Texas A&M vs. Alabama: Postgame Grades from Aggies' Win vs. Tide

The Texas A&M Aggies have pulled off one of the year's biggest upsets, defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide by a final score of 29-24 in a game that was seen on CBS. 

Johnny Manziel and the Aggies' offense used a fourth quarter touchdown to pad their lead just enough to keep the game out of reach from AJ McCarron and the Crimson Tide.  Two passes of fifty-plus yards led to an Alabama touchdown and another trip to the red zone.  However, Deshazor Everett's interception on fourth down sealed the upset for the Aggies.

Let's take a look at the overall game grades for the Aggies following their win over the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

Quarterback

Overall Game Grade- B+

Manziel's performance was strongest in the first quarter, when he accounted for 150 total yards, and one touchdown and just one incompletion. 

The Crimson Tide were able to limit his running for much of the second half, but Manziel made the big throws when the Aggies needed them the most.  Big completions to Ryan Swope on consecutive drives and a late touchdown to Malcome Kennedy gave the Aggies a big enough lead to keep the win out of the reach of the Crimson Tide. 

Manziel also had two Heisman-like moments, both of which came on scrambles that kept plays alive long enough for him to throw both a touchdown and a third down conversion pass.  The redshirt freshman also completed 14 straight passes at one point, adding to an overall performance that led to a major upset victory and a likely Heisman push.

Running Backs

Overall Game Grade- B-

Manziel, Christine Michael and Ben Malena combined to rush for 165 yards, with Michael picking up two touchdowns. 

Manziel racked up 92 yards on the ground on 18 carries, making him the Aggies’ leading rusher for the game.  Malena added 50 yards on 14 carries, while Michael picked up 27 yards on 12 carries.  The Aggies managed to outgain the Crimson Tide, who racked up 126 total yards on the ground.

Manziel’s rushing was limited following the first quarter, as the Crimson Tide made adjustments that helped them get past the offensive line and force Manziel out of the pocket, where the next line of defense kept him from picking up any major gains.  However, the running game got enough done in the first quarter to build the Aggies’ lead, and help set-up deep passes later in the fourth quarter.

Wide Receivers

Overall Game Grade- A

Ryan Swope came up with two of the Aggies’ biggest receptions when it mattered most, and helped set-up two scoring opportunities late.

Swope finished with an outstanding total of 111 receiving yards on 11 receptions, one of which came for a touchdown following a tremendous scramble by Manziel.  Malcome Kennedy had the touchdown catch that padded the Aggies’ lead just enough to keep the game out of reach, and finished with 34 yards on three catches.

Kenric McNeal, Mike Evans and Thomas Johnson also chipped in on offense, combining for 108 receiving yards on 10 catches. 

The receivers’ ability to alter their routes following Manziel’s scrambles helped keep drives alive, and the offense convert on their first six third downs.  The offense as a whole was held in check by the Crimson Tide following the first quarter before scoring nine points in the fourth.   Swope’s 42-yard reception was the longest completion of the game for the Aggies. 

Offensive Line

Overall Game Grade- C+

The Aggies’ offensive line allowed the offense to score just enough to seal the win, but did not keep Manziel on his feet the entire game.

Manziel is difficult to protect due to his running ability and willingness to leave the pocket, but the offensive line still allowed four sacks against the Crimson Tide.  Manziel was forced to leave the pocket multiple times as he attempted to keep drives alive.

The offensive line, led by Patrick Lewis, Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Matthews, managed to give Manziel just enough time to complete deep passes to Swope and Kennedy at crucial moments in the game.  Given the talent on the Crimson Tide's defense, the Aggies’ offensive line turned in a solid performance, but did allow Manziel to take some hard hits.

Defensive Line

Overall Game Grade- A

Damontre Moore and Kirby Ennis recorded sacks for the Aggies during a defensive performance that, similar to many areas of the team, started strong before weakening in the second half and finishing with the type of performance needed to complete the upset.  Julien Obioha also had a greatly timed pass deflection for the Aggies.

The Crimson Tide were held to 126 rushing yards and one touchdown.  Led by Moore, Ennis and Spencer Nealy, the Aggies’ defensive line forced McCarron out of the pocket and into rushed throws at times.  The biggest rush given up in the game by the Aggies was for 18 yards by Eddie Lacy.

Linebackers

Overall Game Grade- B-

Sean Porter came up with the first interception of quarterback AJ McCarron this season in the first quarter.  However, the Aggies allowed eight different players to catch passes throughout the game, as McCarron threw for 309 yards.  Eddie Lacy also managed a few big rushes to help the Crimson Tide get back into the game.

Although not an exceptional performance, the Aggies’ linebackers did manage to contribute to a few three-and-outs on defense and, like the other defensive position groups, came up with key plays at key moments.

Defensive Backs

Overall Game Grade- A

Deshazor Everett came up with the game saving interception on fourth down to seal the victory for the Aggies. 

The Aggie secondary allowed deep passes from McCarron to Amari Cooper for 50 and 54 yards, including a touchdown, and another pass of 54 yards to Kenny Bell that set-up another scoring opportunity for the Crimson Tide.

However, in addition to the late interception, Steven Terrell and Dustin Harris combined on a crucial forced fumble and recovery that led to the Aggies’ late touchdown that increased the team’s lead.  McCarron’s passing is a challenge for any secondary to defend against, but the Aggies’ defensive backs had their share of misplays with the game on the line.  However, they also stepped up in the fourth quarter to not only give the ball back to the offense, but also to seal the win.

Special Teams

Overall Game Grade- C

Taylor Bertolet missed on an extra point attempt early and a 37-yard field goal late, but did manage to make a 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. 

Dustin Harris and Trey Williams did solid jobs on punt and kickoff returns, respectively, but were not exceptional.  Ryan Epperson gave the defense a chance to keep the Crimson Tide out of the end zone late, but his 41-yard third quarter punt barely made it into Alabama territory and led to an eventual field goal.

Coaching

Overall Game Grade- B-

Head coach Kevin Sumlin has now led the Aggies to their first statement win since joining the SEC, and has helped the team prove that they can handle the transition. 

However, a questionable decision to pass on first down following a Crimson Tide touchdown led to Alabama eventually getting the ball back and having one more shot at the end zone. 

The play calling by coordinators Mark Snyder and Kliff Kingsbury in the first quarter guided the Aggies to an early 20-0 lead, which turned out to be just enough to prevent another highly ranked opponent from coming back in the second half and taking a victory.