Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Alabama sweats out win
No. 1 Tide’s goal-line stand turns back Texas A&M
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jalen Milroe threw for three touchdowns in his first start, and No. 1 Alabama made a final goal-line stand to escape with a 24-20 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday in a battle of backup quarterbacks.
Playing without injured Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, the Crimson Tide (6-0, 3-0 Southeastern) needed two late stops from linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and the defense. They got them, barely, to survive four turnovers and two missed field goals.
“That was not our best football out there tonight,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “When you don’t have your quarterback out there and the second-teamer has to play, everybody’s got to play better.”
The Aggies (3-2, 1-2) were in a similar boat, albeit with a more experienced quarterback sub.
Haynes King, filling in for injured starter Max Johnson (throwing hand), drove Texas A&M 69 yards in the final 1:50 with big passes to wide receivers Evan Stewart and Moose Muhammad III.
Safety Jordan Battle appeared to end the threat with an interception in the end zone, but safety Brian Branch was flagged for pass interference.
That set up one final shot from the 2 with three seconds left, but King’s pass to Stewart fell incomplete.
Milroe passed for 111 yards and ran for 183, but he also threw an interception and lost two fumbles. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 159 yards for the Tide.
The big question is if Young will play against No. 8 Tennessee.
“Jalen did some good things but obviously a couple of turnovers,” Saban said. “He’s going to live and learn, and we’re going to live and learn with him. We’ll just see what progress Bryce makes.”
King completed 25 of 46 passes for 253 yards and two TDS with an interception while facing constant pressure. Alabama had three sacks, and Anderson was credited with eight quarterback hurries.
Ultimately, the Tide got a double measure of revenge against the Aggies and coach Jimbo Fisher. Another unranked Texas A&M team handed Alabama its lone regular-season loss last year, and then Fisher went no-holds-barred in response to Saban’s comments that the Aggies bought their top recruiting class with NIL money.
Texas A&M again hung close with Alabama, which was a 23½-point favorite.
The Aggies got within 24-20 on Randy Bond’s 46-yard field goal with 3:32 left. Texas A&M settled for the kick after twice getting flagged for false starts trying to go for it on fourth-and-long.
The defense then forced the Tide into a three-and-out, setting up one more shot for King.
■ No. 14 North Carolina State 19, Florida State 17: At Raleigh, N.C., cornerback Devan Boykin intercepted Jordan Travis’ pass in the end zone with 38 seconds left for the Wolfpack (5-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast), who held the Seminoles (4-2, 2-2) to 93 second-half yards of offense.
Christopher Dunn kicked four field goals, including a 53-yarder early in the fourth quarter and a go-ahead 27-yarder with 6:33 left, for N.C. State.
Wolfpack QB Devin Leary, the preseason league player of the year, exited late in the third quarter with an injury to his right (throwing) shoulder.
Travis, who had a 71-yard keeper that set up an FSU TD, threw interceptions on each of the Seminoles’ last two drives — one into traffic near midfield with 6½ minutes left and the other in the final minute when FSU had driven to the N.C. State 23 needing a field goal to win.
■ No. 12 Oregon 49, Arizona 22: At Tucson, Ariz., Bo Nix threw for 265 yards and ran for three TDS for the Ducks (5-1, 3-0 Pac-12), who scored TDS on seven straight drives starting midway through the first quarter. The Wildcats (3-3, 1-2) yielded 580 yards, including 306 on the ground.
Oregon, which led 28-13 at halftime, has won five straight since a season-opening loss to Georgia — scoring more than 40 points in every game. Jayden de Laura threw for 241 yards and one TD with an interception for Arizona.