receiver Jermaine Burton is Alabama's offense. The former Georgia transfer is absolutely dominating Texas A&M's secondary, which has yet to produce an adequate answer for him. Burton just caught he second touchdown pass of the third quarter. A couple plays before that, he made Aggies cornerback Josh DeBerry look silly on a double move for a gain of 46 yards. Burton is up to eight catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 5:54 pm ET · David Cobb]

Texas A&M punts

The 12th Man at Kyle Field wanted Jimbo Fisher to take a risk on fourth-and-1 and keep his offense on the field near its own 45-yard line. But Fisher thought wiser of that and opted to punt. The kick trickled just over the goal-line setting up Alabama at its own 20 with a chance to take the lead if it can piece together a drive here. Le'Veon Moss was stuffed on third-and-2 to set up the punt. Crucial yards are hard to find on the ground for both teams.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 5:46 pm ET · Will Backus]

Alabama capitalizes on turnover

Mid 3Q: Alabama 17, Texas A&M 17

Alabama's offense was able to turn Caleb Downs' momentum-shifting interception into points. It only took the Crimson Tide six plays to find the end zone after gaining possession. It started with a 15-yard run from Jase McClellan -- Alabama's longest rush of the day -- and ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe to Jermaine Burton. Burton is cooking Texas A&M's secondary so far with six catches for 121 yards and this latest touchdown. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 5:44 pm ET · David Cobb]

A&M finally give up a score

Max Johnson's first big mistake of the game returned the football to Alabama in favorable field position, and the Aggies' defense finally relented and gave up its first score -- a Jalen Milroe to Jermaine Burton touchdown pass -- since the 14:51 mark of the second quarter. That time, A&M struggled to get pressure on Milroe, and he eventually made them pay. Game on in College Station, where it appears a third straight classic between these SEC West rivals may be brewing.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 5:41 pm ET · Will Backus]

Downs turns the tide

It looked as if Texas A&M might be close to blowing this one open a bit. The Aggies intercepted Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, with Bryce Anderson returning the pick 15 yards to Texas A&M's 35-yard line. But just a couple plays later, Alabama freshman safety Caleb Downs jumped in front of a short pass and made a spectacular diving interception, holding on to the ball with one arm as he fell to the turf. The former five-star prospect has been phenomenal for Alabama thus far this year. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 5:33 pm ET · David Cobb]

Racking up sacks

Edgerrin Cooper's sack of Jalen Milroe marked five sacks for the Aggies, and we're still early in the third quarter. A&M's stingy defense of the past two weeks is receiving serious validation with this performance. The secondary may still have its flaws, but the front is starting to look like one of the nation's best. The vaunted Alabama offensive line continues to take some lumps.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 5:20 pm ET · Will Backus]

Alabama needs to get ground game going

Alabama has run the ball pretty well this year, aided by a very athletic quarterback in Jalen Milroe, but the Crimson Tide have been completely one-dimensional against Texas A&M. In fact, the run game is worse than ineffective -- it's been downright detrimental. Alabama has 10 carries for -13 yards. It doesn't help that Milroe was sacked four times, but running backs Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams combined for 11 total rushing yards over the first 30 minutes. They both need to be better, and Alabama's staff needs to find ways to get Milroe out of the pocket and into situations where he can use his legs more effectively. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 5:14 pm ET · David Cobb]

Complimentary football

It's a catchphrase you hear often from college football coaches: "complimentary football." Well, the Aggies are doing it against Alabama by working together in concert offensively, defensively and in special teams. Ainias Smith set up one of the touchdowns with an electric punt return as the defense helped turn momentum in Texas A&M's favor. The only real issue for the Aggies in the first half was a 2.6 yards per carry figure, but in light of Alabama's -1.3 mark in the same category, 2.6 looks pretty good.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 5:05 pm ET · Will Backus]

Aggies containing Milroe

Half: Texas A&M 17, Alabama 10

Alabama is at its best when Jalen Milroe can impact the rushing game, but Texas A&M has that scouted out. The Aggies aren't giving Milroe any room to breath and, when they bring pressure, it almost always gets home. Texas A&M just collected its sixth sack of the first half to stifle another promising Alabama drive. Bama got the ball to A&M's 37-yard line, but a false start and then the sack knocked the Tide out of scoring distance. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:58 pm ET · David Cobb]

Another big pass

Le'Veon Moss finished off Texas A&M's touchdown drive with a 1-yard run, but it was an other big passing play that set up the Aggies for their go-ahead score. Faced with a third-and-10 at the Alabama 42, Max Johnson found Moose Muhammad for 18 yards. Moss did a lot of the heavy lifting from there. Between Muhammad, Evan Stewart and Ainias Smith, the Aggies are leading this game largely because of their perimeter playmakers.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:52 pm ET · Will Backus]

Injuries mounting for Alabama

Already down its starting punter, Alabama may have lost another impact player in the second quarter. Defensive back Malachi Moore remained on the turf for a while after he got rolled up on during a Texas A&M run. Moore was unable to put any weight on his right leg when trainers helped him off the field. He went straight to Alabama's medical tent on the sideline. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:46 pm ET · Will Backus]

Alabama down its punter 

Alabama punter James Burnip exited Saturday's game with what the CBS broadcast said was a lower body injury. Burnip was spotted pointing towards his right thigh after a 63-yard punt midway through the second quarter. He went into the injury tent for a couple of minutes before heading to Alabama's locker room. Crimson Tide kicker Will Reichard is handling punting duties in Burnip's stead. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:46 pm ET · David Cobb]

Defensive rhythm?

