The Alabama Crimson Tide were able to beat Texas A&M, 26-20, on Saturday in College Station.
Even in the victory, there were plenty of warning signs for Nick Saban's team, but the defense helped lead the way to victory, making it a long day's wark for Aggies quarterback Max Johnson.
It's clear the Crimson Tide still have plenty of work to do in order to secure a spot in the SEC Championship Game or even the College Football Playoff. But here are the reasons Alabama was able to secure the win in Week 6.
3. Jermaine Burton
Senior receiver Jermaine Burton coughed up a costly fumble early in the fourth quarter that could've cost Alabama dearly. On the whole, however, the Georgia transfer was a matchup nightmare for Texas A&M in the win.
Burton tallied nine receptions for 197 yards and two touchdowns against the Aggies, all of which were season-highs for the Crimson Tide pass-catcher. Though the offense struggled mightily as a whole, Burton was a weapon that Jimbo Fisher's team didn't have an answer for on Saturday.
Whether it was on a couple of big plays down the field, picking up first downs, or something in-between, Burton was open quite often in this game, which allowed Alabama to keep moving the ball despite a lackluster overall effort on that side of the ball.
2. Alabama's defensive line
The defensive line for the Crimson Tide played at an extremely high level in Week 6. The big men up front ended up with five sacks and only allowed a total of 67 rushing yards on 35 carries. Moreover, they secured a key safety late in the fourth quarter that helped secure the win. They won the game in the trenches, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.
With Jalen Milroe and the Alabama offense looking far less than perfect on the road, it was crucial that the defense delivered a stellar performance. Justin Eboigbe, Dallas Turner and the Tide's defensive front led the charge to make that happen.
They weren't alone on that side of the ball, however...
1. Alabama's secondary
With Max Johnson starting for the injured Conner Weigman at the helm of the A&M offense, the aerial attack was not much to write home about. However, the Alabama defensive backs stepped up to make sure the Aggies passing attack didn't burn them.
The secondary was crucial in bailing out Alabama when the offense was sputtering at times. True freshman Caleb Downs came up with a huge play while the Crimson Tide were trailing 17-10, picking off Johnson to create good field position and ultimately set up a game-tying touchdown drive. That was a true game-changing play that the DBs came up with.
