Texas A&M Football: 2023 Schedule Preview – Alabama

Last year’s matchup was unexpected in many ways.

Expectations for the 2022 Texas A&M football team began to sharply decrease once they lost in week 2 to a program who has only competed at the FBS level for fewer than ten years (though their history of pulling off such upsets, of course, extends beyond that timeframe). After a brief upward jump upon beating both Miami and Arkansas, they once again fell when they were blown out by Mississippi State and lost their QB who had led them to those two previous wins in the process.

The Tide, on the other hand, were rolling. The early part of their schedule was marked by foes like Texas, ULM, and Vanderbilt, and they had coasted to a 5-0 mark despite a lazy noon game here or there. All seemed set for the Tide to hand Jimbo his comeuppance.

Until Bryce Young got hurt.

In the second half against Arkansas, Young sustained an injury. Backup Jalen Milroe—a native Texan—came in and diced the Hogs up on the ground. Worry abounded, however, during the following week, as Milroe—impressive athlete though he is—was not near the passer Young was, and freshman Ty Simpson didn’t yet seem ready for this kind of stage. It seemed more and more likely as kick drew near that Milroe would be the one facing the Aggies, and that suspicion was confirmed as game time dawned on a raucous Bryant-Denny Stadium.

This evened the playing field. Both teams were down a starter at the most important spot on the field. All of a sudden, this Texas A&M football team didn’t seem so overmatched. Who knows what could happen? All the Aggies needed were a few breaks here and there.

They got their fair share of breaks, for sure, coming in the form of a +3 turnover margin—their best mark in that arena against Alabama since the magical 2012 contest. They were able to limit Alabama through the air, holding them to only 69% of their season average on a YPA basis. Of course, a lot of that had to do with facing Milroe rather than Young, but the Aggies were still able to capitalize in a rough environment. Their own pass game showed up, though in fits and starts. Haynes King ended the night with a YPA of 5.4, good for 96% of Alabama’s average allowed, but the Ags were only successful on 32% of their passing plays (compared to a season average of 38%, which, as you might guess, was itself one of the lower marks in the SEC). In other words, the Aggies struggled with consistency through the air, but when they hit plays, they hit big ones, like this amazing catch by Evan Stewart.

Ultimately, it was pass interference that won Alabama the game. Had the Tide defensive back not held on for dear life as Donovan Green streaked past him into the end zone, the Aggies would have come down with a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. As things happened, though, precious seconds bled off the clock after the flag was thrown for that PI call, leaving the Ags with only one play left. Evan Stewart was the obvious target.

As was the story with much of the offense in 2022, the call was theoretically perfect. Had Stewart and King been on the same page, the route is un-guardable, and #1 in maroon and white grabs a touchdown as time expires to topple the top-ranked Tide for the second year in a row.

However—and this is the lesson that so many Texas A&M football fans desperately hope that Jimbo and the offensive staff have learned this offseason—this is not a game where the theory is executed perfectly. There comes a point where you are simply too demanding of perfection, and a complex timing route between your freshman receiver—as talented as he is!—and your QB who has so recently been benched and then thrust back into the starting role due to injury arrives at that point. Nerves and excitement were high. The stadium was loud. This team, as fans would once more painfully find out, just wasn’t ready. The pass sailed out of bounds, out of Evan’s reach. The crowd roared. The Aggies had lost.

There were so many ifs with this game. If only Haynes hadn’t thrown his own interception before the half, then maybe the Ags would have notched another FG, removing the necessity for a touchdown at the end. If only the game clock hadn’t ticked so far down following the PI flag, maybe the team would have had one more shot. If only the call was different.

There’s no shortage of ifs when ruminating on these games where the team came so close. I still do it for the 2018 Clemson game (and I’m probably not the only Texas A&M football fan who does!). These games live on in our memories in a nagging sort of way. I’m sure the 2021 matchup was that way for Alabama fans. It helps the sting a bit to know that such a win might have ultimately meant less in this season than it would have in a year like 2020. But in a year like the upcoming one where your sights are set higher, a confident and vengeance-minded squad—one who doesn’t fear that script A when it rolls into town—will be a big plus. With that in mind, let’s dive into the matchups and how exactly Bama might look come October 7.