By the Numbers: Alabama 24, Texas A&M 20

Here’s a statistical look, by the numbers, at the Aggies’ 24-20 loss to No. 1 Alabama Saturday in Tuscaloosa...

+3 - Turnover margin for A&M on Saturday, one week after going -3 in that department in a loss at Mississippi State. The Aggies turned the ball over just one time in the game: A Haynes King interception in the final minute of the first half, which led to an Alabama field goal. The Crimson Tide committed four turnovers: One interception by A&M safety Jardin Gilbert (who has both of A&M’s interceptions in 2022) and three fumbles that were all recovered by A&M (two of which were forced by defensive end Fadil Diggs). The Aggies scored both of their touchdowns and 17 of their 20 points immediately following Tide turnovers.

#3 - A&M’s national ranking in opponent red zone scoring percentage. The Aggies held Alabama to just seven points in three red zone trips on Saturday, forcing two missed field goals. On the season, A&M has allowed 11 scores in 18 opponent red zone trips, ranking third nationally at 61.1 percent. A&M is ninth in opponent red zone touchdown percentage (38.9%).

4 - Sacks in the game by the A&M defense. That represents 40 percent of the Aggies’ total sacks on the season, as D.J. Durkin’s crew entered Saturday’s contest with just six sacks on the season through the first five games. Individually, defensive end Fadil Diggs produced two of A&M’s four sacks, both strip-sacks on Alabama QB Jalen Milroe that were each recovered by the Aggies (Edgerrin Cooper and Jaylon Jones). On top of his first two sacks of the 2022 season and his two forced fumbles, Diggs had six tackles, three tackles-for-loss and another QB hurry in the game.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Evan Stewart finished with 106 yards on eight receptions vs. Alabama.

4 - Passes of 20+ yards for the A&M offense on Saturday. Haynes King connected on throws of 23 yards (to Evan Stewart), 25 yards (to Chase Lane), 36 yards (to Moose Muhammad) and 43 yards (to Stewart). Interestingly, all four of those plays came on first down. The Aggies have completed just four passes of 40+ yards this season, and three of those have come from Haynes King.

#4 - Devon Achane’s national ranking in kick return average. This season, Achane has nine returns for an average of 31.89 yards per return and one touchdown. That’s currently tops in the SEC.

#5 - A&M’s national ranking in fumble recoveries on defense. With three recoveries on Saturday, A&M now has seven on the season. That’s second in the SEC, behind only LSU (8).

6 - Plays of 20+ yards for Alabama in the game. The Crimson Tide had four runs of 20+ yards (25 yards, 28 yards and 37 yards by Jahmyr Gibbs and 33 yards by Jalen Milroe) and two passes of 20+ yards (a 29-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Corey Brooks and a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Burton). The Aggies came into Saturday having allowed just 15 total plays over 20 yards in 2022, and still rank 28th nationally with 21 plays allowed of 20+ yards this season. Additionally, three of the seven plays of 30+ yards allowed by Durkin’s defense came in Saturday’s loss to Alabama.

#6 - National ranking individually for Devon Achane in all-purpose yards. Achane averages 152 all-purpose yards per game (rushing, receiving, returning) through six games. That’s third among all Power 5 players, trailing only Pittsburgh’s Israel Abanikanda (186.2 YPG) and Illinois’ Chase Brown (152 YPG).

8 - Forced fumbles on the season for the Aggie defense. Far and away the highest-ranked category for A&M on defense thus far in 2022, the Aggies are currently fifth nationally in forced fumbles after jarring loose three footballs in Tuscaloosa. That’s tied with LSU for second in the SEC, trailing only Arkansas (9) in that category. A&M had just 10 forced fumbles in the previous two seasons combined. The last time the Aggies had more than eight forced fumbles in one season was 2018 when they forced 11 fumbles in Jimbo Fisher and Mike Elko’s first season in College Station.

9 - Offensive categories in which A&M ranks 94th or worse nationally. The Aggies rank 109th in total offense and scoring offense, 105th in first downs and third-down conversions, 102nd in red zone touchdown percentage, 100th in rushing offense and sacks allowed, 99th in passing offense and 94th in tackles for loss allowed.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

A&M was 4-for-5 in the red zone on Saturday night and came just two yards away from a perfect 5-for-5 and an upset victory.

+13 - Point differential in favor of A&M in the red zone. The Aggies scored two touchdowns and came away with two field goals once they crossed the Tide 20-yard line, scoring 20 points in five trips into the red zone. The only time they did not score in the red zone was the last drive of the game when time expired immediately following a first-and-goal opportunity at the 2. Alabama scored just seven points in the red zone, going 1-of-3 and also missing two field goals after crossing the A&M 20.