Texas A&M's Fadil Diggs took down Jalen Milroe for a loss of seven on third-and-15 to cap a three-and-out. Nice defensive series for the Aggies, who've now forced consecutive three-and-outs after giving up consecutive scoring drives to end the first quarter. A&M's defense has been merciless the past couple of weeks and appears to be finding a rhythm here against the Crimson Tide.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:36 pm ET · Will Backus]

Penalties mounting for Alabama

Though Alabama has a lead, penalties are starting to hamper the Crimson Tide. They have two false starts thus far, with Texas A&M's crowd playing a huge factor so far, and wide receiver Jermaine Burton just got called for an unsportsmanlike penalty that caused Alabama to kick from its own end zone. Though James Burnip had a fantastic boot, Ainias Smith returned it 46 yards to Alabama's 22-yard line. Texas A&M scored on its first play on the ensuing possession, tying the game at 10. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:36 pm ET · David Cobb]

Ainias Smith sets up TD

A week after returning a punt for a touchdown against Arkansas, Ainias Smith almost struck again just now. His 46-yard return after muffing an Alabama punt set up the Aggies in excellent field goal position. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Max Johnson found brother Jake Johnson for a 22-yard touchdown. Jake was wide open, and just like that we're tied at 10-10.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:30 pm ET · David Cobb]

Stalling out

Texas A&M's drive began with promise on a 34-yard completion from Max Johnson to Ainias Smith, but it went nowhere from there — in fact it went backwards by three yards. The Aggies need to get their running game going if they are going to keep Alabama's defense honest. So far, neither team has generated much on the ground.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:24 pm ET · David Cobb]

Big passing plays 

Jalen Milroe has hit passing plays of 45, 21 and 52 yards, including that missile to Isaiah Bond. Max Johnson has connected on throws of 31 (Moose Muhammad), 32 yards (Evan Stewart) and 34 yards just now (Ainias Smith). This one may not be as wild as LSU-Ole Miss from last week, but both quarterbacks have come to play in a big way.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:22 pm ET · Will Backus]

Alabama strikes to open second quarter

Early 2Q: Alabama 10, Texas A&M 3

Well, Alabama couldn't have asked for a better start to the second quarter. Just on the edge of Texas A&M territory, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe dropped back to pass. The Aggies rushed three, meaning he had plenty of time to make his reads and, after a few seconds, he launched the ball down field. Wide receiver Isaiah Bond was running wide open. Bond adjusted to the ball in the air, caught it with his back to the end zone and practically walked in for six. That was Milroe's second pass of at least 40 yards. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:08 pm ET · Will Backus]

Alabama ties things up

Late 3Q: Alabama 3, Texas A&M 3

After a slow start, Alabama hit on a huge play to tie the game up. Quarterback Jalen Milroe found wide receiver Jermaine Burton streaking down the sideline. Burton jumped over the trailing defender and caught the ball while getting a foot down in bounds for a 45-yard gain, all the way to Texas A&M's 25. The Crimson Tide got four yards on three plays from there, but it was good enough to set kicker Will Reichard up for an easy field goal. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 4:01 pm ET · David Cobb]

Missed chances

Texas A&M has moved the football well on its two possessions in the first quarter but has just three points to show for it. They failed to score following a touchdown after a 32-yard completion from Max Johnson to Evan Stewart that set the Aggies up with a first-and-goal at the 6. A Randy Bond field goal from 22 yards got them on the board, but some lackluster red zone offense early in this game could come back to haunt them.

[Oct 7, 2023 at 3:53 pm ET · Will Backus]

Texas A&M will get another crack at it 

After its promising drive stalled, Texas A&M's defense pulled through by forcing a three-and-out. Alabama got put behind the eight ball with a false start on first-and-10, and it wasn't able to do much from there. Quarterback Jalen Milroe was sacked on third-and-8, forcing a punt. To make matters worse for the Crimson Tide, punter James Burnip shanked his kick and gave the Aggies the ball on Alabama's 44-yard line. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 3:48 pm ET · Will Backus]

Alabama defense bends, doesn't break 

Texas A&M was very close to making a statement to start this game. The Aggies' offense came out humming, with 16 total yards in their first three plays and then a 31-yard catch-and-run from wide receiver Moose Muhammad III. Texas A&M got the ball all the way to Alabama's 19-yard line before it was faced with fourth-and-1. Instead of taking the field goal and the points, Jimbo Fisher decided to roll the dice. Quarterback Max Johnson's pass attempt was batted down by Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner, turning the ball over and giving Alabama a shot at opening the scoring. 

[Oct 7, 2023 at 3:38 pm ET · David Cobb]

Setting the stage

When Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher face off, it's always entertaining. The two have exchanged verbal jabs in recent years. Fisher, who was Saban's offensive coordinator at LSU, is looking for his second win against his old boss. The past two meetings were decided by a total of seven points, and it would be no surprise if the 2023 rendition is equally as close. Kickoff on deck in College Station.