20 - Touches for Devon Achane on Saturday. This is the fourth consecutive game in which Achane has had 20+ touches. Achane ran it 16 times for 62 yards, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. He also had four catches for five yards and added 13 yards on one kickoff return.

22.9 - “Havoc Rate” for the A&M defense in the game. Havoc Rate is an advanced metric from longtime stat man Bill Connelly that is determined by calculating the total number of tackles-for-loss, passes defended (including interceptions) and forced fumbles divided by the total number of plays. The Aggies had one interception, three forced fumbles, two pass breakups and 10 TFL (4 sacks/6 run TFL) vs. Alabama. That’s 16 “Havoc Points” divided by 70 defensive snaps for a game rating of 22.9, meaning that the Aggies created havoc on exactly 22.9 percent of the Crimson Tide’s offensive snaps. The 16 Havoc Points at Alabama represent 24.6 percent of the Ags’ Havoc Points this season (16-of-65 through six games). On the season, A&M’s Havoc Rate is 15.3 (65 havoc plays/424 total plays). Last season, the Ags had a Havoc Rate of 17.8. It was 19.1 in 2020 and 18.6 in 2019. A&M ranked fifth in the nation in 2018 with a Havoc Rate of 20.4.

29.4% - Third down percentage for the Aggies on Saturday. A&M went 5-of-17 on third down against the Crimson Tide defense ... one week after going just 2-of-9 (22.2%) in that department a week ago in Starkville. The Ags rank 105th nationally on third down, converting at just a 33.8 percent clip. That ranks 12th in the SEC, ahead of only Vanderbilt (33.3%) and Auburn (32.9%).

40+ - Distance of each of Randy Bond’s two made field goals in Tuscaloosa. The sophomore was 2-of-2 in the game, connecting on field goals of 41 and 46 yards, the latter of which came with 3:32 remaining in the game and pulled the A&M deficit to four points. Bond has made five of his seven field goal attempts (5-of-6 inside 50 yards) since relieving Caden Davis following the Week Two loss to Appalachian State.

#60 - A&M’s national ranking in total defense. The Aggies, under the direction of D.J. Durkin, allow an average of 365.3 total yards per game. A&M ranked ninth and 14th in total defense the previous two seasons.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Chris Marshall has 11 receptions for 108 yards through the first five games of his career.

86% - Percentage of receiving yards for the Aggies produced by freshman and sophomore pass catchers. Freshmen Evan Stewart (8 catches, 106 yards), Chris Marshall (3 catches, 40 yards) and Donovan Green (2 catches, 8 yards, 1 TD) and sophomore Moose Muhammad (6 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD) combined for 19 receptions out of A&M’s 25 completed passes (76%) for 218 yards out of a total of 253 passing yards on the night for the Aggies, including both touchdown catches. A major youth movement is happening at wide receiver and tight end, and A&M is finding answers in the absence of injured senior Ainias Smith.

#115 - A&M’s national ranking in run defense in 2022. The Aggies gave up a ridiculous 288 yards on the ground in Tuscaloosa, including 5.6 yards per rush. Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs went off for 154 yards and 7.3 yards per carry in the contest. After that showing, the Aggies are allowing an average of 189.8 rushing yards per game. That’s dead last among SEC teams and 61st among the 65 Power 5 teams. In the previous four seasons under Mike Elko, the Aggies never ranked below 35th nationally against the run and were in the top three in two of those seasons. A&M is 109th nationally in yards per carry (4.67) and 60th among Power 5 teams.

727 - Receiving yardage pace for A&M WR Evan Stewart if the Aggies make a bowl game and if Stewart is able to play 12 games (he missed one game earlier this season). The freshman currently sits at 26 catches (pace of 62 receptions) for 303 yards and one touchdown. Certainly, 60+ receptions and 800+ yards receiving are well within Stewart’s grasp after a breakout night in Tuscaloosa. Only six A&M players in history (Ryan Swope x3, Christian Kirk x3, Mike Evans x2, Jeff Fuller x2, Jhamon Ausbon, Rod Bernstine), and just two freshmen (Kirk and Evans) have had 62+ catches in one season.

1,144 - Full season 13-game pace for Devon Achane in rushing yards. Despite struggles to open up holes in the run game, Achane is putting together an impressive season. He has 528 rushing yards at the halfway point of the season. Assuming the Aggies reach the six-win mark and play in a bowl game, Achane is on pace for 1,144 rushing yards in his first year as the full-time starter at running back. That would rank 11th all-time in the A&M record books.

A&M in national stat rankings

Team
• Time of Possession = #106 (27:53)
• Turnover Margin = #64 (Even)
• Penalties = #61 with 6.3 penalties per game
   - #51 with 53.0 penalty yards per game

Offense
• Total O = #109 (333.5 YPG)
• Scoring O = #109 (21.5 PPG)
• Rushing O = #100 (120.2 YPG)
• Passing O = #99 (213.3 YPG)
• Yards Per Play = #82 (5.65 YPP)
• First Downs = #105 (18.2 PG)
• 3rd Down Conversions = #105 (33.8%)
• Red Zone TD% = #102 (52.9% - 9-of-17)
• Explosiveness = #83 (24 plays over 20 yards)
   - #92 with 9 plays over 30 yards
   - #70 with 5 plays over 40 yards
   - #54 with 3 plays over 50 yards
   - #14 with 3 plays over 60 yards
• Explosive Run Plays = #81 (6 plays over 20 yards)
   - #79 with 2 plays over 30 yards
   - #67 with 1 play over 40 yards
   - #35 with 1 play over 50 yards
   - #18 with 1 play over 60 yards
• Explosive Pass Plays = #77 (18 plays over 20 yards)
   - #80 with 7 plays over 30 yards
   - #56 with 4 plays over 40 yards
   - #46 with 2 plays over 50 yards
   - #10 with 2 plays over 60 yards
• Sacks Allowed = #100 (15)
• Tackles For Loss Allowed = #94 (36)

Defense
• Total D = #60 (365.3 YPG)
• Scoring D = #27 (18.8 PPG)
• Rushing D = #115 (189.8 YPG)
• Passing D = #17 (175.5 YPG)
• Yards Per Play Allowed = #39 (5.15 YPP)
• First Downs Allowed = #87 (21.5 PG)
• Opponent 3rd Down Conversions = #55 (36.05%)
• Opponent Red Zone TD% = #9 (38.9% - 7-of-18)
   - #3 in Opponent Red Zone Scoring % (61.1% - 11-of-18)
• Explosiveness Against = #28 (21 plays allowed over 20 yards)
   - #16 with 7 plays allowed over 30 yards
   - #19 with 3 plays allowed over 40 yards
   - #44 with 2 plays allowed over 50 yards
   - #39 with 1 play allowed over 60 yards
   - #70 with 1 play allowed over 70 yards
• Explosive Run Plays Against = #79 (8 plays allowed over 20 yards)
   - #64 with 3 plays allowed over 30 yards
   - #34 with 1 play allowed over 40 yards
• Explosive Pass Plays Against = #14 (13 plays allowed over 20 yards)
   - #9 with 4 plays allowed over 30 yards
   - #18 with 2 plays allowed over 40 yards
   - #63 with 2 plays allowed over 50 yards
   - #56 with 1 play allowed over 60 yards
   - #86 with 1 play allowed over 70 yards
• Sacks = #85 (10)
• Tackles For Loss = #72 (31)
• Interceptions = #108 (2)
• Fumble Recoveries = #5 (7)

Special Teams
• Field Goal % = #103 (60% - 6-of-10)
• Punting = #59 (42.9 Avg.)
• Kick Returns = #7 (27.7 Avg.)
   - #1 in kick return TDs (1)
• Explosive Kick Returns = #15 (3 returns over 30 yards)
   - #4 with 2 returns over 40 yards
• Opponent Kick Returns = #33 (17.7 Avg.)
• Explosive Kick Returns Allowed = #1 (0 returns allowed over 30 yards)
• Punt Returns = #106 (5.2 yards per return)
• Explosive Punt Returns = #35 (1 return over 20 yards)
• Opponent Punt Returns = #8 (1.57 Avg.)
• Explosive Punt Returns Allowed = #1 (0 returns allowed over 20 yards)

Individual
• QB Haynes King = #85 in QBR (51.4)

• QB Max Johnson = #87 in QBR (50.8)

• RB Devon Achane = #27 in rushing yards (528); #37 in total yards from scrimmage (104.2 Avg.); #6 in all-purpose yards (152.0 Avg.); #4 in kick return average (31.9 Avg.)
   - #8 in runs over 10 yards (18); #24 in runs over 20 yards (5)

• WR Evan Stewart = #59 in receptions per game (5.2 Avg.)

• DL Fadil Diggs = #8 in forced fumbles (2)

• DL Walter Nolen = #63 in forced fumbles (1)

• DL Albert Regis = #9 in kicks/punts blocked (1)

• LB Andre White = #63 in forced fumbles (1)

• LB Edgerrin Cooper = #74 in PBUs (4)

• DB Antonio Johnson = #58 in tackles (48)

• DB Tyreek Chappell = #74 in PBUs (4)

• DB Jardin Gilbert = #26 in interceptions (2); #73 in passes defended (5)

• DB Demani Richardson = #8 in forced fumbles (2)

• DB Deuce Harmon = #63 in forced fumbles (1)

• PK Randy Bond = #69 in field goal % (71.4% - 5-of-7)

• PK Caden Davis = #38 in kickoff average (63.8 Avg.); #5 in touchback % (85.2%)

• P Nik Constantinou = #39 in punting average (42.9 Avg.)